I've seen cheap authentic jerseys on eBay, like $60 with shipping. Do you guys think they're legit?
I'd like to chime in on this one.
Authentic Reebok. These are the expensive jerseys sold by AUTHORIZED dealers for $200+. A lot of jerseys listed for sale on ebay will claim to be Reebok "Authentic" game jerseys (or a similar wording) but I would guess that less than 0.0001% actually are. You simply cannot buy a new $250 jersey for $50. It's just not possible. I have no doubt that the markup on the genuine Reebok Authentics is ridiculously high, but there are no ebay power-sellers who are getting these jerseys at cost. None. It amazes me how many people will buy a $35 jersey on ebay that is advertised as an Authentic, and then convince themselves that they are getting the real thing (a quick look at some of the comments in the buyer feedback section verifies this).
I think the vast majority of NFL jerseys sold on ebay are knock-offs. Some are probably made by the same manufacturers who have been licensed by Reebok which complicates the problem. I use the phrase "knock-off" but counterfeit or fake would also be accurate. Most of these jerseys have been made in China and then find their way to ebay power-sellers here in the USA. Of course if you go to ebay right now you'll find many that ship directly from China with a starting bid of $5 + $25 shipping (and if that isn't a clue ... you qualify as gullible).
The quality of these knock-offs can vary widely and as hard as you try to inspect the pictures they provide on ebay and read the buyer feedback, there is really little you can do to assure yourself of what you are getting ahead of time. But here is the rub. Some of these knock-off jerseys being sold on ebay as "authentics" are of surprisingly good quality. Some will even be comparable to the real Reebok authentics. And some will be much better quality than the screen print replicas you find in any of the national sporting goods chains selling for $75 (which by definition makes them a good bargain). It's hit or miss.
A caveat to anyone buying a jersey on ebay who relies on buyer feedback. People want to believe they are getting the deal of the century when they buy a $250 jersey for $40. It's against human nature to admit to being a sucker. And those really high return shipping costs are a built in incentive not to return something unless it has an obvious problem. Take those buyer feedback comments with a grain of salt, as well as those stats for power-sellers. They are helpful to identify sellers who are really sleazy (i.e. take the money and don't ship the product, or ship items of obviously poor quality) but beyond that I'm not sure they mean much.
I've bought a couple of Viking jerseys on ebay. One was satisfactory; the other was not. But I knew going into the transaction that both were knock-offs despite the advertising to the contrary.