Ken Griffey Jr. Cleats: Are They Real?

[frikativ54]

My brother wants these Griffey cleats. The only question is if they are real. I told him I would ask on this forum. I would think that they are legit because of the LOA, but then again, it isn't signed by anyone. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Game-Worn-Ken-Griffey-Jr-Cleats-Shoes-UD-COA-Authentic_W0QQitemZ310053535624QQihZ021QQcategoryZ50117QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[kylehess10]

Re: Ken Griffey Jr. Cleats: Are They Real?

Though Upper Deck is very legit, nothing in the LOA states EXACTLY how they aquired them, so ya never know, they may have came from Lampson

I'd ask the seller first for pics of the sides of the cleats, so you can atleast find a style-match to know he wore that kind

[David]

Re: Ken Griffey Jr. Cleats: Are They Real?

I have no idea how they get game used material, but UDA would qualify as legitimate company that has has direct contact with many MLB and NFL players. They have autograph contracts with many athletes, including folks like Michael Jordan and Joe Montana, which means they have direct contract with players and their agents-- obviously a good situation to getting game used items from the same players.

For reference, in a recent REA auction, there was a Michael Jordan game used bat with UDA LOA. MEARS counted the UDA provenance as 2.5 provenance points. MEARS didn't give the full 5 provenance points as the provenance wasn't from the player or team, but recognized the UDA as worth 2.5 points. Also of note, MEARS said the bat matched exactly the specifications of a Jordan game used bat, so they agreed the bat physically looked legitimate.

I believe a few years ago Upper Deck had a game used insert/contest in conjunction with one of their trading card brands, where you could pull a card and win a game used piece of equipment. I believe this is where the mention Jordan bat came from. So Upper Deck had specifically been gathering game used items for their cards.