Wörn75

70's Coors Bikini Girl

2012-02-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

file under: iconic

rare original Coors promotional t-shirt
year: circa 1975-77
tag: too faded to read
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent vintage
value: $175
note: picked from a bundle a while back from my favorite dealer. have not seen another one like so far. i remember in the 70's when the back print was actually preferable. now a days not so much. best vintage Coors tee in my collection hands down.

Keith Richards drinks Coors on stage in the mid-70's

Paul Newman drinks Coors at the race track in the 70's

Boston U.S. Tour

2012-01-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

extremely rare & original 1978 Boston U.S. Tour parking lot bootleg
year: 1978
tag: random unknown paki
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent vintage
value: $450
note: acquired recently from a collector in Seattle Washington. Boston recorded some of the most popular and heavily played tracks of all time in the late 70's. the authorized t-shirts from this tour are rare in collector circles (see original post here) but for some reason these parking lot bootlegs are beyond rare. i've only seen this tee one other time. probably because these funky and poorly constructed pakistan bootlegs would basically become ruined after just one run through the washer and dryer, shrinking and warping to unwearable proportions and quickly being discarded or consigned to being wash rags by their owners. somehow this XL has remained intact for over 34 years and can still be rocked!

back print w/band member names

the band on tour in 1978

1978 "Don't Look Back" album cover

God Save the Queen

2012-01-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

rare Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen bootleg
year: ????
tag: long gone
material: 100% cotton
condition: thrashed (or perfect as I like to call it)
value: $300
note: no provenance on this one. but judging by the holes, stains and overall condition it has seen a lot of action. now in my collection. a big thank you to all it's previous owners.

right before the end

happier days

Maiden 87

2011-12-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

file under: back-in-the-day

original hard-to-find Iron Maiden World Tour tee
year: 1987
tag: Springford
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester
condition: perfect vintage
value: $300
note: one of hardest to find designs from the 1987 "Somewhere On Tour" world tour. the back graphic is as wicked as the front making this one of my favorites. acquired from collector this year even though I actually saw Maiden on this tour. as usual all my money back in those days was spent on beer.

front print

back print

proof

More Primo!

2011-11-26T15:03:00.001-08:00

Sweet picking at my local thrift store today

rare original Primo Beer Hawaiian shirt
year: mid-70's
tag: Hawaiian Holiday Sportswear
material: 100% cotton
condition: like new
value: $150
note: what a score! this has been on my "want" list for at least 2 years. was flipping through the endless rack of second-hand, worthless Gap and Old Navy garbage when the bright colors caught the corner of my eye a few feet away. could hardly believe it. just hanging there like the day it was new over 30 years ago. stoked!

Candy-O

2011-10-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

file under: ahead of their time

original super rare The Cars "On the Road" tour shirt
year: 1982
tag: action sportswear
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent
value: $300
note: one of the more "difficult to find" tees in my collection. there are a very few of this particular design that ever come up for sale and it's usually the same story...too small. this one is an XL in great condition which makes it all the more rare. the early Cars catalog stands up today as some of the best music to come out of the early 80's.

new wave from Boston

Harley Davidson

2011-10-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

file under: killer vintage

original early 80's Harley Davidson tee
year: 1984
tag: long gone
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: perfect vintage
value: $150
note: as far as vintage t-shirts go, they don't get much better than this! the patina, size and overall condition are what collectors all over the world look for. scored for a few bucks.

SoCal Punk

2011-10-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

file under: when were young

rare Circle Jerks bootleg t-shirt
year: ???
tag: hanes
material: 100% cotton
condition: nice vintage
value: $150
note: nice bootleg probably printed in someone's garage. seeing early southern california bands like the circle jerks, black flag, the chiefs, wasted youth, middle class and many more was life changing as a young teenager.

the Circle Jerks in action

Sunset Strip

2011-08-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

file under: 80's Hollywood glam

rare original 80's Faster Pussycat tour t-shirt
year: 1987
tag: missing
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: perfect vintage
value: $300
note: this is one of the earliest t-shirts printed for the band during the release of their self-titled, major label debut on Elektra Records. 86-87 was a crazy time in Hollywood. The Cathouse was the place to be and Faster Pussycat was the house band. incredible that any of us survived the 80's!

