goon-gear's hockey jersey blog

The Rant: NHL - Top 5 Things that SUCK

2013-06-07T13:07:00.001-05:00

The Rant: NHL - Top 5 Things that SUCK

Before you begin to compose your hate-mail, please keep in mind that this is an opinion-based hit piece. Once in a while it is nice to just purge all of the annoying things in one’s mind. Thus “The Rant.”

5. Rene Rancourt

On this one, let us just cut to the chase… Rene YOU SUCK! Please, for God’s sake, retire and head off to a raisin ranch, where you belong! And, what is with the fist-pump while you are singing…??? Do you think you are Elvis…??? Does is make you feel like a tough-guy…??? Hang it up! With few exceptions, your rendition of the National Anthem is the worst I have ever had the displeasure of enduring. I do not care that you have been doing it since the early 1800’s… YOU SUCK! TAKE A HIKE!

4. Alex Ovechkin’s mug

Ovie, Ovie, Ovie… For the love of God, you are a multimillionaire, do something about the nasty under-bite! Take some of your vast fortune and get your grill fixed, it is offensive! There is an off-season for a reason… So guys like you can take care of crap like that! Now GO DO IT!

3. Matt Cooke

Has there ever been a dirtier player in the history of the NHL…??? I’m not sure. In my opinion, Matt Cooke makes old-time goons like Marty McSorley look like a sugarplum fairy… I realize the Pens are doing their very best to BUY a Stanley Cup Championship (See this season’s acquisitions – Morrow, Iggy, etc.), but why would you want a cheap-shot artist like Cooke on your team? BTW, how is that whole trying to buy a cup thing working out for you, Bylsma…??? That’s what I thought…

2. Allowing icing during a power play

Hey’ NHL rules committee, here’s an idea for you… If you really want to make the game more exciting, increase scoring, decrease penalties, and make the Power Play a TRUE Power Play, then do away with allowing the short-handed team to ice the puck! That’s right, MAKE THEM PLAY HOCKEY! Give the Power Play some teeth! Make it a TRUE disadvantage for the short-handed team! Then, teams will be forced to become more disciplined and commit fewer penalties. However, when they do have to send a player to the sin bin, their team will be forced to play without the luxury of icing the puck. Hockey is supposed to be tough! I realize that there are those who like a weak sport with weak rules, but they are called baseball fans, NOT hockey fans!

1. Fans that do not remove their hats for the National Anthem

As someone who spent 20+ years in the United States Air Force, this one really torques my jaws! I’ll make this one short… Have some respect for the flag and your country, and TAKE YOUR HATS OFF! You’re not at home in the trailer park! Get with the program! Even someone from Iowa knows better than to leave their hat on during the National Anthem! C’mon people…

Expect the Unexpected

2013-03-10T14:21:00.000-05:00

Expect the Unexpected

If there is one thing I have learned about the NHL over the years when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs, it is to expect the unexpected. Just when you think you have the outcomes of all the matchups figured out, an underdog rises from the ashes to pull off a miracle. That is what makes the NHL great! Pull up your breezers folks; it’s time for another trip down memory lane…

At the risk of publically exposing myself for the Devils homer that I am, I want to revisit the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals, featuring NJ and Detroit. It was widely speculated that the juggernaut Red Wings would sweep the Devils. However, the exact opposite happened. Detroit ultimately had no answer for New Jersey’s trap game, and as a result, NJ took Detroit out behind the wood shed, destroying the Wings and sweeping the series.

In yet another shameless homer example, I would also like to remind Flyers fans of their team’s monumental collapse in the 2000 NHL playoffs against New Jersey. The Devils were down 3 games to 1 in the series, that is, until Scott Stevens delivered a devastating open-ice check which left Eric Lindros unconscious and slobbering on the ice. That hit changed the series. New Jersey dominated from that point on and went on the win the series, and ultimately the Stanley Cup. However, things have not always worked to the Devils’ favor in the playoffs…

In the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, New Jersey was leading the Carolina Hurricanes in game 7, by a score of 3 to 2, and then the seemingly impossible happened. With just 1:20 remaining in period 3, Jussi Jokinen and Eric Staal each scored goals in a span of just 48 seconds to stun the Devils and win the game in regulation. Even the Canes were shocked by Marty “The Sieve” Brodeur’s collapse, allowing back-to-back SOFT goals that handed them the series on a silver platter.

