I may have been born a Steelers fan, but over the past 14 years since I moved from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, my love for the 49ers has been on a slow burn.
I partied in the streets of my neighborhood, the Mission, when the Niners won the NFC championship in 2012—and again in 2019 and 2023. I applauded Colin Kaepernick taking a knee with Eric Reid and cheered on Jimmy Garoppolo’s rise—and departure (sorry, Jimmy!). And a few weeks ago, I got moody as the Niners fell way behind the Lions in the first half of the NFC Championship Game, then celebrated my face off when they came roaring back.
All these memories and moments made me feel like I was entitled to my own piece of coveted Faithful swag in advance of their Super Bowl appearance. And what could be more special than gold?
Within the sea of vintage San Francisco 49ers gear out there, an authentic gold satin jacket is the most precious jewel—but not all of those shiny Joe Montana-era jackets are created equally. San Francisco thrift shops have had trouble keeping any vintage Niners gear on the rack, but there are plenty of online vendors hawking gold jackets for between $30 and $450. If I wanted my own to arrive in time for the Super Bowl, I couldn’t delay.
But how could I tell if what I scored was real or a fake?
Read More: Vintage 49ers gear is in high demand—especially gold satin jackets.