Jerseys have a special place in the fans’ hearts, especially for football. Sports fans are always desperate to own a jersey of their favorite player. Keeping this in mind, many sellers circulate fake jerseys at cheaper rates in the market. The authentic jerseys of players are very hard to get and a bit expensive. This makes fans fall into the traps of fake jersey sellers and purchase them.
According to research done by Knowsley News, in 2024, 12% of all the sports products purchased by fans, were fake.
Some may have done this knowingly, but many others did it unintentionally.
Through this blog, it will help identifying readers understand:
- Why authentic jerseys matter
- What challenges fans face in detecting them
- Examples of authentic and fake jerseys
- How to detect authentic and fake jerseys
Why Do Authentic Jerseys Matter?
Collecting authentic jerseys is the pride of a sports fan. They add value to not only people’s wardrobes but also their emotions. Authentic jerseys have excellent quality, fabric, and design. So, they definitely stand out from the fake ones.
Authentic jerseys have premium quality fabric, lightweight, and are tightly stitched. That is why they last longer and don’t have to be bought repeatedly. Even if they are a little more expensive than fake jerseys, their durability becomes their ultimate strength.
Challenges Fans Face in Spotting Authentic Jerseys
Fans usually face challenges in spotting authentic jerseys due to insufficient information and some of these are here below –
- Unfamiliarity to Identify an Authentic Jersey:
Fans are somehow unfamiliar between authentic and fake jerseys because they don’t have enough information. They don’t know how to spot a fake jersey, and that is why they end up purchasing fake ones.
- Possibility of Getting a Player’s Jersey Excites Them:
Only the mere possibility of getting a player’s jersey excites the fans. In this excitement, they might forget to compare the authentic and fake jerseys. Due to this excitement and rush to buy the jersey, they end up buying a fake one.
- Resemblance between Authentic and Fake Jerseys:
Fake jerseys are circulating massively in the market and resemble the authentic ones a lot. That is why it becomes very difficult for common fans to identify the difference between authentic and fake jerseys. Ultimately, they end up buying fake jerseys and might regret it later when they discover it.
- Authentic Jerseys are not Cost-Effective:
Mostly, authentic jerseys are exorbitant compared to fake ones. This makes them unavailable to a lot of people. In such a situation, fans get tempted to purchase the fake jerseys. This way, they can at least add something to their collection.
Examples of Real vs. Fake Jerseys
Some common examples highlight the difference between fan and player soccer jerseys. Jerseys of the European Club and World Cup team members are faked and sold freely. These fake jerseys don’t have the same player numbers as the authentic ones and may also be of poor-quality fabric. The same goes for the fake World Cup jerseys. The color of these jerseys may not be the same as the authentic ones.
Another example is the Manchester United Home Jersey, which has many fake jerseys circulating in the market. The official Manchester United Home team’s jersey color is Red. For fans, the real jerseys of this team’s players are offered in different colors. Fans usually don’t pay attention to the logo placement of the jersey and end up purchasing a fake jersey instead of an authentic one.
Ways to Identify the Authenticity of Jerseys – A Practical Checklist
Following are some guiding ways for fans to know how to spot a fake jersey stay away from it –
- Look for Manufacturer’s Tags and Labels:
Jerseys should always have the manufacturer’s tags and labels to prove their authenticity. Make sure that the jersey you are buying has one, too.
- Don’t Fall for Unbelievably Low Prices:
Jerseys, which are available at unbelievably low prices and sometimes in combos as well, are definitely fake. Don’t fall for these prices and lose your money over these fake jerseys.
- Compare the Fabric:
The quality of authentic jerseys is good and certified by material experts. If the jersey that you are purchasing is not made of good fabric, then it is surely a fake one.
- Check for the Rightly Stitched Jersey:
The stitching of authentic jerseys is uniform throughout. Loosely stitched jerseys available for purchase are fake ones & should not be purchased.
- Analyze Design Elements:
If your jersey is lightweight, allows you to breathe freely, and absorbs sweat, then it’s definitely authentic.
- Check the Jersey’s Fit and Cut:
Even if the authentic jerseys are available in different sizes, their fit and cut are accurate. The fake ones don’t have the exact fit and make you feel uncomfortable when worn.
- Inspect the Logos and Branding:
The logos and branding on the authentic jerseys are in the right spots such as back of the collar. However, fake jerseys don’t have similar logo placements and may not have brand names on them either.
Conclusion
Every sports enthusiast dream of buying a real jersey of the player they love. But, due to a lack of information, many fans end up purchasing fake ones.
To bring authentic jerseys on the go, Retro World Shop offers high-quality sports jerseys without compromising on the comfort, quality, and preferences.
Browse the authentic collection today and wear your team colors with pride!