Category: Vintage T-Shirt Authentication | Legit Check

@ralliroots recently contacted us after repeatedly noticing members of the community mislabeling the various types of t-shirts in the vintage universe. Let’s all get on the same page about these definitions, shall we? We’ve elaborated on our list of vintage t-shirt definitions with actual examples to set the record straight. And don’t worry, it is a touch confusing… What’s an Authentic Vintage T-Shirt? An authentic, real, true, or genuine vintage t-shirt is at least 20 years old. If two decades have passed since its manufacture, it’s authentic vintage, regardless of whether it’s an original, a reissue, a bootleg or throwback ... Read more

Buying an original T-shirt can be tricky, but nothing beats having in hand the original you bought at the time. This is particularly true if you bought it directly from the band via mail order, as is the case here. Now, that might be an impossible bar to overcome for many, but for a T-shirt hoarder and folder like me, who tends to obsess, this is an easy one. From the first time I saw them live, I loved Spacemen 3. So, in 1988/1989, I wrote to the address on the back of the record sleeve, and in return, I ... Read more

Last week, on Reddit/VintageTees, a user posted photos of his yard sale haul, and it ignited a firestorm of comments regarding authenticity. Let’s use this as a case study, examine the situation closely and learn something from it. I know I did. Yes, that’s a Nirvana HSB t-shirt among the pile, which basically means this lucky son of a gun scored it for $10. Some applauded the haul, but it wasn’t long before the shirt’s authenticity was called into question. If you visit the post currently, here’s the comment at the very top with the most reactions: and then there ... Read more

It wasn’t long ago that you could easily authenticate a vintage tee using just the tag. There was always a chance the counterfeiter had printed on actual vintage blanks, but the majority of brands didn’t have blanks floating around. So when you were examining a t-shirt with a Giant or Wild Oats tag, you almost automatically knew it was legit. Needless to say, authenticating was far easier in the olden days. In the mid-2010s, the real trouble began. Convincing versions of the 80s classics like 3D Emblem and Sneakers, started coming out of Thailand and they were attached to blank ... Read more

It’s important to note that I’m focusing on bootlegs that are actually vintage, so at least 20 years old. This has nothing to do with modern bootlegs that feature counterfeit tags like the ones showcased in our fake tag archive. Those are meant to be vintage knock-offs, while vintage bootlegs are two decades old, often feature original artwork, and are generally accepted by the vintage community. In the mid-2000s I connected with a gentleman who was a concert merch manager in the 1980s and 90s. He had thousands of vintage t-shirts in storage – and we partnered up to sell ... Read more