Knowing what is a genuine jersey and what is not is not easy as there are several different brands on the market authorised to sell jerseys. i.e ... Reebok, Adidas, Champion, Nike, Majestic, Starter, believe me there are quite a few.

Having been in the jersey trade for a few years you get to know what to look for and in this little guide i hope to pass down just a little knowlege to you....

1. Feel the weight of a jersey - Good weight means good quality

2. The quality of the brand labeling - If the Adidas label doesn't look or read easily is more then likely a copy.

3. Lift up the hem on the jersey - It should have a good zig zag stitch all the way round, cheap copies will just be stitched normaly and be loose.

4. If someone is offering you a NBA / College jersey for $4.99 "buy it now" it's going to be fake. Hey i don't mind people that want cheap bargains but please expect cheap quality like, size large will be the size of a small, stitching will fall out of the hem, and logos fall off after the second wash, it doesn't fit right, it's to short. This is what you get for nothing dollars.

5. Remember that genuine jerseys like any sports memoribillia become collectable. After time they become worth money. Like the older Reebok jerseys, they are now getting stronger in the market place. This is because Adidas now own the NBA franchise so the older Reebok jerseys will become harder to find hence they become collectable. Collectable names, Jordan, Rodman, Bird, Kareem, Pippen are all collectable jerseys as all these players were greats in their time. Just as an example, The first British player to play for the Lakers in the NBA, Steve Bucknall, if you had a jersey with his name on the reverse, it would be highly collectable and worth a few pound to the right person.

6. Original tags, these are a must, even if you want to wear the jerseys you buy always keep the tags. This is like toys and there boxes, without them you get a good price, with them you get a great price....

I hope this mini guide helps you a little and that it gets you interested in the collection of jerseys. See you out there on the look out!!!!!

Caroline.