JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

[captainhaddock]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Can't speak to the other teams, but I have bought a ton of much cheaper Skins stuff with great game wear from Mark Hayne. I spoke to him live last night, and he is planning a Skins sale next week. His email is gixc@verizon.net. Highest recommendation!

[legaleagle92481]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Very well said. You and I have discussed this on numerous occasions and some of what you said will fall on deaf ears, but in all you are exactly right.

On a side note, back to the issue of JO's prices, I have to admit that (in my Bears market at least) the prices are just whacked. Not so much for the value they feel that the individual jerseys are worth, but in the sense that their price scheme seems tilted.

This may not be the same for other teams inventory, but mind you, I am only speaking in terms of their Bears items.

What I cannot grasp is the pricing between the same players jerseys. They have a Matt Forte jersey from the 2009 season listed at $3500. Right next to it they have another Matt Forte, (2008) listed for $500 MORE. Other examples include a Briggs listed at $1125, and one at $1500 - a $375 difference. Alex Brown for $1100, one at $750, etc.

To me that makes absolutely no sense. Why is the same players jersey more, or less. Why not price them all the same? This tells me that there is alot of room for mark-up and when 1 jersey is priced $350+ more than a jersey of the same player, that points me into believing it is greed.

Now, before I appear to be knocking JO, let me say that I have worked with Jarrod personally on many occasions. I own 3 pieces from JO. Like everyone pointed out their customer service, response time, etc. is above all the best I have come across. Perfect example - on Monday (12/29/2008) I e-mailed JO and said that I wanted Urlacher's uniform from that Sunday's game. Jarrod made that all possible. Couple of month's later, the full uniform arrived at my door step. I do not know of any other place out there that would do that, or even CAN do that, for that matter. I will always commend these guys for what they do in this hobby.

It's just the prices...! As someone said earlier (Skins maybe), they seem to cater to the higher end collectors. I have made that same point in another thread about JO. All I would ever ask of them is to help out the little folk a bit more. We have all seen that JO has recently been tapping into the auction market (GUU, GFC, eBay, etc.) so they have to see that their realized prices are considerably less than their original asking price. Listening to the customer, and watching what your items sell for in the open market gives you a perfect idea of what the items are actually worth.

Well mon Forte 2008 was his rookie year so maybe that is why it is more than a 2009. And the cheaper Briggs is not matched to a specfic game from the season it was used so maybe that is why. They seem to charge more based on little disparities. They are charging 500 more for a photomatched jersey of that nebraska DT then one that is not.

[legaleagle92481]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Well mon Forte 2008 was his rookie year so maybe that is why it is more than a 2009. And the cheaper Briggs is not matched to a specfic game from the season it was used so maybe that is why. They seem to charge more based on little disparities. They are charging 500 more for a photomatched jersey of that nebraska DT then one that is not.

Maybe not mon.

[legaleagle92481]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

We have all seen that JO has recently been tapping into the auction market (GUU, GFC, eBay, etc.) so they have to see that their realized prices are considerably less than their original asking price. Listening to the customer, and watching what your items sell for in the open market gives you a perfect idea of what the items are actually worth.

Don't MEIgray and Steiner do similiar things? Steiner auctions some items, offers discounts codes/specials/sales and sells through direct dealers at lower prices than listed. meigray auctions some hockey items on nhl.com and runs sales that sell jerseys for 30-50% of their asking price.

[TriplexXxSports]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Well mon Forte 2008 was his rookie year so maybe that is why it is more than a 2009. And the cheaper Briggs is not matched to a specfic game from the season it was used so maybe that is why. They seem to charge more based on little disparities. They are charging 500 more for a photomatched jersey of that nebraska DT then one that is not.

I don't think that this statement can hold any water. They had an Olsen rookie up there that was photomatched for $937, where as his 2009 gamer was $1500. So to say that they base their prices according to photmatches, rookie, etc., just doesn't add up in this case.

The Suh jersey you refer to is a perfect example of my point. The photomatched jersey is $500 cheaper than the one from the 2009 season - the season the Huskers went to the Championship down in Texas.

Where are they getting their price schemes from? I'm sure that both of those Suh jerseys were bought for the same amount, so what constititues the $500 difference in price?

[TriplexXxSports]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

.....so what constititues the $500 difference in price?

Not to mention the $4500 price tag for a kid that hasn't even been drafted yet.

Are you telling me, that based on Suh's price tag, that that kat is better the Urlacher, or Jarred Allen, I mean come on.