There are many examples in which the NHL playoffs have yielded big surprises year after year. The 2006 NHL post season had the Edmonton Oilers, an 8 seed, make it all of the way to the finals. The L.A. Kings were also an 8 seed last year, and ended up winning the cup over the 6 seed Devils. And lastly, in one of the biggest shockers of recent memory, the 2010 NHL playoffs had the Flyers leading the Bruins 3 games to 0, and by a score of 3-0 in game 4, only to choke and lose the series. The moral of the story here is, a team is NEVR out of it until the series is over! Just because your team may be at elimination’s door, do not give up on them! There is always hope! If the fat lady starts warning up her pipes, tell her to sit down and shut up!

Where have all the Goon-Times Gone?

2013-03-03T11:39:00.001-06:00

Cue-up the Van Halen, and put on your favorite old-time hockey fights DVD, it’s time to talk goons! Is it just me, or are present-day NHL enforcers just watered down, knockoff versions of the real deal…??? Think back to the 1990’s when fights and outright bench-clearing brawls were commonplace in the NHL. That environment virtually made mandatory the signing of at least one enforcer (or as I like to call them, goons) on each team. Imagine for a minute the physical punishment that would have been endured by snipers like Yzerman and Fedorov without big Bob Probert around. What kind of real success would Brett Hull have had with St. Louis without Tony Twist watching his back? Would Jeremy Roenick have been able to enjoy the success he had in helping the Blackhawks get to the Stanley Cup Finals without Stu Grimson patrolling the ice? In those scenarios, messing with one of the star players would certainly mean risking your health, and ending up spitting out a mouthful of Chiclets would be the least of your worries. Remember when Tony Twist crushed Rob Ray’s eye socket…??? Ah yes, those were the good old days…

When I watch the enforcers of today, they just don’t seem (in my opinion) to have that same presence about them that the goons of the 1990’s had. Fights occur far less often in today’s NHL than in the 1990’s, and when they do, with rare exception, there is more dancing and wrestling than the throwing of haymaker bombs. That has to make Marty McSorley and the enforcers of his day embarrassed for this new breed of wannabe enforcers. At least when Chris Nilan and other true enforcers of 1980’s handed over the reins to the next generation, they had to have taken heart in knowing there was a more than capable crew waiting in the wings to carry on the role. I dread the thought of what “enforcers” will be like in another 10 or 15 years… Will they be reduced to using harsh language and face washing against one another…??? I hope not…

While the role of the enforcer is clearly not what it once was, there are still those of us who will always be huge fans of the old school goons. I practice what I preach. Everything hockey that I associate myself with is connected in some way to old-time goon hockey. I loved the role of the old-time enforcer, and will always do my best to keep those memories alive. My Twitter ID is Goon24, my NHL jersey sales (Goon-Gear Rare and Vintage NHL Hockey Jerseys), for which I am the sole proprietor (specializing in goons to a large extent), is http://webstore.com/~goongear and my hockey jersey blog is http://goon-gear.blogspot.com/ are you seeing the theme here? As long as I am able to draw breath, I will always be a fan of the old-school NHL enforcer culture. Hopefully, some of the old-school will begin to rub off on to the new-school… NOW, DROP THE GLOVES!!!

