Why Are Hockey Jerseys Expensive? (& How To Find Cheap Ones)

In my recent article, I explained the seven reasons ice hockey is expensive, as are hockey jerseys. However, the reasons why hockey jerseys are expensive vary from ice hockey as a sport, so stick with me, and I’ll explain everything.

Hockey jerseys are expensive because they are made from high-quality fabrics with detailed design and precise manufacturing. In addition, there’s a lot of demand for hockey jerseys, which increases their price. Finally, licensing fees add price to the jerseys, and the cut is paid for the respective team.

That said, there’s more than one reason why hockey jerseys are expensive. To give you an even clearer idea, I need to walk you through each factor individually. Let’s begin.

4 Reasons Why Hockey Jerseys Are Expensive

There are four main reasons why hockey jerseys are expensive; licensing fees, fabric type, design & manufacturing, and demand.

1. Licensing Fees

Licensing fees are the most difficult to understand of these four reasons, especially if you haven’t heard from them before. So what are licensing fees?

Licensing fee is money paid for a right or ability to use a property or asset. This means that anyone using hockey teams or any other sport’s logos and brands to make a profit, the owner of that logo or brand needs to get a cut. That’s only fair if you think about it, right?

Licensing fees are a big chunk of the earnings a hockey team gets from jerseys and other fan products such as mugs, pillows, foam fingers, and anything with a logo printed on them.

2. Premium Fabrics

If you have ever seen or touched a hockey jersey, you know that the fabric and material vary from the everyday t-shirt. It’s much heavier with a quality feel, and the reason for this is its quality.

Hockey jerseys are usually made from tough synthetic materials such as polyester. This gives durability, and they won’t be affected by moisture.

3. Detailed Manufacturing

A great deal of careful design and precise manufacturing process makes hockey jerseys more expensive than regular everyday clothing. Cool patterns, tiny details, and features like laces tighten the neck area or holes to provide breathability.

This makes the manufacturing process more demanding, which requires more equipment and labor, which increases the price.

4. More Demand Than Supply

Last but not least, supply and demand. There’s a lot of demand for hockey jerseys, and people are willing to pay a good amount. So, why wouldn’t the brands want to increase the price and see where the sales start to decrease.

However, this didn’t happen overnight. The prices have been gradually increased to test consumers and see where the perfect sport between too cheap and too expensive is to maximize profit margins. If you think hockey jerseys are too expensive, someone else won’t!

Related: How Much Does Hockey Gear Cost? (& Tips For Affordability)

Where to Find Affordable Hockey Jerseys?

Hockey jerseys usually cost at least $50 from the low end up to $300 for a quality one. The price will only skyrocket from there if real players sign them. However, there are places where to get hockey jerseys cheaper than usual. Here are my five recommendations;

1. NHL Shop

The best place to buy hockey jerseys is NHL Shop.com. You can find jerseys from all NHL teams in different styles, materials, and price ranges. What’s even best, you can find t-shirts, mugs, and more unique fan products like cornhole sets.

NHL shop has a 10% signup discount, various running promotions all the time, and a massive catalog of everything you could need. Also, there’s a 90-day return policy, and you will earn fan cash from buying.

2. Pure Hockey

Pure Hockey is America’s largest hockey retailer that sells jerseys and other clothing, but also everything you will need to play hockey.

Pure Hockey also has various how-to guides and reasonable shipping costs, and you can get help with your problems from their live chat! A close second for hockey jerseys and the first for hockey equipment!

3. Etsy

Etsy is a massive marketplace for individual artists, brands, or re-sellers to sell and buy products. From Etsy, you can sometimes find more affordable hockey jerseys and custom-made ones that you can’t find anywhere else, so if you want to browse deals or something unique, head on to Etsy!

4. eBay

eBay is one of the oldest and most successful e-commerce websites. However, eBay itself doesen’t sell anything, so everything on there is from individual sellers.

eBay is a trustworthy platform where you can bid on products in auctions. You can find many hockey jerseys, clothing, and other products on eBay. I recommend checking eBay for interesting finds.

5. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great platform inside Facebook for individuals and brands to sell products. I like Facebook Marketplace because it’s so easy to use, you can select a distance, so you can easily pick up your new hockey jersey today if you can find one. And I sincerely do believe you will find some.

Is It Worth Buying An Authentic Jersey?

When diving into the world of hockey jerseys, the authentic jerseys are their holy grails. They are made from the best materials, can be included with features such as extra breathability or fitting, they are comfortable and heavy, and the numbers and letters are stitched instead of printed. However, they usually cost $200 to $300, so is it worth buying one?

Buying an authentic jersey is worth it if you value a good quality jersey, use it consistently, and get great joy from it. However, it isn’t worth buying if you don’t have much money, wouldn’t use it consistently, and don’t care whether it’s an authentic or a cheap jersey.

This is a hard question to answer as the only one to answer it correctly is youThat said you need to reflect on yourself and decide whether the authentic jersey outweighs the lost money in the process. If you value the jersey more than the money, then it’s worth buying.

I recommend NHL Shop for hockey jerseys and Fanatics for other sports, including hockey!