Collector washed jerseys

[Falcon]

Also as a result of this thread I have revised my eBay listing to state the fact that I did wash this jersey after I received it unwashed from NFL Auctions.

[mdube16]

Nothing wrong with washing a smelly jersey. It doesnt alter the fact that the player wore it.

[legaleagle92481]

Interesting opinions. To me jerseys are like pieces of art and I like them in the condition that the artist left them in so to speak. To me washing a jersey is like touching up a Rembrandt. To continue with the art analogy I view game issued jerseys and the like as sort of reproductions. When the evidence of use is removed from an item by washing on the surface the item appears no different than a game issued jersey and the thrill of the item (that it looks like it has been through a war at times with hit marks, ball marks, grass and dirt stains) is lost and you are left with a glorified reproduction. I don't keep my jerseys at home for safety reasons and outside of when I initially obtain them I don't handle them (when I do it is always with gloves on to protect the jersey as well as myself) so I don't have the concerns that Mark mentioned. The few washed jerseys I own were purchased because the price of an unwashed one was prohibitive. I obtained my Ray Lewis washed jersey for about 60% of what an unwashed jersey would go for.

[jppopma]

To me washing a jersey is like touching up a Rembrandt.

Even a Rembrandt at a museum gets dusted and other steps to preserve it. Plus paint is not nearly as offensive as a smelly jersey.

To each their own....take solace that I won't be bidding against any of you for the smelly ones.

[Falcon]

I tend to think that alot of this really has to do w/ why you buy these game used jerseys? I could be wrong, but are gamers considered good investments to potentially turn a profit one day? I guess if you were lucky enough to score a Rogers, Brady or Manning jersey early enough you could make a pretty good profit, but other than that, are game used jerseys really a good investment? Being a collector of Falcons jerseys / autographs, I'm more in it for the enjoyment and to decorate my TV room. When I buy a game used jersey, I never really anticipate I'll see that money again. I buy it with the same intention I buy a TV or a car. To use, watch, enjoy but usually not the intention of turning it for a profit.

I guess it really comes down to personal preference and what your financial situation allows you to afford. Good analogy w/ the art cause I really think that's what this is. I'm the kind of guy who is okay w/ a beautifully done replica for my home and could never be able to afford a one of a kind original painting from a well know artist. I guess that's why my collection will never be at the level as some of you guys on this forum! Aloha.

[G1X]

legaleagle,

For those of us who collect football jerseys worn in the 20th century - back in the days where only one or two jerseys of each color were worn in the entire season - we can attest that washing a jersey does not remove rips, repairs, scuffing, abrasions, and other markings such as permanent staining from turf paint and helmet paint. Back in the era when numbers were screened-on, you will see "burn" marks on the numbers and stripes that remain on the jersey after being washed.

As someone stated earlier, washing a jersey does not take away the fact that a jersey was game-worn by the player. If you think that a washed jersey ends up looking like a glorified reproduction, I gladly invite you to view my collection of older jerseys as it will quickly change your mind on that particular issue.

Unwashed jerseys are almost non-existent from the 20th century, and if you collect anything older than the last 5 years or so, it is very doubtful that you will find anything that is unwashed. Even if you somehow ended up with a 1974 jersey that was obtained directly off the back of the player after the last game of the season, did the previous washings after each game somehow remove the history or lessen the value of that shirt?

I have twice won a jersey in a "Shirt Off My Back" promotion at a baseball game. They were sweaty and gross, so I washed them. Did washing those jerseys make them any less real or no better than a glorified reproduction? Did it erase the fact that I was handed these jerseys directly after being worn in a game? Did it remove the history of these jerseys? The answers are no, no, and no!

Again, each to their own in setting their parameters in what they collect.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

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

[SSB15]

I do not think washing the jersey has any impact on the value. I have a lot of jerseys in my collection and would not want a dirty jersey for health reasons. The teams, of course, wash jerseys on a regular basis. If you take this a step further, then we should never fold jerseys to ship them because you can create a crease in the jersey.

[both-teams-played-hard]

This thread is reminiscent of the modern vs. vintage debate. It seems there is a generational divide. Febreez does wonders. Of course, washing is better."Denim-heads" and blue jean officianados put their jeans in the freezer to kill viruses and bacteria. I really want you married guys to just try that and see if your wives approve.

[Rickphils1]

I bought a Jason Werth game used Phillies jersey 2 seasons ago that had the MLB hologram indicating it was game used. When I purchased it from the Phillies kiosk, they told (warned) me it hadn't been washed. When I got it home the odor from the B.O. was horrible. I debated washing it but was afraid that it might effect the MLB hologram. Instead, I sprayed it with some lysol and hung it in my unfinished basement for several months before the smell went away. If it hadn't been for the holo, I would have washed it in a second---probably somewhere other than my machine.

[mbenga28]

not to pull this off topic, do any of you also clean your game used equipment?