My thought on all the knock off NFL jerseys and how it affects the low end GU market

[jake33]

I have thought of this for the last 4-5 years or so and notice it more and more. Maybe it is me getting older but I am getting more upset about it. NFL counterfeit jerseys that people order online from all lame overseas websites that pop up and down real fast.

Sewn jerseys that sell for well under $50 each. They stick out like a sore thumb to me, even ones for teams that have simple jerseys like the Packers, Bears or Raiders. You know, the sleeve stripping is not quite right, the numbers look like almost a soft mattress material, the Packers #5 font won't dip in the middle left side of the 5.... I have seen them for sale at used clothing stores even. I was at the Packers Thanksgiving game and the Colts vs Bucs game in November 2015 and from those 2 games, I'd say of all the jerseys I saw at those stadiums, at MINIMUM 20% of the jerseys people had on were bootlegged.

First of all, One thing I don't get is the blatant illegal ownership of these items. --- Let me clarify that.... If a friend of yours stole a car, you didn't know this, then that same friend gave you that car, then you could be arrested for ownership of stolen property. NFL merchandise is obviously licensed product. This also has royalties built into the cost. Bootleg jerseys are stolen intellectual property. The copyright loophole is having the jerseys made outside the USA, but once they come to the USA, those are violated. My fiancé is a law student at Marquette and next semester I asked her to bring this up to a law panel at the University to see what their take is.

My thought is that the NFL could legally go to NFL stadiums and have anyone wearing a bootleg jersey get a citation. Witch hunt? Yes it would be. On one side, it would be protecting their brand, on the otherside this would be a PR nightmare fans would be outraged the NFL would be the bad guy again for giving a dad in a bogus jersey a ticket in front of friends and family. I personally would not care though, mostly because I don't own any knock off jerseys, most every jersey I owe is either game used or issued with a lot of personal research I do myself on each item regardless of the authentication.

Ok, being a jersey snob aside...Lets just get this out of the way, the guy buying a $15,000 Aaron Rodgers Game Used jersey is not the same guy buying a knock off Aaron Rodgers jersey for $37.99 from an off shore website..... I think everyone on this forum pretty much understands that. Now with that out of the way, I know for a fact bootleg jerseys have at least SLIGHTLY hurt the lower end game used market. I was at a team garage sale a year or so ago and instead of buying a nice game sued jersey for $50, I heard a guy say he could get a jersey of that team's star player on certain off shore website for less than that. The jersey at that garage sale was $50 but was a jersey probably worth $130+ on ebay or to another buyer on this forum. Another example, is I myself trying to sell a legit game used jersey for $100 to a co worker and that co work flat out told me they rather get a jersey from one of those knockoff website, I said that the jersey he wanted to get was fake but because the bootleg jersey was $40, he didn't care and the look of the jersey was "close enough."

On ebay last month, I had 5 NFL game used jerseys that I should have had no problem getting $100 a piece (with free shipping) for but I was only successful on 1 out of 5 of those offerings. Now were bootlegs jersey sales responsible for me not selling those? Maybe not directly, but I certainly think bootleg jerseys sales don't help at all. In reality low end game sued jersey compete on price point against $40 knockoffs. To me it is a no brainer, I'd rather have a legitimate game used jersey over even a legit retail authentic jersey, but most people are not super fans as I would think game sued collectors are.... most people are casual fans and fantasy footballers who want something "Close enough."

I do think this situation is going to get better or get a lot worse and it will be interesting to see what steps the NFL does to protect their brand.

[G1X]

Jake,

Nice post with a lot to think about. Here are a few thoughts for what it's worth.

Most folks buying the knock-offs from overseas probably have little clue or understanding of licensing fees and how it works. They are looking for an inexpensive jersey and go hunting for one on the internet. If it comes from China, India, etc., they might well not think twice about it as many of the low-end clothing and other items we buy in various stores are made overseas (legally, of course). If they can buy something in Target made in China, then why not buy it online? I am not saying that buying unlicensed products is right, I am just saying that most folks probably don't give it a whole lot of thought and might be completely shocked to know that they are buying a product that hasn't been properly licensed.

On the other hand, for those who know that it is violating the NFL's intellectual property and still buy the unlicensed item, I find it very troubling as I see that as nothing short of theft. You knew, and you did it anyway. I equate it to those who think that music should be free. Some just don't want to pay the piper. For anyone in this forum who either has a patent, copyrighted material, licensed trademark, or is a musician, writer, etc., I am sure that you can relate to this type of theft very well.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

[jake33]

One interesting step the NFL and Nike are clearly taking is by making a lot of their newer jerseys have small pieces of detail that make it harder for counterfeit jersey makers to get it right, they are not outwardly saying this, but to me it is obvious they are trying to find ways to counter act that market....

For example.....
New Vikings Nike uniforms - the number font on the left side of the jersey is different than the right side, so to make a Vikings jersey, multiple fonts of each numeral are needed... in essence it makes more "moving parts" for a bootleg production facility to get correct.

