DesertRat

FLASH! Ah-ahhhh!!!... When I saw the pic of St.Louis, I thought of Cornholio, too.

My sentiments, exactly.

Matthew hasn't even worn the third jersey yet, so I could be the first ever with one. 3rd jerseys are worn during Saturday home games; this Saturday will be the first time it will be on the ice. We share last names and birthdays, so it had to be done.

I believe these were released in 1993 and 1994. I have seen ones of the old Sabres, Flames, Blues, Canucks, Jets and Nords at games. The ones I've seen were made of the old snaggy, lightweight polyester fabric of the time.

That was Buddy the Puffin.

Received this Premier yesterday... Customized by IceJerseys. I don't know why whoever put the nameplate on it didn't line it up correctly. The 18 on back actually is on straight, my hanging and photography skills are distorting that; I should have laid it down flat.

I like the drop shadow lettering. I wonder why they didn't use that on the number font. Still looks good!

Just couldn't help yourself to bring the Coyotes into a thread that had nothing to do with them.

Waldos, perfect! The Habs look like a chain gang in those '11-'12 jerseys. The only barberpole jerseys I've liked were Ottawa's (carried over to the Ottawa 67s) - thick stripes.

I pulled up pictures from the game, it looks like their usual home jersey unless they cranked the lights up in the Staples Center that night.

I usually ignore it. Most people aren't too picky about that stuff. I saw a guy wearing a Detroit jersey with FEDROV 91 that looked like he ironed the kit on himself. There's no excuse for having a misspelled name on a jersey. If someone wants to look like an fool, they have the right to, I guess. I could care less if someone is wearing a real or fake jersey, I do appreciate seeing a correct one, however.

Welcome aboard. I'll take a stab, too. 1. I try to acquire jerseys that fit me, because I like to wear them. If selling them, you can sell jerseys of bigger sizes way easier than jerseys of smaller sizes. I wish the companies would quit wasting their time with size Small. 2. A 'serious collector' of jerseys can be defined in different ways. Just open my closets and see the various ones crammed in there, on first look, you'd say I'm a serious collector, especially if you don't collect, at all. Some people don't collect replicas, but if I show off my collection of defunct minor league teams, that wouldn't make me less of a collector. The 'serious collector' label is subjective. 3. Can't recommend other sites for jerseys, buy as you probably know, ebay is a good place to start when shopping for just about anything and everyone knows that most of us here do use it, especially for rare or discontinued stuff. 4. Why do I like collecting? Since I was nary a child, I always liked sports jerseys, but in the 70s, they were hard to find, not produced or marketed en masse like they are today and there was no internet back then, so if the local store didn't carry it, I had to find a mail-order retailer that did. The advent of online commerce has made it possible to collect in ways I never dreamed of. I love the sport, the colors and designs of the shirts, the look and the nostalgia. I love to shop (my wife reminds me of that frequently) and bargain-hunting is fun; bargain-finding is even better. I like to discover jerseys that I have never seen before and can't readily purchase like a 1977 Cleveland Barons jersey, for example. Everyone has their own way of enjoying the hobby (trust me, you'll be accused of have an obsession and addiction, which are such harsh terms!). If you're going to get into it, make sure you have plenty of money, storage and support from your significant other. It's more pleasant in all those situations if you have those. As you explore the forum, don't get trapped in the "mine is better than yours" mindset, it's not a competition. I mean, you can if you want. JeffB said it best, "Get what you like, but only what you can afford. It's supposed to be fun!".

The Wranglers come up with some hilarious promotions. I can't imagine what it would be like to play in these prison uniforms. Can't ya just see the starting players lined up for the national anthem looking like that? The Nevada Penal League, heh.

I don't know why they were so afraid of me having it, but everyone's content. They did say I could have kept it, but I wanted to see how much it meant to them and they exceeded my expectation. I matched up the sigs with the roster and the goalies did not sign my jersey. I'm not surprised. Each year, STH's get to spend an after-game 'reception'/cattle call waiting for players for autographs when they are all dressed up and leaving the arena. The staff always ends the function before the goalies ever come out. Someone told me they do a lot of post-game P.T. and that takes a long time, so they close shop, so I'm not surprised if the secret society of goaltenders was unavailable. That's my guess. I won't go to them and complain about that. I think I will eventually get it numbered with "09", no name, since the back of it looks naked to me and number font they use looks very bold against black for some reason. I'm afraid to wash it, I don't want the metallic sharpie ink to wear off. I like the 3rd jersey a lot, but it took me a period of play to get used to it. It looks better from close up than from the upper level of the arena. I saw the rejected designs from here: http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=p...rticleid=395699 My favorite part of the jersey is that there are no laces on it, I'm one of the few who finds those annoying. There was one design I wouldn't have minded - the Coyote running with the moon, mountain and cacti in the background. It would have lessened the 'roadkill' effect.

One thing you can do is put a watermark on your photos. Find an image editor that has that capability. I don't know of a free one to recommend that allows you to do that.