A Snapshot in Time

2013-02-25T18:38:00.000-06:00

A Snapshot in Time

As an avid collector of NHL jerseys (sweaters for our friends to the north), I have always wondered why fans tend to be more than willing to part with, or outright dispose of jerseys crested with players who are no longer with that team. I have always looked at each individual jersey as a snapshot in time. Out of the 200+ NHL jerseys in my personal collection, I would be hard-pressed to find even one crested with a player who is still with that team. Each jersey in my collection reminds me of exciting NHL seasons past. For example, as a huge New Jerseys Devils fan, I cannot imagine willingly parting with my Jason Arnott jersey. While Arnott has not been with the Devils for quite some time, that jerseys will always remind me of the Devils’ cup win against Dallas following the 99/00 season. I remember Arnott’s cup clinching-goal in the second OT of game six like it was yesterday. See what I mean? If you let them, your jerseys will serve as time markers in NHL history. In my humble opinion, this is particularly true for jerseys crested with retired or deceased players, as well as NHL All Star games.

I would like to urge my fellow NHL jersey collectors, and NHL fans to reconsider before discarding or selling their “outdated” jerseys. If you look at them as memorabilia, and let them live on as reminders of exciting plays, games, and seasons past, you will be glad you kept them. However, if all of my attempts to convince you to keep your old NHL jerseys have failed, please know that I am always happy to make room for your soon-to-be homeless Burger King, and Wild Wing jerseys, as well as several of others, LOL! My friends, the days of CCM, KOHO, Starter, Bauer, and Pro Player NHL jerseys are long gone. If for no other reasons, hold on to them for their future value. Some of the aforementioned jerseys had only a brief life in the NHL, and as a result are highly sought after, and many are very hard to find. If you do not want to keep your jerseys for sentimental reasons, at least do your homework to see if they hold any monetary value. You might be surprised to find that old closet full of jerseys in the spare room is actually worth something. NHL jersey research can be fun, as well as educational. Happy hunting!

FOR SALE: 1995-96 CCM Pro Authentic Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Teemu Selanne, 3rd / Alt Wild Wing Jersey, Size 56

2012-06-01T13:20:00.006-05:00

I recently had the good fortune to happen upon a most rare find. As the title indicates, I now have in my possession a Teemu Selanne Wild Wing Authentic. Now, this is no regular authentic… This one happens to be far rarer than the game / team issued sweaters everyone else has in their collections. Based upon the research I have conducted, and through discussions with the original owner, it seems that my Wild Wing jersey was one of the original prototypes introduced for initial approval by the Ducks organization.

While all of the Ducks Wild Wing game issued sweaters have a teal, teal, teal segmented CCM logo on the hem, this one has a black, black, teal segmented CCM logo. In addition, game issued Wild Wing jerseys had a rather triangular-shaped primary logo patch stitched inside of them which said “1995-96 Secondary Jersey” on it. This prototype has the same primary logo patch inside, minus the wording. Obviously, because it had not yet been accepted as a "secondary jersey." The final difference is that my Wild Wing Selanne sweater has no size fly tag in it. However, the jersey does in fact measure to a size 56 as was claimed by the original owner.

With regard to history, per the original owner, this prototype jersey (sweater) was purchased by him “locally” (although he did not say where, or from whom). I strongly suspect the jersey was at one time in the possession of the Ducks equipment manager, or some other staff member who eventually found little use for it and subsequently sold it. I have left several e-mails with the Ducks organization in an attempt to validate my findings. However, I have yet to hear from them.

Now for the news all of you collectors reading this post wanted to hear. I will be posting this sweater for sale in my Web store within the next day or so. Please find a link to my Web store at the top of the right margin, or simply Google goon-gear. There you will find the Wild Wing Selanne listing as well as many others. I will also be posting several pictures of the sweater here in the right margin. If you have any questions, please post a question through the listing, and I will respond promptly.

