What is the glamore in gameworns.

[AeroFishOne]

Well I've noticied a real lack of discussionary topics lately so I figured I would bring one up.

I can kinda see the intrigue in game worn jerseys, but I want to see the collectors of them bring up their points so I'm not going to say mine. I hear that more wear is better, explain why less damaged jersey are not as desired.

I also want to make it clear I am not dissing them or the collectors but it's just a part of collecting I haven't entered yet.

[IIHFjerseycollector]

scarcity

usually hold their value

it was worn by the team, cant get anymore authentic than that. (all patches, letters, everything sewn on correctly to team spec for that year)

lots of wear is proof the jersey was worn, easier to photomatch as well(possibly making it worth more and more sought after)

to anyone that doesnt own atleast 1 game worn, your missing out IMHO.. I know you might not be able to afford the players you really want on the back of the jersey, but get a cheap one from the team you like and wear it, great conversation peice as well..

I collect only international jerseys, but even when I have an authentic, I try to make the jump to a game worn, because particularily in my case, they are only 50-100 more $

[DerbyCoyote]

Personally I'd like to have one or two quality gamers that meant a lot, and treat them accordingly (framing, maybe display cased) rather than a bunch that don't mean a great deal. Currently I'm in the latter camp so I'm trying to correct that.

All comes down to personal taste though, as with so much of our hobby.

I would say there's little in the jersey world that can beat opening a shipment from MeiGray mind you

[ZoomZoom18]

I own one gamer, a 98-99 Indianapolis Ice Mike Vukonich jersey that holds a special place with me because its their last IHL season and the IHL Ice were the team responsible for me becoming such an avid hockey fan over my adolescence. While I don't collect game worn jerseys, I do like to get one of team's that mean a lot to me, such as the Ice. I'd love to own a Coyotes, Avalanche, or Stars gamer as well. I've been in the market for a Stars authentic (I have authentics of the other two teams, I'd love to own a gamer) and I'm seriously considering laying down the money for an 08-09 Stars gamer, even if its a NNOB jersey. Sometimes, you can find game worn jerseys which are cheaper than the regular retail authentics.

For me, its just owning a piece of the team that I've followed closely. That and being authentic they are way nicer than the replicas. In a strange way if makes me feel like a diehard.

It makes a conversation piece. I wore the Vukonich jersey to my first NHL game, the Sabres-Maple Leafs in Buffalo and I got a lot of comments and points about it. Of course some may have been making fun of me, but it got people's attention either way. I also wore it out in public once, on a game day and got a lot of attention and remarks about the Ice. Sometimes, those jerseys have a way of breaking the ice (no pun intended) with people and you can find others interested in the same team or sport. I agree with xunearthhxcx, anyone who doesn't own at least one gamer is missing out.

[AeroFishOne]

Good Points, Alot of which i have already thought of. I have been looking on Meigray lately and noticed a Trevor Letowski Phoenix Jersey in the $300.00 price range. I thought that might be a lot of fun to own considering he has played for a number of my teams. However i think every player wears a jersey size that is way to big for me. Please continue, i know there are more collectors of game-used jerseys on here.

[rabinsurance]

One thing you need to remember is that a jersey is a piece of athletic equipment worn by athletes who wear these over padding and are generally larger than most people in the general populace. They are not shirts. If it doesn't fit you, so be it. It not designed to be form fitting like a shirt. Most NHL'ers and pro's wear 56 and larger. If you are looking for something that "fits" you, buy a replica or a shirt. There are plenty out there, and they are a whole lot cheaper.

[Burnaby Joe Sakic]

I'll piggyback on a few of the points that have been made so far, because I think they're worth repeating and I agree with them too. I'll add some of my own thoughts as well.

Having something that was made to wear on the ice is a big deal to me. There's no way to replace having one of those jerseys in your hands so you can see what's really going on when it comes to jerseys on the ice. All specs, patches, numbering, is a great resource to go back to and compare. The Avalanche wear their numbers kiss-cut and one of the two ways to get that is to buy a gamer.

