Category: Shirts

Giant Records and Merchandising was a joint venture founded in 1990 by legendary rock manager Irving Azoff and Warner Bros. Although Giant also produced merchandise for Warner Bros movies and cartoons their t-shirts quickly became synonymous with rock music. This was by design since at the time it was thought Rock fans were more loyal than others and it was hard to argue since in 1989 Brockum and Winterland combined for nearly $500 million in sales. 1991-1995 Starting in 1991 Giant used three tags interchangeably, with no reliable heuristic. While other brands like Brockum silently used FOTL for their blanks, ... Read more

I took a break for a couple of years from the VTU (vintage tee universe) and all hell broke loose. Marketplace platforms like Grailed and Depop (sold to Etsy!) exploded while a ton of transactions started happening through Instagram DMs. Then the early days of the pandemic ushered in live auctions on IG courtesy of 1980 Something Co. At one point last week five IG accounts I follow were hosting t-shirt auctions at the SAME time. It’s live insanitee. Vintage t-shirt auctions on eBay were huge in the early aughts, people got caught up in the excitement of bidding and ... Read more

Iron Maiden tees have long been one of the gold standards of vintage t-shirts. Through the many peaks and valleys of the vintage t-shirt market, they have retained their value, and in many cases steadily increased over the years. Why Are Iron Maiden T-Shirts so Valuable? This is partly due to a loyal and ravenous fanbase, and the fact that they’re still touring. And of course, nostalgia is a huge driving factor. Most importantly though, they had a unique approach to t-shirt merchandising and designs. While they did print mass quantities of certain designs, they also created specific designs for ... Read more

Hands-down, Josh from @invintagewetrust puts together some of the most entertaining IG videos in the vintage clothing universe. A few years ago Josh visited Defunkd HQ (which is basically a dimly lit unfinished dungeon-esque basement) to purchase some inventory while I was trying to make room for boxes of diapers, strollers, and toys. He’s the most meticulous buyer I have ever met, with an impressive eye for detail and the highest standards for condition. This is especially apparent in the apparel he puts on sale online and at his brick-and-mortar shop. It’s usually flawless, tidy, and his presentation rivals high-end ... Read more

The gentleman we sat down with is a veteran of the vintage clothing business with 3D Emblem vintage t-shirt expertise. He’s been collecting 3D tees for over a decade and has 250+ of them. He’s also amassed a personal collection of original art, t-shirt screens, company documents, and promotional material. He’s done extensive research on the company’s history, personnel, and is in contact with the artists who did some of the most popular designs. He runs the 3D Emblem Instagram account that meticulously documents all things 3D. And the best news is that he’s agreed to contributing ongoing updates to ... Read more