2008-09 Reebok Knockoff Alternate Youth Replica
#71 Evgeni Malkin with Alternate Captain's "A" and 2009 Stanley Cup Final Patch
Manufacturer: some Chinese sweatshop
Size: Youth L/XL
Purchased From: eBay
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: Yes, I said it. That dirty, filthy, nasty word that makes all jersey collectors cringe: "knockoff." I tried to avoid going the knockoff route, but to be honest, the quality just wasn't there. Specifically, Reebok replicas either featured rubber, heat-sealed lettering or, worse, that ugly single layer lettering that's printed (including printed "stitch marks") to look like it's multi-layer. My daughter, like my son with his Ron Francis jersey, had heard me talk about the importance of lettering on a jersey and wanted, in her words, "real lettering with real stitch marks." I tried to find a way to get this jersey the right way, but I just couldn't.
In my hunt to get her a jersey in time for her birthday, I stumbled across this one. It had "real lettering with real stitch marks" and it had the Stanley Cup Finals patch on it, which my little one thought was really cool with the Pens having just won the Cup (obvious jersey foul aside because, hey, she's turning ten!). And best of all, it was only $40! I'd have paid double that for a licensed jersey that matched the quality, but such a jersey wasn't to be found.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. In this case, that good thing is buying my daughter a youth jersey and seeing her face light up when she gets it. She's grown quite a bit since then. The Premier replicas still have those hideous one-layer letters, and the material isn't all that good compared to an authentic. The Edge 2.0's, even in their smallest sizes, are too big for her (we know, we've tried!), so we're going to have to sacrifice something for her next one. But this jersey will always remind me of that little girl whose face just lit up when she opened the box! And lit up again and again when she got all those autographs at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Training Camps! I stand corrected...not all good things have to end. We're still going to the first day of camp every year, then stopping at Primanti's on the way home, just like we did way back when!
Size: Youth L/XL
Purchased From: eBay
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: Yes, I said it. That dirty, filthy, nasty word that makes all jersey collectors cringe: "knockoff." I tried to avoid going the knockoff route, but to be honest, the quality just wasn't there. Specifically, Reebok replicas either featured rubber, heat-sealed lettering or, worse, that ugly single layer lettering that's printed (including printed "stitch marks") to look like it's multi-layer. My daughter, like my son with his Ron Francis jersey, had heard me talk about the importance of lettering on a jersey and wanted, in her words, "real lettering with real stitch marks." I tried to find a way to get this jersey the right way, but I just couldn't.
In my hunt to get her a jersey in time for her birthday, I stumbled across this one. It had "real lettering with real stitch marks" and it had the Stanley Cup Finals patch on it, which my little one thought was really cool with the Pens having just won the Cup (obvious jersey foul aside because, hey, she's turning ten!). And best of all, it was only $40! I'd have paid double that for a licensed jersey that matched the quality, but such a jersey wasn't to be found.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. In this case, that good thing is buying my daughter a youth jersey and seeing her face light up when she gets it. She's grown quite a bit since then. The Premier replicas still have those hideous one-layer letters, and the material isn't all that good compared to an authentic. The Edge 2.0's, even in their smallest sizes, are too big for her (we know, we've tried!), so we're going to have to sacrifice something for her next one. But this jersey will always remind me of that little girl whose face just lit up when she opened the box! And lit up again and again when she got all those autographs at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Training Camps! I stand corrected...not all good things have to end. We're still going to the first day of camp every year, then stopping at Primanti's on the way home, just like we did way back when!