2008 Reebok Knockoff Winter Classic Replica
#87 Sidney Crosby with Captain's "C"
Manufacturer: some Chinese sweatshop
Size: 50
Purchased From: Youth Sports Organization Fundraiser
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: If there's one regret I have in my collecting hockey jerseys, it's this jersey. I was working at a youth sports team's fundraiser when this jersey came up for auction. This event was in January of 2008, just weeks after the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in the very first Winter Classic. I had never seen pictures of the actual jerseys, nor had I really become knowledgeable about the huge influx of Chinese counterfeit jerseys that had been coming into the country, so I just thought this was an authentic jersey, as was advertised by the organization. I took some time and saw that it had a fight strap when something caught my eye. Inside the rear hem of the jersey was a MeiGray tag. The MeiGray Group is one of the world's leading authenticators of sports memorabilia and, specifically, game-worn hockey jerseys. A MeiGray tag in the back of the jersey meant this was a game-worn jersey, and I heard that each player had used three jerseys in the Winter Classic - one during each period. By this point, my mouth was watering at the fact that there's a MeiGray-certified Crosby Winter Classic jersey going up for auction. But I was trying to play it cool and not let on that there was a gold mine hanging against the wall, so I didn't want to inspect the jersey too closely, so as to avoid people thinking I actuallyknew what I was looking at. On top of that, unfortunately, I was the guy auctioning off the jersey. Bad mistake!
I spoke with one of the people at the event and asked him if he'd bid on my behalf. I authorized him to go up as high as $200. We started the bidding at $40 (I was laughing inside) and went up to $100, then $150, then we hit $200. It was down to one guy and me, so I knew we were nearing the end. I kept giving my "bidder" subtle nods to continue bidding until I finally won the auction at $225. Oh! My! God! I just scored a Crosby gamer for $225! I was giddy with excitement. Once I finished my work at the event I drove the hour-plus home, then really inspected the jersey closely. There was a big snag on the front of it, which certainly came from game use! I didn't notice that the "golden triangle" on the Penguins crest was Vegas Gold as opposed to Pittsburgh Gold, but then one thing jumped out at me: I don't think MeiGray spells the second word of their company name "Groop." Are you kidding me?
So now, I have to explain to my dear wife (and I say "dear" for a myriad of reasons, one of which being the fact that she didn't rip my face from my skull that night) that I spent $225 on a $20 piece of Chinese crap. Worse yet, I had to realize and admit to myself that I had been had. I took solace in the fact that my $225 went to a very good and worthy cause, but that didn't completely take the pit out of my stomach. I still kick myself every time I think about that night, including as I type this right now. But I learned a valuable lesson - okay, a couple of them - and I now have a jersey to refer to when I look for examples of why Chinese knockoff counterfeit jerseys are the work of the devil himself.
I can't believe I'm even wasting valuable web server space on this, especially since you can find these jerseys all over the internet. Just go to eBay and search "Crosby Winter Classic Authentic $35" and you'll see about 100 of them. But at least I have a jersey I can wear when it's cold (this jersey is a lot warmer than CCM AirKnit) and I don't have to worry about ruining it. That's a steep price to pay for the peace of mind that comes along with not having to worry about spilling nacho cheese on your jersey, but it's about the only bright side I can find in this story!
Size: 50
Purchased From: Youth Sports Organization Fundraiser
Lettered by: Manufacturer
The Story: If there's one regret I have in my collecting hockey jerseys, it's this jersey. I was working at a youth sports team's fundraiser when this jersey came up for auction. This event was in January of 2008, just weeks after the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in the very first Winter Classic. I had never seen pictures of the actual jerseys, nor had I really become knowledgeable about the huge influx of Chinese counterfeit jerseys that had been coming into the country, so I just thought this was an authentic jersey, as was advertised by the organization. I took some time and saw that it had a fight strap when something caught my eye. Inside the rear hem of the jersey was a MeiGray tag. The MeiGray Group is one of the world's leading authenticators of sports memorabilia and, specifically, game-worn hockey jerseys. A MeiGray tag in the back of the jersey meant this was a game-worn jersey, and I heard that each player had used three jerseys in the Winter Classic - one during each period. By this point, my mouth was watering at the fact that there's a MeiGray-certified Crosby Winter Classic jersey going up for auction. But I was trying to play it cool and not let on that there was a gold mine hanging against the wall, so I didn't want to inspect the jersey too closely, so as to avoid people thinking I actuallyknew what I was looking at. On top of that, unfortunately, I was the guy auctioning off the jersey. Bad mistake!
I spoke with one of the people at the event and asked him if he'd bid on my behalf. I authorized him to go up as high as $200. We started the bidding at $40 (I was laughing inside) and went up to $100, then $150, then we hit $200. It was down to one guy and me, so I knew we were nearing the end. I kept giving my "bidder" subtle nods to continue bidding until I finally won the auction at $225. Oh! My! God! I just scored a Crosby gamer for $225! I was giddy with excitement. Once I finished my work at the event I drove the hour-plus home, then really inspected the jersey closely. There was a big snag on the front of it, which certainly came from game use! I didn't notice that the "golden triangle" on the Penguins crest was Vegas Gold as opposed to Pittsburgh Gold, but then one thing jumped out at me: I don't think MeiGray spells the second word of their company name "Groop." Are you kidding me?
So now, I have to explain to my dear wife (and I say "dear" for a myriad of reasons, one of which being the fact that she didn't rip my face from my skull that night) that I spent $225 on a $20 piece of Chinese crap. Worse yet, I had to realize and admit to myself that I had been had. I took solace in the fact that my $225 went to a very good and worthy cause, but that didn't completely take the pit out of my stomach. I still kick myself every time I think about that night, including as I type this right now. But I learned a valuable lesson - okay, a couple of them - and I now have a jersey to refer to when I look for examples of why Chinese knockoff counterfeit jerseys are the work of the devil himself.
I can't believe I'm even wasting valuable web server space on this, especially since you can find these jerseys all over the internet. Just go to eBay and search "Crosby Winter Classic Authentic $35" and you'll see about 100 of them. But at least I have a jersey I can wear when it's cold (this jersey is a lot warmer than CCM AirKnit) and I don't have to worry about ruining it. That's a steep price to pay for the peace of mind that comes along with not having to worry about spilling nacho cheese on your jersey, but it's about the only bright side I can find in this story!