"Game Used"/Jersey card Language

[themanishere]

So I've been thinking about the ambiguities in GU/Jersey card language.

For example from UD:

"You have received a _______ Game-Used trading card. On the front of this card is a piece of memorabilia that has been certified to us as having been used in an NBA game..."

My problem with this is, the card does not explicitly say it was used by the player pictured on the card. It just basically says it is a card of _____, but not expressly that the jersey piece was used by the player. Maybe it is supposed to be implied, but knowing this, wouldn't it just make sense to be clearer on the descriptions?

Press Pass is a little clearer:

"You are the proud owner of a Press Pass Certified Authentic Game-Used Jersey card. This piece of jersey was worn by ______ during his college career."

PP does say it was worn by the specific player, but still separates the game-used part.

Topps can be very simple:

"You have just received an authentic relic card of ____ from...The relic featured on the front of this card was worn during an official NBA game...."

As ambiguous as any.

What I'm saying is, the cards do say they are of the player pictured, but the jersey piece was simply "used in a game" and not necessarily by that player. Implying it is not good enough. But I guess I have become very skeptical of these jersey pieces actually being game-worn, and of the player pictured nonetheless. Card companies need to come clean, and I think a lot of collectors are already starting to question these "GU" cards.

I mean, I know it is sort of in the nature of it to be vague at times, but it just takes away from the experience for me. I even think a majority are not even game-used: in reality, how are we supposed to know? Would you really trust these companies' honesty over all of the other faults they have?

Thoughts?

[pgrossma]

I think that it is probably wise to question ambiguity in the statements about a jersey's origin on the backs of cards. It is in a company's best interest to make the statement about the material as strong as possible to make the card appear as desirable as possible.

For myself, the particulars of the origins of a jersey/bat are not particularly relevant. My view is that once the jersey has been chopped up and put into cards, I'm collecting the card. If the origin of the jersey/bat influences the market forces on that card, that is what it is, but I won't choose whether to add it to my collection based on that.

Peter G.

[themanishere]

I hear you.

I guess I would also question if they are actually players' jerseys. They could just be some random jerseys for all we know.

It is the misrepresentation of it, is what I'm saying. I still like collecting the cards, but I feel like I'm being lied to/deceived at times with the language and the whole concept.

[DaClyde]

I think they've gotten to the point where they've run out of legitimate jerseys that were actually worn by the players in an actual game. A couple of Matt Williams I have are worded, quite explicitly that HE wore them in a MLB game:

2002 Leaf Shirt Off My Back: "The enclosed piece of jersey was cut from an Authentic Jersey [not sure why they capitalised that] personally worn by Matt Williams in an official Major League Baseball Game. The authentic Game-Worn Jersey was obtained and is guaranteed by the Donruss Trading Card Co."

This was was nice because it actually has a photo of the jersey on the back that the GU piece supposedly came from.

2003 Donruss Studio Player Collection: "The enclosed piece of jersey was cut from an Authentic Jersey personally worn by Matt Williams in an official Major League Baseball Game. The authentic Game-Worn Jersey was obtained and is guaranteed by the DonrussPlayoff Corporation."

2001 SP Piece of the Game: "You have received a Matt Williams Game-Used Bat trading card from The Upper Deck Company, LLC. On the front of this card is an authentic piece of a bat used by Matt Williams in an official MLB game. "

However the 2007 SP Legendary Cuts card I have of Dave Winfield is worded more vaguely: "You have received a Dave Winfield Game-Used baseball card. On the front of this card is apiece of memorabilia that has been certified to us as having been used in an official Major League Baseball game."

It doesn't say he wore it, or that it was even his jersey. It just says it's a "Dave Winfield Game-Used baseball card." It's even so vague as to not mention that the piece of material in question is even part of a uniform, it's just "memorabilia"!

[Edwards2Evans]

Donruss is the only company I think that actually clearly states it was personally worn by xxxx in a offical NFL game.

[spuds1961]

It's really a matter of trust,But with the wording that these companies are using it leads me to believe these bat and uniform swatches could be from anyone who played in a major league game.I'm sure these companies can pay joe schmo utility infielder alot less then say ichiro,jeter,wright,pujols or any other star player for their game-used jersey and cut it up with none of us collectors being the wiser.Donruss used to have a picture of the item used on the backs of their cards as DaClyde already mentioned.I think they need to go back to that to give us collectors some reassurance,Suppose an autograph card had the same type of wording on the back as a collector I'd be very skeptical.Take care Steve

[Zealonsunited]

A good reason on why i don't collect these GU,AUTO, ICUP, PP or whatever....... sticking to old vintage

[theonedru]

A guy can sit on a ben/in the dugout the whole game, never play and simply change his jersey 100 times and you have 100 game worn jerseys, kinda pathetic

[RocWells]

I like the ones that say used in a official event, what? did the player stand in a press room for a photo shoot with the jersey, was he invited to a lunch at Upper deck given a jersey to touch and BAM! used event jersey?,or am I getting a bat that was used in spring training batting practice, or a bat that was used to hit a game winning homerun in the regular season? I think also they should be more specific on when and where the jersey was worn or item was used.
still think there kinda cool though