Whitney, R.I.P.

February 11, 2012 by Jimmy J · 2 Comments  

A vintage t-shirt gallery inspired by current events.

Headline: Whitney Houston Dead

Availability: Scarce, Click here to Check eBay

Sadly, Whitney Houston passed away today. Her publicist announced the news but with few details – no cause of death has been announced – not even her whereabouts at the time.

After tearing up the charts in the 80s with her unbelievable vocal range she dabbled in acting. She broke in to the biz with a bang in 1992 along side Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard and went on to appear in three other films by 1997. Around the same time her success took a turn for the worse during her rocky marriage to Bobby Brown and the couples’ reported drug fueled relationship.

But things had been looking up since 2007 after she was officially divorced from Brown. In 2009 she released the album, “I Look To You” which entered Billboard at #1 – the first time since her Bodyguard release. After coming clean with Oprah she went out on tour and was even slated for a film comeback.

Whitney is still the world’s most awarded female act of all time.

Category: Headlines


Showco Showcase Pt. IV

February 10, 2012 by Max · Leave a Comment  

Interview with Jason Sprinzen continued from Part III

If you had to choose only one t-shirt out of the ones you own, what would it be and why? Is it the same t-shirt you would be buried in?

Hmmm….I like this question. I feel like that portly kid in the movie Stand by Me. “If you could only choose one food to eat for your whole life, what would that be?” “That’s easy…Pez..cherry flavored Pez.” I would choose my black and orange 1977 Led Zeppelin Showco shirt.

If you would like a visual, it’s on page 60 of the Vintage Rock T-Shirt book by Mr. Johan Kugelberg. It fucking rules! Actually, many of those shirts pictured in the book reside in my collection.

Why would it be the Zeppelin Showco? 1977 man…that’s when Zeppelin and Showco hit their stride and most grandeur. I’m smiling just thinking about it. It must have been an exhilarating time. And yes, I have already made arrangements to be wearing it during my traditional Viking funeral.

Why are the t-shirts from the 70s so small? Have we grown as a species, or was everyone on drugs back then?

I believe we have grown as a species. Fast food nation kids. With internet porn, online banking, and Domino’s pizza delivery (with their stuffed, cheesy crust, meat lovers pie and a liter of Mountain Dew), there isn’t any reason to leave the crib-EVER.

The 70′s were all about “the form fit”. “I say hey sky…I sho’ am digging that polyester look…turn yourself in baby!” “I pray to J everyday that you be wearin’ that same ol’ same ol’.” And YES- everyone was on drugs.

What t-shirt/s do you think is the rarest in the world?

That’s a loaded question subject to conjecture! I won’t promote myself here or anyone else out there, even though I DO have the rarest shirt in the world (laughing). I like to think it’s the shirt we all have not seen yet. The one that’s gonna surprise us so we say, “Oh man! I didn’t know they made that!” “Honey…come here, no really come here, you gotta see this shirt!” That’s what keeps us all going, isn’t it?

What era do you consider the golden age of rock t-shirts, and do you have any interest in rock tees of the 80s/90s?

They made rock n’ roll tee shirts in the 80′s and 90′s? I didn’t know that! Seriously- my cut off point is 1981 for anything. Anything after that is jive. I’m not talking about the artist- it’s the shirt itself. Over-sized, big, beefy, heavy weight cotton that makes you look like a frumpy 15 year old at a sleep over party. Oh and don’t remind me about the thick ink artwork too! WTF? The golden age for me is the seventies, bro. The manufactures hit their stride and got it right.

Do you wear your shirts often, or save them for special events? 

I do wear them with tremendous pride.  I have a few that fit me well and are really cool.  I’ve conditioned everyone so I know that when I walk into a room with a Showco the first thing they say is for me to turn around so they can see the artist artwork on the back.

“Oh cool Jason!” “ It’s an Osmonds from 1978!” “You’re a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll!” I feel different when I put one on. It feels great. They’re so comfortable, striking to look at, and a good conversation starter too. I could see why the road crew wore em’ till they disintegrated off their backs and why the bands that Showco produced fought for extras themselves.

Stayed tuned for Part V………

Category: Interview, Showco


Showco Showcase Pt. III

February 7, 2012 by Max · 5 Comments  

Interview with Jason Sprinzen continued from Part II

Tell us about the Ronnie Van Zant Showco shirt.

So you’d like to hear about Ronnie’s Showco shirt? I purchased it a few years back from Mr. Joe Barnes who was the second roadie hired in 1973 to work for the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. This was Ronnie’s favorite shirt. If you do a search you will see him wearing it on and off stage more than any other shirt he owned.

While on tour in 1976 the band had a rare day off. Dean Kilpatrick (Skynyrd’s late road manager) was sorting the band’s laundry in his room while Ronnie was propped up on the bed watching a football game. Dean was folding Ronnie’s shirt and Joe, who was also in the room, commented, “hey! I never got one of those Showco shirts.” Dean said, “hey man…this is Ronnie’s shirt”. Ronnie heard that, looked over, and said, “just give Joe the shirt.” Dean protested, but Ronnie’s generosity was unwavering. He would have kicked Dean’s ass if he made him miss one more minute of the game talking about a shirt. Wow…heavy…he really was that type of guy that would actually give you the shirt off his back.

It’s wild because after that transaction you’ll never see Ronnie pictured in that shirt again (I know…I’ve searched high and low). There’s more to the story, but I’d like to save it for the book.