2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

2012-05-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

In a momentary departure from my usual rant against bogus hockey sweaters, I would like to acknowledge that I may have been wrong about a certain NHL coach… In some rather pointed tweets I unleashed regarding my perceived ineptness of New Jersey Devils coach Peter DeBoer, I specifically called into question his previous record with the Florida Panthers, and on that basis wondered how Lou could have possibly made such a foolish choice, especially on the heels of the John MacLean debacle. It seems that at the very least I will have to rethink my opinion of coach DeBoer, and at worst (for my ego) issue a tweet recanting my previous tweets…

While a certain level of luck (good or bad) is almost always present for some teams in the NHL playoffs, I feel that there are other forces at work where the Devils are concerned. No, I don’t mean otherworldly; no Devil-Worshiping cult e-mails, please! I mean, I think the Florida Panthers were a far better team than many in the media gave them credit for, and that seven-game series served to prepare the Devils for what was to follow, a date with the high-powered Flyers. I also think that the Flyers thought they had the series with the Devils won as soon as they put skate-blades on the ice for game one. In other words, the Flyers thought that because they defeated the Pens with relative ease, they would dominate the Devils.

With the Devils now leading the series with the Flyers three games to one, and given it is the second round of the playoffs, I may have to start thinking of the wording I will use in my apology tweet to coach DeBoer. If Coach Pete can get the Devils into the conference finals, I will have to eat crow, and call it a successful season. However, as a life-long Devils fan, I hope New Jersey has a story-book ending that sends Marty out on top with a fourth Stanley Cup! GO DEVILS!

Are you a REAL NHL fan, or just another bandwagon-jumper…???

2012-03-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

Are you a REAL NHL fan, or just another bandwagon-jumper…???

With the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs fast approaching, hockey sweaters will be flying off of the shelves like never before! Unless you want to be stuck sifting through the already picked-over stock of most stores, or other suppliers, you might want to get a jump on the other fans. With that in mind, here is something to consider…

The vast majority of people who wait until the last minute to buy the sweaters they are going to be sporting for the playoffs are bandwagon-jumpers, period! So, it is important for TRUE die-hard NHL fans to be distinguishable from the posers. One way you can do that is to NOT buy a cheesy, Asian-sweatshop quality Reebok rag! RBK sweaters are for bandwagon-jumpers and children, PERIOD! Any self-respecting fan worth his or her salt would not be caught dead wearing a pathetic Reebok rag!

In order for the TRUE, LONG-TIME NHL fans among us to stand out, we must show that we are old-school fans by wearing REAL old-school gear! Not eBay counterfeits, not RBK rags, but REAL sweaters that were actually made back in the day. I’m talking HIGH QUALITY stuff! If you are a TRUE fan who dislikes being mistaken for a bandwagon-jumper, then do yourself a HUGE favor and visit my online store at, http://webstore.com/~goongear. There you will find all your heart desires in the way of True old-school NHL sweaters. I sell only out of production, hard to find gear that die-hard fans and collector’s want! And, there is something for every budget! CCM, KOHO, Pro Player, Starter, Bauer, and Nike have all been used by the NHL over the past 25 years, and many of them can still be found in my store! I search far and wide to bring you fully customized replica sweaters starting at just $59.99, and Authentic NHL On Ice Game sweaters starting at only $159.99! Don’t take my word for it, read my customer reviews!

Please pay goon-gear a visit today! You will also find a link to my store conveniently located in the upper-right margin of this blog! If you don’t find what you are looking for in my store, simply use any one of the store’s listings to ask a question. Let me know what you are looking for, and I will try to find it for you! It is that simple! As always, thank you for reading my blog, and I hope to hear from you soon through my Webstore!

Liberals and hockey jerseys?

2012-02-12T10:00:00.001-06:00

Liberals and hockey jerseys?

