The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers sported some outstanding duds for the 2012 Winter Classic, so street vendors paid little mind to silly “laws” when they tried to get their cut. Unfortunately for them, NBC Philadelphia’s Teresa Masterson reports that federal officials seized a whopping $350,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise right before the event.
Officials report that 1,649 fake items were seized, so even if that math is a little optimistic, it’s still a lot of clothing with logos that will probably dissolve within five washes.
Vendors were reportedly planning to sell them for the same price as licensed stores. NBC Philadelphia features this photo of some of the seized fakes:
As you can see, those aren’t your run-of-the-mill counterfeit bits of merchandise that look so inauthentic that they’re almost kind of charming. Officials listed three ways to detect fakes:
- Look for the hologram sticker or holographic hangtag and a sewn-in or screen printed neck label identifying a licensee that has been authorized by the NHL to produce “genuine” or “official” merchandise.
- Shop at legitimate retailers, such as the official Philadelphia Flyers team store and website rather than buy items from street vendors, flea markets, overseas websites or other questionable sources.
- Beware of ripped tags or irregular markings on apparel.