Counterfeit is counterfeit! PERIOD!

Recently, I received a comment from someone (which I did not publish), stating that I was confused about what constitutes a counterfeit jersey on eBay. However, since that particular individual is clearly the one that is confused, please allow me to clarify.

     If someone handed you a twenty-dollar bill, and you could clearly see that the bill was not correct, i.e. the picture was wrong, the design was wrong, etc., you would not say that it was simply a “poorly made” or “poorly customized” twenty dollar bill! No, you would call it what it is, a COUNTERFEIT! Even if it were printed on the correct kind of paper, you would call it what it is, a COUNTERFEIT! The same goes for hockey jerseys!

     Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I hate the counterfeit market that eBay facilitates. At least 70% of the jerseys (All sports) on eBay are Asian-sweatshop counterfeits. So, in the past, when I have posted pictures of FAKE, or COUNTERFEIT jerseys, along with pictures of the CORRECT jersey next to them, it is to point out that there are people who are not experienced enough to tell the difference.

     Just because a legit blank CCM jersey was used as the platform for a customization, it can still be BOGUS! If some clown slaps the wrong patches on it, the wrong color or style of font on it etc., it becomes a BOGUS jersey. If you are some kind of overly-sensitive, PC, liberal nut-job who does not like the word “counterfeit” because it might hurt someone’s feelings, then find another word you are comfortable with… Either way, the jersey has become a counterfeit! PERIOD! Just look at some of the examples I have posted in previous entries! In addition, almost all of those sellers made outright statements in their eBay listings that their jerseys were legit, when in fact they were anything but! That just proves my point!

     Bogus, counterfeit, fake, call them what you want, but they are NOT simply “poorly customized jerseys!” That is like calling a burglar an uninvited houseguest, or a drug-dealer an unlicensed pharmacist… Call things what they are!

Contacting goon-gear

     Today, I received a message through my hockey sweater Web store http://webstore.com/~goongear

from one on my readers, asking how they are to get in touch with me. Unknown to the reader at that time, he did exactly what he should have done. He went to my Web store and posted a question through one of the existing listings. I do not list a direct e-mail address on my blog site for the simple reason that spammers and other clowns with bad intentions like to take advantage of such information. My Web store is all set up to alert me via e-mail immediately upon the receipt of a customer question, and I usually respond rather quickly, so please feel free to post questions through any existing listings, even if it is not regarding that particular item. In the case of the aforementioned reader who had a question, it was regarding one of the jersey photos in the right margin of this blog.

     Photos in the right margin of this blog are ALL of items that either are currently for sale in my Web store, or have been sold through my Web store. I list the photos to give readers a visual sampling of the collector-quality sweaters I sell. If you wish to view all current listings, please visit my store by clicking on the link for goon-gear’s Rare and Vintage NHL Hockey Jerseys in the upper-right corner of this blog. If you do not find what you are looking for, please feel free to contact me through any one of the existing listings. I network with many other collectors, and chances are that I can find virtually any authentic, or replica your heart may desire.

     I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!     

Tony "The Twister" Twist - Unleash the Demon

Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson

UPDATE: For Sale / Wanted List !!!

                                                    UPDATE: For Sale / Wanted List !!!

     As many of you know, I was on the hunt for a Burger King jersey for the longest time. I am pleased to report that my search has ended in success! I was fortunate enough to find a MINT specimen and am VERY happy about it! I was lucky enough (recently) to purchase a couple of Wild Wing replica jerseys, a replica TB Lightning 3rd Alt Storm jersey, and another 91-92 Blackhawks authentic Ultrafil Barber Pole jersey. The Barber pole jersey sold immediately on my Web site http://webstore.com/~goongear One of the Wild Wing jerseys (Paul Kariya), and a Darcy Tucker TB Lightning Alt Storm jersey has recently been posted. If you click on the picture of either jersey (in the right margin), it will take you directly to my Webstore. While there, please be sure to look at the other NHL sweaters currently for sale.

