Vintage Harley Davidson 3D Emblem T-Shirt Sells for $13,500

The year 2024 proved to be a record-breaking one for vintage Harley-Davidson t-shirts, with staggering sales that set new benchmarks for the market.

It all started in January when a Harley-Davidson Road Rebel t-shirt, designed by 3D Emblem, sold for $4,300 on eBay. We confirmed the sale, which immediately topped our list of the highest-selling Harley-3D Emblem t-shirts in the past three years.

By September, the market saw another jaw-dropping moment. A Road Rebel design was sold through exit73vintage.com for over $10,000—more than double the previous record. This version featured a Harley dealer print on the back, unlike the earlier eBay sale, which had a blank back, adding to its value.

The year concluded with another monumental sale in December. A variant of the Road Rebel t-shirt fetched an astonishing $13,500 through Defunkd. This version was particularly special, as the back featured a second design by another 3D Emblem artist, commemorating the 1988 Black Hills Classic. To top it off, the shirt was certified and graded in-person, revealing it was in mint condition, having never been worn or washed—a rarity that significantly increased its desirability and final price.

To add to the story’s intrigue, the t-shirt was discovered by Danielle C., an antique booth dealer who bought it for just $3 from a man in Snohomish, Washington – and then used Defunkd’s vintage t-shirt consignment service.

Vintage 1988 Harley Davidson 3D Emblem “Road Rebel” T-Shirt Sells for $13,500

Why Are Vintage T-Shirts So Expensive?

Over the past two decades, vintage t-shirts have surged in popularity, often worn by celebrities and subsequently coveted by fans. For instance, a vintage Nirvana t-shirt sported by Justin Bieber in 2014 still fetches between $3,000 and $5,000 today. While fashion trends may ebb and flow, specific vintage t-shirts maintain their high value by crossing into niche collectibles alongside comics and trading cards.

Consider the 1967 Grateful Dead t-shirt that sold for $17,640 in 2021. Its value was driven by a combination of factors: the artist, the artwork, provenance, rarity, and overall condition.

Today, vintage t-shirts are authenticated (counterfeits are a significant concern) and graded for condition, firmly cementing their status within the quirky world of collectibles.

What Is 3D Emblem?

3D Emblem began as a modest print shop in Fort Worth, Texas, established in 1952 by Tyrone Powell, a former World War II pilot. During the 1970s, Powell brought on a partner and expanded the business to include screen printing on shirts, jerseys, and other apparel.

In the early 1980s, the company underwent a pivotal change when Jim L. Want took over ownership, and the company started to make waves in the industry.

Around the same time, Harley-Davidson was cracking down on unauthorized use of its branding, prompting a shift in strategy. To address the issue, Harley began officially licensing merchandise and labeling items as “Officially Licensed Products” to protect their intellectual property.

What’s Special About 3D’s Tees?

By the early 1980s, 3D Emblem revolutionized the industry by developing a groundbreaking method for printing on black t-shirts—something no one else had mastered at the time.

We spoke with Matt Hamje, who worked for the company during the late 1980s and is the artist behind 3D Emblem’s most iconic design, the Road Rebel t-shirt.

“In those days, no one knew how to let the shirt breathe when printing high opacity inks on a black shirt. They often printed over a solid white base, and the shirt felt like a bulletproof vest. We let the black base color of the shirt be the grey and black in the art. No one else knew how to do this, making our work stand out in the marketplace. All the other printers took years trying to catch up,” Hamje explained.

3D Emblem’s success also stemmed from its team of skilled artists, who produced intricate, highly detailed designs. T-shirt printing during that era was a painstakingly manual process. Unlike today’s digital workflows, every element was created by hand without the aid of computers or automation. Each design took 7 to 10 days to complete, and artists typically produced three designs per month.

Who is Buying These T-Shirts?

From the early 2000s to 2010, vintage clothing collectors in Japan led the charge in paying premium prices for 3D Emblem t-shirts. However, it didn’t take long for collectors in Thailand and Malaysia to join the fray, driving up demand and prices.

One such collector, Akkarapol Rattanaphan from Songkhla, Thailand, shared his story with us. He recently acquired two of the abovementioned Road Rebel t-shirts for a staggering $23,500 USD. With eight years of experience collecting vintage band t-shirts, Rattanaphan has shifted his focus in the past three years to the sought-after designs of 3D Emblem, reflecting the growing global enthusiasm for these unique pieces.

“They are beautiful and well-designed and have a lot of charm for an 80’s t-shirt,” Akkarapol told us. When asked about the hefty price tag, he described the purchase as a wise investment. “I think they might reach 20k-30k per t-shirt soon.”

U.S. collectors have been scrambling to catch up recently, but many have been priced out of the market. Casey Collins, a vintage clothing dealer from San Diego, California, has managed to amass an extraordinary collection of over 250 3D Emblem t-shirts. His efforts go beyond collecting t-shirts—he has also acquired original artwork, printing screens, promotional materials, and company documents. For over a decade, Collins has meticulously researched the company’s history, building relationships with its artists and former employees to preserve its legacy.

“I was always fortunate to find my shirts off eBay and haven’t paid much for them. Mainly because I started before the trend caught fire – I liked the shirts, so I kept them. I have paid high prices a couple of times for very rare graphics, but unfortunately, it’s too overpriced these days, so when I see a graphic I want, it’s out of reach,” Casey told us.

By the mid-1990s, 3D Emblem’s partnership with Harley-Davidson had ended. As competitors gradually adopted 3D’s innovative printing techniques, the market became increasingly saturated. Facing intense competition, the company eventually went out of business.

When a single t-shirt fetches over $13,000, it’s clear that demand for these pieces has reached an all-time high.

“We were just a group of odd, silly, sometimes not-so-functional artists just coming to work and drawing cool stuff. Nothing corporate. It was like the Wild West there in those days—the entire industry. I’m proud that all the work Steve, Pam, Brenda, Kenny, myself, and others have created is being appreciated. It was a great time in the industry and a great time in my life,” said Matt Hamje.

For more information about this t-shirt, check out the platinum certification.