Vintage T-Shirt Forum & Community Authentication Appraisals

Hey fellow vintage tee sellers! I was just thinking through this recently and wanted to get thoughts from you all...

Is there a point to listing the tag size in item descriptions? It seems, to me, to just confuse potential buyers, but maybe I'm missing a reason why some potential buyers may want to know. I do always show a closeup picture of the tag which would allow shoppers to see the size on that if needed. What I'm talking about is actually putting the tag size in my listing description and then right after that, telling the shopper to basically ignore that. For example, here's how I usually do it...

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Tag Size: Adult vintage XL – **Don't go by the tag size!** Use measurements to ensure proper fit

Actual Size: Length 27" – Pit to pit 21" (modern large?)

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So I've been thinking the past week about taking out the tag size and just doing something like this instead...

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**Don't go by the tag size!** Use measurements to ensure proper fit

Actual Size: Length 27" – Pit to pit 21" (modern large?)

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Any thoughts? Is there any reason to keep listing the tag size?

That question has plagued vintage tee sellers through the ages! As even just showing the tag can have a buyer not familiar with vtg sizing assume thats the size - as they havent fully read the description. Then you'll get others who say "the tag says L but your listing says M, which one is it?"

The problem with listing just the modern equivalent is that even modern sizes fluctuate from tag to tag.


check out time travel tees' listings he has a good setup. Mine has worked well in the last few years...although when we talked about before in some other thread some thought it might be slightly confusing - with two sizes listed in the title sometimes - but I think that might get buyers to actually pay attention and investigate. I've also had no issues with buyers thinking I have two sizes. But definitely a little blurb that says ignore the tag size...and go by measurements...helps.

Thanks for the input, Jimmy. Yeah, I do still get quite a few of the "which size is it" questions. Had a lady buy a tee last week that I had listed as medium because that was the modern size. She messaged me a couple minutes later asking if I could cancel the order because she didn't realize it was an XL (that was the tag size; she probably noticed it in the photo of the tag after she ordered). She ended up keeping the order after I explained the sizing thing, but it does cause quite a bit of confusion. I guess that just goes with the territory. It would help if people would actually read the descriptions. It's surprising how many people don't pay attention to all the details. :\

I think I'll make a few minor tweaks and start listing the info like this...

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Tag Size: ***Don't go by the tag size!*** Adult vintage XL – Use measurements to ensure proper fit.

Actual Size: Fits most like modern large – Length 30″ – Pit to pit 21″

I think timw travel tees puts text over the tag image? check him out

Oh yeah. I didn't notice that when I checked out his listings the other day. That's a good idea. I might start doing that. I sell most of my stuff through Etsy which for the longest time only let you add five photos so I rarely had a spot to spare, but they just upped it to ten photos this week so I could fit one like that in now and not have to sacrifice a closeup product shot.

I also decided to change my "Actual Size" wording from "Fits most like modern large" to instead using "Modern large?". I'd rather leave it as a question so I'm not making a for sure statement with the variations in modern sizes, too.

Yeah I try to be ambiguous so they just use the damn measurements!