For you Jersey(not the state) fanatics does Reebok have two different authentic lines? I just ordered a 52 on ebay which is the same as all my others and it is absolutely huge.
Like Praxitas said (will get to your PM as I just saw it) there are two types of hockey jerseys. The real deal and the Chinese knock offs. You can tell by the thickness. The fact the fakes are made out of 100 percent polyester and you sweat like a MoFo in them. I know, I bought a Sidney Crosby fake, and the only fake jersey in my collection. It does not breathe at all. It sucks! No, not because it's a Crosby jersey, but because of the fabric. The way the stitching on the numbers is shown as illustrated on vs. being actual stitching. Some knock offs are better than others. You can also tell by the lack of smoothness. They are usually thinner and lighter material than the real deal. Then again the Reebok Edge version 2.0's are pretty light to begin with. You can actually get the real McCoy jerseys three different ways. The highest end that the NHLers wear complete with fighting strap at 279.99 Cdn, Semi-pro with no fighting strap and no added padding on the shoulders and elbows for 179.99 Cdn, and the cheapest of the cheap end, which is around 79.99 Cdn. At this point the Chinese knock offs are a better value. They are very cheaply made, but with those knock offs, you do sweat like a _____ in them. Oh, and speaking of the devils, there's your Chinese knock offs that come usually with a player name and numbers pre-stitched and a fighting strap for as little as 49.99 Cdn.
I only buy game worn jerseys. They come directly from the club or through Meigray.com which is the only and sole provider of most NHL, and other sports league jerseys. Some teams like the Manitoba Moose do their own game worn patches and keep you in their system to make sure nobody is selling a fake or a stolen jersey of yours. Each jersey is numbered and goes into their computer systems, which is what Meigray does. Once a jersey is sold to a perspective buyer, that person(s) has his/her/their name(s) is then recorded within the database. Usually if it's a team thing, the Equipment Manager and General Manager sign off your LOA (Letter of Authenticity), but in Meigray's case, it's the CEO and creator of Meigray and someone from the NHL (I forget who, and am too lazy to check my stuff) who signs those jerseys that are done via the NHL and Meigray.
Buy game worn because they hold their value and often go up depending on the rarity of the jersey, the significance behind the jersey and the game it was in, the play it was involved in, and most importantly, who wore it. Also there is paper work that backs up the legitimacy. Never buy a pro hockey jersey as those go for way too much, and we all know how faulty and dishonest evilbay can be. Plus, you get to own a piece of hockey history by buying a game worn. Why make a player jersey of your choice when you can buy the jersey off that player's back?
https://www.meigray.com Each NHL team has a bunch of game worn jerseys and equipment available to buy. Some nobodys and your occasionally superstars. They have had anywhere from your Roests, Boogards, Haywards to your Lemieuxs, Gretzkys, and Crosbys. Usually they have great Summer sales and if you're lucky they may have one going on now. You can pick up some good game worns for almost the price of a blank pro jersey. Of course the players are usually nobody's. Nothing more than a call-up from the minors or at the very best, a bottom line or pairing player.
Hope this helps.
