Each week we feature an interesting vintage tee that’s currently on the eBay auction block. Please feel free to link us if you create or discover an auction we might like.
What the Seller Says: Not a heck of a lot, but do they really need to?
What I Say: Any BF shirt that is pre-Rollins era will probably cause a few collectors to have a nervous breakdown. Prior to joining the band in 1981 Rollins was a big fan of their artwork and collected Flag flyers that circulated from Washington to California. He even specifically drew inspiration from Raymond Pettibon’s Nervous Breakdown imagery explaining, “I felt like the guy with his fists up every day of my life.”
Vintage Ts represent all three of the environmental Rs. So not only are they a superior cut and super soft, they’re a unique reminder of days past that don’t harm the environment in the present. Forget Junk Food t-shirts, Amplified, Hot Topic and all the rest of the retro reproducers; this article deals exclusively with authentic vintage tees.
I’m all for damning the man, but in terms of vintage t-shirt shopping, eBay is a necessary evil. It’s the best way to shop for vintage, especially if you have a specific t-shirt in mind. So, if you don’t yet have an eBay account, register here. Relax, you don’t need to surrender any credit card information.
As with any online shopping experience, there can be a few pitfalls when searching eBay for vintage tees. If genuine vintage tees are your bag, fear not! I created a comprehensive three-part vintage t-shirt shopping guide to help weed out the wack and fight the phonies.
This list is comprised of 4 categories, each containing 5 different vendors. The first category is open for votes until Decemeber 9 (console below). If you’re interested to hear more about the selection process, the fine print is at the bottom of this page.
1. Vintage Veterans
eBay vintage ambassadors who work around the clock to satisfy the masses. They’ve got a mind-blowing amount of transactions under their belts with top-notch feedback to boot.
Vintage Vantage Rating: 7000+ 99.3%. Let’s give credit where credit is due: VV has been one of the pioneers of the eBay vintage shirt phenomenon that continues to run wild. (Hey, they were my inspiration for getting into the business.) Funny descriptions, styled photos and a series of trippy backdrops. They currently sell mostly through their website, but still release a consistent flow of auctions. Fresh.
Smith and Pooter Vintage Rating 18,500+ 99.2%. The next big shooters who have had 200+ items consistently up for grabs since day one. I’m not sure which one is Smith and which one is Pooter but they have the two most recognizable faces in eBay vintage. I suspect they might be robots because they look freakishly the same in every photo.
Shirts with Balls Rating 13,000+ 99.6% For the past 4 years SWB has been one of the biggest advocates for the sale of poly-cotton on eBay. They now claim a physical addiction to 50/50 – and that’s not even the half of it. They carved out a name for themselves after releasing a line of offensive 9/11 shirts… and thong underwear. Thongs With Balls, unfortunately, never made it off the ground.
BeverlyHooligans Rating 11,300+ 99.5% Silly me, I thought Dylan McKay was the biggest old-school badass in Beverly Hills. Say yes to 90210 and get lost in this extremely active eBayer’s store. Worry not, the prices aren’t Rodeo Drive style, but some of the gems they put up for grabs are sure to drive the aficionados crazy.
Hattrick Vintage Rating 15,000+ 99.9% This store scores on all levels with a nice blend of poly-cotton genres. With thrift tees and a decent rock tee collection, a constant flow of auctions and new store inventory to satisfy the likes of all. Oh, and yes, they have hockey-related merchandise as well.
2. Band Boutiques
If you’re into music-related shirts then tune in to these rock-solid vendors. Their operations are primarily made up of exclusive higher-priced items in fixed-price format.
The pot of gold at the end of rainbowgasoline is a huge selection of more than 700 vintage shirts, and it gets bigger every time I blink. It’s almost impossible to type in a band tee and not see RG’s inventory in the results. Taking the silver medal is Silver Ruins who have an impressive selection of more than 500 vintage tees – the majority of which are music-related, but there’s also a healthy selection of sports-related tees. Wyco Vintage is the youngest vendor on this entire list but that hasn’t stopped them from jam-packing their store with some seriously sweet rock tees while maintaining a track record that is anything but novice. Ol’ reliable, Stormcrow Vintage keeps a consistent stock of 200-300 tees which are mostly music-inspired, and complimented by a nice flow of auctions, some nifty store customization and the holy grail of feedback ratings. As fate would have it, 4all2envy rounds out this list with a well-balanced selection of both music and sports-related tees.
3. Auction Advocates
Going once, going twice, sold! to the shirtless gentleman in the front row. If you enjoy the excitement of auctions and don’t mind the agony of being outbid, shop with the sellers who mostly sell via the gavel.
