Vintage T-Shirt Forum & Community Authentication Appraisals

Hi guys iam new to jimmys page but not to vintage shirts.I got a chance to purchase my first concert shirt from the first show i ever saw it was a iron maiden somewhere on tour 1987 tour shirt.Its the black shirt with eddie on the front and tour dates on the back seller listed it as BEEN IN STORAGE needs to be washed other than that shirt in perfect condition.True to his word this shirt was out of sight out of mind just the way it looked in 87.From what i could tell this shirt has never been wore and i was going to pop its cherry with delight.Fitted like a glove nice smooth springford 50/50 blend it was awsum.Until the fourth wash i hand wash all my vintage and hang them in a room that we dont use to dry.I noticed a hole in the armpit well thats ok ill have the in law fix it and she did no probs.Next wash holes around neck appear and two in the back??Remember i dont even ring these shirts out i hang dry them wet.Have them holes repaired now i spray shirt with febreeze i dont even wash no more due to holes poping up! Help me anyone whats happening to this shirt????I have the GNR rape scene shirt made by same company and same amount of years and still no holes or tears.Is this shirt dryrotting in front just like the memorys of maiden opeing up with the bladerunner theme???S.O.S HELP

You could have a shirt that was new old stock and was over-cured...screen printed shirts are put under a heat lamp to dry the print on the tee. Every so often they are left too long, which completely dries out the shirt. Then they are put in a dry storage for 20 years and are ruined. I have NOS vintage shirts that you can literally rip like a piece of paper...I have put them on to photograph them and they start to disintegrate...and actually release a pretty toxic dust in to the air that ends up making your snot black.

Perhaps when you first washed it you breathed a little moisture in to it....but it can't fully be saved. Pick a small area of the t-shirt and tug at it...see if you can split the fabric with a little pressure.

Sorry man, you might have to opt for a new one.

jimmyj wrote:...and actually release a pretty toxic dust in to the air that ends up making your snot black.

That's the story of my life. I could make a living selling dust.

I have the same issues. I've ripped up 50s champion and 80s rock tees. It's the cost of wearing vintage clothing.