The NHL Edge 2.0 jerseys are only available through Meigray or they're resold after someone purchases them from Meigray. The differences in fit and fabric are huge as compared to the retail Edge 1.0 authentics. As a person who would rather wear my gamers, having the sleeves about four inches shorter in the 2.0s helps a lot. I don't think I'll ever buy a retail version of the Avs Edges unless I come across a deal that I would be stupid of me to pass up.

And, if you save up a bit, the gamers are really not that much more expensive than a customized retail authentic. The name on the back makes a difference when it comes to certain players, but when Meigray has their 50% off sales the prices become fairly reasonable, depending on your level of jersey sickness of course!

Like I said before, game use isn't that big of a deal to me, in fact, since I like to wear my gamers to Avs games as often as possible, I actually like a little less use, but when I see this on an Ian Laperriere gamer, I just have to have it. Some of the repairs are just too cool to pass up.

Yet another thing that so many of us love about jerseys, are the stories behind each one. It doesn't really matter if it's a gamer or whatever then. Whether it's something as simple as a year, a number, an added patch, or even a huge repair like on my Lappy, the cooler/longer the story, the more value behind the jersey in your eyes, and that's why many of us collect them in the first place. Ask JeffB about all of that.

And after all of that randomness, I can't help but echo DerbyCoyote's point when he said, "I would say there's little in the jersey world that can beat opening a shipment from MeiGray mind you."

Amen brother!

And is it Thursday yet? I really do have a Meigray package due! Pics to come!

[AeroFishOne]

One thing you need to remember is that a jersey is a piece of athletic equipment worn by athletes who wear these over padding and are generally larger than most people in the general populace. They are not shirts. If it doesn't fit you, so be it. It not designed to be form fitting like a shirt. Most NHL'ers and pro's wear 56 and larger. If you are looking for something that "fits" you, buy a replica or a shirt. There are plenty out there, and they are a whole lot cheaper.

I am fully aware of how game worn jerseys fit and the overall idea of collecting jerseys in general as i have been collecting authentics and replica's for many years. The point of being able to wear a game worn jersey is null and void for me considering i like to wear the jerseys i buy but only if they fit, thats just my thoughts considering my phsycial stature. I have some knowledge on game-worns but i wanted to hold my thoughts on them so i could see what others thought. Sorry if im coming off to strong on you. lol

To everyone:

The overall point of this topic is to create discussion regarding the benefits and negatives of game-used jerseys. As I said at the start of the post, i have yet to enter this part of collecting and having the overall opinions of the board members can really add to the general feeling of game-used jerseys and to share the love of them, something that i have yet been able to find.

There have been alot of good post in this topic and i wish we had more in depth topics like them. I for one love to be able to talk about jerseys, partially due to the fact no one around me could care less about my hobby. There havent been many people posting topics other then in "it arrived today" or the "ebay" topic lately so i wanted to try to get something going. Yes i could have asked this at a certain other gameworn jersey forum, but i like what Icejerseys has set up here and want to see the community thrive so i can have a place to talk about all kinds of jerseys, and not just game worns. Alot of my questions are getting answered and alot of my thoughts are following what others are saying. Keep the topic going, if you have any interesting stories about your jersey then feel free to post it. Thats part of the glamour.

[ZoomZoom18]

I am fully aware of how game worn jerseys fit and the overall idea of collecting jerseys in general as i have been collecting authentics and replica's for many years. The point of being able to wear a game worn jersey is null and void for me considering i like to wear the jerseys i buy but only if they fit, thats just my thoughts considering my phsycial stature. I have some knowledge on game-worns but i wanted to hold my thoughts on them so i could see what others thought. Sorry if im coming off to strong on you. lol

To everyone:

The overall point of this topic is to create discussion regarding the benefits and negatives of game-used jerseys. As I said at the start of the post, i have yet to enter this part of collecting and having the overall opinions of the board members can really add to the general feeling of game-used jerseys and to share the love of them, something that i have yet been able to find.

