Archive of Authentic Vintage T-Shirt Tags Often Suspected as Being Fake

From time to time a vintage t-shirt tag is suspected of being a counterfeit, when it actually isn’t. This is a sign of the times – we live in the era of convincing fake tags and none of us want to be fooled twice. Sometimes there are elements to a tag that are inconsistent with other versions and it sets off alarm bells. Other times it’s because the tag is lesser seen and most are unfamiliar with it – so it’s assumed to be fugazi. (After nearly 20 years in this business – I still see vintage t-shirt tags that I’m unfamiliar with – so if you see something new, don’t assume it’s fake until you can prove it.)

If you have any tags you’d like us to investigate, get in touch here.

Vintage Brockum Worldwide “Made in China” T-Shirt tag

If you flip over these tags they usually read “Printed in Australia by ACME Merchandising.”

So they are legit. The detail in the front of the tag is something counterfeiters have never properly achieved.

One user cited spotting t-shirts with these tags on Ali Baba and Ali Express – but this can be explained. The people behind these repro operations often use photos of actual vintage t-shirts, which they likely sourced from a genuine eBay listing.

One theory on BMIC tags, is that they often seem to be reissues of previous Brockum prints. So if you have one of these, and it’s a shirt that purports to be from the early to mid 1990s, it may not be the OG version, but it is still vintage. However, more research is required to determine the validity of this.

As a side note, we’re currently investigating another BMIC tag, that has a misspelling on the back “SYCNEY, AUSTRALIA.” It appears to be a vinyl-type, printed tag, rather than one made up of threads (woven.)

courtesy of ig/owenfost

Visit our Brockum tag history for the complete lineup of oddball tags.

Vintage GIANT T-Shirt Tag (with lowercase URL)

It seems as though most GIANT tags that include their URL are uppercase, but the lowercase ones are legit, too. The thickness of the GIANT font is also okay in this instance, however, if the font is that thick on a “By Tee Jays” version, it’s fake. You’ll also notice this one is sewn-in on the outside of flap, inside the collar. And, oddly, the thread appears to be clear. There’s also an additional white finishing thread with 4 notches. This is all a-ok!

Vintage Massive Best FOTL Tag

These BEST big boys aren’t super common and currently have no explanation as to why they are so big, but they are real. Several members of the community have shared what print is on these tags, and they are most often prints that have zero value.

VINTAGE TULTEX TAGS WITH “COTTON” FADED

TULTEX with misbehaving “COTTON” text on the block. Varying degrees of bizarre fade here, but all are the real deal. Have a look for yourself in our archives, where you’ll see photos of Tultex tags that were uploaded over 10 years ago with these exact fades.

VINTAGE REDWOOD & REDWOOD SPORTS WEAR TAGS

REDWOOD makes cameos on all sorts of late 90s tees – including band tees, where they seem out of place. They aren’t.

“Redwood Sports Wear was the first version from 1997, 1998 – 2001 was Redwood only.” according to @badabing_vintage.

VINTAGE UNITED SPORTS T-SHIRT TAG

UNITED SPORTS‘ origins are not fully known, some say Japan – but they appear to be from mid-90s to early 00s, and sometimes feature throwback images that are likely not licensed, but these tags are vintage.

Vintage Screen Stars Made in [not USA]

Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and El Salvador are all legit, and from the 1980s/1990s before free trade was a thing. 1980s Screen Stars tags have a wide variety of odd variations, you can find more examples here.

VINTAGE MURINA TAG EXTRA TEXT

This unconventional Murina Tag often sets up alarm bells. Murina’s super basic tag design is often assumed to be the only
one. This one is totally fine too.

Vintage Sun Island T-Shirt Tag

Sadly, Sun Island is often mistaken for Bay Island. It was born in Jamaica in the 70s, SI often features novelty and tourist prints – but often Reggae vibes – including Bob Marley tees.

Vintage Cygnus Sportswear tag

From what I can tell – Cygnus was born in the late 1990s, perhaps even 1999, I have seen much evidence to suggest it was earlier, but I’m keeping an eye on it. The blank seemed to hit its stride in the early to mid-2000s, so it’s just now coming into its vintage era. It’s double stitched top and bottom.

Vintage Vogel Mills & Manufacturing Tag

Vogel is often mistaken for a retro brand due to the modern appearance of the label, and that all the prints on these tees are usually 1980s pop culture. But it’s true vintage. RN Number 50312 was registered in roughly 1972 by National Mills. Vogel appears to be the go-to brand for specialty t-shirts. You’ll often find this tag on a camo tee, in a color that wasn’t typically available, a shirt with detailing on it – like a ringer or a t-shirt with extra length.

Vintage College Lane Tags

This one has puzzled us for years. But I think it’s safe to conclude this tag is vintage. According to the RN calculator 46275 – it came to be in the early 70s. But I also think in the 1990s and early 00s they started doing retro-sh prints, which are vintage now. To further confuse things, I’ve found a College Lane tagged t-shirt dated 2007 – so there are t-shirts with this tag that aren’t yet vintage – but the tag size and design is slightly different. So if it looks like the one above, it’s vintage.

Vintage Michael Athletic Dept. Tag

This is another oddball tag like Redwood, that just seems out of place. But low and behold, it’s 1990s vintage – we’ve had it in our brand archive since 2014 on band tees from the late 1990s. It seems to find its way onto multiple genres of t-shirts, sports, animation, etc. There’s a white-based version and and black tag as well.

To be continued…