Can you tell I’m grasping for straws for an article this week?
In all seriousness, in the last week, I’ve had to deal with two deaths in the wrestling community. One was, of course, the legendary “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The other was my friend and co-owner of AAW Wrestling, Jim Lynam. Both passed away suddenly, and entirely too young, Roddy at 61, Jim at just 42 years of age. It’s hard to sit here and write about wrestling as I think of these two men, and how wonder just why life is so damn short and unfair. May they rest in power.
I’m going to try and stay busy, however, and fufill my writing obligations. So, as I stared out into space of my room, waiting for an article idea to enter my brain, I began to process just what I had my eyes fixated on:
My shelve of t-shirts. Lots of shirts. I own more shirts than most girls own shoes.
I know. It’s a mess.
Ya know, it’s said that most messy people are geniuses, so suck it.
Anyhow, you may or may not know that I have a slight obsession with vintage t-shirts– the thinner and older the tee, the better– and it should come as no surprise that some of my favorite vintage tees involve professional wrestling. I’ve been collecting vintage shirts, wrestling and non-wrestling related, for quite some time now, dating back to when I started going to thrift stores back in my early teens. In the last four years, one might say that it’s become a slight addiction. It’s a rush finding an odd, crazy, smelly old tee, made even better when the price is right. Today, I’m going to show you three of my most random, cheapest thrift store, garage sale, and internet finds.
“Jesse Ventura: Mess With Me… Mess With My Governor” Tee
I found this gem about three years ago at a thrift store in Lorain, Ohio. It’s a little larger than I’d like, size large, but it fits me just fine because of the missing sleeves. I paid $3.75 for this bad boy.
WWF 80’s Block Logo Baby Blue Tee
I gotta be honest with you, I popped pretty huge when I found this one at a Cleveland area garage sale. I’d always wanted a soft, tight fitting tee with the iconic WWF logo plastered huge on the front, but I didn’t know if I’d ever get my hands on one. In the summer of 2013, I bought this size small version. The man that I bought it from, an older gentleman, claimed that he bought it for his son at a WWF event at the Richfield Coliseum in the mid 80’s, and his kid only wore it a handful of times. Though a little pricey for a garage sale, this shirt was worth every penny of the $10 that I spent.
Suburban Commando: General Sutor Tee
It’s not exactly a wrestling tee, but it has its wrestling related orgins. Suburban Commando starring Hulk Hogan, for better or for worse, is one of my all time favorite films. Merchandise from that film is very hard to come by, so you can imagine my delight when I saw this one, featuring the movies’ main villian, on a vintage tee site online. It’s a little smaller even for me– 16″ across the chest, 23″ from the neck to the bottom. As it was released in 1991, it was most likely sold as a child’s shirt. Regardless, I bought it and wear it, despite the fact that it’s a belly shirt when I lift my arms. If you wear a hoodie or a flannel over it slightly open.. problem solved. For $12 shipped, I couldn’t pass it up.
Wanna see more of my t-shirt collection? Do you have any sweet vintage finds that you’d like to share? Send them my way via social media!
-Greg
