My quest started last month when I finally decided I needed that legendary Barcelona senyera away kit from the 2013-2014 season in my collection. You know the one – deep yellow stripes with those thick red lines cutting across. Beautiful kit. Problem is, man, the market’s crawling with fakes.
The First Disaster
I rushed into buying one off a popular resale site without checking anything. Paid way too much for what showed up – the thing felt like cheap plastic. When I held it up against my 2012 home jersey, the difference slapped me in the face. Tags were printed crooked, and that adidas logo started peeling after one gentle hand wash. Total scam.
Learning the Hard Way
That’s when I went detective mode. Dug through forums, asked collector buddies, even bothered local kit shops. Here’s what matters:
- Check the sponsor print – Qatar Airways lettering on fakes looks sprayed on. Real ones have crisp, slightly raised letter edges.
- Fabric don’t lie – Authentic version uses Climacool fabric. It’s breathable, kinda stretchy. Fakes? Stiff like grocery bags.
- The devil’s in the tags – Look for product code M72211 on inside tags with matching hologram sticker. No hologram? Run.
The Victory Moment
Spent three weeks checking every single listing in town. Finally met this old dude at a football flea market whos been selling kits since the 90s. He brings out this immaculate Senyera with:
- Crisp woven tags showing correct season codes
- Hologram shining bright under phone light
- Sponsor print you could actually feel with your fingernail
Dude even had the original purchase receipt from when he bought it at Camp Nou during that season. Jackpot.
Why This Matters
Almost got scammed twice trying to replace that first fake. Saw ones with wrong shade of red, some with oversized badges. Waste of gas driving across town. But honestly? That heart-sinking feeling when you unpack a fake is worse than losing money.
Now it hangs framed in my garage next to my Cruyff jersey. Can’t stop staring at it – perfect stripes, perfect memories. Worth every minute of detective work.