Are classic football shirt auctions a good option?

Thinking of participating in retro football shirt auctions? Although it is a way of buying is a way to get models of the time in the hands of private owners, is not gold all that glitters.

There are many dangers of buying through auctions of vintage football shirts: the lack of immediacy in the purchase process, the difficulty in verifying the reputation of the seller or the exorbitant prices that can reach some bids, etc..

Although the majority of users who prefer to go to the safe and buy vintage football shirts in specialized ecommerces, such as The Football Market, some are seduced by the auctions of classic football shirts.

eBay, Catawiki and other portals are very popular in this regard. However, not many users interested in vintage shirts are aware of the dangers and disadvantages of this type of purchase.

Pros and Cons of Vintage Soccer T-Shirt Auctions

The following lines will reveal some of the most obvious advantages and disadvantages of the auctions of classic football shirts, a very popular purchase modality among users, which is far from being the most recommended. Will you join us?

It's not as fast as clicking on 'buy'

Certain auctions of vintage football shirts can last for weeks, which shows us a clear disadvantage: it is not the fastest way to buy.

From the user's point of view, placing bids instead of making a direct purchase can be quite annoying. In addition, the purchase decision is based on the price, and the price changes with each new bid. This particularity of auctions generates great insecurity in buyers, who end up abandoning the auction or (even worse) making exorbitant bids.

Although it may surprise, from the seller's perspective, auctions are the fastest way to sell, thanks to the sense of urgency they instill in interested users. A countdown can be very eloquent.

On the other hand, buying vintage shirts from The Football Market and other specialized ecommerce is as simple as searching for the desired model, clicking on 'buy' and receiving the product in a few days, without worrying about the seller's reputation or other factors.

Real bargains can be found...

To get Cruyff's shirt with Ajax or Cristiano Ronaldo's first team with Real Madrid at affordable prices, a madness? Not at all!

When the starting prices of classic football jersey auctions are low, the shortage of interested bidders can help get fabric 'jewellery' for ridiculous prices. However, this is an anomalous situation where they exist.

As if that weren't enough, smart sellers, aware of the value of the product being auctioned, will set minimum prices below which they won't have to give up their prized t-shirt.

... but prices can skyrocket

But in certain auctions of retro football shirts it is possible to find the opposite scenario: that a low starting price attracts a large number of bidders interested in retro apparel.

This situation will cause prices to rise more than expected, which will eliminate any possibility of getting good shirts at bargain prices. On the contrary, the auction will fall into a war of bids and counter bids, where the only winning party will be the seller.

In some cases, however, a direct agreement may be reached with the seller to buy the auctioned product at a certain price and end the auction. But this price will always be far from what we understand by a bargain.

There is a high level of competition between bidders

Some users may find the latter scenario unusual or even anomalous. But they will be making a mistake. Competition between three or four bidders is a common situation in any auction, whether vintage t-shirts or vintage stamps.

This means that auctions of classic football shirts are not to the liking of all buyers. It also requires precise knowledge of the product being bid on. When will the market value exceed the actual value of the product? Buyers who are unable to answer this question will succeed by refraining from submitting a starting bid or repeatedly overbidding.

Because of the competitive nature of the bidding process, buying and selling sportswear at auctions can deter most users, who are not used to this scenario.

It is difficult to find reputable sellers

Buying retro t-shirts through online stores such as The Football Market gives you the confidence of knowing that the seller is a professional, sometimes with online reviews that guarantee their prestige and honorability.

On the other hand, online auctions do not always have a high reputation. Sometimes we must bid on the first auction launched by a novice seller, which does not mean that we will be victims of fraud and deception, but it increases the risk considerably.

Is it really a genuine t-shirt or a fake?

This is one of the most common problems when participating in online auctions. It is not possible to determine the authenticity of an item of equipment or any of its characteristic elements (a signature, for example) without possessing the equipment.

The images and videos are the only resource available to determine if that shirt with Pelé's 10 really belongs to the 1954 Canarinha or if it is a replica.

In view of the above, retro football shirt auctions are not an easy terrain to move in, especially for beginners unfamiliar with this industry.

If you're taking your first steps into the exciting world of vintage shirts, we recommend you buy your models from specialty stores, such as The Football Market, as it will save you all of the above problems.