the band in 1986

'86 flyer for The Whiskey

1987 Bathroom Wall [Video]

Zeppelin

2011-08-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

file under: iconic

rare original early 80's Led Zeppelin tee
year: 1984
tag: screen stars
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent vintage
value: $400
note: sits at the top of my collection as an all-time favorite

The Who

2011-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

file under: kicking off the 80's

rare original North American Tour t-shirt
year: 1980
tag: worn off
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: thrashed
value: $300
note: acquired from the original owner living in a small town in Northern Colorado. back-in-the-day she traveled over 400 miles round-trip in April of 1980 to see the band perform in Denver. clearly she loved The Who and this t-shirt which represented a once in a lifetime memory. 31 years later and it's worn paper thin. a little thrashed in the front from all those years of rubbing against a belt buckle. now a part of my collection where it will remain until the day i pass it along to the next collector. thanks Tonia!

The Who perform live in 1980

original 1980 tour program

Emotional Rescue

2011-07-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

file under: stones comeback

rare original rolling stones "emotional rescue" promo tee
year: 1980
tag: healthknit
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: excellent vintage
value: $400.00
note: Emotional Rescue was the first album release by the Stones after Keith Richards 1977 arrest for smack in Toronto which could have effectively ended the Rolling Stones career. thankfully it didn't. this rare record release promotional t-shirt was found at a local second-hand clothing store for $10. obviously the employees didn't realize what they had and assumed it was a recent reproduction. their loss...

Emotional Rescue album artwork by Peter Corriston

Richards performing in 1979

(looking healthier than usual)

Motorhead

2011-06-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

file under: bad ass

ultra-rare original Motorhead "Eat the Rich" tour t-shirt
year: 1987
tag: screen stars
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester
condition: excellent vintage
value: $500
note: original Motorhead tees are some of the most valuable and sought after among vintage t-shirt collectors. acquired this from the original owner in "no-man's land" Idaho for a fraction of it's value on buy-now option while searching eBay at midnight. score!

original "Rock-n-Roll" album artwork by Joe Petagno

Up the Irons

2011-06-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

file under: rusty treasure

rare original iron maiden tour pins
year: (L) 1982 from "beast on the road" tour
year: (R) 1984-85 from "world slavery" tour

condition: very good
value: $50.00 each

note: if you were like me all your extra cash went to beer at the big arena shows. a t-shirt was gonna' cost too much but you could at least pick up a pin for a couple bucks as proof you were there. these originals in my opinion are even harder to come by than the t-shirts since most have been lost over the course of almost 30 years.

Somewhere in Time

2011-05-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

file under: when we were young

hard to find maiden "somewhere in time" tour tee

year: 1987
tag: missing
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: very good
value: $250.00

*note: saw them live in the late 80's at what used to be called Irvine Meadows. amazing time in my life. good friends. good times. when you could still party in the parking lot before the show. which was almost as fun as the concert itself.

1988 ticket from Irvine Meadows show

1987 Somewhere in Time album cover

God Save the Queen

2011-05-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

file under: a small piece of rock history

rare original pinback from record release

year: 1977
condition: very good
value: $100.00 (not for sale)

*note: purchased from a seller in sweden.

signing record deal outside buckingham palace 1977

Malcolm McLaren, far right, watches as the Sex Pistols sign a record deal outside Buckingham Palace in 1977

Dynasty Tour 1979

2011-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

file under: the final curtain

rare bootleg of the ill-fated Dynasty tour
year: 1979
tag: jockey
material: 100% cotton
condition: good
value: $150.00

*note: by 1979 tensions in the band were at an all-time high. ace and peter's years of drinking and drugging had taken their toll. peter would leave the band at the end of the tour and kiss would never be the same again. signaling the end of an era and my childhood. teenage rebellion and punk rock were just around the corner.

