Match-worn, player-issue or replica
Match-worn shirts show wear, pulls and sometimes repairs, and command the highest prices when documented. Player-issue shirts are the same specification but unused. Replicas are retail garments. All three can be genuinely signed — but the value gap between them is very large, so the description must be explicit.
Reading ink on fabric
Marker on polyester bleeds slightly into the weave and shows variable saturation where the pen slowed. A printed or transferred signature has crisp edges that follow the fabric texture unnaturally evenly.
Squad-signed shirts
For multi-signed shirts, ask how many signatures are claimed and whether every one is identified. Vague counts are a warning sign. Genuine squad shirts also show varied pen pressure and angle, because the players signed at different moments.
Framing a shirt
Shirt frames should be deep enough that the fabric never contacts the glazing, with the garment supported on an acid-free backing rather than pinned under tension.
What to bring and what to ask
Bring any paperwork, photographs of the signing, and the story of how the shirt came to you. Ask whether the dealer is giving an opinion on the ink, the shirt, or both, because a genuine signature on a later replica is still a mismatch worth knowing about.
You are welcome to send us photographs or bring a shirt to the shop in Southend-on-Sea for an honest opinion. We do not buy memorabilia from the public, so the opinion comes with no offer attached.
Need a straight answer on a specific piece?
Send photographs and we'll give you an honest opinion — whether you're buying, selling or simply curious. You can also visit us at 87 Princes Street, Southend-on-Sea, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–4pm.