Tiki Barber Game Used Helmet on Ebay

[mvandor]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220124272525

As I've bought an item from PSI before which easily determined to be bogus after receipt and examination, I don't trust them. This easily replicatable helmet comes with no back story, nothing but their LOA.

Comments from aeneas or other helmet experts appreciated.

[mvandor]

Interesting response to my asking for the back story on the helmet, and to my comments to him on my prior purchase:

"I know the Marino helmet you are referring to. It was part of about 20 pieces we bought last year. I believe it has a UDA hologram if my memory serves me right. It had the identifiers but I now assume they were added from the dealer who sold us the lot.

As for the Tiki, I cannot (for the sake of an equipment managers job) give out a name, obviously. If you are a seasoned collector of football game used equipment you should understand we have direct contacts with many teams and even moreso with the Jets and Giants. Most of the items I get I'm instructed not to sell them publically or that we must wait 6 months to sell so 90% of the stuff we get never sells publically as I have many private clients. A LOA is only as good as who's name is on it and in reality an item is either good or bad right from the start, nevermind the amount of wear it may show. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards, Bernie"

[mvandor]

Bernie has contacted me to suggest that I should disclose that the prior item, a Marino helmet, was sold as a game issued rather than used. Happy to clarify that.

[kingjammy24]

"..I now assume they were added from the dealer who sold us the lot"

a dealer who also works or plays for a team? see PSI's claim: "All of our game used equipment comes directly from team source or player"

"As for the Tiki, I cannot (for the sake of an equipment managers job) give out a name, obviously"

if i understand this correctly then, PSI's customers are purchasing items that, if their provenance were revealed, people would lose their jobs? sounds solid. do people usually lose their jobs if they aren't doing anything wrong?

"If you are a seasoned collector of football game used equipment you should understand we have direct contacts with many teams"

if you are a seasoned collector of football game used equipment, you should understand that bogus stories about team contacts are a dime a dozen. everyone says they have team contacts. with enough training, i'm confident i could get my dog to howl out the words.

"Most of the items I get I'm instructed not to sell them publically"

if i were purchasing an item and the seller instructed me not to sell it publically, i'd be pretty concerned. wouldn't you? where does PSI unload this stuff to it's "private clients"? a van down by the jersey docks at 2am?

anyway..i give to you to my bernie gernay top 10:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=670

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=1403

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=2911

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=3290

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=3630

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5612

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5832

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=4732

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5581

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=6964


rudy.

[aeneas01]

to begin with you can count me in with kingjammy24 as far as his opinion of psi is concerned - and to kingjammy24, you are an asset to this forum and precisely what makes this forum so valuable to those in the hobby and those wanting to join the hobby.

as far as the helmet is concerned, there's nothing about it that would compel me to believe it had ever seen tiki barber's head let alone an nfl game - especially given the source.

is it consistent with barber's helmet? sure it is. but for $200 you could have one of the many enterprising ebay reproduction enthusiasts piece together one for you which would be identical to it in every way. further, psi's barber helmet is a much closer match to tiki's pre-2006 helmet. in 2006 the giants added a "ny" front bumper decal which is not present on psi's offering - a decal which the team wore, including barber, throughout the 2006 season. as a matter of fact, there is no indication or evidence that such a decal was ever placed on this helmet (adhesive remnant, discoloration, fading, etc.). also, imo, the rear decals are spaced incorrectly.

after reading both the note bernie sent to mvandor and the threads linked to by kingjammy24, i'm at a complete loss as to how anyone could possibly purchase anything purported to be game used or game issued from psi without extreme reservations. the manning jerseys, the elway jerseys, the asi/historic auctions connections, the hinek claims - you just have to shake your head in disgust.

[Eric]

Another Tiki helmet is being sold on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130135437672

[Vintagedeputy]

I'm from Jersey and I'm a huge Giants fan. After reading this thread and looking at the pics, I can assure you of two things.

No game used Tiki Barber helmet exists without signs of a serious pounding. Tiki got hit alot, and hard, by everyone. Then he got back on his feet and ran like Forrest Gump. :)

No van full of Giants stuff ever unloaded on the Jersey docks at 2am. Been there, never seen it. :)

[aeneas01]

Another Tiki helmet is being sold on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130135437672

yeah, i saw that too - raining tiki helemts, eh? but this one must be real given the seller - i mean it's not like he's the type of guy who would rough up a reproduction and then try to pass it off as an authentic game worn piece of equipment! oops, i mean he's not the type of guy who has a "staff" that would rough up a reproduction and then try to pass it of as an authentic game worn piece of equipment!

;)

btw and fwiw it looks to be a size medium with a standard 1" front sizer (pad) and a standard 3/4" back sizer (pad). for those that have never tried on a size medium schutt pro air helmet with standard sizers, let me just tell you that they are very small lids - about a 6 3/4. schutt rates their medium pro air lids at 6 1/2 - 7 depending on the sizers used. i don't think tiki's large melon would come close to fitting in this thing...