1979 Dynasty promo poster

Bowie 78

2011-04-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

"If itworks, it's out of date." - David Bowie, 1978

ultra-rare original bowie world tour tee
year: 1978
tag: hanes
material: 100% cotton made in u.s.a.
condition: thrashed
value: $500.00
what is there to be said about this one?

the thin white duke

on stage

U.S. 131 Dragway

2011-03-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

file under: bygone era

rare original hot rodding championships tee from u.s. 131 dragway martin, mich.
year: 1978
tag: hanes
material: 100% cotton made in u.s.a.
condition: good vintage
value: $150.00
the official souvenir t-shirt from the 9th annual popular hot rodding magazine championships at the legendary u.s. 131 dragway in martin, michigan. there's something about the 70's that seems more honest and authentic. today's cookie cutter mass produced iphone app media blitz pales in comparison.

don prudhommemartin US 131 dragway june 1974

dennis whiterenegade 1978

larry sorgmartin dragway 1976

Something Exciting...

2011-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

file under: bad ass

original california shirt shop kawasaki tee
"put something exciting between your legs"
year: 1973
tag: too faded to read
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester made in u.s.a.
condition: excellent vintage
value: priceless
another iconic gem from a magic moment in time when you played outside, skinned your knees and elbows, ditched school and listened to ted nugent.

Cruisin'

2011-01-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

file under: 70's cool

original j. peterson graphic t-shirt
year: mid-70's
tag: too faded to read
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester made in u.s.a.
condition: good vintage
value: priceless
*note: not much in the way of providence for this amazing piece of americana from the 70's. somehow this tee has survived intact for close to 40 years. a glimpse back to a time when cruising in a customized van was the coolest thing around. great memories as a kid seeing these pieces of rolling art all over southern california. more at theselvedgeyard on the customizedvan craze of the 70's.

Olympia Beer

2011-01-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

file under: cool as f*ck

original "california shirt shop" olympia beer
t-shirt
year: 1975
tag: hi-cru by stedman
material: 100% cotton made in u.s.a.
condition: excellent vintage
value: $100.00
*note: hard to believe, but there was a time back in the 70's when every kid owned at least one or two beer t-shirts. there wasn't the same stigma associated with alcohol as there is today. best of all 35 years later we're left with amazing vintage t-shirts like the one above. it was a magical window of time in the early to mid-70's when led zeppelin, smoking weed and attending big rock concerts ruled popular culture. if i had a time machine you'd know where to find me! 1st row, Led Zeppelin at the Santa Monica Civic with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other! Rock on....

california shirt shop was one of the most prolific producers of these detailed silk screened t-shirts reflecting images of popular culture back in the day.

Hawaii 1979

2010-12-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

file under: my favorite era

rare original Hawaii souvenir t-shirt

year: 1979

tag: hanes

material: 100% cotton

condition: excellent

value: $350.00

Vintage State Police Leather

2010-11-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

file under: ironic

Original state police motorcycle leather
year: 1950's
tag: missing
material: leather w/nylon lining
condition: excellent
value: $500.00
*note: picked this up over the holiday weekend. originally worn by state police motorcycle officer. if you look closely at the photo you can see where the state and division patches were. in beautiful condition. a nice addition to the worn75 collection and quite ironic considering my less than law abiding past.

50+ years to create this beautiful patina

Deadstock 70's Levi Denim Jacket

2010-11-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

file under: timeless

original levis shrink-to-fit denim jacket
year: 1975
tag: 0317-70505 made in u.s.a.
material: 100% raw cotton denim
condition: deadstock (never worn)
value: $250.00 (not for sale)
*note: this is the small "e" version with troy mills blanket lining. how this survived for 35 years in perfect condition is a mystery. a true piece of american history. when levis actually manufactured in the u.s.a. looking forward to breaking this in.

troy mills blanket lining

raw denim stiff as cardboard

70's Levis Small "e" Double Stitched Redlines

2010-11-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

file under: made in the u.s.a.

original shrink-to-fit levi redlines

year: mid-70's

tag: W35 L31

material: 100% cotton selvedge denim

condition: excellent

value: $150.00 (not for sale)

*note: not the rarest of the levi redlines but still highly collectible. especially in such good condition and wearable size. beautiful hige and patina. picked these up last month at the local flea market for a steal. say "no" to mass produced crap. recycle, sustain, peace.

