No photo-match 2000 on = not game used?

[greg678]

Does it bother you that there are people out there that think their game used item that has nothing behind it, but proper tagging think their item is just as good as your item you bough from the team and you photo matched.
Which lead me to-
With all the photos on line today of players for the last 10 or so years, is it fair to have a standard of "if a 2000-2010's item does not have a photo match it can not be proven that it is game worn". Of coarse additional info of where the item came from and tagging are important also.
(I am not saying a photo-match is 100% guarantee the item is legit, but it does make things a bit better.)
If buyers, whom ever they are, had this standard the sellers would do more work to show their items were legit. If they do this they can sell it for more. They ask big money on items anyway, so do the work and get more money.
Also if buyers had this standard, auction houses would have their people they get items from prove to them it was game worn. If they can do this the seller would receive more money for their item and the auction house would get a higher commission. This info would be shown to the bidders. Why not, the sellers get good money anyway, so do some work and make even more money.

That leaves the question "well, what if I can't find a photo match of my item?" The answer would be to show another way it was game worn, like a player or team letter or........I don't know, you tell me and I will see if I will believe it.
I added that sellers and auction houses can make more money which is fair. Both buyer and seller would benefit with the buyer having one more layer of proof and seller having the opportunity for more money.

"Put it this way, how well would a game used "photo-match only" auction do?"
That would be the buzz wouldn't it.

Mabey these are just my standards and I can decide if I want to buy or bid as I please. It just makes me scratch my head wondering who is buying all this stuff that says "game used" with just the proper tagging alone.
I agree on the 90's or before, but why not have higher standards on the new stuff?
I know this is wishful thinking, but why not put it out there with all the photos to check. Also it is wishful thinking that all buyers will care that their items are properly checked before they buy.
Thanks for all your info and keeping collecting "real" on this site.
Long thread sorry.

[commando]

Do you understand the definition of photo matched?

Take a basketball jersey, for example. You MIGHT get lucky and find a high-resolution game photo that allows you to match small things, like loose threads, or puckering of letters and numbers. Since these newer basketball jerseys typically show little battle wear, you can usually rule out that kind of match.

You can always try to look at the number and letter alignments on the shirt, but the best case scenario there is that you may have a solid STYLE match.

I would disagree with the idea that there's a wealth of clear, closeup photos available of any given player taken during any given game.

Believe me, I hate the fact that there are so many outright scammers and thieves in the GU business. With that being said, a certain amount of personal research (and research from others in a place like this) can help weed out the bad from the good, and also identify the "possible."

[rdeversole]

is it fair to have a standard of "if a 2000-2010's item does not have a photo match it can not be proven that it is game worn

Nope. It's fair to have a personal rule on only buying photomatched items but to think that an item is not good because it's not photomatched is bogus.

[greg678]

Nope. It's fair to have a personal rule on only buying photomatched items but to think that an item is not good because it's not photomatched is bogus.

I left the door wide open on other ways to show it is game used, team, player or story and said just because something looked matched does not mean it is 100% . (Style matched may be a better way of saying it. Thanks)
What would make you comfortable buying something if you can't find your player using it?

[sportsnbikes]

I don't know that I agree. I have 3 bats given to me by the players themselves and I can't seem to match them with the pictures online. I just can't get a good view of them. I could buy MLBTV but that's a lot to pay when the games don't even air since I live in the FSKC viewing area.

I also have a bat authenticated by MLB but I can't even find any pictures online from that say of the player batting.

[Takuleechch]

this is like the tenth post that this greg678 has posted along these lines
we get it - you only want photomatched items. that's your prerogative.

[greg678]

I don't know that I agree. I have 3 bats given to me by the players themselves and I can't seem to match them with the pictures online. I just can't get a good view of them. I could buy MLBTV but that's a lot to pay when the games don't even air since I live in the FSKC viewing area.

I also have a bat authenticated by MLB but I can't even find any pictures online from that say of the player batting.

From the players themselves is the best! You rock! Only problem is a seller or auction house who says a player gave it to them. Very few sellers have such a good rep where many collectors can trust them on that statement. Not that the dealers are lying or anything either.
It must be a good feeling to know that you are right and who cares what someone else (including me) thinks.

[greg678]

this is like the tenth post that this greg678 has posted along these lines
we get it - you only want photomatched items. that's your prerogative.

How do you buy your items, what makes you comfortable?

[G1X]

I continue to see various posts where some collectors set their comfort levels strictly to "photomatching" and/or provenance from the team or league. That is fine, but please keep in mind that there are a lot of collectors who were in the hobby before there were numerous photos readily available, before COAs and authenticating services were widespread, before the internet existed, before cell phones, etc., etc., etc. These collectors learned a lot about game-used uniforms in a completely different manner than, perhaps, many collectors who have entered the hobby over the past decade. There is neither a "better" or "worse" way of setting one's comfort level and parameters other than to say that there are different ways of looking at uniforms and gaining a comfort level. What works and seems logical to one collector might not be the way the next collector does things.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[coletrain98]

photo matching i would say is most important for jerseys. with bats if you can match a model or a signature tape pattern something like that i would say its good enough. also if its MLB authenticated as game used it doesn't really need a photo match