God Save the Queen

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 collector 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

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

"If it works, it's out of date."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

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 prudhomme martin US 131 dragway june 1974

dennis white renegade 1978

larry sorg martin dragway 1976

Something Exciting...

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'

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 customized van craze of the 70's.

Olympia Beer

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.