Alright guys, so last week I totally messed up buying a fake Shaq Magic jersey online. Felt like an idiot wasting 60 bucks on trash fabric. Today I finally got the real deal! Here’s exactly how I did it:
The fake jersey disaster
First I saw this “vintage” Shaq jersey on some random website. Looked okay in photos, price was too good ($59.99!). Ordered quick without thinking. When it arrived – oh man! The blue was lighter than baby clothes, stitching looked like my 5-year-old did it, and the NBA logo patch was crooked. Felt like tissue paper too. Total scam.
Hitting the stores for research
Said screw online shopping, drove to three different sports stores downtown. Asked the guys behind counters to show me REAL jerseys side-by-side with fakes. Took notes like crazy.
My 5 foolproof checks
- Check the fabric weight: Real ones are heavy like workout clothes. Fake ones feel like cheap Halloween costumes
- Stitching around numbers: Real stitching is tight with zig-zag pattern. Fakes look messy like spiderwebs
- NBA logo patch: Should be raised and sewn on perfect. Fakes have it printed or glued crooked
- Color of blue: Real is DARK royal blue. Fakes look washed out like old jeans
- Tag inside collar: Real has thick stitched tag with season/year. Fakes have flimsy printed tags
Testing my tips today
Went back to that sports store near Main Street. Grabbed a Shaq jersey and ran my tests: Felt heavy (check), stitching clean (check), navy blue color (check), NBA logo perfectly centered (check), inside tag showed season (check). Even smelled like real cotton!
Paid full $120 but who cares? Now hanging in my closet with tags still on. Moral of the story? Never trust cheap jersey deals and always check those 5 things!