     Now, most of you know about my hatred for RBK hockey jerseys, but for those of you who do not, fasten your seatbelts. Anyone can walk into any cheesy sports shop in America and buy a paper-thin, cheaply constructed, Asian-Sweatshop quality, pathetic Reebok rag! If you plan on buying a hockey sweater for someone as a Christmas gift this year, please do not buy him or a lame RBK piece of crap! Show them that some real thought went into their gift by buying them a collector-quality authentic of replica from the pre-RBK days!

      In my store site http://webstore.com/~goongear , we do not sell Reebok rags and never will! If you want to impress someone, sport a high-quality CCM, KOHO, Starter, or Pro Player jersey from goongear! Stop in and pay us a visit! You will find jerseys (sweaters) in my Webstore that you will not find on eBay, and my customer service and fast shipping is second to none! If you want garage sale garbage at trailer park prices, shop on eBay. There you will find plenty of stained, torn, shrunk-up, faded, snag-fest jerseys to pick from. However, if you want hard to find, old-school, collector quality NHL sweaters, you want my store! And remember, you get what you pay for!

Dont forget to follow goongear on Twitter (Goon24) to see every new NHL jersey I post, live as it happens! 

FOR SALE: Ducks "Wild Wing" Jersey and Tampa Bay Lightning "Storm" Jersey !!!

FOR SALE: Ducks "Wild Wing" Jersey and Tampa Bay Lightning "Storm" Jersey !!!

     As I have stated in several previous posts, I have been in search of a 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings 3rd / Alt “Burger King” jersey. To this point, I have had no success in locating that particular jersey. However, I have had fantastic luck in locating some other highly sought-after prizes. Recently, I have had the good fortune to purchase another 1995-96 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 3rd / Alt “Wild Wing” jersey (#9 Paul Kariya, with Alt Captain’s “A”), as well as another 1998-99 Tampa Bay Lightning, 3rd / Alt “Storm” jersey (#16 Darcy Tucker, with Alt Captain’s “A” and 1999 NHL All Star patch.
     As a collector of 20+ years, I know first hand that there are MANY other people seeking to add these jerseys to their own collections. For that reason, rather than hoarding them with the hundreds of other jerseys (sweaters for my Canadian friends) already in my personal collection, I will be listing them in my Web Store http://webstore.com/~goongear within the next 10 to 14 days. I am currently still in the middle of a partial home remodel, and as such have more pressing issues than to immediately post the aforementioned treasures. I just wanted to give my readers and customers a heads-up so everyone has a chance at these gems.

     Now, as I am STILL in search of a “Burger King” jersey, I might be interested in discussing a trade or partial trade for one. If anyone has a “Burger King” jersey and would be interested in trading for a “Wild Wing” or “Storm” jersey, please go to my Web Store http://webstore.com/~goongear and click on any one of the jerseys I have for sale and use the “Ask a Question” feature to contact me. I always respond to all customer e-mails in a timely manner. I would also suggest that you use the link here on my blog (right margin) to follow me (Goon24) on Twitter, as all new jersey postings in my store are immediately sent out over Twitter as soon as they are listed! Remember, the early bird gets the worm…

Reminder: Please do not forget to vote in the latest fan poll in the right-hand margin of this blog!

WANTED: XL Nashville Predators KOHO 3rd / Alt Mustard Jersey !!!

To my friends and readers (some, one in the same), let me first apologize for slacking on my blog as of late… I have a perfectly acceptable alibi though… You see, in anticipation of the upcoming NCAA Football season, I have been in the middle of a complete remodel of out basement. The new color scheme is scarlet and cream, in honor of my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers. In addition to new paint, we also purchases two rows of Nebraska red theater seating, and will be installing a new 55” LCD on the wall. While I am still in the middle of the remodel, I thought I had better make a post in order to dispel rumors of my untimely demise… Just kidding!

     While today’s post may seem oddly self-serving, ok, maybe not that odd… I wanted to share a tragic and rather traumatic (for me) event, which I willingly took part in yesterday… I actually sold one of my ALL-TIME favorite hockey jerseys from my personal collection… That is something I have never done before, but I crossed the line and will have to live with it… I sold my 2001-02 Nashville Predators 3rd / Alt (Mustard) KOHO, Marian Cisar jersey! You see, I received a rather urgent plea from a very nice woman in Canada, to PLEASE help her find a Pre-RBK Preds Alt jersey for her boyfriend’s upcoming birthday. She stated that finding one would “make her life” and would be considered by her boyfriend as the “ULTIMATE” B-day gift! As I had exhausted all available resources in the search and wanted to help, I offered up my jersey.    