The t-shirt_junkie takes the first spot for taking the first step toward recovery and admitting he’s a vintage tee addict. Now he distributes his own demons with low starting bids – almost like a dealer gives away dope. Up second is doublesixvintage who always has a consistent array of both sought-after and obscure tees – whether it’s one of the rarest Harley tees you’ll ever lay eyes on, or a kitschy cool Milli Vanilli tour shirt. Apparently vintagecloset00’s closet is a lot like Oscar the Grouch’s can – it’s endless. VC specializes in music-related merch so it’s boutique style, but strictly auctions and bids start higher. If you get romantically attached to your shirts, brokenheartvintage can help you mend and vintageretrowear has been committed to vintage tee auctions since the early 00’s.
4. Infinite Inventory
Check out these guys if you’re a Windows window shopper or a browsing browser user. Whether it’s a rock tee from the late ’70s or a sporty tee from the late ’90s, shop with these vendors in the near future.
spicoli4everis in the top of this class. They could have been placed in a few other categories, but I found that the incredible variety was their strongest feature. With more than 2000 shirts, go in and get lost. galaxyvintage&modernclothing’s selection is as infinite as the universe and it’s complimented by an equal number of more modern-day shirts. zimmermantwin touches down in the number three spot with a great array of both sport and music tees that will have you seeing double. Arrrr mateys! thecaptainsvintage’s selection is as vast as the blue sea. The captain maintains a nice balance of top shelf items and lower priced gems. thriftstore-cowboy rides into town to claim the final spot. This shop borders more on thriftware from the ’90s and beyond, but they also have plenty of ’80s gems for sale.
The Disclaimer: This list was not easy to create, especially given the amount great sellers out there. I narrowed the list down from 60 possibilities to 20 selections; and through this process, even opted not to include my own store. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year. This independently selected list is not affiliated with eBay.
Their Credentials: All of the vendors on this list have an excellent track record – at least 99% positive feedback, with stellar detailed seller’s ratings. They are all PowerSellers who provide a consistent flow of genuine vintage merchandise, not “retro” or “vintage style.”
My Credentials: I have been an eBay vintage tee vendor for the last five years, and in this time have consistently spied on all things eBay vintage tee-related. In recent months the intensity of my research has dramatically increased as a result of creating this blog.
Every two weeks we scour through eBay’s past auctions and report which relics are fetching the big bucks. Even more reasons to raid your granny’s closet.
Click the links below to view the full eBay listing or the sellers current inventory.
Jacket: vintage 50s Buco motorcycle sold for $1691.99 sold by mayberrysbarney
Runners: vintage 70s Nike waffle shoes sold for $917.77 sold by vintagepimp
Sweat: vintage 40s US Army sweatshirt sold for $710.00 sold by inthreadible
Sweater: vintage 90s Ralph Lauren P Wing sold for $660.00 sold by kurokuni
T-Shirt: vintage 40s Champion t-shirt sold for $338.99 sold by vintagerental
Tee: vintage Routt’s Cycle Center tee sold for $203.49 sold by kustomhut
In this section, we highlight the vintage shirts you simply must have in your poly-cotton arsenal. Some are hot commodities while others are speculation on a future trend.
Info: We all remember the legendary Generra tee that changed color when exposed to heat, but how did it do that? Well, sit on my lap and let me explain. The regular color of the shirt is a combination of two different inks, a base color that the fabric was dyed with, and a heat sensitive or “thermochromic” ink that’s sealed in a transparent shell and bound to the fibers of the fabric. When exposed to heat, a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo takes place: the periodic table of elements is involved, square roots, pi, and at the end of it there’s even a dreadful remainder. So in laymen’s terms, heat causes the thermochromic portion of the color to become transparent which exposes only the base color of the fabric. Take that, Mr. Wizard!
HOT: All of the incarnations of the tee from the late ’80s to the early ’90s are attracting bids. Those fetching the higher prices have maintained their ability to change color. You see, improper laundry care, like hot washes and drying, hamper the shirts technology. Sadly many of the shirts around today are just ugly-colored shirts that don’t do anything. Pitty. However, I do suggest these defective shirts for people who tend to have arm pit issues, as active Hypercolor highlights this problem.
BUY LOW: Hypercolor couldn’t have flourished if tie dye hadn’t already set the stage in previous decades. So whether you like it or not, there will come a day that tie dye shirts will be cool again. There’s already been a huge increase in value of Grateful Dead’s 90s tie dyes. Most tie dyes are obnoxious, but some of the more subtle ones have quite nice colors, and can be snapped up for next to nothing.
What’s out is in… until it’s officially in, then it’s out again. This is the tight-rope that ironic cool hipsters walk every day of their reverse-uncool existences. It’s all very confusing, but let’s just say this list of vintage t-shirts represents some of the lamest artists to ever top the charts. We loved them one moment, hated them the next; and now our nostalgic sense of humor has us welcoming them back.
