For those buying NRL game used jerseys.....here is some info for you.

[Matt26]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share with you some insights and hopefully some helpful tips in relation to buying NRL game worn jerseys.

With clubs auctioning off more jerseys each year there are generally 2 types of jerseys they offer.

Match Worn Jerseys

These are the jerseys worn by the player in the match. In some cases the players will wear 2 jerseys per game 1 for auction and 1 for them to keep, especially if its a special jersey (Heritage, Women in league, Indigenous etc).

These generally come with a COA from the club although the Tigers for some reason wont give you a COA?

Some teams only have the player signing the jersey while others have the whole team sign them.

Player Issued Jersey

Most players are issued with 2 jerseys per game, 1 to wear and 1 as a back up in case its torn or if its covered in blood and needs to be replaced. Some clubs auction off these jerseys and in particular one club (Melbourne) quite often give mixed messages with the jerseys they are auctioning.

The link for the Auctions reads:

Player Issue Personally Signed Melbourne Storm Authentic 2013 Heritage Jersey Auction

The Auction heading is:

(Player Name) - Personally Signed Melbourne Storm Authentic 2013 Heritage Jersey Auction

The Auction states:

Fans have the opportunity to purchase (Players Name) hertiage jersey from the victory against Newcastle Knights at AAMI Park on June 16.

The S jersey comes personally signed by (Player) and includes his Storm debut number XX on centre chest.

So as you can see on one hand they are saying Player issue (not worn) but in the auction itself it states you have the opportunity to purchase (Player Name) jersey from the game etc...

It's not that clear. I emailed them about one of the jerseys and they said that these jerseys are unworn and are the spares the players had available on the day.

As an example, they Storm auctions ended tonight and people paid some big money for essentially a signed (non worn) jersey.

Cameron Smith $2150
Billy Slater $2100
Cooper Cronk $2300

I think that these people may not be getting exactly what they think they are.

Jersey Condition

Quite a few clubs auction off the Jerseys as is (not washed) however a majority of clubs chemically wash them after the game and then have them signed.

Some clubs have GPS pockets on the neck areas of the jerseys and some also have the grip dots on the front. Some don't.

Photo Matching

A good resource to matching a jersey to the game in which it was worn (if its a normal home/away jersey) is Zimbio.com a great photo database.

I recently matched a Sonny Bill Williams Red alternate game worn jersey (auctioned recently by the Roosters which sold for $1600) to the game in which it was played (Roosters vs St George) by photo matching it.

Anyway I hope this is somewhat helpful for people looking to add a Game Worn jersey to your collection.

Feel free to add to this if you have any other helpful tips.

Cheers
Matt

 

[ooneil]

Nice write up Matt. Cant believe the $$$ paid for those Storm jerseys.

 

[Matt26]

Nice write up Matt. Cant believe the $$$ paid for those Storm jerseys.

Owen, totally agree......especially when a signed unwashed game worn Cameron Smith sold for just over $1000 the other week.

Pays to email them and find out as much as you can.

Cheers
Matt

 

[GiRDS-]

Nice write up Matt. Cant believe the $$$ paid for those Storm jerseys.

ahaha you think that ones bad.

There are bargains out there though

 

[Trephinator]

Good write up. One thing I would add is that it's worth checking the wording on the COA.

I had to get one re-issued was the COA did not say it had been actually worn for the game.

I think clubs should have to be clear if a jersey was only used for part of the game as well.

Also check the terms of the auction as it is common for a 10% buyers premium to be added and for auctions to continue post advertised closing time until there have been no bids for a period of time.

 

[Matt26]

Good write up. One thing I would add is that it's worth checking the wording on the COA.

I had to get one re-issued was the COA did not say it had been actually worn for the game.

I think clubs should have to be clear if a jersey was only used for part of the game as well.

Also check the terms of the auction as it is common for a 10% buyers premium to be added and for auctions to continue post advertised closing time until there have been no bids for a period of time.

Very good points! Thanks for adding.

 

[hobo]

If they are Game worn / game prepared without a COA from the Club for me personally I think you may as well buy a jersey from Rebel and take it to a fan day and get it signed.

 

[troy titans douglas]

If they are Game worn / game prepared without a COA from the Club for me personally I think you may as well buy a jersey from Rebel and take it to a fan day and get it signed.

What if they come directly from the player?

 

[thenamesgould]

If they are Game worn / game prepared without a COA from the Club for me personally I think you may as well buy a jersey from Rebel and take it to a fan day and get it signed.

Depends on if you're buying it for value, or for your own collection, to me. If I know for sure it's match worn but don't have a certificate, then I'm not bothered if I'm gonna have it hanging on my wall for the rest of my days!

 

[GiRDS-]

bit of both for mine, can see both sides, like i'm buying mine for the collection, but security in its value doesn't hurt either, i mean the sharks don't do coa's anymore, but iv'e emailed them about it, its because they consider the box with the official poster enough evidence that its legitimate. the box has sharks logo on the front as well. its official enough for me to buy them, but like i wouldn't mind a signed piece of paper sayings it all legit too.