As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows, I hate bogus hockey sweaters. Bogus, meaning: wrong font, wrong patches, wrong brand for the season, etc… Today, I was scanning eBay for various items, and ran across eBay item # 160734309450 (see pic below) which is “supposed to be” an Eric Cole, Carolina Hurricanes, 2006 Stanley Cup jersey. I sent the seller a polite message letting him / her know that there was a laundry list of things wrong with their item description, and that it was factually incorrect. For example, anyone with any knowledge of Canes jerseys can take one look at the jersey and tell that the font is incorrect. The name on the back is the correct font, but the numbers are WAY wrong. In addition, the Canes, and the entire NHL for that matter, have worn Reebok jerseys since the 2005-06 season. This person has a 2006 Cup patch on a CCM jersey… The seller then called me an idiot for "not knowing" that 2007-08 was the first NHL season for Reebok jerseys... WRONG!!! / LOL!!! If you will recall, the last season that the NHL wore CCM / KOHO brand sweaters was the 2003-04 season. The lockout season was 2004-05. When play resumed for the 2005-06 season, Reebok had purchased CCM / KOHO and began producing the Asian-sweatshop quality garbage that all NHL players are forced to wear to this day.

In short, I tried nicely to present the aforementioned facts to the seller in question… However, I was met with more insults and more factually incorrect arguments. Even after I pointed the seller to various hockey, and hockey jersey data-bases, which would set him straight, he continued to spew factually incorrect BS in an attempt to validate his bogus sweater. Upon realizing that there was no convincing this seller of the truth, it hit me like a ton of bricks! I had a flash-back to a recent television interview with the obviously delusional and clearly mentally unstable Debbie Wasserman Schultz. At that moment, I realized that the illogic of the eBay seller could only mean one thing… He is a liberal! It will be fun though to see how many educated readers of this blog (most of you) will now go to that eBay jersey auction and call this person out for his bogus jersey. That would surely drive him nuts! HINT, HINT… UPDATE: I just went back to the bogus jersey auction, and he has taken it down! LOL!!!

Counterfeit is counterfeit! PERIOD!

2012-01-30T11:14:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-15T10:51:00.000-06:00

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

2011-10-13T19:39:00.000-05:00

Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson

2011-10-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: For Sale / Wanted List !!!

2011-10-02T17:04:00.000-05:00

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 !!!

2011-08-30T17:58:00.008-05:00

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 !!!

2011-08-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

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 !!!

2011-07-03T10:27:00.004-05:00

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

2011-06-16T09:08:00.008-05:00

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

2011-05-28T10:59:00.003-05:00

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 !!!

2011-05-08T11:12:00.028-05:00

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!

2011-04-16T10:22:00.009-05:00

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?

2011-04-01T07:30:00.009-05:00

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).

Bandwagon Jumpers!

2011-03-16T11:04:00.005-05:00

Bandwagon-Jumpers

This entry goes out to all of the TRUE old-school NHL fans out there. I want to address an issue that most of us are thinking, but never talk about… That subject is BANDWAGON-JUMPERS! We all hate them; come on, admit it! Don’t you just hate it when you go to a game in person, or even just to a sports bar to watch a game, and when you look around you see them everywhere…??? They stick out like a sore thumb too! Most, if not all of them will either be wearing a RBK piece of garbage, or some cheesy Asian Sweatshop rag they picked up on FEEBAY! You know the crowd I’m talking about, the tourists, and wannabe fans who want to look like real fans but don’t know how…

Let’s get a few things straight… First, friends DON’T let friends wear Reebok hockey sweaters, THEY SUCK! Just look back through my blog entries and you will see evidence of just how poor quality they really are, and yes, I’m talking about the authentic jerseys too! When was the last time you saw a player put his head through the back of a jersey? That’s right THROUGH the back of the jersey, right between the numbers! If you want to see the video, just see my entry appropriately entitled “Reebok Hockey Jerseys SUCK!” There you can see the proof for your self! If the real Authentic On Ice Game Jerseys are that pathetic, what must the replica jerseys be like…??? I don’t even want to know…

Secondly, the next time you see someone wearing what is CLEARLY a counterfeit jersey, let him or her know about it! Tell them straight up that their jersey is a cheesy counterfeit, and that they should be ashamed for buying and wearing it! You know the people I’m talking about… Picture the TOOL at a Penguins game who is wearing a Crosby jersey with letters and numbers made of two-layer / two-color tackle twill (or some other material) instead of the correct three-layer / three-color Glacier Twill! (See Counterfeit Crosby Jersey in pic #1 below). Those are the worst! Now, compare the Asian Sweatshop Counterfeit's lettering and numbers to that of the real / correct lettering and numbers (see pic #2 below). The next time you see that TOOL with the FAKE jersey, call him out in front of the crowd, laugh at his rag, and tell him to send it back to China and get his money back!