35+ years of wear

redline selvedge denim made in the u.s.a.

77 Love Gun

2010-10-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

file under: nearly impossible to find

rare original aucoin mgt. kiss iron-on tee
year: 1977
tag: too faded to read
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: worn
value: $300.00 (not for sale)
*note: this is from the love gun era. so many great songs, "i stole your love", "shock me", & "hooligan". it was also the first album to feature a lead vocal by ace frehley. kiss was still reputable at this time and had become a worldwide sensation. we'd come home from school, play this record a few times and then go skate. think logan earth ski boards and road rider 4's! the 70's were a great time to grow up.

love gun album cover w/killer artwork

by fantasy artist ken kelly

Siouxsie 84

2010-10-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

file under: hard to find

ultra rare siouxsie and the banshees promo tee
year: 1984
tag: missing
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent
value: $150.00 (not for sale)
*note: dazzle was the second single from the 1984 album Hyæna. It is the only record guitarist Robert Smith of The Cure composed and recorded with the Banshees.

Belagosi is Dead

2010-09-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

file under: goth is born

rare original Bahuas band tee
year: 198?
tag: screen stars
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: very good
value: $250
note: found randomly in 2008. have yet to see another one anywhere.

1965 Surf Woody

2010-09-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

file under: lost art form

rare Bob Reisner California show car 8x10 glossy
year: 1965
condition: excellent
note: found in a local thrift store. the 1965 "Milk Truck" was Dan Woods first show car. completed in 1965. an 18 year old Woods debuted it at the L.A. Sports Arena. it went on to win the Grand Sweepstakes and other awards that weekend. Dan and The Milk Truck rolled on from there!

Marshall Amps

2010-09-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

file under: in the beginning

rare original Marshall Amps 20 year anniversary t-shirt
year: 1982
tag: too faded to read
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
value: priceless
note: one of the rarest in my collection. have never seen another one ever.

Jaws 1975

2010-08-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

file under: when we were kids

rare original Jaws movie promo tee
year: 1975
tag: missing
material: 100% cotton
condition: distressed
value: $150
note: found this weekend. favorite dealer cut open 30 new bundles

85 Crüe

2010-08-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

file under: don't drink and drive

rare original motley crue "theater of pain" tee
year: august 24 1985 l.a. forum
tag: destroyed XL 50/50
condition: very good
value: $500
paid: a few bucks
*note: this tee was only produced for the one show in limited numbers. proceeds went to a drug rehab as a part of vince neil's restitution for the drunk driving accident that claimed the life of hanoi rocks drummer, razzle.

76 Destroyer

2010-08-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

file under: holy grail

beyond rare original aucoin mgt.- kiss destroyer
year: 1976
tag: to faded to read
condition: excellent
value: $1,000.00 (not for sale)
*note: find of the year. paid pennies on the dollar

Led Zeppelin Carnival Prize

2010-07-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

file under: remember when

year: circa 1975

condition: very good

value: $75.00

note: a cool prize if you knocked over all the milk bottles. made in USA. today you'd get some plastic piece of crap from Taiwan

Boston World Tour 1978

2010-07-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

file under: 30 years gone

rare original Boston World Tour t-shirt
year: 1978

tag: too faded to read

material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend

condition: excellent

value: $350.00

Take A Bite Out Of Crime

2010-07-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

file under: when we were kids

rare original The Advertising Council, Inc.

McGruff the crime dog tee

year: 1979

tag: long gone

material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend

condition: thrashed

value: $175.00

Elephant Country

2010-07-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

file under: stoned

ultra-rare original 70's stoner tee
year: circa 1975
tag: k-studio
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: excellent vintage
value: $175.00

Rats Hole

2010-07-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

file under: bad ass

beyond rare original Ed "Big Daddy" Roth shop tee
year: 1976
tag: hanes
material: 100% cotton
condition: perfect vintage
value: $500
note: impossible to find any of these originals from this era. most are already in private collections. found for a few bucks ~ a good day picking

