Category: Rock

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

Sotheby’s “From the Vault: Property from the Grateful Dead and Friends” auction ended with some amazing results in the clothing category. Not only did two vintage Grateful Dead t-shirts combine for over 30k, but another shirt on their auction block brought in $21,420 USD. This relic was worn on stage by Pigpen, aka Ron McKernan who was a founding member of the Dead and was with the band until 1972. Factor in that it was worn during the Sand Storm Festival in 1970 – there are multiple layers of value due to some pretty unique provenance. Sotheby’s There’s been some ... Read more

There’s a new record for the most expensive band t-shirt. Back in 2011, we broke the news that a vintage Led Zeppelin t-shirt that sold for $10k on eBay. It took ten years but the record sale for a band tee has not only been broken but smashed, by two Grateful Dead tees. RELATED: Fillmore West Pigpen Stage-Worn Jersey Sells for Over $20k Listed among Sotheby’s “From the Vault: Property from the Grateful Dead and Friends” auction set with the title “Grateful Dead | Designed by Allan ‘Gut’ Terkas,” the tee is described as “One of the earliest official Grateful ... Read more

Vintage Rock t-shirts have always been a part of author and collector Stephen Voland’s life. From pouring over old pictures of his super cool rock and roll parents to fighting over first dibs on the black shirt section with his thrifting friends in Jr. High, it’s been Stephen’s passion for music history, foresight, and commitment to the hunt that has led to an insane amassment of vintage music t-shirts. I sat down with Stephen to talk about what gets him out there hunting, how vintage shirt popularity has changed the way he shops, and of course what’s the worst shirt ... Read more

“My name is Mark Killington and always been a big music fan. By luck in early 1986 I got a job as a general gofer for the late great Rupert Neve (most famous audio equipment designer for studios) and what was then his new company Focusrite after he’d sold his Neve company. The first job he was doing was a sub-mixer for Air Montserrat (George Martin). Rupert was persuaded to go back into big console manufacturing and had a huge list of big studios wanting to leave a deposit to be one of the first recipients of one of his ... Read more