Alright, so let me tell you about this phase I went through. It was all about football memorabilia, but one thing really got its hooks into me: this specific UEFA Champions League badge. You know, the one they call the “6 times trophy badge,” and I was super fixated on the version from around 2000 to 2012.
My Little Obsession Kicks Off
I don’t even remember exactly how it started. Maybe I saw an old match replay, one of those classic finals, and the camera zoomed in on a player’s sleeve. Boom! There it was. That little blue shield with the stars. It wasn’t just any badge; it was the one that screamed, “We’re serial winners, mate.” And specifically, the “6 times” thing stuck in my head, probably because a team like AC Milan or Liverpool was in that zone, making them eligible for the Badge of Honour, and I somehow latched onto that number for that specific era of badge design.
So, I thought, “I gotta get one of those.” Not necessarily the trophy itself, obviously, but the badge. Maybe on an old shirt, or even just the badge to, I don’t know, frame it? It just seemed like a cool piece of history, especially that 2000-2012 design. It just felt more… authentic, somehow, than the newer stuff.
The “Practice” of Hunting
And that’s where my “practice” began. And let me tell you, it wasn’t as simple as popping down to the shops. Oh no.
First, I hit the internet. Typed in “uefa champions league 6 times trophy badge 2000-2012” and similar stuff. And down the rabbit hole I went. You find all sorts. People selling “authentic player issue” badges for crazy money. Others selling what are clearly cheap knock-offs. It was a minefield.
My process, if you can call it that, was basically this:
- Endless Scrolling: Hours spent on auction sites, forums, sketchy-looking memorabilia shops online. My eyes would ache from staring at tiny pictures.
- Photo Detective: I started trying to become an expert from photos alone. Is the stitching right? Is the flock material correct for that period? Is the colour of blue exactly the shade it should be? You start feeling a bit like a detective, or maybe just a bit nuts.
- Asking Around: I tried messaging sellers, asking questions. Some were helpful, some were cagey. Found a few forums where collectors hung out. Some good folks, but also a lot of one-upmanship, you know? “Oh, you’re looking for that one? I’ve got three, all match-worn.” Yeah, sure you do, mate.
The frustration was real. You’d see something that looked promising, get your hopes up, and then spot a tiny detail that was just… off. Or the price would be something ridiculous, like I’d need to sell a kidney.
What I Learned From Chasing a Patch
I remember one time I was this close. Found a seller with what looked like a genuine old AC Milan shirt from that era, complete with the badge. We talked price, I was ready to pull the trigger. Then he sent me some super close-up photos, and the texture of the badge just didn’t match what I’d seen in other, more reliable sources. Gutted. It was probably a good quality replica badge, but not the real deal I was after.
So, what came of all this practice? Did I finally get that elusive 2000-2012, “6 times winner” badge? Well, I got a couple of very good reproduction ones. They look nice, and honestly, for display, they do the job. The pursuit of an absolutely, undeniably authentic one from that specific period, still attached to a shirt from a team that had won it six times by then… that became less of a burning need.
The whole process taught me a lot, though. Mostly about how passionate people can get about these little things, and how much detail goes into them. And also, how easy it is to get suckered if you’re not careful. It was a fun, if slightly obsessive, period. I wouldn’t say I’d dive that deep again for a football badge, but it was an experience. You find these little niches, you explore them, and then you move on. That’s life, eh?
