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Unlicensed NHL Goalie Cut Jerseys
When it comes to goalie-cut hockey jerseys here on eBay, an unlicensed "replica" or "custom" jersey is more likely to come from a place like New York than from China. This guide is intended to help you identify and avoid unlicensed knock-off jerseys (and there are a LOT of them out there). How can a buyer tell? There are several dead giveaways.
1. Goalie Cut jerseys
NHL-licensed goalie cut jerseys are not now, nor have ever been, produced for the public. This is why you can't find them in retail shops or established online stores. As such, most NHL and minor-league goalie cut jerseys found on eBay are unlicensed homemade knock-offs. Sellers located in the USA and Canada routinely purchase blank "gamewear" goalie cut jerseys (in team colors as well as cheaper "practice" jerseys), affix aftermarket logos to them, and pass them off as the real thing. They often charge the same price as licensed jerseys sell for, and, after spending two minutes affixing the logo, typically end up pocketing $50-60 from a $79.99 sale price.
There are a few authentic goalie cut NHL jerseys out there. These are generally team-issued, and are of much higher quality. They also usually bear a size tag with a number, which is located on the collar of the jersey, for example 58-G or 60G. Beware of item listings containing wording such as "GOALIE4X-62" and "SZ-60." These are usually just the rip-off artist's measurements of the jersey, not the tagged size.
Gamewear and practice jerseys usually have one small white tag indicating size. Tags on CCM gamewear jerseys have a small Canadian flag, and read "goalie style" with no other size indicated.
Example 1: a one-color or practice CCM, RBK or AK goalie-style jersey with an NHL logo sewn-on is most likely unlicensed. Buyer beware!
Example 2: a CCM or AK goalie-style jersey with Chicago Blackhawks colors and stripes, with an undersized Blackhawks crest attached, is an obvious knock-off. Missing tomahawks on the shoulders are dead giveaway.
2. Manufacturer
Rip-off artists try to pass off their products as name-brand goods. Most unlicensed NHL jerseys will be advertised as CCM, RBK, SP or AK (Athletic Knit) products. CCM produced licensed NHL jerseys for many, many years, and it still produces blank jerseys, but CCM has never produced licensed NHL goalie cut jerseys for the public. RBK has recently become the NHL's jersey provider, but it also does not produce NHL goalie cut jerseys for the public. AK (Athletic Knit) has never produced any licensed NHL jerseys.
3. Cresting
Unlicensed jerseys frequently have poor cresting (team patches). The chest crest is often much smaller than that of a genuine jersey, and shoulder crests are often too small, inaccurate, or completely missing. Some of the chest crests on unlicensed jerseys are so small that they look downright silly. In addition, sellers may add a famous player's name and number to the jersey in an attempt to make it look more authentic. They usually use the wrong font, size and style for the name and numbers, with the end result looking just laughable. These sellers have also been known to purchase fight straps in bulk and sew them on after the fact to further deceive the buyer.
Many of the materials used by sellers offering these unlicensed jerseys can be found right here on eBay. In fact, one seller recently started to offer minor-league goalie jerseys just a week or two after another eBay seller started selling the crests. Do a search for "<team name> crest" and you may find the exact same patch for sale individually. They're virtually all iron-on crests. If you must have one, buy the crest and jersey separately, iron it on yourself (use plenty of steam and pressure), and save yourself a lot of money. Here's how to make your own jersey .
4. Hangtags
According to the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS), NHL licensed products require holographic stickers or hangtags that are sequentially numbered. The NHL Official Licensed Product Logo must be prominently displayed, shown in its entirety, and must include ® adjacent to the NHL Shield in all instances. Don't be fooled by a CCM or RBK jersey listing that reads "NWTS" or "new with tags." These refer to the tags from the blank jersey, not the licensing tags.
It may or may not be legal to produce one of these jerseys for your own personal use. The safest route is to be sure you're buying a licensed item. Don't be fooled if a seller tells you they're "licensed" - this may just mean the business is licensed in its community or state. The item may still be unlicensed. Remember, these people are already cheating others out of money, and they are not likely to be honest with you. Find out whether the item is licensed by the NHL.
For more information about counterfeit and unlicensed NHL jerseys, visit the website of the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS) at www.capsinfo.com.
