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Does anyone collect Nike NFL Elite jerseys?


shilenj

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So many of us on here are collectors of hockey jerseys but there has to be a few posters who enjoy football as well. Does anyone have any experience with collecting authentic football jerseys, namely those during the Nike era? Does anyone have a collection of Elites?

Basically, I'd like to start a collection of NFL authentics from the current Nike era. However, I have some questions I was hoping I could get an answer to and since there aren't many good, active forums such as this one for football jersey collectors, I thought someone on here might be able to provide me with some information.

First, with the Nike Elite jerseys, you can't buy them blank and the have them sent to the official team customizers like we can with our hockey ones. They either come pre-made (popular players who people want to buy like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and Cam Newton, for example) or you can order a customized one if you wanted to put your own name and number on it or if you wanted to do a player they don't make pre-made in bulk (players in less demand like an offensive tackle, kicker, or punter). In saying this, does anyone know what collectors prefer to buy for the most accurate jersey to what is worn on the field? I know in football even the authentics and game-worms are different due to certain modifications made for players' preference and the need to fit pads and the like underneath. But if you were a collector and you wanted to get a Nike Elite done, what's the best route to go?

Is it better to buy a pre-made or is it better to go with a customized even for a player that there is a pre-made available for? Where would you purchase an authentic? NFLShop carries Elites but so does each team's official online "pro shop" as well as some retail and team stores. What are the differences between a pre-made and custom Elite? I have no idea where NFLShop sends their customs to be done but if you wanted to ensure the closest lettering and numbering would you buy it from the team's online shop instead and hope they perhaps send it to their official customizer?

I suppose if I really have to I can try calling some team shops and see where exactly they are sent to be done as well as NFLShop to see where they send theirs. However, I hope someone might have some insight to offer and can explain the differences between the pre-maxes and customized and might know where the best places to buy are.

If anyone can answer even one of these questions I'd be really appreciative. I'm sorry this post was so long but I'm really interested in getting details!

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Hey dude, I collect NFL jerseys and I can relate to how you feel about wanting as close to the real thing as possible and navigating through murky NFL jersey waters. Here are my 2 cents regarding elite vs on-field & and pre-made vs customized:

First, with the Nike Elite jerseys, you can't buy them blank and the have them sent to the official team customizers like we can with our hockey ones. They either come pre-made (popular players who people want to buy like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and Cam Newton, for example) or you can order a customized one if you wanted to put your own name and number on it or if you wanted to do a player they don't make pre-made in bulk (players in less demand like an offensive tackle, kicker, or punter). In saying this, does anyone know what collectors prefer to buy for the most accurate jersey to what is worn on the field? I know in football even the authentics and game-worms are different due to certain modifications made for players' preference and the need to fit pads and the like underneath. But if you were a collector and you wanted to get a Nike Elite done, what's the best route to go?

I collect my jerseys to wear. Most NFL game worn jerseys appear difficult to pull off wearing, due to their long elastic bottom or the sleeves being very short, or simply because the jersey was designed for a 320 pound lineman.

However I own one Nike elite and it doesn't even fit that comfortably. As far as the differences between elites vs game worn...the elites appear to have smaller nameplates which irks me. Also, some teams also did not adopt 100% of the Nike jersey changes initially, so it can get very confusing and difficult to try to get a wearable jersey that's exactly what the players wear. I personally am happy with a collection of "retail authentic" jerseys, but I wish Nike would make adjustments to make their jerseys closer aligned with the game worn jerseys (bigger nameplates, elastic sleeves, etc)

Is it better to buy a pre-made or is it better to go with a customized even for a player that there is a pre-made available for? Where would you purchase an authentic? NFLShop carries Elites but so does each team's official online "pro shop" as well as some retail and team stores. What are the differences between a pre-made and custom Elite? I have no idea where NFLShop sends their customs to be done but if you wanted to ensure the closest lettering and numbering would you buy it from the team's online shop instead and hope they perhaps send it to their official customizer?

Unfortunately I have heard bad stories about ordering customized jerseys when comparing them to the pre-mades. If you have time to go through this thread: http://niketalk.com/t/332565/2015-nike-nfl-apparel-footwear-jerseys/2880, you can get some insight on the pre-made vs customized struggle. I am unsure whether if you order from fanatics, nflshop, or the team store, if they all get their jerseys from the same source. I would love to know the truth. I would probably avoid fanatics if you can help it.

Based on what I have seen/heard, I am unwilling to shell out the dough for a customized jersey because I am sure I will be disappointed with the results, which is a shame because my favorite jerseys are the obscure ones where customizing is necessary. And depending on the team, you don't really have many player options for pre-mades in 2015.

I hear rumors here and there that Nike Elites have gone through changes and maybe they are more comfortable now. I have a bumblebee Polamalu, which I placed as a customized order in 2014 (before I knew better). Fortunately, I the jersey I received was old pre-made stock (circa 2013 probably).

I suppose if I really have to I can try calling some team shops and see where exactly they are sent to be done as well as NFLShop to see where they send theirs. However, I hope someone might have some insight to offer and can explain the differences between the pre-maxes and customized and might know where the best places to buy are.

If you do find any new information, please let me know as I find this all interesting. Hope I didn't come off too cynical; I am very enthusiastic about jersey collecting so all these issues between elite vs gameworn and premade vs customized bother me more than most, lol.

Edited by likeaboss2
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I think the game worn jerseys are made in USA, while all the retail jerseys are made offshore. The current style Nikes are horrible in terms of the fit. The only good thing is that they offer smaller sizes, instead of the 46s previously with Reebok.

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As the other posters said, the fit is awful. I have about 10 Nike Elites and I cant say I've worn a single one more than an hour or two....tops. They just aren't comfortable. A 48 is too tight for me but a 52 is far too big. I like the material and the fact it's water repellent and 100% different then the Reebok NFL jerseys but they're weird to get used to. Definitely not the jersey of a choice for me if I'm just hanging out watching a game.

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