I just wanted to get everyone's input on "game use". I have owned several jerseys that were sold as "showing signs of game use". I've often read this in auction catalogues, ebay listings, and websites. What does this mean to everyone? I can tell you, when I see that notation, I expect to see at least signs of a washing. I'm telling you, I have purchased stuff from the best in the biz, ebay, and everywhere in between and I see this wording so much, but the pictures seem to tell a different story.
I believe basketball jerseys are the worst. I practically laugh when I read that term with these jerseys, because nearly all of them still look like they are straight from the sales rack. The tagging isn't wrinkled, the numbers don't have the slightest puckering, and there is absolutely no piling. So what signs of wear are there?
What got me thinking about it enough to write, was that I recently purchased a Devil Ray jersey that was obviously worn. Not only was it worn, but I thought it showed as much wear as you would expect to see from a jersey that was worn during numerous games of a mlb season. But several years ago, I purchased another Devil Ray jersey (from a very reliable source) that didn't even have a wrinkled 100% polyester tag, but it had a real little bit of dirt on one patch (like someone had conveniently placed it there). Now am I to believe that both of these jerseys were worn during the season? Perhaps. However, I believe a more realistic reasoning is that most of these items are simply game ready. I have actually contacted teams, in the past, to check availablity of a certain player's jersey. I was almost dumb-founded to be told (many times) that "The team has decided to not sell that jersey, but we would be more than willing to make you an exact replica that is exactly the same as what they wear".
Any similar experiences, objections, or additional insight?
although i'm sure many might argue that the classification "game used/worn"
might included practice sessions, batting practice, spring training, warm ups, etc, i would say that "game used" means exactly that; used in a game.
batting practice is not a game. warm ups are not a game. if used in a non-regular season game, then i'd think the seller would include a description of the type of game it was used in, ie: spring training, exhibition, etc.
regarding the evidence of game use, i think you've got to divide the types of game use into 2 categories:
1 - the type of use/evidence that could only be achieved through some sort of consistant and repetitive process. eg: the fading of a wash tag or yellowing in the collar.
2 - the type of use that could occur in a single, quick instance. eg: a stain
or some "dirt"
i think this differentiation is important is because it's a step towards weeding out what is most likely genuine use from what could be "artifically manufactured use"; eg: few forgers seem to launder a jersey 70 times in order to get a nice fade in the tagging. they'd much rather take the easy route and just throw some dirt on it or quickly sandpaper some of the numbers.
fabrics respond in universally predictable ways to the same stresses. constantly rubbing a piece of fabric the same way over months will produce extremely similar results across jerseys of the same material. learn to tell the difference between fabric that has been damaged gradually and fabric that has been damaged instantly. rubbing fabric against fabric will produce a different result than if you had sandpapered that fabric for example.
i have a set 1 catchers jersey. there are areas on the jersey which correspond to where the chest protector straps would've been which show the effects of constant cloth-to-cloth friction. this catcher also wore a chest protector which had black piping. sure enough, near the catcher's throwing arm there are faint black marks where the chest protector met the shoulder. this sort of evidence is more difficult to produce instantly and makes more sense as to its location.
in short, i'd learn what evidence of game use would take a good deal of time to become evident. i'd look for game use that isn't easily and quickly imitated and game use which "makes sense" as opposed to game use which seems illogical.
