bjd624 Posted July 8, 2010 Report Share Posted July 8, 2010 Not sure really where to put this so here seems correct when did jerseys first start becoming available in retail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdwsta4 Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I don't know the answer to that question, but I know I've been getting them since 91 or so. My parents would get me jerseys for Christmas as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob77ta Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I guess it depends on whether your talking about replicas or authentics. I have seen replicas on Ebay from the late 70's and early 80's. The problem is you cannot be sure how the original owners aquired them. I recall as a kid a sports store chain in the local malls which sold replica and authentic jersey's. It had to be mid 80's and they went out of business in the late 80's or early 90's. So the earliest I remember seeing replicas and authentics at a retail store would be probably 1984 or 1985. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseymikea Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I guess it depends on whether your talking about replicas or authentics. I have seen replicas on Ebay from the late 70's and early 80's. The problem is you cannot be sure how the original owners aquired them. I recall as a kid a sports store chain in the local malls which sold replica and authentic jersey's. It had to be mid 80's and they went out of business in the late 80's or early 90's. So the earliest I remember seeing replicas and authentics at a retail store would be probably 1984 or 1985. If you live in Philly, The store was called "Showcase" from the "Spectrum Showcase" fan merchandise stands on the concourse. My first recollection ever of seeing an authentic jersey for sale was there in the early-mid eighties.(not to say there were not other places retailing them sooner) As a kid in the 70's, my father bought me a replica Rawlings Minnesota North Stars jersey at a local sporting goods store.(the only jersey that they had small enough to fit me) I wore that for a while and then that Chritmas I got what I wanted, a Boston Bruins black and gold with my name and number on it! Oh, heat pressed numbers and name as I dont think anyone was sewing #s on for retail that soon! That must have been about 1975. My Pop was from Boston originally but eventually we were both hugh Flyers fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseymikea Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I don't know the answer to that question, but I know I've been getting them since 91 or so. My parents would get me jerseys for Christmas as a kid. You mean SANTA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I have two jerseys from the 80's from MLG (Clarke and Salming). The Clarke was given to me, and the Salming I bought cheap. Both replicas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob77ta Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 If you live in Philly, The store was called "Showcase" from the "Spectrum Showcase" fan merchandise stands on the concourse. My first recollection ever of seeing an authentic jersey for sale was there in the early-mid eighties.(not to say there were not other places retailing them sooner) As a kid in the 70's, my father bought me a replica Rawlings Minnesota North Stars jersey at a local sporting goods store.(the only jersey that they had small enough to fit me) I wore that for a while and then that Chritmas I got what I wanted, a Boston Bruins black and gold with my name and number on it! Oh, heat pressed numbers and name as I dont think anyone was sewing #s on for retail that soon! That must have been about 1975. My Pop was from Boston originally but eventually we were both hugh Flyers fans. Showcase is the store I was talking about.I would do whatever I could to get there like telling my parents I wanted to go to a department store in the proximity of Showcase only to hear my mom say "you're not getting anything from that sports store". As a kid, Showcase was my promise land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyGagner Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I got my first Sabres replica in 1983, when I was 13. It was made of Dureen, not airknit or ultrafil. I had to go to Don Simmons sports in Fort Erie, Ontario to get it. It was like being in heaven. Then when when I went up to the CNE the next year I got a Canadiens and it was more like ultrafil. I had an Islanders, Sabres, Devils (red/green) and Canadiens I used to wear all the time throughout Jr. High. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Patrick Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I almost bought a white North Stars jersey from a guy. He had bought it and had Bellows #23 put on it in 1984 at the Met center. It was a mesh Pedersons jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac1124 Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 You mean SANTA! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted July 9, 2010 Report Share Posted July 9, 2010 I almost bought a white North Stars jersey from a guy. He had bought it and had Bellows #23 put on it in 1984 at the Met center. It was a mesh Pedersons jersey. Wow, really? That was a one year style during the 1983-84 season and is extremely rare. You should have bought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Patrick Posted July 11, 2010 Report Share Posted July 11, 2010 I almost bought a white North Stars jersey from a guy. He had bought it and had Bellows #23 put on it in 1984 at the Met center. It was a mesh Pedersons jersey. Wow, really? That was a one year style during the 1983-84 season and is extremely rare. You should have bought it. Thats my luck for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggermatt15 Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 To the best of my knowledge, I would have to assume retail NHL jerseys first hit the market sometime in the 1980s. They could have hit stores in the 1970s, but I'm not certain. Like a couple people have said above, the 80s was the first time they owned a replica jersey. I would have to imagine authentic style jerseys came out later and I fathom the idea that merchandising initially only released replicas for sale. Ironically enough, a couple weeks ago I was out to lunch and randomly started chatting with someone who was at the very first Pittsburgh Penguins game in 1967. I asked him if NHL jerseys were available for sale back then and he said, no way, it was nothing like it is today. I would comprehend though, that people who worked as equipment managers or other positions for NHL teams could likely obtain jerseys used by the players back in those days, but pretty tough for fans to get them. Just thought I'd throw in my two cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelonious Sphere Monk Posted July 12, 2010 Report Share Posted July 12, 2010 To the best of my knowledge, I would have to assume retail NHL jerseys first hit the market sometime in the 1980s. They could have hit stores in the 1970s, but I'm not certain. Like a couple people have said above, the 80s was the first time they owned a replica jersey. I would have to imagine authentic style jerseys came out later and I fathom the idea that merchandising initially only released replicas for sale. Ironically enough, a couple weeks ago I was out to lunch and randomly started chatting with someone who was at the very first Pittsburgh Penguins game in 1967. I asked him if NHL jerseys were available for sale back then and he said, no way, it was nothing like it is today. I would comprehend though, that people who worked as equipment managers or other positions for NHL teams could likely obtain jerseys used by the players back in those days, but pretty tough for fans to get them. Just thought I'd throw in my two cents. I bet retail jerseys hit the market mysteriously the same year Gretzky came into the NHL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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