It’s been under my care since 2009. I’ve touched it only a few times. I’ll never wash it or try it on (even though it looks like it just might fit me) out of respect for the man and his music. There’s no tag. Probably ripped out by Ronnie when he first got it. It’s got some holes and rips and the color has faded. That’s to be expected from a grueling 70’s rock tour. He had a huge presence on stage, but by no means a tall man in stature.

Examining the shirt you can see how it perfectly fit his frame. It still smells of a hard working front man. I’ve made a personal decision that I would like to donate this iconic item. Perhaps Freebird Live in Jacksonville Beach, Florida if they would have it. I also thought of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

It needs to be shared with the fans and not stashed away in a dark safe place like a drawer. In my opinion, this shirt is the most recognized visual in southern rock. If someone out there has got a solid plan they would like to present to me to make it happen- please get in touch. Note it’s not for sale. It never will be. My offer stands.

If one of your tees could talk,which one would tell the best story?  Do any have famous band DNA on them, ones that have survived altercations or crazy nights out?

I must say that 95% of my collection has intriguing or interesting stories attached with them.  You must realize that these shirts were there every night.  They were there for every show and witnessed everything.  No one was closer to the musicians than the Showco crew.  I have to say that it was tough extracting some stories from the alumni for the book. Their level of professionalism, loyalty, and standing as wallflowers about what was seen on tour still ring true today.

These folks truly love the music and have the utmost respect for the musicians and their craft. I do have shirts that were owned by band members, but I’d like to save some surprises for the book.  Your DNA question is cool so I’ll answer that.  I do have a shirt with rock star DNA on it.  It’s blood.  Blood from Jimmy McCulloch, the late Gibson SG slinging guitarist for Wings.

Legend has it Sir Paul McCartney, while on the 1976 Wings Over America Tour, caught the naughty guitarist in a backstage dressing room hoovering a line of tour no-no. Paul punched him square in the face.  Bloody and powder  covered Jimmy should have expected that this might be coming, if busted, from the man who penned the song “Listen to What the Man Said.”

What are your thoughts on the recent value of vintage rock tees on eBay? How have the prices changed over your time collecting? Do you see this as a good thing or a bad thing?

(At the time of this post, there are two Showco shirts on ebay that are at least $3k while the others range from $200-$1k. A lot of 7 just sold for $1,500.)

Oy vey!  My mom said that if you’ve got nothing nice to say, then don’t say it at all.  I started the trend in Showco.  No one knew.  I was under everyone’s radar for years and years. You never saw one because I made off like a thief in the middle of the night.  I created the mystique for better or worse and now it stands to haunt  me.

Check out Ebay.  There’s a few up there.  I own every one of them, but look at the prices… astronomical.  I will say this- for quite sometime Ebay and a few local shops here in NYC are ripe with the inflating price of vintage.  All these cats want to do is show off their wares between each other, put a super high price tag on it- with no real intention to sell.  They’re just pulling down their zippers.

Well you know what…you are all doing the wrong thing here and you will screw yourself eventually.  You’re all denying a kid of 14 a cool vintage shirt from his favorite band and that’s your growing market.  Not the 46 year old with a little money in the bank, (that’s even drying up-this country’s hurting) who wants to relive his Ronnie James Dio devil symbol, finger banging glory days.  The poor teenagers option now…they’ve gotta get a not so cool repro from the mall.  You should cater to the young girl that wants her vintage 70’s Black Sabbath tour shirt and not have it be several hundred dollars.

I’m happy to have moved on from you cats and not depend on your sourcing.  Mob Rules…even though you’ve assumed you’re on top of vintage mountain; you can’t be buried with it.  I might not be making friends here and that’s ok.  However, someone’s got to say it because we’re all thinking it.

Stay tuned for Part IV……..

Category: Interview, Showco


Tony Stark: In Heavy Metal and Into Heavy Metal

February 6, 2012 by Jimmy J · 1 Comment  

Of course Stark’s favorite music is Heavy Metal, what did you expect, soft rock? This is a screen grab from The Avengers Super Bowl trailer which has us pondering if the rebel billionaire prefers true vintage. He should, just out of respect for fallen vintage tee aficionado DJ AM who made a cameo in the Iron Man sequel. And with Academy Award winning costume designer Alexandra Bryne behind the scenes we should expect nothing less given she’s no stranger to vintage.

However – Downey himself has been spotted in both true and repro vintage. His lame “Worn Free” tee failed to impress us but he gets full points for sporting an original Van Halen jersey. He’s got the perfect build to rock the real deal so it’s ridiculous that Robert would ever choose repros, right?

The cut on this tee definitely looks vintage – but was the 1970s original as printed with gold ink? Or is this a commissioned repro – customized with gold for Iron Man armor continuity and to make it more subtle so it doesn’t steal the scene? Cast your vote below!

Check out true vintage Black Sabbath t-shirts here and cast your vote about Tom Cruise‘s Mission Impossible Springsteen tee.

Category: Celebrities, Movies


Going Once, Going Twice, Going Broke

February 2, 2012 by Jimmy J · 32 Comments  

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. 60s vintage Woodstock t-shirt sold for $7000.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  2. 80s vintage The Clash Out of Control t-shirt sold for $420.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  3. 70s vintage Rolling Stone Magazine McGovern t-shirt sold for $350.00 by kosher
  4. 90s vintage Soundgarden F*ck Happens t-shirt sold for $350.00 by WyCo_Vintage
  5. 80s vintage Hells Angels Berkshire t-shirt sold for $250.00 by aprostella
  6. 90s vintage Traci Lords t-shirt sold for $199.00 wax_and_threads
  • View a previous edition where a Vain t-shirt fetched top dollar.