In the 1980s Satan was enjoying the soothing sounds of heavy metal 24/7, until Stryper decided to theme it out with messages of Christianity. Worse yet, Stryper isn’t just a name that makes sense of their black and yellow zebra-striped attire, it’s an acronym: Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness. I’m pretty sure even God thinks these guys are a bunch of jackasses.
Hammer’s layers of bizarro awesomeness over the decades are an uncool/cool enigma that simply can’t be touched. Anyone who reinvents himself as a gangsta rapper, only to get evangelical on our asses, is tops in my books. He continues to release lame music well into the new millennium, but redeems himself by donating the proceeds to 9/11 charities. Laugh if you will at his pastoral fame, but he officiated the weddings of uncool/cool Corey Feldman and regular cool Vince Neil.
[insert tears] Leave Rob and Fab alone!! They took so much abuse after their lip-syncing scandal that Rob developed a nasty drug habit, turned to crime, did time in the slammer and then committed suicide. Yeah, not so funny anymore, eh wise-guy? They became the lip-synching scape goats for all over-produced, image-based formulaic pop music, just because they looked better in bicycle shorts than the real singers.
Everyone is familiar with their smash hit, “The Final Countdown,” yet people rarely know who the brilliant minds were behind it. Now that you know, use this piece of trivia at parties and you’ll be number one on the countdown to cool. The track was recently revived when Gob Bluth of Arrested Development fame used it as theme music during his magic tricks, er… illusions, come on! The tune will probably be stuck in your head after reading this post. If it persists beyond several hours, contact a physician.
Even though you have no Johnny Depth, damn you Mark Wahlberg for becoming a half decent actor! Now it’s so much harder to rake you over the coals. You’ve left me with no option other than to individually attack members of the Funky Bunch. Enter: “Dan-o Fresh” and “Hector the Bootie Inspector.” Yes, that’s actually what their names were. My work is done here.
Ice took uncool to the extreme and has since gone into unchartered territory. Exposed liar, failed punk rocker, celebrity boxer, Surreal Lifer and engineer of the train-wreck express. During his prime, he was confronted by Arsenio Hall for dissing MC Hammer. During his demise, his lyrics took shots at Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. How dare you insult people on this list, Mr. Robert Van Winkle? That’s the pot calling the kettle black…. or white? I’m confused. Irony bonus points.
It’s a little-known fact, but I was actually a member of the New Kids in the early goings. I got booted from the band in 1989, because Donny, Jordan, Joe and Jonathan wanted all the chicks to themselves. So they replaced me with Danny. In 2008 some of the most miraculous reunions in music history were unleashed: Halen, Zeppelin… and NKOTB. Rehabbing their boy-band image was quite easy – they just followed the five-step program. Get it?
Take two tiny rappers, make them wear their clothes backwards, and you get the dynamic duo of Kris Kross. They were on top of the world until Mother Nature ruined everything by turning these boys to men. Their subsequent release, “Da Bomb” was….. self-explanatory. The group reunited in 2007, and if that isn’t enough to make you want to Jump, Jump – I don’t know what will.
A difficult selection, given his competition in the ’80s-actor-turned-musician category: John Stamos, Don Johnson, Eddie Murphy, Jack Wagner, Rick Springfield, Patrick Swayze and Bruce Willis. The edge goes to Schneider because he was a country musician, which is about as uncool as you can get. Plus he drove the General Lee and foiled Boss Hogg on numerous occasions.
Back in the day, it was either Tiffany or Debbie Gibson. I chose Tiffany because she’s hotter. Yes, I’m a typical male jerk. Just be thankful I didn’t chose Samantha Fox. In hindsight, I probably should have. Her poster is still up on my bedroom wall and it’s been there since the mid-’80s. Funny thing is I don’t even live in that house anymore; the new owners just have very good taste.
Vintage Ts represent all three of the environmental Rs. So not only are they a superior cut and super soft, they’re a unique reminder of days past that don’t harm the environment in the present. Forget Junk Food t-shirts, Amplified, Hot Topic and all the rest of the retro reproducers; this article deals exclusively with authentic vintage tees.
1. Vintage Veterans
2. Band Boutiques
3. Auction Advocates
4. Infinite Inventory
HOT: All of the incarnations of the tee from the late ’80s to the early ’90s are attracting bids. Those fetching the higher prices have maintained their ability to change color. You see, improper laundry care, like hot washes and drying, hamper the shirts technology. Sadly many of the shirts around today are just ugly-colored shirts that don’t do anything. Pitty. However, I do suggest these defective shirts for people who tend to have arm pit issues, as active Hypercolor highlights this problem.
BUY LOW: Hypercolor couldn’t have flourished if 
