Category: Bootlegs

@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

Living legend Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers During the 2001 Major League Baseball season, I worked as an usher at Wrigley Field making $4.50 and hour which was the minimum wage back then. It took me more than an hour to get to the stadium on public transportation from my home in the suburbs. I’d listen to a Phish CD on a Discman with anti-skip technology while being bumped into by all the fans heading to the game. The most appealing part of the job was that I’d get to watch my favorite team all season while being paid to do ... 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

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

What is Rap Tee Style? Rap tee style can be described as a collage of imagery layered on a background, typically featuring numerous faces. The fonts are typically outlined in white, with a color inside that often has a shading effect on it. Generally, the tees have a wide variety of colors. This style is often used to describe non-hip hop t-shirts, that aren’t technically Rap Tees – like Tiger Woods or even the Back Street Boys. And of course, they are bootlegs, unlicensed merch. Bay Club Bay Club-tagged vintage 1990s t-shirts are extremely valuable in today’s market. They typically ... Read more