Counterfeit jerseys destroy honest businesses like mine! One of the main reasons I left FEEBAY was because it has been overrun with Asian Sweatshop counterfeits, and FEEBAY simply turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to the problem and ignores it! Why…??? Because they are GREEDY! They don’t give a rat’s rear-end about anyone or anything except the all-mighty dollar! The only way for fans and business owners to fight back it to speak out! If you see a counterfeit jersey on FEEBAY, call the seller out! Then notify FEEBAY! If you see a bandwagon jumper at a game wearing a counterfeit rag, CALL HIM OUT! As a collector of 20 years, I’m sick of seeing low-quality garbage out there on the streets and at games! Thus the Jersey Jihad continues!

In closing this rant, just let me remind you of one thing… It’s true; you get what you pay for! If you want a lame jersey that everyone else has (RBK), or one that everyone will laugh at (an Asian Sweatshop Counterfeit), then go ahead and buy one, FEEBAY is full of them… However, if you want to be the envy of your friends and all of the other fans, buy something that nobody else has! Buy something that you cannot find in any store! Separate yourself from all of the bandwagon-jumpers and wannabe fans! Buy an old school, HIGH-QUALITY CCM or KOHO jersey, or a Pro Player jersey! While the other fans are sporting their pathetic RBK garbage, you could be wearing a 1992 Stanley Cup Finals Chicago Blackhawks Ultrafil, or a 91-92 Sharks Arturs Irbe rookie jersey, or a 91-92 Hextall Flyers (2 Patch), or even an ULTRA-RARE 1987-88 NY Rangers jersey! The choice is yours… Look like the rest of the Sheeple at the game, or MAKE A STATEMENT and show the world that you are NOT a bandwagon jumper, but a LIFE-LONG OLD-SCHOOL FAN who knows his business! For those who are interested in finding the RARE and VINTAGE NHL jerseys (NOT cheesy Vintage Series Reproductions), visit my store at http://webstore.com/~goongear If you have a special request for a certain jersey / player, let me know. If anyone can find it, I can! There is also a link to my store at the top right corner of this blog.

Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to all of my wonderful sponsor affiliates located at the very bottom of this blog! Please be sure to visit them for more great deals on fantastic NHL merchandise!

The Jersey Jihad Continues! / Devils CHOKE!

2011-03-10T09:33:00.011-06:00

Spring is almost here, and the NHL Playoffs are just around the corner! Soon every bandwagon-jumper on the planet will be rushing to gobble up every available old school authentic they can find (so they can hide the fact that they are bandwagon-jumpers). Others will simply be taken to the cleaners by investing in an Asian Sweatshop-Quality Reebok rag… (See my entry “Reebok Hockey Jerseys SUCK!”). Either way people, please pay attention to what you buy… That brings me to the first order of business in today’s rant… The Jersey Jihad continues!

The other day while cruising FEEBAY looking for Scammers and Frauds, I ran across this gem (LOL!!!), a counterfeit / FAKE, 1991-92 Detroit Red Wings, Bob Probert jersey. (See pics below). Now, before I even start laying into this HOAX, see if you can figure out for yourself what is wrong with it… (Insert Jeopardy music here)… Ok, time is up! For starters, take note of the back of the jersey. Notice that the name and numbers are of shall we say, an incorrect font… In addition, the name runs straight across instead of in an arch as it is supposed to be. Lastly, the front of the jersey is missing the Alt Captain’s “A.” This just goes to show you that this person is not very good at being a scammer or fraud, and would be better off sticking to his day job… OR, perhaps he had been taken for a ride by another FEEBAYer, and is simply trying to pass on the love and recoup some funds at the same time. Who knows…??? Either way, the moral of the story is, DON’T BE THAT GUY!!!

