Real or Fake? Devin Hester away Bears jersey

Hello, I recently purchased this jersey used on eBay for $28 shipped. From what ive seen from the youtube video is that this jersey was produced between 2002-2004. So im wondering if it was authentic or not and also, is there a reason why the sleeves arent cuffed? or is it just how the Bears jersey are? Thanks.

looks fake to me the numbers dont look right

markg wrote:

looks fake to me the numbers dont look right

could it be because I used flash? I could take some picks with flash later.

The hem tag looks real good as does the collar badge. It's got to be a custom job, which is why the numbers look off. They don't seem to be big enough on the front or back and I'm not sure it's the correct font either.

Bears jersey didn't have cuffed sleeves at that time. So to recap, genuine jersey from 02-04 customised to Hester, who, for those who don't know joined the league in 2006.

thanks for the replies...

ill just send the jersey back to the seller.

Hey bud,

This one is definitely tough to tell. I own 10+ bears jerseys and I say say with confidence that over 90% of the ones on ebay are fake.

Funny thing is, the sleeve numbers are actually correct! Unlike most teams, the sleeve #s on the Bears jerseys have a different font than the chest/back #s. *** On real Bears jerseys, the sleeve #s should be of a thicker and fatter font ***. So, if you ever see a jersey like this on eBay, there's a good chance it may be real.

Open sleeves are also correct. When Reebok took over, they made Bears jerseys w/ cuffed sleeves and solid shoulders (as opposed to mesh) up until 2002 I believe. After that, all Bears jerseys were made with OPEN sleeves and MESH shoulders (so actually the entire jersey would be mesh). So, if you see a Bears jersey on ebay w/ cuffed sleeves, mesh shoulders, and 'thinner' sleeve #s, it's fake. If you do see a bears jersey w/ cuffed sleeves, the shoulders should be solid.

The sleeve stripes and tackle twill are what bother me. I have a genuine authentic Nathan Vasher jersey from 2005, and the sleeve stripes are a lot different. All Bears jerseys from the last few years have screened on stripes made out of a very TOUGH material. I have a Bernard Berrian jersey in the same style as the Hester one you have, the the sleeve stripes are made of a very poor screenprint. I feel like if it's washed enough, it'll start to feel and fade. On the contrary, the stripes on my genuine jerseys are made of a much thicker material so I'm really not worried about it peeling or fading.

The other thing is the tackle twill. While this jersey has CORRECT fatter/thicker sleeve #s (which 90% of fakes get wrong), it's hard to tell the materials the letters/numbers are made out of unless you actually hold it in your hands. On all my genuine authentics, the stitching makes the numbers look flat. On fakes, the stitching almost pulls the jersey in, giving in a 'bubbly' appearance. Who knows, maybe between 2002-04 they changed the material.

Finally, the hologram. When I got my Berrian jersey, everything on the tag seemed correct. No misspellings, and the hologram was on the back. However, no matter which angle/lighting condition I observed the tag at, the hologram was dull and did not change colors under the light. If you got it new / tags, I'd go back and observe the tag.

So to recap...

Good:
- CORRECT sleeve numbers
- open sleeves
- mesh shoulders

Stuff I'm skeptical about:
- sleeve stripes
- material used for letters/numbers
- NFL hologram on MSRP tag

So, this is either a different style of authentic that Reebok made between 02-04, or it is a VERY VERY VERY good fake. Hope this helps

Some great info there Daaabears, I'm convinced it's a genuine jersey, probably a Azumah from 04-05 that was partially stripped, then made into a Hester with not a great eye for detail.