There have been alot of good post in this topic and i wish we had more in depth topics like them. I for one love to be able to talk about jerseys, partially due to the fact no one around me could care less about my hobby. There havent been many people posting topics other then in "it arrived today" or the "ebay" topic lately so i wanted to try to get something going. Yes i could have asked this at a certain other gameworn jersey forum, but i like what Icejerseys has set up here and want to see the community thrive so i can have a place to talk about all kinds of jerseys, and not just game worns. Alot of my questions are getting answered and alot of my thoughts are following what others are saying. Keep the topic going, if you have any interesting stories about your jersey then feel free to post it. Thats part of the glamour.

Here's another site that carries some Coyotes gamers. http://www.detroithockeyco.com/gothere.cfm

I've browsed that site for years and found their link from gamewornjerseys.com a long time ago. I've never dealt with them, but they have some Coyotes jerseys from 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 that may be worth checking out. Maybe some of the other posters who are more into the game worn jerseys scene can help you with their reputation.

[DerbyCoyote]

Pretty sure DHC are who the Yotes deal with. Spent many hours looking through those jerseys instead of working

[Brilliant!]

For me it's the fact that if you look hard enough, you can find a picture of the guy actually wearing the jersey you own. When you see that, you know that nobody else in the WORLD has that jersey; just you. I love that.

[Curry1fan]

I am really unable to afford game worns right now, so I only have one. It doesn't have a lot of wear b/c it is a game worn warm up jersey. I won it in a raffle sponsored by our team's Booster Club. It's very exciting to me b/c as Brilliant said, you're the only one that has that jersey. No one really starts conversation with me about it, but I think it's cool too b/c this player was a great asset to our team but he is not one that a lot of people will get on their jerseys. Plus I feel like winning it attached me to that player and made me more valuable to him, even though he's no longer on the team.

I am hoping to afford my first game worn soon though.

[AeroFishOne]

Here's another site that carries some Coyotes gamers. http://www.detroithockeyco.com/gothere.cfm

I've browsed that site for years and found their link from gamewornjerseys.com a long time ago. I've never dealt with them, but they have some Coyotes jerseys from 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 that may be worth checking out. Maybe some of the other posters who are more into the game worn jerseys scene can help you with their reputation.

For some reason that site isnt working on my computer right now. Ill need to check that out when ever it works though.

[ZoomZoom18]

For some reason that site isnt working on my computer right now. Ill need to check that out when ever it works though.

Its not working on mine either, I cut and pasted that one. Try, http://www.detroithockeyco.com.

[lafountain]

I agree with the fact that part of it is owning something that nobody else out there has.

In addition it is a way to possibly add to a collection of your favorite player or team and having something that was truly a part of the team or possibly even the teams history. I have one game worn and one team issued jersey and both have a meaning to me of sorts.

My Game Worn is a Steve Rucchin Game Worn jersey from the 02/03 season in which the Ducks made their run to the Cup Finals. While I was not much of a Ducks fan, I was a fan of Steve Rucchin and the jersey I have is the one he wore when he got the Game Winning Assist in the 3rd OT of Game One of the 1st round against the Red Wings. I was watching that game and after the game was over was when I ordered the jersey. It was lots of fun watching the rest of the Ducks run to the Finals knowing that the jersey he was wearing was soon to be mine.

As for how it adds to the collection, as jersey collectors or "jersey afficianados" it is a way for us to in a sense take the collection to the next level even if it is just one jersey in our collection.

Now I just need to get a Sabres gamer into my collection.

Also as others have said, with a decent sale, you can get a gamer (even if it is a random player) cheaper than a customized authentic.

[PYLrulz]

I am really unable to afford game worns right now, so I only have one. It doesn't have a lot of wear b/c it is a game worn warm up jersey. I won it in a raffle sponsored by our team's Booster Club. It's very exciting to me b/c as Brilliant said, you're the only one that has that jersey. No one really starts conversation with me about it, but I think it's cool too b/c this player was a great asset to our team but he is not one that a lot of people will get on their jerseys. Plus I feel like winning it attached me to that player and made me more valuable to him, even though he's no longer on the team.

