Vintage 80s T Shirts Comic super heroes, Concerts, WWF etc. selling for thousands of dollars. 2 2

[toro]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:23 AM, Gonzimodo said:

I.  Surprisingly, the ladies didn't flock to me...  

 

 

[Dr. Balls]

I attempted to collect band shirts when I picked up two for pretty cheap. After about two weeks of looking at them, I decided it wasn’t for me, so I gave them away.

I will not understand the collectibility of tshirts or shoes for that matter, but to each their own.

[factory sealed]

On 9/19/2023 at 1:03 AM, Ken Aldred said:

This has been going on for a long time.

Metallica shirts are a great example.

Indeed. What I find really interesting is that current prices today are not correlating to the recent down trend we've seen in comics vs. mani peak say last two years. For instance an ASM 300 CGC 9.8 was fetching $6500 at the peak but now a bunch recently have been getting $3900. These T-shirts are completely on a different planet and from what I'm hearing from some folks is the market for mint new tagged is completely next level.

 

[factory sealed]

On 9/19/2023 at 8:32 AM, Jayman said:

I probably shouldn’t have drank this…

How did your summer wind down? I finally cracked open a bottle of Blanton's gold. Very tasty. Having some dark golden rum right now as I type 

[factory sealed]

On 9/19/2023 at 8:41 AM, F For Fake said:

When I found out about these sales a couple of years ago, I dug out an old Nirvana shirt I'd had since high school, the popular "Sliver" shirt. I remember buying it at Spencer Gifts when I was about 16 or so. I'd worn it so much it was no longer black, it was just kind of GRAY, and it has several small holes as well as the image being cracked. The neck was stretched out as well. This was a WORN shirt.

It sold for about $400.

Good stuff!

[factory sealed]

On 9/18/2023 at 11:13 PM, greggy said:

@BlowUpTheMoon

When I realized you posted that in 48 threads, I thought your account was cracked. Hope you are OK. 

[valiantman]

On 9/19/2023 at 2:28 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I will not understand the collectibility of tshirts or shoes for that matter, but to each their own.

Each generation's "this is neat but I'm going to throw it away when I'm done with it" becomes the next generation's collectibles.

[factory sealed]

On 9/19/2023 at 3:28 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I attempted to collect band shirts when I picked up two for pretty cheap. After about two weeks of looking at them, I decided it wasn’t for me, so I gave them away.

I will not understand the collectibility of tshirts or shoes for that matter, but to each their own.

Shoes is a different galaxy all together. I think ultimately the genesis of what drives all of this is nostalgia. 

I didn't really think about it until your comment but I vividly remember in very late 80s going to store and seeing Air Jordans. That red and black combo was killer. You could argue this is no different than one of my core memories of having a great pizza dinner and hitting a department store only to miraculously find a battle armor He-Man still left on the peg that was put out in the afternoon. I kept that sealed for weeks. It was awesome. I think we are all connected in this matter.

When I lived in Battery Park and trade prop, we had this one guy who just printed money. It was insane. His shoe collection was just ridiculous. He had practically an entire room dedicated to his pure obsession. I can relate to this. 

[StillOnly25Cents]

those are just raw shirts

imagine if they were slabbed

[factory sealed]

On 9/19/2023 at 5:59 PM, valiantman said:

Each generation's "this is neat but I'm going to throw it away when I'm done with it" becomes the next generation's collectibles.

That's a great point. I think I got on eBay in 2003. I was loaded to the gills with non-sports trading cards. I had pallets of sealed boxes of Marvel series 1,2,3 and X-Men, tins and more. I just didn't have the space or the patience. So I basically sold all of this within a span of a few years. And now two decades later, the multiples of which these are selling is just mind boggling. You're talking 50X returns on some of these sealed boxes.

I think 10 years ago I dumped a bunch of sealed 70s SW wax pack boxes and these were recently fetching four figures. It's just absolutely flabbergasting. 

Pivoting to sports cards; think it was 2005ish I sold a rookie Wayne Gretzky rookie solid C9, perfect centering for $800. That card now will fetch $20K all day long. I don't even think IH 181 has anywhere near that kind of multiple.  

[Readcomix]

On 9/19/2023 at 6:09 PM, StillOnly25Cents said:

those are just raw shirts

imagine if they were slabbed

Well, they should really be pressed….

[Readcomix]

Sold my concert shirts a few years too early, I guess. Looks like they just picked up a zero. At that time, the Iron Maiden shirt far outstripped all the others I had, price-wise., as I recall. I did keep my Grateful Dead shirt, which went to one of my daughters, who loves their music.

[valiantman]

I guess one good thing that comes out of this particular collectible (as a memory) is that I never had any shirts with value in the first place. My entire wardrobe in the 1980s was just child's size versions of whatever my Dad wore. I don't think anyone's paying thousands of dollars for this yet, are they?

Edited September 19, 2023 by valiantman

[valiantman]

I'm curious if this hobby has obvious ways to prevent counterfeiting?  Lots of retro shirts are printed, and many washes and artificial wear could easily make them look 40 years old. Does anyone know if there's a "reference guide" on how to identify originals?

[ADAMANTIUM]

Idk but I'd imagine there are, records or people who are in the know. It  seems I vaguely remember catalogs to order them with pages of different examples, whether in penny cds mags or something. I do remember there being a knock off of Nirvana shirts... I think  or if that was a rumor. I had bought my friend one of heart shaped box as a kid, but that era seems lost to me.

I wasnt hip enough as a kid to know anything, and I haven't known of a boards type place of discussion either

In all fairness I think it makes sense, thing is I thought behind the scenes this market was always there, but idk if eBay is the spot or elsewhere idk 

Edited September 19, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[valiantman]

On 9/19/2023 at 6:01 PM, valiantman said:

I guess one good thing that comes out of this particular collectible (as a memory) is that I never had any shirts with value in the first place. My entire wardrobe in the 1980s was just child's size versions of whatever my Dad wore. I don't think anyone's paying thousands of dollars for this yet, are they?

I guess I answered my own question...

On 9/19/2023 at 4:59 PM, valiantman said:

Each generation's "this is neat but I'm going to throw it away when I'm done with it" becomes the next generation's collectibles.

... my shirts would not have qualified for "this is neat..." 

[Lazyboy]

On 9/18/2023 at 10:51 PM, factory sealed said:

If memory serves, even in real-time those concert t-shirts were not cheap. For a reference point, I think for the price of one t-shirt, you could get four MOTU 8 backs or a G1 Optimus Prime.

Concert vendors aren't gougers, they're just ahead of the curve!

[Jayman]

On 9/19/2023 at 5:44 PM, factory sealed said:

How did your summer wind down? I finally cracked open a bottle of Blanton's gold. Very tasty. Having some dark golden rum right now as I type 

Pretty good! How do you like the Gold? I still have a reserve bottle of Blantons that I have not cracked yet. I’ve been enjoying my current favorite bourbon drink: The Hunter. Using a cheaper but pretty nice Woodford Reserve. Makes a tasty drink!

[Robot Man]

On 9/19/2023 at 4:03 PM, valiantman said:

I'm curious if this hobby has obvious ways to prevent counterfeiting?  Lots of retro shirts are printed, and many washes and artificial wear could easily make them look 40 years old. Does anyone know if there's a "reference guide" on how to identify originals?

If you have seen and felt original concert shirts, they are very thin and cheap. The newer ones are a lot heavier. Here is one I saw in the child’s section at Target. Not a repro but an “homage”. Thought it was cool.

[Robot Man]

One of my favorite vintage shirts. Was sold in the magazine in 1958. I only know of just a few others. How it survived is beyond me.