Better Days

2010-07-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

file under: iconic images

original 1977 Pacifica Manufacturing belt buckles emblazoned with the eras most popular images. still cool today as they were 34 years ago. all in excellent condition with distressed leather belts. they have become highly collectible. some going for as much as $300

1975 Bud Man

2010-07-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

file under: get a 12-pack!

impossible to find original Bud Man promo tee
year: circa 1975
tag: too faded to read
material: 100% cotton
condition: choice vintage
value: $150
note: handed out to bar owners back-in-the-day as free give-a-ways from the Budweiser delivery drivers. picked for pennies on the dollar

1976 A Good Year

2010-06-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

file under: back-in-the-day

ultra-rare original California Shirt Shop ~ river rat tee
year: 1976
tag: Sport-T
material: 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
condition: perfect vintage
value: $250
note: iconic 70's artwork with high quality screen print which was customary at the time. outdoor motor-sports were at their peek of popularity.

some great images from an amazing year

Sounds of Freedom

2010-06-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

pink floyd ~ dark side of the moon ~ original pressing

74 Primo

2010-06-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rad!

1974 Primo Beer - Hawaii

Reminds me of a time when things seemed a lot less complicated

I had a FiberFlex just like the one on the left with Bennett trucks and Road Rider 4's. Sweet ride.

1979 Lick and a Promise

2010-05-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Rare 1979 Aerosmith "Night in the Ruts" Tee

The band a couple years before drug addiction and internal conflicts ripped the band apart

Joe Perry on stage during the ill-fated 1979 tour that would implode half way through

Famous shot of Steven Tyler (razor blade necklace)

1979 Night in the Ruts cover art

70's heavy weights Perry - Hamilton - Whitford

Hotter Than Hell

2010-05-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

Beyond rare 1975 Kiss - Hotter Than Hell tee from my personal collection. 35 years later you can bet there aren't too many of these still around.

A personal favorite in heavy rotation

Back when they were actually a great band from the streets of NY! Leather, studs and song titles like "Parasite", "Going Blind", "Mainline" and "Hotter Than Hell"

Famous shot made into one of their first posters

Hotter Than Hell promo photo from Casablanca Records
*(when the "SS" still resembled Nazi lightening bolts)

It's A Mad World

2010-04-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

ultra-rare ~ have never seen another one ~ ever.

1985 Corrosion of Conformity - "Animosity" tour t-shirt

From the end of 1984 until late spring of 1986 three guys from Raleigh North Carolina of all places, forever changed the musical landscape by combining their love for Black Flag and Venom. C.O.C's 1985 release "Animosity" stands today as one of the heaviest pieces of vinyl you could have in your collection.

Remember these guys created this sound 25 years ago. Amazing! All thrash bands since can be traced directly back to this brief but brilliant artistic maelstrom!

Mike Dean of C.O.C delivering a crushing mix of punk and metal (later known as thrash metal).

Shade

2010-03-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

Amazing find!

Early 70's Carl ZEISS sunglasses from West Germany

No scratches, frames are solid and best of all they fit perfect! These would easily fetch up to $500.00 on eBay. Not bad for a quick trip to my local thrift store with 5 bucks in my pocket.

Boot

2010-03-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Very nice Zeppelin bootleg I picked up today. Not too many of these floating around the ether.

Soundboard recording July 28th 1973 Madison Square Garden. New York, New York.

Bootlegger: Turtle Records

Sound quality: Excellent

Cover grade: VG++

Vinyl grade: NM

Sleep In Safety

2010-02-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

Extremely rare 1983 Promo tee for 45 Grave's only studio album "Sleep in Safety".

Another gem from my personal collection!
Unless you were a punk living on the west coast in the early 80's, at first glance you'd think this was just another obscure band t-shirt from days gone by. How wrong you'd be. In reality this is an extremely rare piece of music history from one of the early pioneers of the L.A. punk scene. As budgets were small to non-existent in those days I'm sure only a very limited number of these tees were printed in 1983 by Restless Records to promote 45 Grave's one and only full-length studio album. Safe to say only a handful have survived after 27 years.
45 Grave were born from the ashes of the Los Angeles punk subculture and ground zero, The Masque club between 1977 and 1979. By 1980 they were at the forefront of L.A.'s second wave of punk rock. The band included members from some of L.A.'s earliest and most infamous DIY collaborations such as; The Gun Club, The Screamers, The Bags and The Germs.

