Selling Your Jerseys

At some point you will have to sell a jersey whether it's to finance a new purchase or to pay some bills.  In either case, there are some things to consider when marketing your jersey.

1. Be excruciatingly descriptive.  Though you may take certain attributes of your jersey for granted, other collectors may pay special attention to seemingly irrelevant details.  To save time answering emails, be sure to describe every aspect of the jersey from the obvious (player, team, number, style) to the less apparent (size, tagging, game wear, repairs, alterations).  Also of great importance are the year and set in which the jersey was worn as well as its provenance.

2. Have an asking price.  It's okay to haggle over a price, but it's considered good etiquette to have an asking price so the interested party doesn't have to play an unsettling guessing game.  It's important to understand that the value of jerseys are often subjective and that there isn't necessarily a set "market" value.  It's always nice to state what you feel it's worth to you so people can determine if it is even in their budget's ballpark.

3. Always insure packages.  Ask any collector and they'll tell you that the mail service is never foolproof.  It's a good idea to pay a few extra dollars to insure your jerseys or better yet, purchase a delivery confirmation or return receipt coupon as well.  Things do get lost on occasion and taking preventative measures assures that there would be any suspicions or animosity between you and your buyer.  When dealing with international transactions, insurance may draw unwanted attention from Customs, so be sure to discuss this with your buyer ahead of time.

4. Have a good return policy.  Buying a jersey isn't like buying a pair of jeans.  Many collectors have extremely specific expectations and may for whatever reason decide it just isn't right for them.  Be sure you give them enough time from the time of receipt to look it over and send back for a full refund.  You'll find that every buyer will appreciate this type of policy as it instills confidence with their purchase.

5. Expect every jersey to be returned.  The reason for this rule is to prevent yourself from being disappointed if your buyer sends the jersey back.  You should avoid selling a jersey in an emergency or in haste, otherwise you may find yourself in a difficult situation should the buyer request a refund.  Just because you received a check and the jersey has been sent, the deal isn't necessarily complete.

6. Wearing your jerseys.  Collectors will forever argue about the pros and cons of wearing your gamers around the house, to sporting events or in your own pick-up hockey games.  While it is ultimately the owner's decision to wear or not to wear, it is of good ethics to let the next owner know that you have worn the jersey.  Like a prospective car buyer, you will want to know if the auto has been in any accidents regardless of its lack of visual evidence.  Some collectors simply want the confidence of knowing that each mark or pilling was induced by official game play and not by the seller when he was playing street hockey with the neighborhood kids.

7. It's fake!  It's every seller's nightmare to have someone declare that your jersey isn't authentic.  If it happens, you should get opinions from as many authenticators as possible to verify the claim and then promptly remove it from the hobby if it does indeed have problems.  When you've spent hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars on a jersey, it's very difficult to come to terms with knowing you may have to eat the cost of the jersey should you be unable to get a refund from the person you originally bought it from.  You may be tempted to turn around and quietly sell it to another collector... DO NOT DO THIS.  While you may salvage some of your original investment, you will only be causing further damage (possibly criminal) by knowingly selling fraudulent memorabilia.  DO THE RIGHT THING -- keep the jersey out of the hobby by marking it as "not game worn" so that even if you sell it as a replica, others won't be able to misrepresent it in the future.