[TriplexXxSports]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

.........I mean come on.......

<EDIT>

.....where are these prices coming from?

[efficaciousone]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

I'd like to know where that info came from. JO has some real nice pieces and responded to my emails so I would consider using them if they had a jersey I really liked. Please provide some sort of proof rather than just innuendo as the only negative I have heard about them is pricing.

I'm not really a collector who is willing to pay $1000 or more on a jersey unless it's something I would truly love and enjoy owning for many many years to come. At this time, NO player in today's NFL on the Dolphins is worth paying $750 or more for. However, that is just my opinion. Maybe if my wife and I had thousands of dollars to spend freely every month, my opinion might change.

I think JO has brought some truly nice pieces to the hobby and provides some measure of authenticity and service to the hobby. NFL jersey should be easily photomatchable and JO tells you which game it was worn so all of their stuff should be verifiable if a collector invests just a little time. I think if they owned the rights to every team 2 things would happen:

1) All we would ever talk about was how easy getting your player's authentic game worn shirt has become

2) We will all complain how damn expensive these shirts have become.

If I can be so bold as to offer some expert advice from someone who taught me a lot about this hobby: If you make one little known player's jersey with average use available (let's say a 4th string lineman) for $150 for every superstar's photomatched jersey (let's say a Pro Bowl QB) at $15K, then everyone will be able to own their teams jersey in their own price range and good vibes and chatter spreads about your company and profits go up. Either way, JO at least offers some integrity and backs up their items for their prices. Otherwise they'd be the Football Steiner

Well to answer question: First off you are right about the equipment manager handling the jersey so I should know what I am talking bout when I say that the Raiders Equipment manager is Danny Molina. Second JO Sports has a Thomas Howard Jersey for sale $2000 on there website and ebay. NFL Auctions one of the 2009 season game worn jersey listed currently on auction. Now I been watching game worn jersey on there website for the last two years and have purchase a few. As a consumer you are telling me cause JO Sports has team rights that they are not over priced when we all know that the Howard jersey might not sell for no more than 400.00. That is 1600.00 dollar difference. And he is a active 2nd hand (LB) player!!!!

[34swtns]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

At the very least, this thread has established the fact that JO's pricing is an issue that is being discussed among collectors quite often and among collectors/resellers........constantly.

I won't disagree with those of you who have chimed in with the "I've bought things from them and was happy with the price 'cuz I got paperwork and I really wanted that jersey" point of view. That's fine, you're primarily collectors. You are JO's target audience. You buy things because you want them without regard to their resale value and that's fine. You're the tentpoles that prop up this industry.

I, on the other hand, buy these same items but I'm always looking to get the best deal I can possibly get because while I do tend to buy with the intention of keeping some items, invariably, everything is eventually going to be sold or traded. This fact makes it necessary to buy things that are priced "realistically". I truly like a lot of the items I've purchased in the past and some of them I still own as "cornerstones" of my personal collection but the bottom line is I don't intend to be buried with any of this stuff. Eventually, somebody else will end up with all of it and I'd like to not take a financial "bath" when the transfers are made.
This is an argument that I frequently have with another collector whom I've dealt with in the past. I always seem to have some "whale" item he wants and he's always trying to work some sort of trade deal with me to get it. These deals usually include varying degreees of "JO-type" items and he can't seem to understand that I couldn't possibly give his "JO items" anywhere near the trade value that he originally paid for them. He'll say, "but I paid $1000 for that Briggs jersey" to which I reply "fine, but it's really only worth $500-700, tops, so that's the trade value I can give you for it".
It frustrates him to no end and I sympathize with him but things are only worth what they are worth in the real world. I've said it a million times and collectors will continue to try to come up with an argument for this statement but it is unfortunately iron-clad:
An item's value is determined by what someone is realistically able to resell it for and not what you originally paid for it.
Basic business 101, since the dawn of time.
The bottom line here is I can't afford to patronize JO's inventory as much as I'd like to because I simply can't afford to. It's not that I don't have the money, I just have to shop for items wisely. I just can't make myself buy something that I know is really only worth about half to two-thirds what I'm paying for it, at best. (The cars we buy are the exception to this thinking but they're a matter of necessity, so it's a little different).
If you simply collect to own and don't mind paying whatever price is necessary to acquire an item, that's great. You are JO's ideal client. They're not catering to me and they're not obligated to. However, I represent a large portion of the potential audience for the items which they sell. If their pricing were more in line with what we collector/resellers require then it would open up a much larger client base for them and maybe items wouldn't sit in their inventory for months on end.
As I said before, price 'em to move and they'll move.