Along with bands like Social Distortion, Bad Religion, The Circle Jerks, Black Flag and T.S.O.L., 45 Grave helped established a west coast punk scene in the early 80's that rivaled that of London and New York. 30 years later these artists and their band's contributions to the punk lineage are of mythic and legendary proportion.

45 Grave promo shot.

"Sleep in Safety" promo tee graphic.

1983 "Sleep in Safety" album artwork.

The lovely Dinah Cancer of 45 Grave.

Great memories of gigs at the Whiskey A Go Go!

The band on stage early 80's.

This flyer hung on my wall for a long time back-in-the-day.

Iconic Dead

2010-01-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

It seems strange this 1986 Grateful Dead Tour shirt would be as rare as it is considering how often The Grateful Dead played live in the early to mid-eighties. The only thing I can figure is that it wasn't considered "cool" by the Dead Heads to buy the mass produced concert tees.

What makes this more than just another rare concert t-shirt is the artist who created the iconic image. None other than the much loved and ultra-talented Rick Griffin. For those of you who might not know Griffin was one of the original psychedelic artists responsible for some of the most well know rock posters of the sixties.

Rick Griffin's amazing art -1986 Grateful Dead Tour Shirt

The original artwork on paper.

The artist (RIP) - 70's

Credit: www.rickgriffinink.com

1970 Movie poster for "Pacific Vibrations"

Don't Die of Ignorance!

2010-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

Sham 69 - First American Tour 1988

Probably one of the rarest in my personal collection. Like the 1986 Lords tee, I've never seen another one of these anywhere, ever. Granted by 1988 the Sham 69 line-up had changed and the early days of punk were long gone, this still remains a very rare and collectible tee. I picked it up a few years ago for a buck at a thrift store. One of those "No way!!!" moments that only come around maybe once or twice a year, if that. It was originally white but obviously 21 years ago the owner didn't think twice about a little tie-dye action. What a shame. Thankfully it was done in a cool gray and not a bad dye job at that. Can you imagine if it was some horrendous multi-color monstrosity? If it had been I might have left it hanging on the rack, instead this gem is tucked away in the collection safe and sound for another 20 years.

Brief Sham 69 history

Credit: www.punk77.co.uk :

Sham 69 were quite simply one of THE top punk bands of the late seventies. Led by the charismatic and irrepressible Jimmy Pursey they produced a stream of catchy, populist, short and sweet punk tunes including 'If The Kids Are United', 'Hurry Up Harry' and 'Angels With Dirty Faces' that made the British charts.

What makes Sham 69 even more interesting though is their arrival on the scene when Punk began to move from the more elitist fashion driven art scene to a rougher, more working class ethic. While some original faces on the scene perceived this as a dumbing down, others saw it as a breath of fresh air on a moribund scene. Add in a skinhead revival, frequent violence at their gigs and the Sham 69 one is a fascinating story.

But above all Sham 69 were a fantastic, full on punk band with great tunes, a top singer and a dynamic live act.

Black Cat Bones

2010-01-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

1970 Free - Fire and Water

Picked up this gem this afternoon for a steal. NM condition.

Classic.

Paul Kossoff's guitar work is sublime.

Paul Kossoff - R.I.P. (gone at the age of 25)

La Bomba

2009-12-31T21:50:00.000-08:00

Just a few of the awesome tees I picked the day after Christmas at my favorite spot (freshly hand washed and dried). A mountain of vintage clothes at least 12' high! Seriously. Always fun to chat with the employees and regular attendees of this ritual monthly event.

Location undisclosed.

Primo!

2009-12-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

Mid-70's Hang Ten tee with Primo Beer logo.

A favorite from my personal collection. Perfect vintage. Slightly faded. No rips, stains or holes and great fit.

Iconic 70's. My favorite era.