     To make a long story short, I am now in search of an adult size XL, KOHO Predators 3rd / Alt (Mustard) blank. I need one that has not been in a dryer! I would greatly prefer one that is new with tags, but will entertain MINT pre-owned. In addition, I am still in search of an XL or XXL Burger King blank. I am happy to purchase either jersey outright, or discuss a trade for jerseys listed in my Web Store http://webstore.com/~goongear . I also have MANY (hundreds) of jerseys that are not listed. If you are looking for a particular jersey, please ask! If I do not have it, I probably know someone who does. Now PLEASE, go find me some jerseys! Who wanna git paid…???

WANTED: 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings 3rd / Alt Burger King Jersey !!!

WANTED: 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings 3rd / Alt Burger King Jersey !!!

   

     As I have stated in several blog entries, I sold all of my NHL Authentic Sweaters over the years and replaced them with replicas. Having some careless TOOL ruin a $400 sweater once upon a time was the crux of that decision. I like to wear my sweaters, so replicas offered me the perfect “have my cake and eat it too” scenario. Now, while my personal collection consists almost entirely of replicas, I still buy, sell, trade, and customize PRE RBK GARBAGE authentic NHL jerseys.

     With the aforementioned in mind, I would like to say that I have had many rare authentic, and replica jerseys (yes, there are rare replica jerseys) pass through my hands over the years. At times, I ran across some of them with such frequency that I immediately sold every one I acquired, knowing that another one would be just around the corner. As time has passed however, like with many other things in life, what was once plentiful is now scarce.

     You might be asking your self, “Where is this story going?” I mention this because, recently I have had the good fortune to once again acquire a couple of sweaters that I had sold long ago thinking that another would come along soon, but did not. Within three or four days of each other, I was able to purchase a 1996-99 Tampa Bay Lightning 3rd / Alt Storm jersey, and a 1995-96 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 3rd / Alt Wild Wing jersey. Both are in mint condition, and are residing happily in my personal collection as we speak. Wait, there is more…

     There is one final chapter to this story… Now, I am on the hunt for a 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings 3rd / Alt Burger King Jersey, and I am asking my readers to assist me in this quest! I am willing to buy the jersey outright, or discuss a trade for any one of the jerseys currently advertised in my Web store http://webstore.com/~goongear or from the hundreds of jerseys I possess that are not listed in my Web store. Ideally, I would like to find an Adult size XL replica, with underarm gussets. I would however be willing to entertain an XXL if no XL is available. I am so serious about this search, that I am willing to reward the person who hooks me up with a successful BK jersey purchase! Hook me up with the BK jersey, and I will hook you up with a FREE jersey!

     For those who do not know what a Burger King Jerseys looks like, just look at my May 8th, 2011 post, in which I displayed pictures of both a fake that had been sold recently on eBay, and the actual correct jersey! Alternatively, you can do a Google Image Search for “Kings Burger King Jersey.” Lastly, in the right margin of my blog, you will find a link to follow me on Twitter (Goon24). Feel free to contact me that way, or go to my Web store and post your information via the “ask seller a question” option on any jersey I have posted. I am looking forward to the help from my readers, and I am really looking forward to hooking one lucky person up with a FREE jersey!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions

Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions

     Thanks to a rare combination of blind luck, the weakest eastern conference playoff field in 50 years, a few dirty hits here and there, and more than a few dives, the Boston Bruins are your 2011 Stanley Cup Champions. Congratulations to all of you feckless bandwagon jumping slobs back in Basston; your fair-weather fandom has finally paid off. You are no longer reduced to reminiscing for the glory days of the old Basston Gahden. Now, you can talk about how your team was lucky to even make it through round one of this year’s playoffs, and the incidental fortuity that followed. But hey’ the sun even shines on a dog’s butt sometimes..