Time to spread a little story of thanks, on U.S. Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, I went to the Blackhawks-Coyotes game, wearing the previously mentioned Coyotes replica 3rd jersey for the fourth time. Three minutes into the game, the head of security summons me to the concourse. Up there, I was met by the VP of guest relations and Director of promotions. They asked who I was and how I got the jersey. I told them I bought it on ebay from someone in Indonesia, which is where Premiers jerseys are made; I see it for sale, I'm buying it and wearing it. They were surprised to hear that I had worn it three times already (and NOW they notice?). I told the the security guy that I don't like the size tag, so I removed it, which I do on all mine. That may have made them thing the jersey was counterfeit, but I insisted that they compare it to any other "Premier" jersey. Anyway, they said that there were going to announce that there would be a 3rd jersey unveiled on 11/28 fifteen minutes from then. The promotions director said mine was a knockoff and that the real (albeit replica) ones were slightly different. We argued back and forth, but I was missing the game. I don't think she heard that I removed the size tag, but I told her to compare it to any other replica jersey, it's legit. I wasn't going to win the argument, but whatever. She said I could keep the jersey, which they preferred I not do to 'protect the brand' (SPARE ME! images are all over the internet already). I asked them if I give the jersey over, what's in it for me? The Guest Relations VP said I'll get it back at the next game, and it will be signed by the players. Hmmm. OK, so then I asked what do I wear in the meantime, I said it gets cold down in the stands. After more chatting and the three of them frantically typing away on their blackberries, I was asked what color jersey I liked and what size do I take. I told him white (which they were wearing), L. Over at the souvenir stand, he gets me a white replica, removes the price tags and signs off on a receipt, I think, I couldn't tell. Brand new jersey, excellent! I swapped jerseys, we all exchanged business cards and I went back down to my seat, in my new white jersey. How embarrassing, but most people didn't seem to pay attention. I didn't miss much at all during the game (there was nothing to miss that night), but I had quite a story for the people in my section. They were like, "they took your jersey???" I told them that it was OK and told them the story and they thought that was cool. Crap, I should have taken a photo of it when I had it, after all. 15 minutes later, the announcement that the 3rd jersey will be worn on 11/28, but they didn't show a picture of it (in the 1st intermission of last Saturday's game, it was revealed). For a couple of hours on Tuesday, they held a special sale for season ticket holders. I checked, mine was ready for me, so I went down and picked this up... They sent the one I purchased to the NHL for whatever reason and gave me a brand new one (size XL, but no big deal). Of course since it's black, the players signed in silver and copper sharpies. I didn't count how many of them there were, but I recognized a good core of the players. I didn't see Gretzky's, but I have his, already. So, anyway, I could have been pretty defiant and told them, "no you don't, this is mine, screw you guys, you can't have it, etc.", however, they addressed the awkward situation very courteously and professionally and did not compensate me unfairly. I wound up with an extra jersey for my troubles and cooperation. The organization has always treated me well and I was so pleased that while I was down there to pick that one up, I purchased an authentic one, which I was eventually going to do, anyhow. Win-win for everyone, IMO...except for the ebay seller, whom I believe has removed all NHL jerseys from his listings. So, despite 2008 being a pretty rotten year for me personally, I'd say I'm thankful that I have this hockey team to follow, even if they have trouble winning most nights.

This could go in the 3rd jersey thread, but this 'arrived' Tuesday from the season ticket holders pre-sale. Size 52, fight strap, rounded tails, as usual (which I did not get in the picture). They did not use suede-like material for the sand color on the patches like they did with their usual home and away jerseys. The numbers they will use are one-color sand, same font as in the home and away jerseys. They make the jersey that much nicer, but I won't number this one, the player on the last authentic I had numbered was traded this summer.

I don't mind that idea. Baseball does it that way and you still can identify each player. The NHL does that in the skills competition and YoungStars game and it doesn't create any problems playing the actual event. As long as the jerseys are different, having teammates on your All-Star team that wear the same number should not be a hindrance to anything. Or they can just wear their usual uniforms, just put an All-Star Game patch on the jersey.

I don't like one sleeve being white and the other being dark, but of course, I'll have to get one. You'd think that with the Habs' centennial being the theme, that they'd go for something a little less 'modern'. I liked the 2007 ones, with the conference shield crests, although that was the birth of the Edge jersey.

I picked up one of the Coyotes 3rds that seller from Indonesia was selling. It is pretty sweet. That guy doesn't have any of the unreleased 3rds for sale at the moment. They are scheduled to be released on November 29. I wonder if there was a cease-and-desist notice sent to that guy. I don't need to post photos, the one a few posts ago with the Icethetics watermark is sufficient. This jersey looks exactly like that. Someway, someday, I need to get an authentic with the nice embroidered sleeve patches, ya know.

I miss the PHX Arizona patch. They are pushing the paw print logo more on everything. I like the red trim below the elbows and I think it will look better when in front of me and numbered. I'm getting ready to hear "Back In Black" ad nauseum at the Black Friday game when they unleash them.

I have worn the Porter jersey to a game and have heard "go blue" way too much. I do not like U of Michigan, but it was the last jersey for sale and Porter played there, so why wouldn't I do it? Some guy came up to me and said he was a big fan of theirs and asked me how the football team is doing. A big fan would know that, already. No comments on Porter, which is the only reason I bought it. I do get compliments about it, and the other ones I have, however. I haven't worn a Coyote jersey to a game this season yet, just all the college and junior league ones, so far.

My Premier shoulder patches don't fade. If anything, they crease in the washer. I have a Coyote one that has a nice dent in the PHX patch after one washing.

I had the fortune (?) of seeing those Salt Lake jerseys in person, Palffy played in the game. Those jerseys are so ugly that they're beautiful. The backs of those IHL jerseys shoud be displayed, they all have something unique about them (except Fort Wayne's).

I've been away for a while and haven't been buying many jerseys this summer, but I did receive this one yesterday... (I still haven't gotten the photo-taking thing mastered, as you see) Hobey Baker award winner and Coyote prospect Kevin Porter Nike replica. This was purchased and numbered thru IJ. It's a medium, which was all they had. I usually wear a large. It fits OK everywhere, except the waist where it hugs my girth. The numbers ARE straight and perfect, it's hanging on a hangar as you see.