Vintage vs Modern Debate

[kprst6]

Are vintage insignificant jerseys of common no name players really worth that of modern day superstars? Recently, I've seen a jersey from the 70's of Joe Common Player that most people never heard of sell for $7,500 (it was listed for sale for over 4+ years). Back then, there was no security tagging, little photo-graphs, and even fewer pictures/references of this no name player.

If I buy a significant modern day superstar jersey like an Aaron Rodgers, Sidney Crosby, or Albert Pujlos for around the same price $7,500... what will be worth more in 40 years? An 80 year old no name, with zero proof it was ever legitimate, or a then to be Vintage superstar HOF player with security tagging, photo-matches, Team COA's etc.

I stay away from no name players no matter how old. To me, the age of the jersey doesn't make it any more or less significant unless it was literally proven to be worn during a specific event such as the first ever game by the franchise, playoffs, championship, incident etc. I would rather spend my money on a modern 100% indisputable superstar for the same price than a common "vintage" jersey that can never and probably will never have indisputable evidence that its real (photo-match, COA, proof it wasn't just a preseason jersey, proof it wasn't an event worn jersey)

Just wondered what everyone's opinion is on this.

[karamaxjoe]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I'm going to guess the Aaron Rodgers, Sidney Crosby, or Albert Pujols jerseys of the future will not rise much beyond what you paid for them since this crazy hobby will crank out a ton more of them.

I'd much rather have that 80 year old no name player jersey from my favorite team and I wouldn't care if I could prove it was worn or not. Jerseys from that era were made to be worn in games and not sold in stores. You can also be sure your common player jersey from 80 years ago is legitimate since the crooks would rather create a Lou Gehrig instead of a Wally Pipp.

I'll take the old rare jersey any day of the week over the modern superstar. Of course that's just my opinion and we all collect differently. I'm guessing the old guard will agree with me and the newer, younger collectors won't.

[cohibasmoker]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I'm going to guess the Aaron Rodgers, Sidney Crosby, or Albert Pujols jerseys of the future will not rise much beyond what you paid for them since this crazy hobby will crank out a ton more of them.

I'd much rather have that 80 year old no name player jersey from my favorite team and I wouldn't care if I could prove it was worn or not. Jerseys from that era were made to be worn in games and not sold in stores. You can also be sure your common player jersey from 80 years ago is legitimate since the crooks would rather create a Lou Gehrig instead of a Wally Pipp.

I'll take the old rare jersey any day of the week over the modern superstar. Of course that's just my opinion and we all collect differently. I'm guessing the old guard will agree with me and the newer, younger collectors won't.

I'm with you. Vintage jerseys and helmets from back in the day are far and away harder to find than modern-day jerseys and helmets because the vintage stuff wasn't available on the retail market, most players didn't want their stuff and some NFL teams, like the Jets, gave their jerseys away to fans at the end of the year. What wasn't given away, was thrown away - yes thrown away. I collect Eagles items from the 1960's and in the past 30 years, I've seen perhaps 10 jerseys and even less helmets hit the market.

Today, players can order extras jerseys for their family members, friends, their agents or the person down the street who walks their dogs when they are away on road games. I don't even know how modern day jerseys can even be authenticated? As for Aaron Rogers, who knows how many jerseys he'll wear before he retires.

It may also be a generational thing. I grew-up watching the Eagles at Franklin Field and I would much rather have a Norm Snead or Ben Hawkins jersey rather than a Michael Vick or DeSean Jackson jersey.

Just an opinion.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Thanks goodness there are collectors like karamaxjoe and cohibasmoker on this forum. I thought I was alone.


Wilson, Rawlings, durene and flannel...
Majestic, cool-base and dazzle-cloth...

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Mike, Jim and Warren:

You can add me to your group. It was rare back in the 1970's for any player in any sport to get more than 2 or 3 sets of jerseys in a year. Today, star players get a dozen or more.

I like the ironclad sourcing of current items when available, but the old stuff is much harder to find, and were made purely for game play...not resale opportunities.

Vintage....YES!!

Dave Miedema

[genius]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

This is just my opinion but a bigger problem for me is that today's retail jerseys have the exact same graphics as the actual gamers. Stand 10 feet away, wrinkle them up a bit, fold up the sleeves, and you can't tell the difference. Without clear and conclusive proof along the lines of a huge mark or tear easily photomatched there would be no interest in seeing them in a museum 50 years from now (again, my opinion). The best vintage jerseys do not need to be star players and do not need an LOA to bring satisfaction in owning them, the craftsmanship speaks for itself (my opinion once more!). Here's my favorite pickup this year:

[karamaxjoe]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Thanks goodness there are collectors like karamaxjoe and cohibasmoker on this forum. I thought I was alone.