,

 

[hobo]

What if they come directly from the player?

Then there should be some providence. If I am there I would ask the player to date it, maybe put match stats on, photo of them signing it in the dressing sheds, something. I understand if it is a give away, donation and only going into someones personal collection, like James said, then all good who cares about a COA, but it is when they are being sold at "match worn" prices then IMO proof is needed or then it is just another signed jersey and valued accordingly.

The Sharks boxes are a great idea, that is as good as a COA in some circumstances.

Ross

 

[hobo]

When you buy a Club Auctioned jersey does it come with a Receipt from the Club?

That seems like a reasonable guarantee of authenticity, what do you think?

 

[GiRDS-]

When you buy a Club Auctioned jersey does it come with a Receipt from the Club?

That seems like a reasonable guarantee of authenticity, what do you think?

cant speak on behalf of all clubs, but the sharks email out a receipt, and you could print it if you wanted too.

 

[brendo]

Sizing is a key indicator aswell, all clubs and especially those that sublaminate cant be lucky enough to not have an injury and have a same size and weight player replace them, in regards to getting them outside of auction it is a gamble but comes with a good price and its all down to the relability of your source, mine are through a club employee and im aware what is íssue and worn, end of the day there are many worn jerseys just floating around the club that are even used for training eg tigers

 

[Noark-99]

The cowboys ones come with certificates. The ones in 2009 didn't though. COA Is all good... But a proper released one should have an actual photo of the item on the coa. I could easily get a player jersey get thurston to sign it and use the coa I got from the one I bought... None the wiser.... If they had the photo on the COA it would make it harder to 'fake' a player worn.

All of mine are locked into my PC. I'd get rid of my cowboys cards before I even thought of getting rid of my player worn jersey's.

M.

 

[mt.wellington]

My first 3 rules of collecting match worn jerseys.

1. Homework
2. Homework
3. Homework

Some club COAs are worth less than bog paper. I know of an auction last year where the Warriors sent a COA signed by the CEO that explicitly stated that the jersey was the jersey was the exact one worn at a game and it clearly wasn't as the player in question had milestone embroidery and the jersey the buyer received didn't lol. Now that was very obvious but it does make you question the validity of the rest of the jerseys especially when popular players are going for north of $5k. The record being $8500. Shaun Johnson of course.

As far as I'm concerned I go by the following factors with some already well covered by Matt.

COA
See above

Variations
Knowing key variations between standard replicas and players jerseys will help eliminate the vast majority of questionable jerseys. Number on the back, grip patterns, GPS pocket, tapered fit, different fabric, different side panels, different sponsors and patches etc...

Team Lists
Another easy way to eliminate a lot of jerseys is simply going through team lists and comparing jersey type with jersey numbers and players. I have sheets of team lists that then get broken down into jersey types, numbers and rounds worn.

Provenance
My personal favourite is directly from players. Clear provenance and much cheaper than club auctions. Also good to just form a connection for future purchases. A photo of them holding the jersey is better than a COA IMHO. I don't like autographs on jerseys but that is another good option. Club auctions and well placed connections (trainers, managers, club staff, family) and respected sellers are other good options.

Sizing
I have never come across a player that has ever worn a different size in any jersey other than trial/training jerseys for 1st grade games ever. If I get 4 jerseys off a player I get 4 of the same sized jersey. Obviously is someone is trying to sell you a fullback jersey and its 2XL then run. Often times you will get a jersey from a second string player that is say a number 7 but not their size as they share the same size as the actual halfback so its not their actual jersey or match worn. Other times you strike gold and get the real deal.

Wear
All match worn jerseys will have wear on them. The industrial cleaning process they use will be obvious even after only one wear. Player issue jerseys are mostly brand spanking new but can often be used for training so this is not always a given. Unclean jerseys will be, well... unclean. They stink and should be treated to remove the bacteria on them that could slowly eat away the structural integrity of the jersey. The UV light from sunshine on a hot day usually does the trick.

Autographs
Be wary of sellers selling a lot of signed jerseys. One easy tell is autographs all on the same plane, pen thickness and pressure. It can be lengthy but checking examples of known signatures will weed out most fakes.

Photomatch
This has been mentioned but it is the one single positive way of identifying whether a jersey has in fact been match worn. All the other methods are not enough on their own or even collectively. This can be difficult as not all jerseys have a tear, dirt mark, misaligned number etc. Photo matching is the only accepted verification for most large auction houses, authentication companies and museums and while its not yet common for NRL jerseys it would be a great way of future proofing ones collectibles.

All comes down to doing your homework. It can be time consuming but positive matches are rewarding and reassuring. Some of the money being spent without any research is crazy at times especially with unscrupulous people out there selling doctored fakes particularly on eBay. Even popular sellers in Facebook groups have been caught red handed embroidering Grand Final match details on legit player issue spares or slapping legit numbers on legit spares of popular players to bulk up value. They'll even one further and get the player to sign them.

