The Economics of Classic Football Shirts

Football is an important part of the worldwide economy. It brings money with the game tickets, player transfers and broadcasting rights. But not only those! Classic football shirts are also a big part of the money that football makes people take out of their pockets. Football tops used to be representative of your passion for football, but now they make a business of millions of dollars. Fans and collectors are always looking for new shirts to buy. And the fashion industry became obsessed with them! This article discusses the economics of football shirts.

Classic Football Shirts as Collectibles

It’s true that football fans have been collecting football tops for decades, but this activity has boomed lately. Thanks to the growth the online platforms, it’s easier than ever to track down a rare shirt. There are so many online marketplaces where people sell classic football shirts that they have from a football fan father or grandfather, and don’t want them anymore. A few decades ago, you needed to know the write people, or to go into the right stores if you wanted to buy a nice and rare shirt.

There is one more important element that led to classic football shirts now being more desirable than ever. The 80s and 90s kids and teenagers are now adults with disposable income and full of nostalgia. They can now finally buy the shirts that they were seeing on TV. They have the possibility of having a shirt in their house that they saw their idols wearing. It’s like going back to their childhood. Retro shirts are one of those things that can bring back memories as strongly as a perfume does. Did you know that scents can best bring back memories? Because the part of the brain where scents are processed is close to the part of the brain that stores memories! Well, I believe that football memories are stored somewhere in that area too.

Why Did Their Value Grow?

You might’ve noticed that some classic football shirts have grown in value. Their price skyrocketed! As an example, football tops from the 70s, 80s and 90s were made in smaller numbers, which makes them harder to find. The harder something is to find, the more expensive it becomes. Therefore, the number of shirts made of that one model makes the prices go up or down. Moreover, the condition of the shirt is also an important factor when it comes to the price. As you can imagine, football tops that still have the original tag on will be way more expensive than ones without it. And, the better condition the shirt is in, the higher the price is.

The more time it passes, the more nostalgia builds up for those older shirts. People look back at those older games and players, and miss them. And so, depending on the game or player with which a shirt is associated, its value grows. It appears that football fans still love the game and the current players. But, they still look back to the golden ages of football. Retro shirts have that appeal that nothing new could ever have. Emory Business talks about the impact that retro and vintage have on people.

What’s with the Fakes?

You know how they say, where there is money, there are fakes. The fact that people are willing to pay large sums of money for just a shirt opened a new market. Scammers saw this opportunity, and they started creating and selling fake classic football shirts that look original. The biggest thing about this is not that the shirts are not the original ones, but that they are sold like they are. Most people cannot afford to pay the amount of money asked for an original shirt. But they like having a shirt that looks exactly like that, but at a good price. After all, it doesn’t have to be worn by the player to be able to remind you of him. It’s more of a token.

Well, these scammers will tell you stories, of how they’ve had that shirt in the family for ages. Or create an exact copy of the original shirt and sell it online. These scammers will ask for the price that the actual original would have. Sometimes, the fakes are so good that even experts cannot tell (especially not from a few pictures). You buy, pay an enormous price, and then receive a shirt that’s clearly not original. That’s why, if you want to buy original classic football shirts, make sure to only collaborate with authorised sellers.

Football Tops = An Investment

Anything related to football kits is now an investment! Shirts from the 90s, which then cost less than $100, are now worth up to $500. The price of limited edition shirts is constantly growing, and most people who have them wait for the perfect time to buy them. If you have a retro football shirt, you might want to check its price online. The shirts that have the highest prices are the limited edition shirts, centenary shirts, and tournament-linked ones. You might have a surprise when you want to sell one of these.

And, if you want to buy current shirts, look for the ones that are from the mentioned categories. Buy shirts that are related to the most famous current players and most loved games. Try to also go with your gut, because a shirt might start as nothing too special, but become a fan favourite. The best example for this is Arsenal’s ‘bruised banana’ shirt!

Conclusion

Football tops are an absolute investment and an economical tool. The price of retro shirts, especially those in good condition from the 70s, 80s and 90s, has skyrocketed. If you have an older original football shirt, you could probably sell it for way more than you bought it for. There are many people out there who want to create a unique collection, and who are willing to pay a fortune for the shirt that they want the most. Check to see if you have it in your collection, or start your own!