Wilson, Rawlings, durene and flannel...
Majestic, cool-base and dazzle-cloth...

I don't hang here as much as I used to, but it's good to see some of the old timers still frequent this site and talk about the vintage stuff. Most of the chatter appears to revolve around anything from the past few years.

Oh Warren......where can I get me some of that dazzle-cloth? I might have an old suit in the back of my closet made of that.

[staindsox]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I don't hang here as much as I used to, but it's good to see some of the old timers still frequent this site and talk about the vintage stuff.

Add me to that list!

I had been searching over ten years for a St. Paul Saints game used jersey (the 1902-1960 franchise) and had to pay through the nose to get it when one finally became available. I have been told by several longtime collectors that there are only a handful known to exist; fewer than the number your average player is issued every single season.

I doubt I will ever find another one of these.

Chris

[staindsox]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Same goes for bats. Every single cracked bat is saved and sold today. How many Cano or Pujols bats have we seen in the past month? How many Lute "Danny" Boone bats do you think are still out there? Each vintage item is truly one of a kind, even if it wasn't used by a big name.

[mickeymbz]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

c'mon ..NO brainer... vintage any day of the week. i back the post where they would take a vintage common over a modern star... easily. vintage shirts just has way more vibe to them. modern shirts are like modern built homes....absolute zero personality

[misteremu]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I'll take a common player jersey pre-1990 over a superstar modern day jersey any day...too may fakes and too may jerseys issued every year to justify the high prices realized....I would dare to say not too many people fake a common player jersey pre-1990....

[mickeymbz]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I'll take a common player jersey pre-1990 over a superstar modern day jersey any day...too may fakes and too may jerseys issued every year to justify the high prices realized....I would dare to say not too many people fake a common player jersey pre-1990....

the fake nba shirts started appearing regularly during 92/93..thanx to msauction

[Dewey2007]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Great post topic. I think I fall into the vintage camp but with that said the majority of my collection is modern day just because they have been much easier for me to acquire. Vintage jerseys have so much more character though.

One of the few vintage jersey I have in my collection, a 1972 Chris Speier SF Giants flannel road jersey, is a favorite along with the two 1930s semi-pro baseball jerseys I acquired when I was a kid.

While cool to look at, I think the one thing that turns me off a little about possibly adding a vintage baseball jersey to my collection is so many of them have been restored or recycled through the minor leagues with number changes. Not much you can do about that though since that was the way it was done back in the day but it's just something that I have to try and look past when considering adding one to my collection since there are not to many originals left. I've held off on bidding on a couple because they had been restored by the owners which is different to me then if the team did it themselves.

I'm always unsure too of what the official measuring stick is for something to be considered vintage. Is it something that is 20 years old or more?

[G1X]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

Great thread! I mainly collect football jerseys, and nothing beats a durene jersey in my humble opinion. Whenever someone looks at my collection, they are drawn immediately to the durene jerseys.

I've included a few photos. Hope you enjoy!

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for NFL/AFL durene jerseys, World Football League jerseys, Atlanta Falcons jerseys, and Willie McGee and Darren Lewis game-used items.

[xpress34]

Re: Vintage vs Modern Debate

I'm always unsure too of what the official measuring stick is for something to be considered vintage. Is it something that is 20 years old or more?

Dewey -

20 years would put you at 1991 and I would imagine not too many people here consider the 80's and early 90's 'vintage' - except maybe some of our younger collector's...

Anyway, I use the same yardstick that is used in the card collecting side of the hobby - roughly 1976/77 and early is considered vintage.

As far as the Original Topic of this thread - I too prefer vintage and am slowly moving out my modern stuff for vintage...

I will still keep a few key modern pieces:

Jason Giambi 2009 Rockies Uni - photo matched to 1st game w/ Rox AND his 1st card ina Rox Uni.

Eric Young Jr 2009 Rockies Uni - photomatched to 1st (and still ONLY) MLB HR at bat (I recovered that HR - my 1st as well).

As far as REAL vintage - I can't afford GU of many of the stars I like, so I am slowly building a nice Mitchell & Ness Collection - signed if possible - of the 'flannel' jerseys. They still display very nicely.

All the best -

Smitty