Chinese Companies selling MLB Jerseys

[Raw Biz]

rawbecht, could you post photos of your jerseys to compare to those pictures that you posted? I wonder if our detective work could find anything different. You don't have to, of course, I'm just wondering if you'd allow us to look and compare.

http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0416.jpg?t=1313210440http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0417.jpg?t=1313210469http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0421.jpg?t=1313210617http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0418.jpg?t=1313210515http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0419.jpg?t=1313210547http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l638/rawbecht/IMG_0420.jpg?t=1313210596

 

After looking at the ones I posted above and mine, nothing different sticks out with the Yount one. The lettering and numbers do look a little smaller on mine with the Molitor one however. But for $20, I think they both look good.

[pitchleague]

the material of both look different to me. Granted, their both photographs but the "real" ones seem to look like the real thing while your jersey's seem to have a "shimmering"/"glossy"/"shiny" appearance to them.

 

Again, it's really hard to tell otherwise, and photos never do anything justice so it's hard to tell anything. Bottom line, I guess, with anything like this is if you're happy then who cares what anybody else thinks.

 

edit: shoot, I forgot to say thank-you for posting the pictures. Also, I only know you as rawbecht, but it was weird posting my question to post pictures because I thought I was talking to Kurt Russell. Is that from "Big Trouble in Little China?"

[RyDogg66]

The jersey I got for my son was a Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby Winter Classic 2011 Jersey. The blue/navy colors. I have inspected it top to bottom and there is nothing,and I mean nothing not authentic about it. I am very happy with it. It cost $35. $42 with shipping and insurance.

[Raw Biz]

the material of both look different to me. Granted, their both photographs but the "real" ones seem to look like the real thing while your jersey's seem to have a "shimmering"/"glossy"/"shiny" appearance to them.

 

Again, it's really hard to tell otherwise, and photos never do anything justice so it's hard to tell anything. Bottom line, I guess, with anything like this is if you're happy then who cares what anybody else thinks.

 

edit: shoot, I forgot to say thank-you for posting the pictures. Also, I only know you as rawbecht, but it was weird posting my question to post pictures because I thought I was talking to Kurt Russell. Is that from "Big Trouble in Little China?"

I see what your saying about the glossiness. The Molitor one looks more glossy in the picture than in reality but they still could be different materials. Regardless, I would never pay $250 for a jersey so I'm satisfied. And yes, that is from Big Trouble in Little China, the greatest movie ever.

[Raw Biz]

The jersey I got for my son was a Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby Winter Classic 2011 Jersey. The blue/navy colors. I have inspected it top to bottom and there is nothing,and I mean nothing not authentic about it. I am very happy with it. It cost $35. $42 with shipping and insurance.

I got a Gretzky Oilers and a Bobby Hull Blackhawks one as well. Both look fantastic. I've compared them to other "real" hockey jerseys I've got and they both feel the same material-wise and look even better.

[Bikeage77]

how long did it take for you guys to make your order and recieve it? i need to get on this before my fantasy football draft.

[Raw Biz]

how long did it take for you guys to make your order and recieve it? i need to get on this before my fantasy football draft.

Took me about a week and a half to two weeks to receive mine. However, they ended up sending me a different style jersey than what I ordered (ordered 80s style Fisk jersey but got a 90s one instead). It took me another 2-3 weeks to actually explain that nothing was wrong with that jersey, it was just a different style than what I wanted. They ended up giving me the option of sending it back (but I would have to pay for shipping) for a refund or they would give me a free jersey with my next order. I ended up going the free jersey route.

[hawing]

You know, thanks to this thread, every knockoff jersey I see at Miller Park now sticks out to me like a sore thumb.

[BrewCrewForever]

Has anyone ever seen one of these sites selling a Yount M&N grey road "Milwaukee" jersey? I want that jersey bad.

[a3uge]

You know, thanks to this thread, every knockoff jersey I see at Miller Park now sticks out to me like a sore thumb.

Packers jersey can get as bad. The most obvious sign is the numbering on the back. If the material of the numbers look warped, it's a counterfeit. Good luck putting those things through the wash too. Most of my friends who have bought jerseys off of eBay (obvious counterfeit) have had the seams falling off by the second wash, and the numbers heavily warped. Brewers jerseys are more obvious. The 8's often look ridiculous, and the name on back is either too thick or too thin. I've seen some that are obviously the wrong font. Another obvious sign is the coloring. The gold stripes and number/name outlines should be a textured and shiny gold. It should never be a solid color. Many of the counterfeits have an obvious Packer-gold for the sleeves, which look absolutely ridiculous. There's also problems with the color of road grays and colors in the throwback.

