Showing posts with label Jersey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jersey. Show all posts

Monday, June 27, 2022

Why I Quit Collecting Jerseys

 

During the last few years I stopped collecting sports jerseys like I use to a decade ago.  Throughout the years I donated most of my jerseys and also sold some (at a loss).  But what was most significant was that I also stopped buying jerseys.  This led me to ponder why I stopped collecting jerseys, and so I decided to write a list of the reasons why I stopped.
The first reason I stopped is because I’m getting older and wearing a jersey outside to a mall, a bar or a restaurant doesn’t seem too appealing.  I’d rather wear a nice Polo dress shirt than a bright colorful jersey outside.  The second reason I stopped is because jerseys are becoming too expensive to buy frequently.  For example a Michael Jordan jersey from Mitchell & Ness is now $450 plus tax and a NHL Adidas jersey start at $200.
The third reason I stopped buying jerseys is because of poor quality issues such as lack of stitching.  This is problematic for me because letters and numbers are now heat pressed rather than stitched on, causing these numbers and letters to fall off.  And finally the last reason is because jerseys now use Dri-FIT Polyester material.  The problem with Dri-Fit is that it will cause snags to happen more frequently making the whole jersey look ugly.  Unfortunately the future of jerseys doesn’t look too bright with all these concerns I have, but I also have hope that maybe one day my passion for jerseys will return once these issues are remedied.

Friday, April 9, 2021

Michael Jordan Mitchell & Ness Chicago Bulls Jersey 1997-98

As a kid, I never owned a Michael Jordan jersey.  But because my birthday was coming up I decided to treat myself (very cliché) to a Jordan jersey.  And even though I have been writing this blog for years I never I thought I owned a Jordan jersey before.  And then I decided to do a quick video review of my jersey and as I was looking through my blog, I noticed that, yes I have owned Jordan jersey’s before, lol.  Getting older and being a collector makes you forget many things, lol.

Anyway I'm not much of a jersey collector anymore because of the cheap quality of jerseys today; they focus on light performance materials and not on tough and strong materials that will last you for years.  Thankfully, Mitchell & Ness still focuses on tough quality materials (to a point) and I was able to get this Jordan jersey from the 97’-98’ era.  While the price is ridiculously expensive, the quality is nice enough to ignore it and just enjoy the fact that I own the jersey of the greatest of all-time.

Mitchell & Ness: https://www.mitchellandness.com/authentic-jersey-chicago-bulls-road-1997-98-michael-jordan-ajy4gs

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4l3rZiVARg

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Blue Jays Replica Donaldson Jersey (SGA)

On Sunday, May 10th, 2015 the Toronto Blue Jays gave away 20,000 replica Josh Donaldson jerseys.  I must admit at the beginning of the season I wasn’t overly excited about celebrating Donaldson as a Blue Jay.  I mean to get him we had to trade Brett Lawrie, one of my favourite players who brought a lot of heart and character to the team.  But then as the season started, Donaldson not only blew my mind in his abilities, but also had me wondering why we hadn’t traded Lawrie earlier for him, lol.
This SGA (stadium giveaway) jersey is now one of my favourite Blue Jays memorabilia that I own.  I’m proud to wear Donaldson’s name on my back, and I usually get compliments from people when I wear it.  While the quality of the material isn’t perfect, it still holds up to many rough outings.  In fact the stitching is just as good as a Majestic jersey.  Other than the lightweight material, this is a great jersey.  (On a side note: this jersey reminds me of a pajama top, maybe the Blue Jays should just call it a pajama and release it with pajama pants next time.  Ohhhh Blue Jays pajama uniforms, sweet)
Josh Donaldson Wiki:
YouTube:

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Barcelona FC Jersey

I’ve been a fan of Barcelona FC ever since I first saw a Nike commercial of Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima).  The commercial showed Ronaldo playing fantastic, almost as if he were dancing samba.  Unfortunately that commercial was the closest I could get to watching a Barça game because at the time (mid 90’s) it was impossible to watch a Spanish soccer league game in Canada.  Yet by the time I did get satellite and could watch Spanish soccer, I had become a Real Madrid supporter.  How could you not cheer for them?  They had the Galácticos, a team made up of the best players from around the world.  Although they couldn’t win a game, they were fun to watch.
Eventually that team broke up, and I went back to cheering for Barcelona.  Since then I have had the pleasure of watching great players such as Ronaldinho, Messi, and Neymar perform miracles of play.  This is why I’m super excited to finally own a Barcelona FC jersey that represents my love for the team and its players.  The version I have is the 2013-2014 home version made by Nike.
I bought this jersey just after the new season jersey’s had released because the older version went on sale.  Besides the price I also bought this jersey because it’s the best looking version I have seen in years, with its embroidered patches, thin red and blue lines, and yellow highlights (swoosh and v-neck).  Other nice touches of this jersey are the sublimation printing on the shoulders, and the fit (which is slim fit, so I recommend going up a size if you like it loose).  Now that I own this jersey, I’m enthusiastic for what the future holds for Barça and wearing it with pride.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Adidas Argentina Football Jersey

