People collect all kinds of sports memorabilia, including game worn hockey jerseys. These jerseys have been worn by a player in an official NHL game. Players have a lot of extra jerseys, and they go through a lot of jerseys every season. There is a market for those that are game worn that is different from extra jerseys, backup jerseys, or those worn in preseason play. When a player is traded, he has no use for the jerseys any longer. Continue reading to learn how to tell if a hockey jersey is game worn.
Look for a Certificate of Authentication
The surest way to know that a hockey jersey is game worn is that it comes with a certificate of authentication. It may also have a written guarantee that it was worn in a game. If the jersey has this, then you know that it is game worn. However, you may find a hockey jersey that doesn’t have this proof and still was game worn. While this is a sign that you have a game worn jersey, not having this certification does not prove that it isn’t.
The certification can come from the team or the NHL, and you will know that it is authentic. The most important thing to remember is that when you purchase any sports memorabilia, you should get what you are paying for. If you are buying a game worn jersey, you should have more confidence if they can produce this certificate.
Look at the Wear on the Jersey
When players use hockey jerseys in games, they have them tucked in a particular way. You may be able to tell how the shirt was worn. In addition, the numbers and the other writing on the jersey will all match. None of these features should be altered in any way, and they shouldn’t appear repaired or changed. Hockey players don’t need to repair jerseys because they always have backups available.
Look at the jersey for signs of use rather than signs of wear. If it is an older jersey you might check to see if it smells of mothballs rather than detergent. It would have been stored this way. There are many different types of jerseys that you can buy as a collector, so if you are looking for a game worn hockey jersey, you should be able to see how it was worn. However, the jersey should still be identical to other jerseys for that team or that player.
Make Sure That You Are Buying From a Reputable Dealer
The seller can make all the difference, and reputable dealers are most likely to be selling authentic items. If they tell you that the jersey is game worn, they will often be able to prove it to you as well. They have spent years building their reputations as excellent dealers, and they have earned their reputations by selling authentic items that are exactly what they say they are.
If you want to buy a game worn hockey jersey, you should go to a reputable dealer and ask them to give you evidence that the jersey was worn in a game. They might have a certificate of authenticity, or they might have a letter from the team that tells you when the player wore the jersey. If you have this kind of evidence, you don’t need to question whether the jersey is authentically game worn.
You can also look for signs of use, and make sure that the jersey looks identical to what the player used during games. The numbers should be the same as they are on the player’s other jerseys, and the patches and badges should all be intact. If any part of the jersey is different from what the team uses in its games, then you are dealing with a fake.