If you buy a Chinese counterfeit, you're committing a crime. It's illegal, hands down, no way to justify it. It's the same concept as bootleg DVD's. Not legal. If the seller claims he's legitimate, you're still doing something illegal.

I'm not going to go out and buy an official $250 jersey. I have, however, bought legitimate replica Magestic jerseys for $60-$70. These look much better than any Chinese knockoff you'll get online, and they'll last a hell of a lot longer. They're not 100% true to game worn uniforms, but you're guaranteed proper stitching and coloring... and your numbers won't warp.

It's kind of ironic that MLB prides itself on using Majestic jerseys, which are made in the USA. The cost is much higher due to this fact, and people turn to China for the uniforms anyways. And I really do think many people would complain if MLB switched to Nike or Reebok, or Majestic moved jersey production outside of the US. Many of these same people probably would own cheap knockoffs from China. As far as jersey sales go, I wish MLB would drop prices in their official uniforms so people could actually think about affording what the fans wear instead of resorting to buying obvious fakes. I'd comfortably say that 90% of 'authentic' jerseys on gameday (worn by fans) are fakes. Sure, they're never going to attract the guys that buys $20 jerseys, but they would get a lot more people buying authentic jerseys if it were priced reasonably. Enough to move 0% profit counterfeits over the current profits of authentic jerseys. If you dropped the price in half, I honestly think they'd get 5x more in sales, which would end up in more profit. This, of course, is hard to do considering the royalty system of a uniform. From production of a finished jersey, Magestic gets a cut, MLB gets a cut, the Brewers get a cut, and the seller finally gets their cut. By the time the seller gets it, they have to mark up to a ridiculous price to make a profit.

Enough rambling.

[Raw Biz]

Didn't want to quote the whole thing but responding to post above. Do you really think 90% of the people know about these websites and have actually bought from them? I didn't find out about them until last year. I find it hard to believe that all the 40+ somethings I see with jerseys are buying them from China.

Also, your friends must have bought from someone making these out of their basement if they are falling apart after a couple of washes. I bought most of mine from a website and haven't had any problems. My parents both have jerseys like the Molitor/Yount ones I showed above and have been wearing them last season and this season and so have seen probably at least 10 washes with no problems. All of the football and hockey ones I have from the website (most people couldn't tell any difference just by looking at them but I haven't compared them side-to-side with "real" ones) I have worn and washed 10+ times with no problems as well.

I have also bought jerseys from ebay with no problems. Just because it's on ebay doesn't mean it's obviously counterfeit. I bought a Leinart Cardinal's jersey off ebay 5 years ago with Reebok tags and everything for $50. It still looks as good as the day I bought it. I also bought a couple of other ones that still look good. I've also bought TV/movie jerseys off ebay that were made in the Philippines. I have a Moxon Varsity Blues jersey, an Adam Banks Mighty Ducks jersey, and a Tim Riggins Friday Night Lights jersey. Obviously these aren't made by the studios but they are made by people who make professional-looking jerseys. They were all reasonably priced ($50 for the Ducks, $20 for the football ones) and look authentic. They are also all intact after numerous washes.

My point is just because someone buys something from one of these websites or off ebay doesn't mean they are automatically poor quality or fake-looking. I would say just the opposite. Most of them look as good as the "real" ones and are of just the same quality. In fact, my "knockoff" football jerseys have held up better than a $100 one I bought from Champs.

[a3uge]

Wow, you're really good at stealing things.

[Raw Biz]

If you buy a Chinese counterfeit, you're committing a crime. It's illegal, hands down, no way to justify it. It's the same concept as bootleg DVD's. Not legal. If the seller claims he's legitimate, you're still doing something illegal.

Actually, there is a defense if the buyer reasonably believes that the jerseys are legitimate. There is also a debate as to whether the buyer could be prosecuted if they are buying for personal use. If they are buying to resell, then they are putting themselves in the chain of selling counterfeit goods, which is obviously illegal. However, if they are buying for personal use, that may be legal. The government could seize any goods bought for personal use but may not be able to prosecute the buyer.

So yes, sometimes there is justification. If the seller is representing them as real, they look real (such as having official patches and tags), and a person could reasonably believe they are real, then there is a defense. It's not all or nothing. Also, there's no reason for you to be condescending with your stealing things comment. I was simply stating what my experience was.