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View Full Version : Singletary Jersey on ebay



34swtns
03-10-2010, 08:38 AM
Just some points on the Singletary jersey currently listed on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Circa-1985-Game-Worn-Bears-LB-Mike-Singletary-Jersey_W0QQitemZ320499388295QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9f408f87

The seller states that it is a "Circa 1985" jersey when in fact the silk/plastic Wilson tags weren't seen on Bears jerseys until 1987.

Also, I'm not sure what the seller means by "the jersey is tagged as a size 48, but would be larger by today's measurments", but it has been my experience with the over 100 Bears jerseys I've owned that if the tag says size 48, it is indeed a size 48. I've personally never seen a mis-tagged Wilson jersey from that era.

Finally, seeing as Singletary wore his sleeves tucked up into shoulder pads long before this jersey was supposed to have been used I would expect to see some sort of markings above the upper-most stripe on each sleeve indicating wear at the point of the fold on each sleeve and no indication is given with regard to any such marks. The McMahon jersey that was sold recently in GUU's auction was only used in a couple of games and demonstrated these fold/wear marks so I would reason that if a QB's jersey would display such markings a middle LB's jersey would certainly show them as well. I would suggest that any potential buyer request more detailed photos of the sleeves to inspect for these markings.

While I can't vouch for or discount the jersey's authenticity with any degree of certainty, I do believe that the concerns that I've raised should be considered and addressed with the seller before any potential negotiations for purchase take place.

jbcindc
03-10-2010, 09:57 AM
I'm the seller of the Singletary jersey. You're welcome to ask me any questions directly. I'm not an expert in Bears jerseys but when I purchased it, it was listed as "circa 1985," which if you believe it's closer to 1987 wouldn't make the "circa" statement incorrect since circa by definition means an approximation. I don't mind changing the description to state circa 1987 if that is indeed more accurate.

A jersey is a size 48, just as it is labeled. However, sizes in the '80's are not comparable to sizes in the 2000's. You hold up this Singletary jersey to the size 50 2001 Warner jersey I have listed and the Singletary jersey is larger, partucularly in the shoulders.

I understand what you're saying about "folds" in the sleeves if a player tucked the jersey under his shoulderpads. I don't know that I've seen any folds as you describe, but I'll look at the jersey more closely when I get home (which is where the jersey is as I type). If there are folds, I'll ammend the listing. However, I also found photos that show Singletary wearing his jersey untucked. This Getty Image (82719362) seems to refute that claim (never tried to upload a photo so I hope this works):

31222

I felt that the fact Singletary signed the jersey and specifically noted that the jersey was game worn was a further indication of its validity.

Thank you for bringing up these questions and again, I'm happy to respond to any other questions. For the time that I've participated in the GU Forum, those that have come to know me know that I'm more of a buyer than seller. This Singletary and the Warner jerseyI've listed are two that I didn't want to sell. However, I'm in a custody battle with my ex-wife over our son and it goes without saying that I'd rather have him than the jerseys.

Jason

BULBUS
03-10-2010, 11:53 AM
A jersey is a size 48, just as it is labeled. However, sizes in the '80's are not comparable to sizes in the 2000's. You hold up this Singletary jersey to the size 50 2001 Warner jersey I have listed and the Singletary jersey is larger, partucularly in the shoulders.

Don't have any knowledge of Bears jerseys, but I agree here. A 48 from the '80s is usually bigger than a current jersey size 48.

-Chris

34swtns
03-10-2010, 04:37 PM
Jason,
Thanks for addressing the concerns I pointed out with the Singletary. It's refreshing to see a seller who's anxious to answer questions that may arise from one of their listings.

In the interest of putting a date on your jersey, I combed through my Bears photo archives and was able to determine that there were indeed a few games post-1987 in which Singletary either wore his sleeves long or they were dislodged from under the pads and he continued to play with them in that condition. Mind you, this is only relevant info if your jersey has no "fold/tuck" marks, but as you said, you have to take a closer look to be sure if it does or does not. The image you posted was from the May 10th game in 1985 and we can rule that game out by virtue of the type of tag your jersey displays. Ideally, we're looking at games from 1987-1990, (in 1991, Wilson switched over to the larger tag and the smaller sleeve stripes on the Bears game jerseys).
I found photos of the following games where Singletary's home jersey sleeves were un-tucked:

Nov. 1, 1988 vs. the Lions
Jan 1, 1988 vs. the Lions
Dec. 17, 1989 vs. the Lions
Jan. 1, 1990 vs. the Lions (starting to notice a pattern, here)

Should you find any markings or indications that your jersey's sleeves were tucked, well that opens up a whole new can of worms because you have a lot more games to choose from as possibilities for when your jersey was actually used.

In regards to the size(s) of Singletary's jerseys, the few examples I've seen or owned have been size 46, however, all of these were pre-1987. So, the possibility exists that he moved to a larger size during the latter part of his career as many players often do.

Thanks again for your response and good luck with the sale.;)

jbcindc
03-10-2010, 08:40 PM
I inspected the sleeves and they fold over pretty naturally along the top stripe just below the number 50, and they stay folded. However, I don't see any permanent crease or signs of tape or glue on the inside of the jersey that may have been used to keep the fold in place. I would assume that they'd have use something to keep the sleeve in place.

I'll defer to your expertise in Bears jerseys and add a note to the listing and change the title to "Late 1980's" which sounds more in line with what you've researched.

Thanks,

Jason