So, I got this idea stuck in my head a while back about getting one of those Jeff Hamilton jackets. You know the ones – loud, covered in patches, usually leather, screaming 90s sports or cartoons. Remember seeing them everywhere back then, or at least on TV.
First thing I did was jump online, thinking it’d be easy. Man, was I wrong. Started digging through eBay, vintage sites, places like that. Spent hours scrolling. And let me tell you, the prices these days… kinda shocking. Some folks are asking serious money for these things, especially the popular NBA championship ones, like the Bulls or Lakers jackets. Condition varied wildly too, some looked beat up, others almost new.
Finding ‘The One’
It took a while, a lot of searching. Filtered by size, by team – I wasn’t looking for just any jacket, wanted something specific, something that resonated. Finally spotted one. Not a crazy championship one, but a decent looking piece, decent price compared to others. Looked okay in the pictures, seller seemed alright. So, I pulled the trigger.
Waiting for it to arrive felt like forever. When the package finally showed up, I ripped it open. First impression? Heavy. These jackets are no joke, seriously weighty with all that leather and the embroidery. The patches were big, bold, exactly like I remembered. The colors popped. It definitely makes a statement.
The Reality Check
Got it hanging up now. It’s cool, definitely a conversation starter. But wearing it? That’s another story. It’s bulky, kinda stiff. Not exactly your everyday comfortable jacket. And cleaning? Forget about it. Took one look at the care tag and knew this thing was dry-clean only, probably a specialist cleaner too, which means more money and hassle. You can’t just toss this in the wash.
Here’s what I figured out through this whole process:
- These jackets are more like collector’s items now than practical outerwear for most people.
- Finding one in good condition for a price that doesn’t make your eyes water takes patience.
- Maintenance is a pain. Gotta be careful with them.
End of the day, it’s a cool piece of nostalgia hanging in my closet. Glad I got one, experienced the hunt and all that. But yeah, it’s not something I’m throwing on to run errands. It’s more of a ‘pull it out occasionally to look at it’ kind of thing. Still, pretty wild seeing these designs again.
