By now most Packers aficionados have seen and heard about the team's new alternate/throwback jersey to be worn in a few games during the 2010 season. Critiques regarding the aesthetics and historical accuracy of the uniform have been duly posited. However, the real question for collectors is: Will any of the game worn jerseys escape the Supermax-like confines of the Packers equipment room?
As has been mentioned before, Packers game worn throwback jerseys are difficult to find. Take for example, the blue and gold Lambeau-era throwbacks worn for three games during the 1994 season (as pictured above). A few years ago, I wrote an article for Gridiron Greats magazine (later reprinted by MEARS) on collecting the game worn 1994 75TH NFL Anniversary throwback jerseys. As part of the research for the article, I asked a few long-time game worn jersey dealers which team's throwbacks were the most difficult to find. The Packers were indeed on the list of each dealer I queried.Despite their apparent scarcity, some of these throwbacks were made available to the public via a charity auction.
In the summer of 1995 an auction in Green Bay to benefit cystic fibrosis patients and research featured some game worn 1994 blue/gold throwback jerseys. A brief news item in the August 27, 1995 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel listed a few of the auctioned jerseys and their respective bids: No. 92 Reggie White ($2,151), No.4 Brett Favre ($1,810), No.84 Sterling Sharpe ($1, 034), No.64 John Jurkovic ($1,111) and No.34 Edgar Bennett ($1,034).
It's clear that from their absence from the secondary market these jerseys are highly valued, and have been locked up in particular collections.
With that in mind, here's a modern rarity of sorts--Steve McMichael's game worn blue/gold throwback from that season:
It's clear that from their absence from the secondary market these jerseys are highly valued, and have been locked up in particular collections.
With that in mind, here's a modern rarity of sorts--Steve McMichael's game worn blue/gold throwback from that season:
I imagine he never thought he'd ever inscribe one of his gamers with the phrase "Go Packers":
Here is the LOA that accompanied this piece (ostensibly the other auctioned gamers had similar certificates issued):
The Packers could easily do a charity auction like this again, this time with the 2010 throwbacks--a win-win for collectors and a worthy cause.
That's a real beaut there.
ReplyDeleteI'm really hoping that they do auction them off at the end of the season. The NFL auctioned off the AFL throwbacks on their website - not just the jerseys, but the whole uniform, helmet and all. Some have started to hit the secondary market.
Would that the Packers do something similar here. Raise some money for charity, and let us have a shot at adding these to our collections.
Man, that Journal article is heartbreaking. A Reggie White throwback jersey for $2,151?
Chance, I'm going to do my best to convince them to auction at least some of these.
ReplyDeleteA few of those 1995 auction prices are indeed shocking. That auction probably had little, if any, internet exposure or publicity at the time.