Now, while this next item is relatively unrelated to “jerseys” in particular, I just need to vent on my favorite team for a minute… The New Jersey Devils had an excellent opportunity to close the gap on Buffalo, and Toronto on Tue night, as the Sabres lost in regulation, and the Leafs picked up only one point. Instead, the Devils decided to CHOKE, and lose to the Senators! WAKE UP NEW JERSEY!!! YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS!!! I know, they have been on an unbelievable run lately, but come on, losing to the lowly Sens, the last place team in the league! Especially when you are trying to make a playoff push… I can see losing to a good team, there is no shame in getting beat by a top ranked team, but the LAST PLACE team…??? After all of the hard work the Devils have put in to creep as close to the playoffs as they are now, and to fall short in the end will be more than I can stand. Remember, the Devils were 27 points out of a playoff spot at the All-Star break. Now they are just 8 points out! No team has EVER come back from more than 12 points out to make the playoffs! The Devils have a chance to shatter that record! Come on Devils, you can do it! HERE WE GO DEVILS, HERE WE GO !!!

Collecting Hockey Sweaters / Jerseys

2011-02-25T16:24:00.003-06:00

Collecting Hockey Sweaters

I have received roughly the same question, through various channels (my blog, Twitter, etc…), asking if any or all of the hockey sweaters that appear in the right margin are for sale. In short, yes and no… Let me explain.

All of the jerseys (sweaters) that appear in the right-hand margin were for sale at one time or another. Some of them are still for sale, while others among them were sold in the past. I keep the pictures posted so readers can see examples of the collector quality jerseys I sell in my web store http://webstore.com/~goongear . As I stated in my very first blog posting last fall, I have been buying, selling, collecting, trading, and customizing rare and vintage NHL sweaters since 1991. What started out as simply purchasing a replica sweater of my favorite NHL team (NJ Devils), quickly turned into an obsession. Or something else, depending on one’s perspective… However, words like “hoarder” and “packrat” carry with them a negative connotation, so I prefer to be called a “collector.” At one point, my personal collection exceeded 200 sweaters, all of them NHL authentic.

While amassing my huge collection of authentic NHL sweaters, I began to take notice that there was an actual market for hoarders, I mean collectors like myself. As I was watching the hockey sweater market develop, CCM did the unthinkable and discontinued the production of Ultrafil sweaters in the mid 1990’s and went to Air-Knit. As luck would have it, I had hoarded, I mean collected MANY Ultrafils over the years. Once Ultrafils were discontinued, every serious collector on the planet made a mad dash to gobble up as many as they could find, within their budget of course (LOL)… (Now, CCM, KOHO and Pro Player Air-Knit jerseys are on the collector list as well, since Reebok took over and started producing the Asian Sweatshop-quality garbage you see today!) On the down side, I am one of those collectors that also likes to wear his sweaters. That is until some (insert expletive) who was not paying attention, burned a hole right through the sleeve of my Whalers Ultrafil. I will spare you the rest of the story. However, it was at that moment I hatched a plan to turn my jersey hoarding illness, I mean jersey-collecting hobby into a for-profit venture.