New Buccaneers Nike uniforms - Buccaneers use a reflective trim edging on the numbers and 2 different uniform patches on each sleeve. The trim on the numbers is a hard material to duplicate, the multiple patches also makes more moving parts to work with

Newer Seahawks uniforms - detail in the number font, small detail that doesn't get duplicated all that well

Jaguars - Jags patch on chest, other than the uniform being totally hideous, the patch adds an element harder to replicate

Browns - contrast color stitching. Small detail that bootleggers may overlook

[ferro39]

Giving out citations to fans wearing fake jerseys would be an epic failure on so many different levels.

Of course it would scare people away from buying these jerseys, but it would also push people away from the league, not to mention being a gigantic PR failure. Can you imagine fans dropping $150+ on tickets, $40 to park, x for beer and concessions to see their favorite teams play and being given a ticket once inside?

That is the kind of stuff that makes people cut allegiances to a league and never spend another dime on it again.

On the flip side, I have also heard a bunch of stories of NFL IP lawyers trying to shake people down who were trying to sell very real authentics on places on eBay--some of which were even purchased from NFL.com--for "damages." I'm not sure if this is still taking place, but this was somewhat common years ago.

[mad87man]

I have owned a bootleg jersey before. A few actually. I have over 40 gamers and will always collect them but they have nothing to do with the other. Going to games in a nice jersey is a waste. Beer spills, ketchup falls, a nunber of things happen to a jersey at a game. I have given up wearing them for my nice replica but the point is, they are expensive. Also factor in the fact a player is there for sometimes 3 years if that. Why would people pay 100$ for something that looks almost the same for 50$? I don't think bootleg jerseys have anything to do with the sales of game used. Blame people faking game used and the market being flooded as a reason game used is declining.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

I don't see the connection to be honest. People buying bootleg jerseys want the current player and almost always a big name player. So how is that really going to effect some former scrub from 10 years ago game used jersey? There might be cases here and there, but for the most part I don't think they had interest in your game used scrub jersey in the first place. Who wants to go to a game in Jimmy Noname's jersey?

[jake33]

There are other things people value in owning low end game used jerseys other than the obvious point of a specific player wearing it.

These are odd reasons, but none the less these are reasons why people buy $100 and under game used jerseys
- Some people like being the guy who knows obscure players on the team
- Some people don't like getting the jersey of the best player on the team that everyone has
- Some people just want something made for the team and worn by someone on the team
- Some people collect specific jerseys of a certain numeral (someone here collects #13 jerseys)
- Some people collect jerseys of the same last name (Someone of the forum collects Martinez jerseys)

Does it affect everyone? No not at all, but what low end price driven products do is shape the public's point of view of the value of certain items. 3 knock offs for $100 or 1 $100 jersey? When being compared compared like that, there are people that will sway to the 3 knock offs, no doubt. I don't know what percentage it is, maybe 5%......

But here is something to think about.... Knockoff jerseys by in large are ordered online, I would say 80% of all the game used jerseys I own were bought online one way or another. I bet most people's game used collections have at least 30% of it come through online purchases. Assuming knockoff jerseys and $100 no name gamers would compete together, ordering online means you cannot feel, see up close or try on either jersey. The safer bet for someone buying a jersey to wear would be the knockoff. So in that scenario, that would hurt the game used market value.

On the flip side.... I said before that if the NFL didn't sell retail jerseys at all, the value of game used would go up quite a lot.

[ferro39]

Unless I have overlooked it, there is also one pretty big point that hasn't been discussed: that the vast majority of people can't comfortably wear game worn football jerseys.

Between elastic side panels and cuffs; different cuts; lineman jerseys being 4' long, etc, it's near impossible.

[mad87man]

Unless I have overlooked it, there is also one pretty big point that hasn't been discussed: that the vast majority of people can't comfortably wear game worn football jerseys.

Between elastic side panels and cuffs; different cuts; lineman jerseys being 4' long, etc, it's near impossible.

That's a big factor too. How many people really wear Game used jerseys to a game? I am a bit bigger of a person who wears an XL replica jersey and don't even fit in a gamer of a WR or RB, they are too tight. I also don't wanna ruin them either. I would rather wear a 50$ jersey to ruin or have something happen to then a 150$+ jersey that may be worth something more.

[helf35]

I do not wear jerseys so I really can care less either way the only thing that bugs me is the price the MLB/NFL/NHL/NBA charge for there gear.

Authentic Jerseys are made in China or Taiwan?
Knock Offs are made from the same place?

How does the NFL justify selling there jerseys for $200 for an authentic? They use cheap labor and it has been proven almost all those places over seas are using child labor or versions of slave labor where they do not play there employees enough to live on. Don't get me wrong its pretty much everything that we buy and consume now but there price point seems to be what has driven everyone to the knock offs.