     Let us now take a closer look at the pride of Basston that is the Bruins, shall we… First, I must say that in my 47+ years of life, NEVER have I witnesses a more pathetic National Anthem singer than Rene Rancourt! Rene, if you can read, YOU SUCK, PERIOD! Moreover, for God’s sake, PLEASE dispense with the cheesy fist pumps. It does not make you cool, or hip, and you are certainly no tough-guy. You are just an old curmudgeon who needs his medication adjusted. You have been an embarrassment to the city of Basston, its illiterate slob fans, and the NHL for 35 years, PLEASE hang it up!

     Next, I would like to congratulate Zdeno Chara on being the first inbred to ever raise Lord Stanley’s cup. Since IQ’s in Basston are primarily of the single digit variety, let be spell it out for you slobs. One look at Chara is all you need to realize that he is clearly a product of inbreeding. Hey’ Zedeno, when you take the cup back to Slovakia for a day, say hello to Uncle Dad for me! Perhaps next year instead of running players half your size into stanchions, you can up your game a bit and just start sucker punching them from behind.

     Claude Julien… Wow, now there is a fine specimen, (NOT)! One look at that rube’s face says it all. I do not think he even knows where he is most of the time. It is a good thing that breathing is automatic, otherwise, he would be in a heap of trouble. He is probably the luckiest of all of the Bruins! If the Habs had scored the overtime goal in game seven of the first series instead of the B’s, Claude would currently be unemployed...AGAIN! As before, it just goes to show that the sun even shines on a dog’s butt occasionally.  

     Count your many blessings Bruins fans; it is only because the alignment of the stars was just right that this miracle was able to happen for you. Enjoy your unwitting fortune; because it will probably be another 40 years before you even get so much as a sniff at another cup run.

FOR SALE: NHL Pro Authentic On Ice Game Jerseys

                                           

     Ok, with the NHL season officially winding down, and hopefully, ending with the overrated and dirty Bruins being embarrassed by the Nucks, it is once again time to shamelessly promote my NHL Jersey Web site. Keep in mind, the end of the NHL season does not mean the end of jersey sales, no! As any good businessperson would, I keep my site running year-round. There will be a short vacation period from 31 May to 3 June, but after that, it will be business as usual.

     Now, down to business… I currently have MANY NHL Authentic On Ice Game Jerseys for sale on my site http://webstore.com/~goongear , as well as some great replicas! Coming soon to the site: I will be adding a 1991-92 San Jose Sharks, Arturs Irbe Rookie Jersey, size 52! I sold the Aqua version, and will now be listing the white version. I will also be listing a New With Tags (NWT), White 1990-91 Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Chelios, Ultrafil in a size 52! This jersey features the 1991 42nd NHL All Star Patch, (Chicago Stadium)! I ONLY sell rare and vintage, collector quality NHL jerseys from the 2003-04 season and before! NO REEBOK GARBAGE! Reebok Hockey jerseys are a joke, and anyone who would waste a single cent on one should have their head examined, PERIOD! Pick up a 1990’s Ultrafil in one hand, and an Asian sweatshop quality RBK rag in the other and you will understand. RBK jerseys are for bandwagon jumpers and children. No self respecting old school NHL fan would be caught dead wearing a RBK rag! Enough of the rant, you get the point…  

     I am always interested in buying jerseys that you might have for sale, as well as making partial and / or complete trades. If there is a jersey you are interested in, please let me know. Some prices MAY also be negotiable, depending on how much I have invested into the jersey (sweater) in question. You will never know unless you ask! In addition, I have HUNDREDS of jerseys in my personal collection, most are replicas nowadays, as I like to wear my sweaters without fear of being out of several hundred dollars if one is damaged during an evening out. All of my personal jerseys are either 100% MINT, and / or New With Tags. I may be willing to part with some of them, if the price is right. I also have a significant network of friends and fellow collectors, so if you are searching for a particular jersey, let me know, I may be able to help.

