Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

[nevrdiez34]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

I wouldn't take that personally!

People always try to make a quick buck but just because it ended up on eBay doesn't mean there will be a buyer for the item...

There are many jerseys & other memorabilia on there that I've seen month after month where the price is out of reach from reality and it will never sell.

+1

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

You've only sold roughly 1/4 of the jerseys listed, so from a marketing perspective I would say in general your jerseys are over priced. But if some jerseys are being resold (and I mean actually sold, not just listed, there's a big difference) for profit on Ebay then they were under priced. Every jersey is different and even a jersey of a bit player may appeal to a certain collector for a reason. If you want to get the jerseys into the hands of the people who truly value them and aren't buying them to make a profit, you need to auction them. That's the only way to find the true market value of each jersey, maximize the number of sales, and keep the middlemen out of the equation so you make all the profit.

I've seen the jerseys being resold on Ebay. Part of this is due to the game issued vs game worn status and pricing. Your website says some of these jerseys may be game worn but you're not sure, so they are being sold as game issued. That is leaving room for people to resell them at a higher price if they can prove, or just create the possibility in buyer's minds, that the jersey was game worn. I would recommend doing what members of this board do; try to photo and/or video match jersey characteristics to prove the jersey was game worn.

-Jeff

[perlman9]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

It's a shame to see our stuff show up on eBay. We tried to price our jerseys right, but it seems some buyers think they can buy low and sell high.

In a perfect world we would have our own auction site (something we are considering) so the market could set the price.

Jim

I know the Saints have a nice auction site and the Seahawks, though the Seahawks start with a fairly high price and the Saints start at $1 I believe. I think it is a good idea as you will probably make a few more $$ on some and a few less $$ on others, but may even out in the end.

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

I don't think you even need the cost and effort of your own auction site. I'd use Ebay and have a link to your jersey listings on the proshop webpage. You could promote upcoming listings on this forum.

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

I'm curious, have any former players purchased their own jerseys?

-Jeff

[helmets]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

If you want to get the jerseys into the hands of the people who truly value them and aren't buying them to make a profit, you need to auction them. That's the only way to find the true market value of each jersey, maximize the number of sales, and keep the middlemen out of the equation so you make all the profit.

-Jeff

Huh? Items that are sold at auction are resold all the time - sometimes at a very good profit. Just because an item is sold at auction does not mean that the selling price is "the true market value" not does it mean that the original seller makes "all the profit." An auction does not keep "middlemen out of the equation", nor does it keep a collector from buying and reselling.

[PatriotsProShop]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

I'm curious, have any former players purchased their own jerseys?

-Jeff

Not yet, but we have had a few inquiries from former players about the availability of their jerseys.

Jim

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Huh? Items that are sold at auction are resold all the time - sometimes at a very good profit. Just because an item is sold at auction does not mean that the selling price is "the true market value" not does it mean that the original seller makes "all the profit." An auction does not keep "middlemen out of the equation", nor does it keep a collector from buying and reselling.

1) All jerseys will change hands at some point, whether it be next week or 100 years from now.

2) By definition, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Auctions provide true market value at that point in time, to those who are aware of the auction. Can jerseys be resold to someone who didn't have the money when it was listed previously but they do now? Yes. Can auctioned jerseys be resold for a profit to someone who didn't know it was in an auction? Yes. Can a jersey's value change because of on or off field events? Yes. My statement still stands.

Right now the Patriots are not moving most of their inventory (over priced and/or under advertised) and seeing jerseys resurface for re-sale (under priced). Nor are they reaching all of their potential customers. A well publicized auction method would maximize sales, profit, and exposure.

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Not yet, but we have had a few inquiries from former players about the availability of their jerseys.

Jim

Jim:

Along those lines, are players ever given their jerseys to keep? I know of at least one player who had their Super Bowl XXXI jersey. I assume it was given to them by the team.

-Jeff

[PatriotsProShop]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

Along those lines, are players ever given their jerseys to keep? I know of at least one player who had their Super Bowl XXXI jersey. I assume it was given to them by the team.

-Jeff

Yes, from what I understand there are instances where players are given their jerseys, Super Bowls are a good example of that. I also heard that they also have the option to buy them at cost as well should they want to.

Jim

[paul457]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

I'll chime in one two points - pricing and availability.

Pricing - I'd have to agree that the pricing seems a little high, especially for anything that is not game worn. I'd base this on 2 things - 1) being the current inventory level and 2) the prices for team issued jerseys for comparable players on other teams. Game worn stuff definitely commands a higher premium, but it looks like a lot of the game worn stuff on the site has been washed? That could be why it's stale.

And while an auction seems like the best option for pricing something fairly, the impulse buyer with the highest CC limit usually sets that price.

Availability - I'm not a fan of just posting them on the site, unannounced. I check the ProShop site daily (multiple times), but I didn't see a lot of the items mentioned in this thread even go up for sale. So either people were tipped off, or they are refreshing the site every 10 minutes - either way, most of us don't have the time for that stuff. It seems the scalpers always have the edge on this stuff, because it's their job.