When it comes to goalie-cut hockey jerseys here on eBay, an unlicensed "replica" or "custom" jersey is more likely to come from a place like New York than from China. This guide is intended to help you identify and avoid unlicensed knock-off jerseys (and there are a LOT of them out there). How can a buyer tell? There are several dead giveaways.
1. Goalie Cut jerseys
NHL-licensed goalie cut jerseys are not now, nor have ever been, produced for the public. This is why you can't find them in retail shops or established online stores. As such, most NHL and minor-league goalie cut jerseys found on eBay are unlicensed homemade knock-offs. Sellers located in the USA and Canada routinely purchase blank "gamewear" goalie cut jerseys (in team colors as well as cheaper "practice" jerseys), affix aftermarket logos to them, and pass them off as the real thing. They often charge the same price as licensed jerseys sell for, and, after spending two minutes affixing the logo, typically end up pocketing $50-60 from a $79.99 sale price.
There are a few authentic goalie cut NHL jerseys out there. These are generally team-issued, and are of much higher quality. They also usually bear a size tag with a number, which is located on the collar of the jersey, for example 58-G or 60G. Beware of item listings containing wording such as "GOALIE4X-62" and "SZ-60." These are usually just the rip-off artist's measurements of the jersey, not the tagged size.
Gamewear and practice jerseys usually have one small white tag indicating size. Tags on CCM gamewear jerseys have a small Canadian flag, and read "goalie style" with no other size indicated.
Example 1: a one-color or practice CCM, RBK or AK goalie-style jersey with an NHL logo sewn-on is most likely unlicensed. Buyer beware!
Example 2: a CCM or AK goalie-style jersey with Chicago Blackhawks colors and stripes, with an undersized Blackhawks crest attached, is an obvious knock-off. Missing tomahawks on the shoulders are dead giveaway.
2. Manufacturer
Rip-off artists try to pass off their products as name-brand goods. Most unlicensed NHL jerseys will be advertised as CCM, RBK, SP or AK (Athletic Knit) products. CCM produced licensed NHL jerseys for many, many years, and it still produces blank jerseys, but CCM has never produced licensed NHL goalie cut jerseys for the public. RBK has recently become the NHL's jersey provider, but it also does not produce NHL goalie cut jerseys for the public. AK (Athletic Knit) has never produced any licensed NHL jerseys.
3. Cresting
Unlicensed jerseys frequently have poor cresting (team patches). The chest crest is often much smaller than that of a genuine jersey, and shoulder crests are often too small, inaccurate, or completely missing. Some of the chest crests on unlicensed jerseys are so small that they look downright silly. In addition, sellers may add a famous player's name and number to the jersey in an attempt to make it look more authentic. They usually use the wrong font, size and style for the name and numbers, with the end result looking just laughable. These sellers have also been known to purchase fight straps in bulk and sew them on after the fact to further deceive the buyer.
Many of the materials used by sellers offering these unlicensed jerseys can be found right here on eBay. In fact, one seller recently started to offer minor-league goalie jerseys just a week or two after another eBay seller started selling the crests. Do a search for "<team name> crest" and you may find the exact same patch for sale individually. They're virtually all iron-on crests. If you must have one, buy the crest and jersey separately, iron it on yourself (use plenty of steam and pressure), and save yourself a lot of money. Here's how to make your own jersey .
4. Hangtags
According to the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS), NHL licensed products require holographic stickers or hangtags that are sequentially numbered. The NHL Official Licensed Product Logo must be prominently displayed, shown in its entirety, and must include ® adjacent to the NHL Shield in all instances. Don't be fooled by a CCM or RBK jersey listing that reads "NWTS" or "new with tags." These refer to the tags from the blank jersey, not the licensing tags.
It may or may not be legal to produce one of these jerseys for your own personal use. The safest route is to be sure you're buying a licensed item. Don't be fooled if a seller tells you they're "licensed" - this may just mean the business is licensed in its community or state. The item may still be unlicensed. Remember, these people are already cheating others out of money, and they are not likely to be honest with you. Find out whether the item is licensed by the NHL.
For more information about counterfeit and unlicensed NHL jerseys, visit the website of the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS) at www.capsinfo.com.
Guide created: 10/29/07 (updated 07/11/08)
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