With the 2010 World Cup just around the corner, I want to take a moment to let EVERYONE on eBAY know about the sale of COUNTERFEIT ADIDAS MATCHBALLS on eBAY.  Yes, they do exist....

QUICK INTRODUCTION TO FAKE ITEMS ON eBAY

Over the last 10 years, as a seller and buyer on eBAY, the variety of counterfeit items being sold by scrupulous sellers from around the world is unprecendented.  Since eBAY is able to pass nearly all responsibility for these sales onto the sellers (mostly at the expense of unaware buyers).  Most purchases of counterfeit items are of a low enough price that legal recourse is seldom reasonable for buyers.  I have CAREFULLY browsed and purchased many things on eBAY.  Ever since I was introduced to fake golf clubs and NFL jerseys, I have been even more careful, making sure to purchase through PayPal and meticulously checking out feedback for each seller I buy from.  Even when sellers have very good feedback, you have to be careful.  As if you didn't have enough to worry about with fradulent and unfair selling practices, even when you get something in the mail it could be FAKE !!!

Buyers don't always know what they are getting, even when the price should indicate otherwise (price too good to be true).  Even when they receive an item, if they are not familiar with the quality and intracacies of THE REAL THING, they may go on unaware they just bought a fake.  I suggest with anything you buy, check eBAY guides to see if what you are buying MIGHT be fake.  Thanks to HONEST BUYERS AND SELLERS, the REAL eBAY community, you have a great resource on eBAY (eBAY gets it all for free, and yet buyers get to keep buying fake items on eBAY -- nice, eh)?  Copyright/Patent laws in the U.S. pretty much require the owner of property rights to POLICE their own products.  It is NOT the responsibility of the government or police agencies, although once discovered, the law can step in to stop the illegal practice of counterfeit sales.

Even with a careful eye, I've "experimented" with some purchases hoping to get a good deal -- luckily I have been protected by using PayPal (though even that isn't always reliable).  I have run across counterfeit NFL/MLB/NBA and SOCCER jerseys, fake soccer balls, golf clubs, purses, jewelry and other sports apparel.  So, I have some good knowledge of what's out there, and now I share with you some information, including photos, of what to expect and look for when buying ADIDAS SOCCER BALLS.

FAKE / COUNTERFEIT ADIDAS MATCH BALLS

First, let's quickly review Adidas soccer balls.  Adidas makes several new models of soccer balls each year, and each model/design also comes in different qualities.  Though not limited to the following three types, the majority of balls fall under these three categories (the official match ball I will describe more fully later).

OFFICIAL MATCH BALLS  ($129.99 Retail || 14 Panel Thermal Bonded Balls [like TeamGeist].  These balls are the best you can get.  The current 14 panel balls have a DIMPLED surface so they won't dip, swerve, and knuckle as much as the original TeamGeist design)

 

COMPETITION/NFHS BALLS  ($64.99 Retail || These are 32 Panel Thermal Bonded balls.  They are made with the same high quality materials as the match balls, but have the old panel design.  Though they likely cost just as much to make, they are introduced at a much lower price, probably to appeal to a medium level price point in the market).

REPLICA BALLS  ($15-$30 Retail || These are STITCHED balls.  The materials are not as high quality.  These balls will wear faster and are not made to the strict specifications that the thermal bonded, FIFA approved balls are made.  They are priced as such).

As is common, the COUNTERFEIT balls are trying to COPY the highest priced of these balls, the OFFICAL MATCH BALL.  This being the case, I will explain more about what an AUTHENTIC top quality MATCH BALL is so you know what you are looking for:

Thee current TOP MATCH BALLS (official FIFA match balls) have special THERMAL BONDED technology.  I am not going to rehearse this technology completely here (do a google search) but basically it's a new construction of ball that has many advantage to your typical STITCHED panel ball.  The cover of a thermal bonded ball has panels that are FUSED together (with heat) and therefore have no stitching -- the covers are made with PU (polyurethane "synthetic leather") which means they are pretty much impermiable.  In the "old days" fake leather balls were pretty crappy -- but these modern balls and PU materials are fantastic.  They keep moisture away from the bladder (so they don't get saturated with water and become heavy), they are very durable, and the design print is tougher to wear out.  Also, the thermal bonded surface gives more consistency to the surface, making it ideal for top-level play.  If you've ever played one of these balls, you know -- and if you haven't, you need to :)  Adidas presented the TEAMGEIST ball in the 2006 World Cup.  This ball was developed with a new panel design.  They went away from the 32 panel pentagon/hexagon design to a 14 panel design with two varied shapes.  Some refer to this as the "maxi pad" ball because of the shape of one of the panels (he he). 

These great new Thermal Bonded Matchballs have a pretty general retail price of $129.99, though you can find plenty of reputable sellers offering them around $90 (about the minimum you can sell and still expect to make a decent amount of money).

Sometimes it's tough to see from pictures on eBAY if a ball is stitched or thermal bonded, so you need to look closely.  Here is a closeup of the seam on each ball so you can see the difference:

Because some sellers know the LOWER QUALITY balls are not popular, but also know people don't always know the difference, they will not advertise their Adidas balls as REPLICA balls.  You need to be aware to discern the difference and pay the right amount.  Basically, any ball from 2004 on that is stitched is NOT A TOP quality Adidas ball, but rather the type of ball you are going to find at department/sporting goods stores and sell in the $15 - $30 range.

EXAMPLES OF AUTHENTIC and FAKE MATCH BALLS

Below are some pictures of a counterfeit 2006 World Cup TEAMGEIST Gold ball.  I purchased this ball from a U.S. eBAY seller, at around $90 if I remember correctly.  The photos provided in the listing were from a distance, and it came with a box.  They looked about right, and the seller had good feedback including sales of the same ball.  When I got it, well, you can see.  Every detail of this ball fails in comparision to the GENUINE article from Adidas.  The printing is low quality (low resolution).  The ink rubbed off in many spots just from being in the box and moving around.  The THERMAL BONDING looks more like hot glue gun. The valve is of poor quality and is raised.  The sticker has a paper base with clear surface and the most adhesive made it see-through.  The authentic balls have a vinyl/plastic sticker that would never do this.  There was actually a split in one of the seams of this ball,and it was ROCK HARD instead of spongy, smoooth, and soft like a real ball.  Theh surface also had an overall rough/chalky/grainy feel.  The internal construction of the ball was also incorrect -- it was just a normal ball without all the internal layering.  INFERIOR IN every way imaginable.