Now I must warn you, some of you may cringe at what I’m about to tell you, but keep in mind that I had just watched my favorite jersey take a direct strike form some clown’s smoke, and I like to wear my jerseys. Now with those things in mind… Over time, I gradually sold off my collection of “authentics,” and replaced them with “replicas.” That gave me the ability to wear my jerseys without having to worry about taking a $300, $400, $500 loss or more, if the unthinkable happened again. This way, I would only be out $200 at worst. For the record, I keep my personal collection “timeline accurate.” i.e. I do not slap a name and number, or patch on just anything. For example: I ONLY use the same brand of jersey worn by the player, and only place letters (“A” / “C”), and / or patches on that jersey if they were actually worn by that player, and during that specific timeframe. In other words, I match the player, team, season, jersey brand, appropriate “A” /”C”, and special patches that go together and are legit, PERIOD! As a collector, I laugh every time I see some TOOL wearing a bogus jersey! In short, if the player was not even playing in 05-06, when the league went to RBK garbage, don’t put his name and number on the jersey, PLEASE! When I see MAKITA 21 on an RBK rag, I laugh. When I see a 1992 Stanley Cup Finals patch on a Starter jersey, I laugh. When I see a 2010 Stanley Cup Patch on a CCM jersey, I laugh! I can go on and on, but I’ll stop there, I think you get the point. I really hate the frauds that slap jerseys together and try to pass them off as legit, i.e. sell them to unsuspecting fans.

If you take the time to read some of my other entries, you will see that I point out specific examples, including photos of the fake garbage they try to pass off, mostly on FEEBAY, go figure.

Now, back to the original subject… If you want to know what jerseys I have for sale, including some that appear in the right margin, either you can click on the link I provided earlier in the entry, or, up in the top right corner of this page you will see a link to purchase “Rare and Vintage NHL Jerseys.” Just click on that and it will take you there. There is also another link below that one if you want to follow goon-gear on Twitter (Goon24). There I post “Tweets” whenever I’m putting items on sale. I usually run a sale or two each week, so if you follow on Twitter, you will be the first to know what is on sale! I love to help new hoarders, sorry, I mean collectors get their collection going. I am always happy to help in any way I can. If you have a question regarding the timeline accuracy, or actual authenticity of a jersey (sweater), please feel free to contact me. I can tell you in seconds if the jersey is bogus or not, and tell you why it is or is not! I also have vast resources (other collectors) at my disposal (in my network), so if you have a special request for a certain jersey, please do not hesitate to ask! If anyone can find it, I can! Happy hoarding, (sorry, there I go again), I mean collecting!

Jersey Jihad !!!

2011-02-11T09:08:00.004-06:00

One thing that spending 20+ years in the military taught me, was that one should not approach one’s boss with a complaint without also being prepared to offer a solution… With that thought in mind, we here at goon-gear have had it with fraudulent jersey sellers, especially on FEEBAY! As we have a forum here (this blog), and plenty of loyal readers, it is time to wage a “jersey jihad” against scammers who sell and / or produce fake / counterfeit jerseys! As there are literally too many to count, we will attempt to limit our targets to the most egregious violators; primarily those selling bogus authentic jerseys (sweaters for my Canadian friends)… While we will not openly name violators, we will provide pictures and the web site information for you to follow to the source. Why, you ask…??? Because we are sick and tired of seeing people get screwed by frauds, especially on FEEBAY!

First up: Today while I was surfing FEEBAY, I noticed a rather nice looking Vancouver Canucks, Ed Jovanovski, CCM Authentic for sale (See pic below). This particular jersey features the 1998 NHL All-Star Patch, and Alt Captain’s “A.” There are only two problems here… One: The 98 All-Star Patch was worn during the 97-98 season, and Jovanovski was not even acquired by the Canucks until late in the 1998-99 season (Jan 17th 1999 to be exact). Two: Jovanovski was not named Alt Captain (“A”) until October 5, 2000. Therefore, the “A” is bogus as well… The prosecution rests…

If the seller of this bogus jersey would have simply made a mistake, or did not know anything about hockey jerseys, we could probably let this one go… However, this particular seller has given a long-winded sermon about how rare his jersey is, and that you can only get one of them from him, etc… Yes, it is rare, because the jersey is a FAKE! That is why you can only get it from him, and that is why he has the only one in existence! In fairness to the seller, I politely contacted him via FEEBAY e-mail and informed him of the inaccuracies in his auction listing claims. I received no reply… I wonder why…???