So, the other day, I got this itch, you know? Started digging through some old basketball clips online, and bam! Landed on the ’96 All-Star game. Man, those jerseys. Those teal and orange things were something else entirely. Not like the stuff you see now. It just hit me – I needed to get my hands on one.
The Hunt Begins
First thing, I jumped online. Ebay, vintage shops, forums, you name it. Spent hours, maybe days, just scrolling. Found a bunch, yeah, but most were either obvious fakes, beat to hell, or cost an arm and a leg. Seriously, the prices some people ask are nuts. It felt like digging for treasure, but mostly finding junk.
I wasn’t looking for just any player either. Had a few favourites from that game in mind. That just made the search harder. Filtered by size, player, condition… the list got real small, real fast.
Found One… Kinda
After what felt like forever, I spotted one. It wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. The description was honest, thankfully. Said it had some stains on the front, a few loose threads near the bottom hem. Looked like it had seen some actual wear back in the day, which I kinda liked, honestly. The price wasn’t outrageous either, compared to the mint condition ones. So, I pulled the trigger. Took a gamble.
Getting Down to Business
When it finally arrived, I laid it out. Yep, the description was accurate. Had that slightly faded look, a couple of mystery smudges, and the stitching was definitely giving up in one spot. Time to get to work.
- Cleaning first: Didn’t just chuck it in the washer. No way. Got some gentle detergent, filled up the sink with cool water. Let it soak for a bit, then worked on the stains real careful with a soft brush. Like, super gentle scrubbing. Rinsed it like five times to make sure all the soap was out.
- Air Dry Only: Hung it up inside, away from the sun. Took a couple of days to dry completely. Never put these old things in a dryer, ruins them.
- Stitching Repair: Once it was dry, I tackled the loose threads. Got out a needle and some thread that matched the colour as close as I could. Nothing fancy, just some basic stitches to secure the hem where it was coming undone. Took my time, tried to make it look neat.
The Payoff
And you know what? It turned out pretty good! The stains mostly came out, just a faint shadow left if you look really close. The stitching fix is holding up. It’s not perfect, museum quality or anything, but it feels authentic. It’s got character. Feels good knowing I put a bit of effort in to bring it back to life, instead of just buying some perfect replica.
Now it’s hanging up, not stuffed in a drawer. Every time I glance at it, I think about that game, that whole era of basketball. Pretty cool feeling, actually. Totally worth the hunt and the little bit of work.