A field guide to thrifted sport
Secondhand Archive
Seller's photo on eBay: Boomer Esiason Cincinnati Bengals 1986 Russell Athletic Jersey 42
Seller's photo on eBay · listing from Jul 16, 2026
1986 · Jersey · NFL

Cincinnati Bengals Boomer Esiason #7 jersey

1986 Russell Athletic

Russell Athletic black jersey with white #7 and tiger-striped sleeves.

Team
Cincinnati Bengals
Era
1986 (1980s)
Garment
Jersey
Colorway
black
Maker
Russell Athletic
League
NFL
Sold out — last seen Jul 16, 2026

One example on file, sold for $150. These were fixed-price sales, so the price is what it sold for.

Search eBay for this design now →vintage Cincinnati Bengals 1986 jersey
NO. 01 · EVERY EXAMPLE ON FILE · 1

Each one is a single real eBay listing of this design, newest first. Photos are the sellers’ own, shown while eBay still hosts them; links go straight to the listing with no tracking.

NO. 02 · HOW TO CHECK ONE

1980s tells

  • Starter jackets: satin team jackets and pullover jackets with Starter's logo embroidered on the sleeve.
  • Made in USA tags are expected. Offshore-made labels became common from the mid-1990s.
  • City names: Los Angeles Raiders (1982-94), Indianapolis Colts (from 1984) and Phoenix Cardinals (1988-93). Baltimore Colts and St. Louis Cardinals gear predates those moves.

More on the 1980s →

About the maker

  • Russell Athletic — retail NFL jerseys from the 1980s, plus team uniforms

✓Match the maker to the years. A Reebok jersey dates to 2001 or later, while Starter, Russell and Champion NFL jerseys are generally 2000 or earlier.

✓Confirm the player's years with that team. A jersey for a season he never played there is a later product or a custom.

✓Check uniform details against the team's history: number font, sleeve stripes and TV-number placement all changed over time (the Steelers' rounded numbers arrived in 1997, for example).

✓Look for patches that pin down years: the NFL 75th anniversary patch (1994), the Bears' GSH initials (1984 on) or the Chiefs' Lamar Hunt patch (2007 on).

✓Check the NFL shield. An eight-star shield means 2008 or later.

✓See whether the numbers and letters are sewn or screen-printed, and look for peeling, cracking or replaced numbers.

✓Ask for chest and length measurements. Jerseys were cut tighter, with shorter sleeves, from about 2000.

✓Rule out reproductions. Mitchell & Ness and other throwback lines recreate old jerseys, so read every label.

Buying notes: 1980s Bengals jerseys →

NO. 03 · MORE CINCINNATI BENGALS

All 19 Cincinnati Bengals designs →

NO. 04 · OTHER 1980S JERSEYS