[Jules9]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Jerseys are like buying a car. Just because you paid $40,000 for a car 4 years ago doesn't mean it's still worth $40,000 if you went to sell it 4 years later.

When you buy a jersey from a dealer, it seams like the "value" drops 20-30 percent or basically ends up where it should of been priced to begin with, when it's purchased from them. Although some jerseys are the exception.....but not many.

[sportscentury]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Jerseys are like buying a car. Just because you paid $40,000 for a car 4 years ago doesn't mean it's still worth $40,000 if you went to sell it 4 years later.

When you buy a jersey from a dealer, it seams like the "value" drops 20-30 percent or basically ends up where it should of been priced to begin with, when it's purchased from them. Although some jerseys are the exception.....but not many.

This comparison is not so good. When you buy a car, its value drops as soon as you drive it off of the lot. Over time, it only continues to depreciate in value. If you're smart about your jersey purchases, it's not that difficult to at least break even, if not make a profit down the line. I respect JO's business model and it is Jarrod's right to price all of his items as he sees fit. But, like 34swtns, I always try to make smart purchases. In this context, a smart purchase is one that is unlikely to cause me to incur a loss when I go to trade or sell it.

[indyred]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Jerseys are like buying a car. Just because you paid $40,000 for a car 4 years ago doesn't mean it's still worth $40,000 if you went to sell it 4 years later.

When you buy a jersey from a dealer, it seams like the "value" drops 20-30 percent or basically ends up where it should of been priced to begin with, when it's purchased from them. Although some jerseys are the exception.....but not many.

Agree. You pay a premium to be the first owner of a jersey from a dealer like JO, Meigray, NFL.com ect. You know the jersey hasn't been messed with or worn by a collector, gets switched out ect. I prefer buying straight from the source. Just for that piece of mind. You can trust the dealers and know it is the real deal and you will get the jersey as expected. I know some people just don't like buying off Ebay. No matter how good the deal. People get burned on Ebay all the time.

[sportscentury]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

Agree. You pay a premium to be the first owner of a jersey from a dealer like JO, Meigray, NFL.com ect. You know the jersey hasn't been messed with or worn by a collector, gets switched out ect. I prefer buying straight from the source. Just for that piece of mind. You can trust the dealers and know it is the real deal and you will get the jersey as expected. I know some people just don't like buying off Ebay. No matter how good the deal. People get burned on Ebay all the time.

I have purchased a good number of jerseys from MeiGray over the years, which is "buying straight from the source" as you say. I don't think there has been a single time when I have not been able to get my value back when I have gone to trade or sell the jerseys I've purchased from them.

I will say that this has been an interesting thread in that it has provided insight as to how some collectors rationalize their purchases. This comparison to car buying, for instance, is really fascinating. Personally, I'd be in the poor house if I used this approach, but more power to you guys!

.

[bigben7]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

If so hopefully their prices become a little more realistic.

Bottom line you get what you pay for. JO Sports charges a little more but you can me confident you are getting the real deal unlike some other companies.

[TriplexXxSports]

Re: JO Sports adding teams in 2010?

......This comparison to car buying, for instance, is really fascinating. Personally, I'd be in the poor house if I used this approach, but more power to you guys!.

I own a '73 Nova SS that rolled off the dealers floor at $3700. More than 37 years later I could flip that car for 3x that.

Point being that "some", and I emphasize "SOME" players jerseys could fall into a select category that would return your investement had you have to sell/trade it in the future.

The big picture here is that 87% (my fair estimate) of JO's jerseys, or MeiGray's, or NFL.com's jersey will never return a dime. Most of the players that these guys are selling for well above their 'realistic' prices will never be remembered as a significant face of the sport, or hobby, therefore a poor investment. Regardless of your personal fascination with the player at your time of purchase.

So again I ask - why do these 2nd string, 3rd string, and dudes not even on the roster anymore command such high prices?

Using the car reference here - if someone was selling a mint green '68 Ford Pinto for $12,000.00 we would all say they seller was crazy, yet if they were selling a '65 Chevy II, or '69 Camaro LS6, or a '67 Shelby Cobra for $12000.00 we would all be talking about what a good price that was.

Very few players that these guys sell fall into the '67 Shelby category, so why would someone want to pay such a high cost for a players jersey? Urlacher, Peterson, Favre, Bush, Manning, etc., can command top dollar, but a Garza for $1500, or a Culpepper for $800, or John Abraham for $1500 - .......really?!