This is the Argentina soccer jersey for the Brazil World Cup 2014.  It was first unveiled on November 15th 2013 during a friendly against Ecuador.  The jersey was made by Adidas and was manufactured in Thailand.  It uses ClimaCool polyester material, which keeps you dry and cool when you start to sweat.  The jersey also utilizes mesh material on the back shoulders to keep you ventilated.
Overall the jersey is beautifully designed, with the return of old favorites like black Adidas stripes on the top shoulders, narrow white and light blue stripes on the front and back, and individually stitched gold stars above the AFA crest.  Other design aspects that accentuate the beauty of this jersey are gold trimming of the sides, sublimation-print within the blue stripes that fade from light to dark blue, and an embroidered Adidas logo and AFA crest.
My only complaint about this jersey is the use of mesh material on the back shoulders.  This placement is bound to cause problems over time because mesh fabric isn’t as strong as having a solid piece of polyester.  I also don’t like that Adidas placed a screen printed Argentina logo on the mesh either.  With heavy use over time, this will also become fragile and crack.  While the jersey isn’t perfect, I still recommend it because it looks amazing when you wear it.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Toronto Blue Jays Promotional Replica Jersey 2014: Encarnacion and Bautista

Here’s my promotional replica Blue Jays jersey of Edwin Encarnacion and José Bautista.  20,000 of these replica jerseys were given out at Rogers Centre on Sunday, May 25th, 2014.  As the days are getting hotter, and the Jays are playing better the hype around this team is growing. I say this because by the time I got to the SkyDome (an hour before gates open) there was already a huge lineup.  Needles to say, people wanted this jersey.  The only problem was the Jays staff and Twitter were reluctant to give out details about the jersey.  As a result many people were disappointed to find out that the jerseys came in a size XL, and that you weren’t allowed to choose a player’s jersey.  This caused a lot of people to be disappointed and wanting to trade jerseys (usually for a Bautista).  Fortunately I wear XL, and I was able to grab a jersey of each player.
The actual quality of the jersey isn’t as great as a Majestic brand replica jersey.  The polyester material is lighter, the stitching can easily come apart, and the name/number/logo is heat pressed.  With regular use (let alone heavy use), the jersey is bound to come loose and the name/number/logo to rub off.  Yet considering all those issues, the jersey is still nice to have because it is a collectable that you could only get coming to a game.  For me this means that even if years from now the jersey looks like it survived a nuclear blast, I will still be proud to wear a part of Blue Jays history (the same way people still hold on to 92’93’ t-shirts).

Blue Jays:
www.toronto.bluejays.mlb.com

Friday, January 24, 2014

Jordan Chicago Bulls and North Carolina Jerseys

Here are two great examples of high quality jerseys with affordable prices (at least when they originally released).  I say this because jerseys today are overpriced and the quality isn’t as good as it used to be.  It also makes me long for the days when Nike still had the NBA license and could produce these amazing basketball jerseys.
The first jersey is a Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey made by Nike.  It is a retro jersey from Jordan’s 1984 rookie year with the Bulls.  This jersey was actually the second retro rookie jersey Nike had made of Jordan.  The first one was true to the original because it had heat pressed printed numbers and names, while my jersey has the numbers and names stitched on.  I actually prefer my jersey because I love the high grade quality of double stitching.  Other great features about this jersey is the bright red mesh that is strong and durable.  My only complaint about this jersey is how long it is, with an extra inch added to the back.
The second jersey is a Michael Jordan North Carolina jersey made by Jordan brand.  What makes this jersey interesting is that it was made by Jordan brand.  I didn’t even know they made jersey’s like this until I saw this one in a store.  Of course I bought it because the quality was top notch with its heavy polyester material and intricate stitching.  So far this has been my go to jersey when I’m doing heavy labour (yard work), and yet it still looks fairy clean.  This is one jersey I hope Jordan Brand will not only reproduce but will be inspired to continue to make other jerseys Jordan played in.
Nike:
Jordan Brand:
YouTube:

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Chicago Blackhawks Jersey

I bought this jersey during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.  I’m a big fan of Chicago sports teams, so in order to cheer for the Blackhawks I went out to buy this jersey.  I wanted a regular jersey, but the sports store I went to was out of those, so instead the manager sold me this version with a player’s name on it for the same price.  I was ecstatic because this version usually sells for more, and also because it’s a captain’s jersey of Jonathan Toews.
This jersey is a Reebok Premier home red colorway jersey.  Premier jerseys are my favorite jerseys because of the price and the quality.  While most of the patches (logo, name, numbers) are only stitched once, it’s still a stitching that can resist heavy use.  I bought this jersey in a large, but I would recommend that if you plan on getting any hockey jersey you better try it on before you buy because they all fit differently.  This is a wonderful jersey that really stands out when you wear it, and I am glad that I finally have one to wear when I cheer for the Blackhawks.