Mystery jerseys, the new trend that is a hit with football fans<

“I have absolutely no idea what football shirts I ordered. In a video published on March 28, 2020, English youtuber Ellis Platten prepares to open a box containing 50 of them. Leicester home kit with Riyad Mahrez flocking, British amateur club shirts… the videographer of the AwayDays channel is amazed as he discovers what he takes out of his box bought on Ebay.

Settled in his small studio decorated with Bayern and USA tunics, the content creator has unwittingly launched a trend, that of mystery jerseys. “The mystery box concept has always been known, but very few companies did it with football shirts before I published these kinds of videos, explains Ellis Platten. Today, there are hundreds of companies that do this. »

A phenomenon that is starting to take off in France

Popularized by English platforms such as SecretShirtCo and FootballKitBox, the concept of the mystery jersey is very simple. The customer orders a box in which a football shirt is randomly placed. The latter can only choose the size and the clubs he wishes to avoid. “I like the thrill there is before opening a box, underlines the English youtuber. Sometimes, I even discover articles that I did not know. “A concept that Ellis Platten is not the only one to appreciate since in France certain platforms, such as Le Maillot Mystère, are beginning to emerge.

Founded on December 10 by two Norman students, Arthur Marco and Asselin Cotentin, the young company has seen its activity grow significantly since March 1. “We are out of stock after two hours. We put on average 50 to 100 jerseys on sale. And no matter the size, people jump on it, launches Arthur Marco. At the moment, we are shooting at 700 jerseys sold per month. A trend that is also confirmed for another French site, Le Jeu de Maillot. “Our sales are constantly increasing,” explains Remi Raffanel, co-creator.

Original swimsuits are popular

Faced with competition, which is growing as the mystery swimsuit trend becomes more democratic, the two French companies are diversifying their offers. Original outfits are increasingly in vogue, so you have to adapt to demand. "The OM jersey is by far the one that is not desired", reveals Arthur Marco. Same observation for Rémi Raffanel, where OL and PSG are added. “95% of our customers are French and do not want French club shirts. We realized that they are quite happy to receive an outfit from a lesser known club. It is therefore not surprising to find in certain mystery boxes jerseys from exotic formations such as Forge FC (Canada) or Tijuana (Mexico).

To prevent the trend from running out of steam, they are also multiplying partnerships. Soon, Le Jeu de Maillot will collaborate with the brand of women's football shirts Alké. The box should be released at the beginning of June.

Counterfeiting and jersey value

If the mystery jersey concept is attracting new investors, it is also because it is profitable. When looking at customer feedback on social media, we notice that most of the outfits are worth less than the price of the box. A detail that can be verified on any specialized platform. “They usually buy outfits between £15 and £22 and then resell them in mystery boxes for £40,” says Ellis Platten. Most of them source their supplies from the clearance section of Classic Football Shirts or from specialty stores. The jersey is certainly authentic, but they make big margins and some take advantage of it too much. »

Precisely, the platforms also buy outfits directly from equipment manufacturers or even football clubs. “Others are worse because they sell counterfeits,” adds the youtuber to 114,000 subscribers, specializing in football shirts. Truthful.

At the beginning of 2021, two FIFA influencers, Nepenthez and MattHDGamer, sold counterfeits through their mystery jersey company FootyCrate. A deception that did not last very long. The two videographers also apologized on social networks. To avoid this kind of disappointment, there are still some tips. “Look at the appearance of the site and the legal notices, because a site that sells counterfeits cannot be traced, warns Rémi Raffanel, co-creator of the Le Jeu de Maillot site. For vintage jerseys the prices should not be too low and make sure that returns are possible”. You have been warned.

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