     Lastly, I want everyone to know that signing up for a Web Store account is FREE! I left FEEBAY one year ago to strike out on my own, and I spent the roughly the first seven months selling on various sites around the internet. I did not stumble upon webstore.com until Dec of 2010. I wish I had discovered it earlier! The site is great! It is easy to use, and best of all it is 100% FREE! That is right, NO FEES! You keep every penny! Even if you do not wish to sell on Web Store, I urge you to sign up for a free account just so you can shop there! You will love it! The site is growing fast, and many of the members are FEEBAY refugees. There is plenty of room, so join us! Give FEEBAY the finger and start lining your own pockets instead of theirs!

More Counterfeit / Fake Hockey Jerseys on eBay !!!

More Counterfeit / Fake Hockey Jerseys on eBay

     To steal a line from Ross Perot; “Let me tell you people something!” My frustration is never-ending when it comes to the how stupid and gullible hockey jersey buyers are on FeeBay! WAKE UP PEOPLE! Before you waste your money, only to find out later that you had been hosed, take a few minutes to do some research! It blows my mind when I see some of the B.S. that passes for legit on FeeBay! Below you will find some more fine examples of poorly thought-out fakes that I have assembled for your viewing pleasure and the list of things wrong with them. Enjoy!

     First, we have a VERY poorly thought-out FAKE 1995-96 Los Angeles Kings Burger King Jersey. How pathetic is this hoax…??? WOW!!! This hoax has the wrong font, wrong color combinations, plastic pressed on garbage numbers, the list goes on… Are you ready for the shocker…??? This FAKE sold for $305 on FeeBay!!! The scammer made out, and the fool that bought it got his just deserves for being gullible! Again, DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE!!! Next to the FAKE, I have placed a picture of the correct BK jersey font.

     Next, we have another fine example from the same frauds that brought you the FAKE authentic 1992 Hawks Cup jerseys I featured in one of my entries late last fall (2010). This time, they are trying to pass off this pathetic excuse for a Rangers 1994 Cup Jersey. First, the Rangers did NOT wear a tie-collar jersey in 1994. Secondly, the Stanley Cup Patch is on the WRONG shoulder! What idiots! BTW, this jersey is still being sold by the scammers on FeeBay right now! I have placed a picture of an ACTUAL 94 Cup Jersey (from my Web site) next to it so you can see the contrast.
   

     Lastly, we have a LAME Hurricanes jersey, also on FeeBay that is being passed off as a 1999-00 Ron Francis jersey. First, Francis did NOT wear #10 in 99-00. Gary Roberts was already wearing #10, so Francis wrong #21 instead. Secondly, the Canes wore a single color (red) lettering name-bar, NOT two colors. Thirdly, there is supposed to be an NHL 2000 Patch under the Raleigh Arena Patch. Lastly, there is supposed to be a #3 Steve Chaisson Memorial Patch on the left shoulder, between the hurricane warning flag and the numbers on the sleeve. DO YOUR HOMEWORK PEOPLE!!!

Exposing all of these frauds gives me a headache… That is all for now…

2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, Chara's DIRTY HIT, and more!

NHL Playoffs

    

     While my readers certainly understand that this is a hockey jersey / sweater blog, from time to time some other issues need to be interjected into the mix to keep things fresh. With that said, I would first like to say that San Jose Sharks fans have all but cleaned out the Sharks jerseys I had for sale on my site http://webstore.com/~goongear I think I have one MINT 1991-92 Sharks  Authentic left, and maybe one Pro Player replica hiding someplace around here that has not been listed. WOW, a BIG thank you to my Sharks customers!

     I make no secret about it; I am a DIE HARD NJ DEVILS FAN! My second favorite team is the Carolina Hurricanes. I personally am having a rather crappy NHL Playoff season… I could throw a one-man pity party, or I could man-up and root for some other teams. I choose the latter! Unlike the East, where I hate pretty much every team, except the Devils and Canes, there are many teams in the West that I love.

     It really pains me to see the Sharks and Kings matched up in the first round, as I really like both teams but know one will be going home after the first round. (BTW, for you TRUE old school Kings Fans, I have an AWESOME 2001-02 Ziggy Palffy Authentic for sale on my site). Back to the West… As much as I like the Hawks, I do not see any way that they can make it past the scoring machine that is the Vancouver Canucks. The Nucks are firing on all cylinders right now, and they look unstoppable. In fact, I picked them to win the cup. I would like to see the Hawks make a series out of it, if for no other reason, so I can sell some of the early 1990’s Ultrafil Hawks jerseys for sale on my site. Selfish, I know… I always try to look for that silver lining… The Nucks have a weed up their rear-ends for the Hawks anyway, as the Hawks ended the Nucks season each of the past two years. The Nucks want revenge!