1975 Devil Destroyer

2009-11-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

1975 AH-64A Apache

My new favorite vintage tee from the 70's.

In 1975 the AH-64A Apache was the original production attack helicopter. I'm not usually a fan of war memorabilia or war machines for that matter. However, I can't help but be amazed by this machine and the people who fly them. Touted as being the most lethal, survivable, deployable and maintainable multimission helicopter in the world.

Impressive.

Give 'em the Boot

2009-11-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

1973 Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven Bootleg by Trade Mark of Quality

It pays to have a friend who works at your local record store. Picked up this nice Zeppelin bootleg this weekend! Pressed by the infamous bootleggers known as Dub and Ken out of Los Angeles in the 70's. Recorded by an audience member during the band's 1973 tour, probably on July 3rd at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Not too many of these randomly appear as most are in the hands of collectors already. This one was probably tucked away in someone's small record collection for over 30 years and hadn't seen the light of day since. Score!

1970 Monday Nights!

2009-11-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

file under: when we were kids

super rare original monday night football promo tee
year: 1970
tag: missing
material: 100% cotton
condition: excellent vintage
value: $400
note: thrift store find.

first monday night game 1970 browns vs. jets

original announcers in the booth: cosell-merideth-gifford

86 Lords

2009-11-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

In 1986 The Lords of the New Church were on tour. By this time they had released three studio albums and had a considerable following from Stiv Bator's Dead Boys legacy. When The Lords tour rolled into California for two shows, one at the now sadly defunct Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach and one at the Timbers Ballroom in Glendora an almost unknown band at the time named Guns-N-Roses opened for them. This tee is from that tour and is undoubtedly the rarest in my collection. I've never seen another one anywhere, ever. R.I.P Stiv.

Wörn

2009-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a 35 year old leather belt with an iconic 70's buckle. There's just something about them that speaks so clearly of a time when life wasn't so complicated. No internet, no cell phones, no rehabs, no global warming, etc....Just a few from my personal collection.

Early 70's solid brass Coors

Mid-70's brass Harley Davidson

Early 70's Primo Beer

Classic Aerosmith 1975

2009-10-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

file under: hell yes

rare original aerosmith iron-on t-shirt
year: 1975
tag: long gone
material: 100% cotton
condition: worn vintage
value: $300
note: iron-ons were extremely popular in the mid-70's. very rare to find one in such nice condition and a wearable size as most have shrunk too small from over 30 years of scorching dryer heat.

burt sugarman's Midnight Special TV program 1975

1972 Lennon Inspired

2009-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

I grabbed this 60's U.S. Air Force jacket a week or so back at my favorite spot where once a month they open the back area of the shop and you can dig through a mountain of vintage that's twelve feet high! (no joke) Best part is I usually walk out with a bag of gems for $10 bucks.

The piece really speaks for itself.

John & Yoko 1972

Star & Stripes

2009-10-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

I headed out this morning for my usual rounds at the local thrift stores not really feeling like I would find anything. I can't say exactly why I felt that way except to say that looking for choice vintage usually feels somewhat like dropping a quarter in a slot machine. Sometimes you're hot and sometimes you're not. I ventured out anyways, absolutely convinced I wouldn't find anything.

To my surprise (and this is one of the many aspects of hunting for vintage I love) I stumbled onto this original pair of 80's American Flag Converse. Perfectly aged, white rubber slightly discolored from 20 years of storage and the canvas somewhat crispy from all those years of sitting in the back of someone's closet. You can bet I'll be rockin' these tomorrow as summer fades to fall in SoCal.

As it turns out John Varvatos for Converse had reissued these classics in the summer of 07 under the Rummage All Stars line replete with aging and distress. I had no idea until I did a little research trying to pin down the exact date these babies were originally released. (I'm gonna' say 1984 when the Olympics were in L.A.)

I'm not sure how I know something is "cool" or not. I don't read fashion mags, I don't follow trends and I certainly haven't had anyone guide or coach me. I just know when I see something that fits the image I have in my head of a time when rock-n-roll and having a good time ruled popular culture. And for me one of those moments frozen in time was 1984 my first year out of high school. O' man! Those were the days!