I'd rather see an announced sale that starts at midnight, a lottery with limits on number of items purchased, or some sort of waiting room system (like they do with ticket sales). Might sound crazy, or like a lot of work, but it's the fairest way for the true fan to get something that they'll never be able to buy from a scalper.

Just makes me shake my head - I won't mention specifics, but recently a Pats game used jersey sold through the NFL auction site and it popped up eBay 2 days later for $2,000+ more than it was purchased for just 2 days prior. Come on... did this guy break any rules? Nope, not really... but just makes me re-think the whole hobby. In some ways it's digusting, just like the sportscard hobby.

Sorry to rant, but would be really nice to see this stuff make it into the hands of fans who would appreciate it, and have them get it at a reasonable price.

[jeffaary]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Jim:

Thanks for the info you've already given, and for future knowledge. It is great having you here.

I'm looking forward to adding to my Ohio State Patriots collection.

-Jeff

[dplettn]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

It's a shame to see our stuff show up on eBay. We tried to price our jerseys right, but it seems some buyers think they can buy low and sell high.

In a perfect world we would have our own auction site (something we are considering) so the market could set the price.

Jim

For what its worth (or isn't), I find it noble that you are up front that you care about this. There are great benefits to the game used segment beyond just proceeds to the team or charity. There are grassroots benefits to the team's culture; items touch their homes in a very unique way. When you properly place a game used item, you are selling tickets, T-shirts and TV ads.... you are selling them generations in advance. So, depending on the mission of your team's game used segment, there may be a delicate balance for you to walk.

As a well-intentioned collector of game used (not just football), I've often wondered why some teams don't seem to care about the practice of small scale eBay-preneurs. The sale/purchase of an item for the sole purpose of resale can defeat certain benefits of the team being able to give a graceful touch to its stakeholders (season ticket holders, wait-listed collectors, whatever).

I'm very complimentary of you being here (GUU). But ultimately, you have to realize that its up to you whether to design your program in a way that attracts and facilitates small scale entrepreneurs, rewards relationships, or whatever it is that is your mission... Whatever you do, just make sure the way you design your game used merchandising (communication with your customers, wait lists, pricing or release designs, etc) "fits" your mission.

I've passed on numerous attractively priced items from numerous teams in multiple sports with the graceful interest of the next fan who browses what's left... leaving more for the hobby where the team can touch other collectors. But, in cases where teams demonstrate their segments are not designed to further relationships with their stakeholders anyway, I ask myself: "If the item I try to leave for another good home is alternately going to knowingly be sold to a pattern flipper, aren't I a fool?"

I think the best way for teams to handle it first to identify a dedicated person who understands and cares for a team's stakeholders, knows the product segment well, and is a great communicator. Then for them internally to handle select items on an ad hoc basis. There is nothing wrong about caring where your product goes. There might be a lot right about it...

But talk about it with your customers of select items! Let them know what you expect of them. If you are selling to them to create/further their relationship with the team organization, inform your customers of that. And, advise them not to abuse your courtesy.

[legaleagle92481]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Once someone buys a jersey they are free to do what they wish with it. It is like any other asset one purchases. The idea that people should not resell stuff because they bought it from the team is misguided imo. Most of the Pats stuff is priced so high it will be difficult if not impossible to even break even on that is why its still there. Most of the players have played for the Pats or even in the NFL in years and were far from stars. If someone does manage to make a profit on a particular item more power to them.

[PatriotsProShop]

Re: Patriots now selling GU stuff on line.

Interesting conversation. One thing I learned while lurking (waiting for my logon to be set up) is how very passionate the members of this forum are about your collecting. As a longtime Boston/New England sports fan myself, I totally understand that dedication and passion. It’s what makes all of this so special. Thank you all for welcoming me so warmly me into your community.

legaleagle92481 - I totally agree that once a buyer purchases from us it is their right to do whatever they want with it. That doesn’t mean we have to like it ;-) I guess I thought that people on this forum would be more against the buying and selling for further profit than they are. I didn’t expect to see members here in favor of it, and actively doing it. It’s a free market, and as someone who sells merchandise for a living, I can’t blame anyone else for trying to make a buck.

Dplettn – thank you for sharing your thoughts as well. I promise you that we do appreciate the other benefits to making these items available, past just driving revenue for the ProShop.

paul457 – I appreciate your comments about things being fair. FWIW, most jerseys have been up for days or weeks before being sold. Very few have sold in less than 3 days of being made available. We will definitely give the issue some thought.

My purpose for joining this forum was to learn more about all of this, and potentially to provide some information (I have already learned more than I will ever be able to give back). That said, I am a person, and therefore have opinions - maybe I should create another login as a civilian to share thoughts like “It’s shame…” . I do own memorabilia of my own. Sometimes it’s difficult to work inside this stadium and remembering to turn off the fan inside of me.

Thanks again for allowing me to be here, and participate .

Jim