     One bright spot for me in the East though is hoping that the Habs smoke the Bruins! The “B’s” are OVERATED! They are big and slow, and if it were not for Thomas in goal, I do not even think they would have even made the playoffs. Now before I get a bunch of hate mail from B’s fans, please remember that the term “overrated” is subjective, meaning that it is my opinion. Now, I must also say that after watching Chara ride Pacioretty into the stanchion, I thing he knew EXACTLY what he was doing! Chara should have been suspended for the remainder of the season for that cheap shot! You do not take a guy half of your size, lean him over the half-wall, and ride him into a stanchion, PERIOD! Look at the hit. Chara knew EXACTLY where he was on the ice. He (Chara) could see the half-wall, the player, and the puck the entire time. In addition, even with that knowledge, Chara made NO ATTEMPT to let up on the hit! In fact, he leaned into Pax. I would like to see Chara try that with Hal Gill! Chara would end up eating his own teeth for lunch! Enough of the Bruins rant… I just hope the Habs send the B’s home!

     As always, comments are welcome, so feel free to add your two cents worth to the conversation. As long as the comments are clean, I will publish them. This is a family friendly blog, so I like to keep the colorful language in check. Also, please feel free to either subscribe to this blog, or follow updates via e-mail. Options for both are located in the right margin. Lastly, do not forget to visit my sponsors located at the very bottom of the blog. There you will find MANY other great hockey items for your viewing and purchasing pleasure.

Patrick Roy / Wayne Gretzky Game-Worn Jock Strap! Really?

Patrick Roy / Wayne Gretzky Gamer(s)

WARNING: Epic Fail Alert !!!

  

     Ok, the first, and only order of business in this posting is to give a BIG shout-out to my very good friend “Giff” AKA “Dan of the Desert.” Dan has finally decided to chase his dream and become a collector! It is not what you think though… Dan, not wanting to be a bandwagon jumper and collect hockey sweaters like the rest of us, has decided to collect NHL items that are far more rare… Yes folks, Dan has decided to start his very own collection of Patrick Roy game-worn jock straps. That is right, Patty Roy gamer jocks! (You see, Dan lives in the Phoenix area, and it is wwwaaaaaay too hot for sweaters in the desert, but gamer jocks…???  Now that’s another story)!  When asked what he would consider his “Grail” to be, he stated that among the gamer jock community, there is a single gamer jock out there somewhere, legend has it, that was reportedly shared (worn) by both Patty Roy, and Wayne Gretzky at an All-Star Game; not at the same time mind you, but supposedly, they traded off between periods. Legend also has it that Wayne and Patty conspired for the sole purpose of creating a one of a kind (1/1) “super-gamer jock” that would become the worldwide grail of ALL gamer jock collectors! (Think of it as being like the multi-player jersey material swatch cards that people collect…) Anyway, this particular gamer jock has been sought after by many collectors without success! Dan however, claims he is going to accomplish what the others could not… Dan says that because the Patty / Wayne jock is rumored to be extra salty and showing signs of HEAVY game use, it is worth whatever the current owner wants for it, and he (Dan) is willing to pay any price to obtain it. (You see, Dan thinks it possesses special magical powers, you know, like “The Ring”… In fact, Dan refers to the Patty / Wayne jock as “The Precious” if that tells you anything)… Ooooookay then… Chase that dream Dan!

UPDATE: Dan wants the current owner of “The Precious” to know that he would be willing to trade the gamers that Patty “The Enforcer” Roy wore when he beat down both Osgood and Vernon (no COA’s though, sorry)… Wow, what a smokin deal! (In my personal opinion, Svend Robinson has a better shot at becoming the next PM of Canada than Dan does at possessing "The Precious.") 

   

For those questioning the authenticity of the aforementioned story, please take note of the posting date.. (This is Dan’s 15 minutes of fame, he can thank me later).