Busted.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Philadelphia have announced they've seized 314 counterfeit Bryce Harper jerseys, which, if sold at their full price, would total more than $44,000. Let's be real, though, these were probably listed for $20 apiece online.
The press release says that six shipments of Harper - or perhaps a few said Haprer or Harpr - jerseys were en route from Hong Kong to addresses in the tri-state area.
Am I shocked? Of course not. Harper jerseys are the hottest item in Philadelphia fashion this spring and were bought, legally, in record numbers when the then-free agent signed his mega contract. There are, however, a few things to consider here.
The first, which I actually didn't know, is that the CBP warns against "dangerously flammable textiles" being used in counterfeit jerseys. That's kind of a surprise and perhaps cause for concern.
The other is that Harper signed a 13-year deal, so a nice, legitimate jersey is actually a decent investment over a jersey that looks OK but may fall apart after a few spins in the washing machine. You want something to stand the test of time, that you can wear for more than a decade, so spending money up front on a jersey for a guy that'll be here for a while isn't actually a bad idea.
Philadelphia Phillies
Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
If you're reading this and the tracking on your Harper jersey suddenly stopped, you might be out of luck. If you're reading this and you've already bought a counterfeit jersey, stay clear of the grill this summer.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.