Personally I don't care if its match worn or a spare. I'm just happy to have an example that's better than a replica in my collection. The main thing is that I don't pay match worn prices for spares or even player spare prices for player issue. You are talking thousands and potentially tens of thousands across a collection.

Anyway, been a while and only found this thread after researching the NRL rules and history of heritage jerseys. Thanks for the great read.

As you were...

 

[Matt26]

My first 3 rules of collecting match worn jerseys.

1. Homework
2. Homework
3. Homework

Some club COAs are worth less than bog paper. I know of an auction last year where the Warriors sent a COA signed by the CEO that explicitly stated that the jersey was the jersey was the exact one worn at a game and it clearly wasn't as the player in question had milestone embroidery and the jersey the buyer received didn't lol. Now that was very obvious but it does make you question the validity of the rest of the jerseys especially when popular players are going for north of $5k. The record being $8500. Shaun Johnson of course.

As far as I'm concerned I go by the following factors with some already well covered by Matt.

COA
See above

Variations
Knowing key variations between standard replicas and players jerseys will help eliminate the vast majority of questionable jerseys. Number on the back, grip patterns, GPS pocket, tapered fit, different fabric, different side panels, different sponsors and patches etc...

Team Lists
Another easy way to eliminate a lot of jerseys is simply going through team lists and comparing jersey type with jersey numbers and players. I have sheets of team lists that then get broken down into jersey types, numbers and rounds worn.

Provenance
My personal favourite is directly from players. Clear provenance and much cheaper than club auctions. Also good to just form a connection for future purchases. A photo of them holding the jersey is better than a COA IMHO. I don't like autographs on jerseys but that is another good option. Club auctions and well placed connections (trainers, managers, club staff, family) and respected sellers are other good options.

Sizing
I have never come across a player that has ever worn a different size in any jersey other than trial/training jerseys for 1st grade games ever. If I get 4 jerseys off a player I get 4 of the same sized jersey. Obviously is someone is trying to sell you a fullback jersey and its 2XL then run. Often times you will get a jersey from a second string player that is say a number 7 but not their size as they share the same size as the actual halfback so its not their actual jersey or match worn. Other times you strike gold and get the real deal.

Wear
All match worn jerseys will have wear on them. The industrial cleaning process they use will be obvious even after only one wear. Player issue jerseys are mostly brand spanking new but can often be used for training so this is not always a given. Unclean jerseys will be, well... unclean. They stink and should be treated to remove the bacteria on them that could slowly eat away the structural integrity of the jersey. The UV light from sunshine on a hot day usually does the trick.

Autographs
Be wary of sellers selling a lot of signed jerseys. One easy tell is autographs all on the same plane, pen thickness and pressure. It can be lengthy but checking examples of known signatures will weed out most fakes.

Photomatch
This has been mentioned but it is the one single positive way of identifying whether a jersey has in fact been match worn. All the other methods are not enough on their own or even collectively. This can be difficult as not all jerseys have a tear, dirt mark, misaligned number etc. Photo matching is the only accepted verification for most large auction houses, authentication companies and museums and while its not yet common for NRL jerseys it would be a great way of future proofing ones collectibles.

All comes down to doing your homework. It can be time consuming but positive matches are rewarding and reassuring. Some of the money being spent without any research is crazy at times especially with unscrupulous people out there selling doctored fakes particularly on eBay. Even popular sellers in Facebook groups have been caught red handed embroidering Grand Final match details on legit player issue spares or slapping legit numbers on legit spares of popular players to bulk up value. They'll even one further and get the player to sign them.

Personally I don't care if its match worn or a spare. I'm just happy to have an example that's better than a replica in my collection. The main thing is that I don't pay match worn prices for spares or even player spare prices for player issue. You are talking thousands and potentially tens of thousands across a collection.

Anyway, been a while and only found this thread after researching the NRL rules and history of heritage jerseys. Thanks for the great read.

As you were...

Very wise words indeed!

Photo matching can be difficult but I've managed to help photo match a number of jerseys for people and given them some comfort.....or some grief if it wasn't a match worn jersey. Getty images can be your friend!!!

 

[mt.wellington]

Very wise words indeed!

Photo matching can be difficult but I've managed to help photo match a number of jerseys for people and given them some comfort.....or some grief if it wasn't a match worn jersey. Getty images can be your friend!!!

Getty Images
Zimbio
Photosport

All invaluable resources. If you want to rip a photo off Photosport just go to page source and its usually around 380-400 to the right...

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I’ve got in to buying Souths player worn this year. Keaon indigenous, Murray ANZAC, Tatola Las Vegas all look fantastic. Would really love a Cook regular season jersey.

 

[Matt26]

I’ve got in to buying Souths player worn this year. Keaon indigenous, Murray ANZAC, Tatola Las Vegas all look fantastic. Would really love a Cook regular season jersey.

Im sure i've seen a Cook on the NRL Match Worn Facebook page for sale......