Know your jerseys: A guide to gameday shopping.

What's up everyone, in light of the season inching closer and closer and all the new exciting things happening in Denver this year, I thought it'd be a good time to provide my personal guide to buying a Broncos jersey. I'm not talking so much about the replica jerseys for 80 bucks, but the authentic jerseys that retail around 240-260 bucks a pop. There's a lot of people selling these "authentic" jerseys around the internet, and most of them are fake. Having a counterfeit isn't necessarily a bad thing, and in today's economic climate, it's all about saving cash. So with that in mind, I want to present to you the do's and don'ts of buying jerseys for your beloved Broncos.

The first common mistake found in these fakes are wrong number sizes and fonts. Another VERY common mishap is the bottom tag that carries the size number as well. Let's take a look at what you need to look for on the tag first and foremost: (Some of these pictures are of my personal duds, since I've knowingly bought a counterfeit simply because for 40 bucks, I couldn't pass the deal).

Tags:

Ok, Not too hard to spot the fake here. There's a few key things to look for in the tags:

1. Sizing. If the size is anything but a number, it's fake. Instantly, that's the quickest easiest way to tell a fake jersey.

2. the NFLPA logo is different. The top one looks nothing like the "official" NFLPA logo.

3. Although hard to see, on the top picture: On the bottom left of the tag, it says "On Field" whereas the actual authentic doesn't say that at all. 

The bottom picture is real, if you haven't caught it yet. haha

Next up, names.

If you find yourself staring at a Brian Dawkings jersey, it's not hard to know that it's fake. You'd be surprised at how some people completely overlook something so simple as correct name spelling on jerseys. They are far too busy trying to pick their size and color!  So, watch out for the names and make sure they are legit. I've already seen "K. Moreno" jerseys on ebay and craigslist, when in fact his jersey doesn't abbreviate his first name at all.

Next pointer: Fonts

This one is commonly mistaken on the fakes, since the authentic Broncos font isn't as common as say, the Redskins or Buccaneers. So, spot the fake:

I know, it's hard to make the call, but subtle differences make the fake stick out like a sore thumb. The biggest flaw to me is the K in Dawkins. Notice the little extra bit coming off the main line of the K. That's not on the REAL authentics. Have a look for yourself: From NFL Shop:

If you look closely at the K, you'll see exactly what I mentioned. Also, not to keep you squinting at your monitor, but the D on the fake doesn't have a little lip on top whereas the real one does. Ok, you can sit back now, no more squinting.

Next up: Overall design of shoulders and sleeves:

The body of the jersey isn't where your problems lay, it's all the little details such as different fabrics used in the sleeves and sides compared to the number area. As anyone with any jersey, fake or real, will tell you, the sleeves are of a different fabric than the body. Take a look again at the fake vs real:

These are both pictures of the same area of two different jerseys. Notice the detail on the top. There's 5 or 6 different pieces of fabric in that shoulder to underarm area. That's not just for flexibility, that's a security measure. As you can see on the bottom picture, most counterfeiters won't waste time making it as close to real as possible. Not down there, because you probably won't notice either way. Also, note the type of material used for the body panels on the bottom. It looks really really bad compared to the authentic.

Final thoughts:

I don't intend this post to call out anyone that's looking for a deal on their jerseys this year. There is nothing wrong with shopping smart. Like I said before, there is nothing wrong with buying the fakes if you can't see yourself dunking almost 300 bucks into a shirt. Hey, I don't do it either. I refuse to pay retail for a jersey with stitched up numbers and names. I'll get mine elsewhere. I hope this helped you, and good luck in your jersey hunts this year!

Side notes:

Authentic jerseys always have the names stitched onto a piece of material that is stitched to the jersey. Look out for that.

Look closely and inspect your jersey before you pay for it. You'll notice that some of the name patches on the back may have quite a separation from the stitching just below it. If you look at this photo again, you'll see what I'm talking about:

The spacing I'm talking about is right under the "ROYAL", where the bottom stitching for the name panel is. Between that sew-line and the start of the body panel (different material, the jersey material), you should never have more than 1 inch of space between the panel and jersey mesh. If you do, most likely it's a spottable fake.

Not every jersey is counterfeit if the number sizes seem off. Some bigger jerseys (54+) will have seemingly smaller numbers compared to a 48 or 50. Well, it's not because it's fake necessarily, it's probably because there is simply more jersey and the number sizes don't change. The same goes the other way around, if the jersey is a size 48 (Men's medium), the numbers may seem oddly large, rest assured that it's probably just the overall size of the jersey that makes it seem that way. In either case, compare the sizing of the numbers and letters with other jerseys in the sellers lot, if available.

NEVER BUY AN AUTHENTIC IF THE SIZE IS A LETTER. Some people don't care about that stuff, but nothing gets to me more than seeing a "on field authentic" jersey with the big "M" for medium plastered on the bottom. Not real at all.

Most importantly: Trust your judgment. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. Don't follow some creeper towards his vehicle if he's hustling these things off Federal somewhere. Don't let some seemingly innocent woman swear to you that she is a wholesaler who's just trying to get rid of her surplus so she can order more. Be smart, shop smart, and always cheer for your Broncos.