Many professional sport teams (football, baseball,
basketball, hockey, etc.) operate their own retail stores, hawking
new merchandise alongside player-used, game-worn sports apparel and
other gear.
Occasionally, a player will privately sell their game-worn
sports apparel or donate their game-worn sports apparel to a worthy
charity for auction.
Our client acquired this Fernando Valenzuela player-used,
game-worn baseball uniform from another sports memorabilia
collector.
The problem with this uniform was that it had been exhibited on
a mannequin for almost 10 years, most likely in the direct down
draft of a ventilation duct. As a result, the uniform had acquired
a gray, oily, soot-like tint on the jersey.
So what to do? The uniform displayed all the player-used,
game-worn characteristics that a collector looks for --
perspiration, sand stains and grass stains. Even a red lipstick
mark in an inappropriate place. On the other hand, it was marred by
the gray, oily, soot-like tint.
After a lot of wavering, the client gave us his decision: Return
the uniform to it's brand new, pre-game condition and provide me
with a set of before and after photos.
The photos below illustrate that transformation.
BEFORE
AFTER
Valenzuela pitched for six different teams during his Major
League Baseball career, most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers
(1980 to 1990).
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