Crazy Shirts

January 5, 2012 by Jimmy J · 1 Comment  


A comprehensive resource of defunct t-shirt labels manufactured prior to the year 2000.


Brand #26: Crazy Shirts

Circulation: Common

Era: Late 1960s-current

Information: Who knew an operation that started in a little Hawaiian shack in 1964 would grow in to 41 locations worldwide? They began as screen printers but Crazy Shirts went on to manufacture and print their own tees rather than just distributing blanks. Then they piggybacked the surfing explosion in the 1970s by reaching out to a global market via magazine mail order. Crazy Shirts quite frequently held exclusive licensing deals throughout their years, most notably Kliban Cat, which they still hold to this day.

Their colorful embroidered tags are a standout from other brands – and especially the smaller exterior tag sometimes situated on the bottom hem of their tees.

If you have any additional info on Crazy Shirts please comment below.

Have a photo of a tag design we missed? Please share it by clicking on “+image” below the comments field!

  • View the previous Belton brand.
Category: Brands


Who the F*ck is Nicky Panicci, Anyway?

January 3, 2012 by Jimmy J · 3 Comments  

Who cares? You should. Nicky Panicci is an L.A.-based collector of vintage clothing (among other things) who became the gatekeeper to the the rarest collection of vintage t-shirts in the world.  The relics were once the property of record entrepreneur, Charlie Blue, and former partner of Bill Graham (Filmore East, Filmore West, Winterland Ballroom,etc.) and concert promoter Barry Fey. Panicci acquired the 1800-piece collection after Blue passed away in 2001 and quickly realized the tees told a unique history of Blue and of rock ‘n roll.

“I had so many t-shirts that it was unbelievable. I separated them into categories, such as English Rock, American Rock, European Rock; or by venue, such as nightclubs, concert halls or stadiums. You name it… It was there and I had it.”

Charlie Blue was loved by many rock stars and their supporting cast because he facilitated their illicit desires. Prostitution, drugs, gambling and everything else record execs didn’t want to officially involve themselves with but knew rockers couldn’t live without. The Stones were among Blue’s biggest fans – they even made a shirt in honor of him (above) and Blue is rumored to be the inspiration for a few of their tunes. Despite catering to appetites for destruction, once the storm settled, Blue always made sure to neatly tuck away a t-shirt as a memento. If only these t-shirts could talk.

Once the collection was in Nicky’s hands (and quite often on his torso) he started photographing each piece for inclusion in his book, titled Vintage Rock T.

“I remember the first weeks of going through these t-shirts, recognizing that I had something nobody in the world had ever seen in one place, at one time. I knew it was an extremely special cache of historical artifacts that would tell the most incredible story, based on Charlie Blue’s life, just told by the t-shirt itself, almost saying no words at all,” Panicci explained.

As Nicky sold off doubles and scored record-breaking prices for a handful of his most prized pieces, word about his “Holy Grail of t-shirt collections” spread like wildfire through the community. With all eyes on his goods, Panicci alleges greed resulted in the hijacking of his original book concept (below) and photography by a well-known vintage clothing store based in NYC.

The mess that ensued can best be explained by the man himself:

“You know you’re doing something right when people steal your ideas. This book had nothing to do with What Goes Around Comes Around. I just sold them 250 of my middle-of-the-road t-shirts a year-and-a-half after I shot the book.

“While I was in there, selling them these shirts, I showed them the concept of the book that I had written, with Mike Rosen, who pinned the first Led Zeppelin interview for Cream Magazine, and wrote the book on Black Sabbath in 1971. They offered to buy a position on the cover of the book, which was never confirmed by me.

“I was in the middle of negotiations with various publishers, everybody wanted to do this book. I signed legal contracts regarding the 250 shirts that What Goes Around Comes Around bought from me, stating they were never to be used in book form – only to be used in print and/or resale. This was agreed upon, only to be reneged, which resulted in a legal battle, which eventually saw me as the victor.

“After all, when I walked into their office – and I kid you not – I had to explain 90-percent of who the rock bands were on these t-shirts to the owners of that store, such as Believe It or Not, Roxy Music, the sensational Alex Harvey band, Gentle Giant, Sweet and many more. They knew nothing, but now presented themselves as leading experts. This I found very humorous.

“At the end of the day, all I ever wanted to do was shine light on these beautiful t-shirts and the extremely unique career of Charlie Blue, one of the most beloved people in the record industry.”

In 2010, Defunkd broke the story on the record-setting $10k sale of an uber-rare Zeppelin back-stage pass tee (below.) But that transaction was specific to eBay – Nicky has surpassed that amount numerous times with private sales.

“I have set record prices that nobody has ever hit, reaching $16,000 for Mick Jagger’s Ritva Man goat’s head soup sweater, or $12,000 for a Tattoo You, signed Andy Warhol T-Shirt, just to name a few.”

And speaking of that Zeppelin tee? Panicci owns it, of course. He recently listed it on Defunkd for $10,000 but is willing to consider reasonable offers. It’s the first of many rarities that Nicky will be showcasing exclusively through our Collective.

Category: Interview


In Vintage We Trust

January 2, 2012 by Jimmy J · Leave a Comment  

The eBay award winning vintage outfit known as In Vintage We Trust is starting the new year off with a bang! 300+ auctions for vintage tees all starting at $9.99. But they aren’t just auctioning tees – they’ve got 700+ goodies up for grabs from all walks of the vintage clothing genre. IVWT were recognized by eBay.ca for their exceptional customer service practices which landed them the “Service-preneur” of 2011 honors. Translation: we can definitely trust In Vintage We Trust.

Category: Sales


Going Once, Going Twice, Going Broke

December 23, 2011 by Jimmy J · 1 Comment  

Every few weeks we scour through eBay’s vintage t-shirt sales and report which relics are fetching top dollar. More reasons to raid your grandpa’s closet.

Click the links below to view the full eBay listing or the seller’s current inventory.

  1. 70s vintage Black Sabbath Sunday t-shirt sold for $699.00 by Stormcrow-Vintage
  2. 50s vintage Kansas City Athletics t-shirt sold for $500.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  3. 80s vintage Keith Haring Christmas t-shirt sold for $500.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  4. 80s vintage The Misfits Beware t-shirt sold for $347.00 by Stormcrow-Vintage
  5. 80s vintage Bob Segar Rock N Roll jersey sold for $300.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  6. 70s vintage Paul McCartney Ram it t-shirt sold for $200.00 WyCo_Vintage
  • View a previous edition where a Andy Warhol t-shirt fetched top dollar.


Dead For 15 Years

December 20, 2011 by max · Leave a Comment  

A t-shirt gallery for Dead Heads who appreciate a vintage torso.

Shirt # 5: Grateful Dead 15th Anniversary

Availability: Currently on the Defunkd Collective (Click Above)

Date: 1980

Fact: The Grateful Dead were the house band for the Acid Tests, which were a series of house parties held by Ken Kesey in the mid 1965-66. Kesey was heavily involved in experimental drugs and was best know for writing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Approximate Value: $200-250

Image Courtesy of MaxVintage

Category: Grateful Dead