I am hoping to afford my first game worn soon though.

That is pretty much how I get my game worns as well, through raffles. There has been a few times where I have gone on e-bay, and thought about buying a game worn Hershey Bears jersey, but either something comes up, or I have gotten outbid last minute.

So far this season, I always seem to be a couple of numbers off with the raffles.

[chow_hound]

When you purchase a Game Worn you want the thing to be covered in markings and wear because for the price you just paid, you don't want someone to confuse it with a store bought authentic. The thing I will NEVER understand is the point of purchasing a Game Issued or Team Issued authentic. Why in the world would you buy a regular authentic that has the slightest differences from a store bought that was never actually worn, and merely sat in the locker room, which now makes it's retail cost skyrocket... Blows my mind :S

[LetsGoCaps]

I love my GW's. I'm wearing my Christian Larrivee Long Beach Ice Dogs jersey right now.........and I'm 8103 mile from Long Beach right now (according to Wolfram Alpha). But I watched Larrivee play 2 season in person. Much better than authentics or replicas (I've purged all replicas from my collection).

I started with a few replicas, migrated into authentics, then discovered game-worn's. If you shop around and have patience, you can get GW's for less than authentics. Crazy but true. And you can own some obscure jerseys that you would never be able to own any other way.

Anyway, that's my experience.

Cheers!

[OHLGuy20]

I guess, for me, it's like this:

I can pay $114.99 (plus shipping in some cases) for a replica jersey. I can pay $300 (plus shipping in some cases) for an authentic jersey. OR I can pay $85 (which I have multiple times) for a jersey that was actually WORN in a game by that player and has seen live hockey action night after night that sets it apart from my neighbor guy or the guy who sits next to me at the local team's games being able to just make a 10 minute trip to the mall, and as long as he's willing to pay the same amount, get the same exact replica or authentic jersey that I have.

It's like the time that I met Mandy Moore a few years ago. I had always seen her on TV and on magazine covers in the checkout line at the supermarket and thought "man, she's hot!". But 3 years ago, when she sat right next me behind home plate at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, that was the real deal. I mean, it wasn't a magazine cover or an image on the TV anymore. It was her, in the flesh. And it doesn't get more real than that.

[devilsfan26]

Some game-worns are cheaper than retail authentics, but if you want a jersey of an NHL star, I'm pretty sure that is never the case. I'd like to have a game-worn Devils jersey, but I'd rather have an authentic Martin Brodeur jersey than a game-worn Barry Tallackson jersey for the money.

[peca_fan]

I think being able to photo match a gamer is wicked.

[ferro39]

as someone pointed out, most game worns hold their values much more than an authentic.

if you drop $300 on a fan shirt, you'll be lucky to get half of that on the secondary market (unless it's rare). if you do your homework with game worns, you never have to lose...or if you do, the amount is minimal

[lafountain]

Some game-worns are cheaper than retail authentics, but if you want a jersey of an NHL star, I'm pretty sure that is never the case. I'd like to have a game-worn Devils jersey, but I'd rather have an authentic Martin Brodeur jersey than a game-worn Barry Tallackson jersey for the money.

Unfortunately this is very true, I would love to get a Kovalchuk gamer, but obviously I am gonna have to settle for Game Issued or Authentic as his gamers are around 2k on Meigray. Obviously in this case, the authentic is the way to go, but if I could ever get one for a pretty good deal, it would definitely be a great addition to the collection.

[rob77ta]

I own some game worn jerseys and some game issued jerseys as well. To me, it depends on what your looking to add to your collection. I was never a big fan of the so called "hammered" jersey. I like game worns with light use. I am also a big fan of buying game issued jerseys with a big star's name is on the back because I will never be able to afford $2000 jersey. You simply cannot get any closer in detail. Everthing is accurate fonts, nameplates, and numbers. I get frustrated with a store bought authentics customized with incorrect nameplates and fonts. Meigray is a great source but keep your eyes peeled for good deals on ebay for previously owned gamers as well.