Question about NBA Game Used or Team issued jerseys

[mchenrycards]

Hello everyone,

I don't post here often as my collection of game used items was sold off years ago but I love coming here and reading about everyone else's collection.

I have recently stated to volunteer for a local non-profit food pantry in suburban Milwaukee and was speaking to the head of volunteers when the subject turned to sports. In the middle of our conversation he dropped a bomb on me when he said the Milwaukee Bucks donated several boxes of items to them a number of years ago but they had not done anything with them. I was intrigued so I asked to see what they had. We made our way to the basement and against the far wall was at least 200 large boxes (think boxes that bananas come into your grocery store in and that is the exact size of these boxes) filled with Bucks "stuff" Much of these boxes were stuffed with brand new t-shirts and sweatshirts but something caught my eye. In at least two of these boxes there were game issued but not game worn jerseys from the Bucks season of 2003/04. These jerseys all have the proper tagging but they have no name or number on the back. Obviously, these are team issued but blank jerseys as they are actual game jerseys that are used by the team. I had almost no time to dig to see what else was there but I was allowed to take two jerseys with me to do research on.

My question to you experts is this.....How much could I reasonably sell these for? The food pantry is struggling and they need the cash to help stay afloat as they can purchase food from "Feed America" for .19 cents a pound and these uniforms can help provide so many people food to eat. I would love to hear ideas and thoughts as to how what your feelings are on authenticity and what your thoughts are on selling these items.

Thank you so much for your time!!

https://www.flickr.com/gp/139796108@N08/T52691

[sox83cubs84]

I'm not sure what team-issued blanks would sell for, but I would suggest clandestinely marking them inside the jersey. The only problem with selling team blanks is that hobby crooks take them to sporting goods outlets sometimes to add NOBs and numbers and give them identities to try and offer them as game-used. This was done in 1995, when one dealer acquired the jerseys made for the replacement MLB Astros players in 1995. While he sold them legitimately, another dealer bought him out and marked them because the secondary market found a few crooks stripping them of the replacement player identities and turning them into Bagwells and Biggios. A little planning would help keep these identifiable to be able to detect doctored jerseys down the road.

I hope you can sell them, as the food pantry would be well deserving of some extra dollars.

Dave Miedema

[mchenrycards]

I'm not sure what team-issued blanks would sell for, but I would suggest clandestinely marking them inside the jersey. The only problem with selling team blanks is that hobby crooks take them to sporting goods outlets sometimes to add NOBs and numbers and give them identities to try and offer them as game-used. This was done in 1995, when one dealer acquired the jerseys made for the replacement MLB Astros players in 1995. While he sold them legitimately, another dealer bought him out and marked them because the secondary market found a few crooks stripping them of the replacement player identities and turning them into Bagwells and Biggios. A little planning would help keep these identifiable to be able to detect doctored jerseys down the road.

I hope you can sell them, as the food pantry would be well deserving of some extra dollars.

Dave Miedema

Hi Dave,

Than you for the response and a great idea. I have no idea as to what quantities I have available and if this stash includes warm ups, shorts and the rest of the uniform but I will certainly find out next week. When I do find out the full scope of the collection I will certainly mark the items somewhere where it is not readily seen to avoid the situation you described. Any suggestions on what I could do or where the mark should be placed?

As a side note, I used to read your column in SCD all the time and having worked at Wrigley Field during most of the 80's I remember seeing you pretty much most of the time. I Am still friends with some of the ball hawks and often wonder how you are doing. I hope all is well!

[Phil316]

I think you could get around 50.00 to 60.00 per jersey to be completely honest.

[shermdawurm]

I agree with Phil. Some of the initial ones might sell for a little more. I don't think the 2003-04 Buck had any superstars (maybe Michael Redd) but I could definitely see some earlier year size 48-50 size blanks being turned into and passed off as team-issued Ray Allen or Gary Payton jerseys.

[sox83cubs84]

Hi Dave,

Than you for the response and a great idea. I have no idea as to what quantities I have available and if this stash includes warm ups, shorts and the rest of the uniform but I will certainly find out next week. When I do find out the full scope of the collection I will certainly mark the items somewhere where it is not readily seen to avoid the situation you described. Any suggestions on what I could do or where the mark should be placed?

As a side note, I used to read your column in SCD all the time and having worked at Wrigley Field during most of the 80's I remember seeing you pretty much most of the time. I Am still friends with some of the ball hawks and often wonder how you are doing. I hope all is well!

Probably an indelible marker or invisible ink pen on someplace inside where one would have to look for it. And make it unique enough so that, if the secret gets out, secondary market dirtbags would have major trouble trying to duplicate it.

Dave M.

[bucksdrummer]

I would definitely be interested in seeing what else was in those boxes as I collect Bucks stuff. From my experience with their inventory, they were very careless in their cataloging of what they had and if it was anything special. I've had stuff from Fanatics with COAs that had the wrong years on them (even with it marked on the jerseys already), and items from Jabbar and Oscar Robertson came out in the first run of Fanatics game used items via the Bucks.

[memorabiliaunlimited]

I would definitely be interested in seeing what else was in those boxes as I collect Bucks stuff. From my experience with their inventory, they were very careless in their cataloging of what they had and if it was anything special. I've had stuff from Fanatics with COAs that had the wrong years on them (even with it marked on the jerseys already), and items from Jabbar and Oscar Robertson came out in the first run of Fanatics game used items via the Bucks.

wow - the bucks had items from that long ago just hanging around until they teamed up with fanatics? thats like 40 years ago. crazy.

[sox83cubs84]

The Bucks have nearly always been seen by hoops collectors as one of the tough teams to find gamers of on the NBA game-used jersey market.

Dave Miedema