Nothing gets replicated as much as football shirts. Since you’re making a significant investment, it’s crucial to ensure the shirt is 100% original, authentic, and in good condition. Here’s how we work and how you can recognize genuine shirts:
Our Sources
We source our shirts from various places: (former) players, club contacts, collectors selling parts of their collection, and second-hand platforms. Be especially cautious on second-hand sites as they are full of fakes.
Authenticity Checks by Era
Shirts from the 70s and 80s:
- Labels on or inside the shirt can reveal authenticity.
- Shirts that look brand-new or are made with modern materials are likely fake.
- Luckily, shirts from this era were rarely counterfeited.
Shirts from the 90s:
- These are frequently faked, even today. Many reproductions are made in Asia and sold as vintage. Key points to check:
- Fabric Quality: Originals are often lighter in material, while fakes feel heavier.
- Shirt Labels: Fake Umbro logos are common; authentic ones have small dots in the name and a slightly uneven logo. For Kappa, look for diagonal dots in the logo. Be cautious with modern-looking Nike or Adidas labels.
- Club Crest Details: Genuine shirts have higher-quality finishes compared to fakes.
- Namesets: Authentic shirts can sometimes have fake namesets added. Double-check these details.
Shirts from the Early 2000s:
- Brands like Nike and Adidas but also others began using product codes in the early 2000s, which helps spot fakes.
- The code is usually on a small label inside the shirt; entering it online should show the exact shirt. If not, it’s likely fake.
- Kappa, for instance, has a website (basiclabels.net) to check shirt authenticity.
By the late 2000s, unique codes became less common, making it harder to verify some shirts from that period based on the product code alone.
Match Worn vs. Fanshop Shirts
Fraud often happens when fanshop shirts are sold as match-worn.
- In the 2010s, Belgian shirts had competition-specific sleeve patches only found on match-worn versions.
- Now, fanshop shirts can include any badge, making it harder to differentiate. Buying from a trusted source is essential, especially since match-worn shirts can be significantly more valuable.
- Match-worn shirts often have better fabric quality. Especially in the 2000s and 2010s, the difference was almost always noticeable. Nowadays, however, you can also buy the same quality as match-worn shirts in the fanshop, alongside the regular fanshop shirts.
Conclusion
As you can see, purchasing from a reliable source is key to enjoying your shirt for years and seeing its value increase. When in doubt, we consult additional experts and use worldwide groups with thousands of members to verify authenticity.
If you find a shirt you have any doubts about, don't hesitate to contact us.
Football is life.