How we know it's real
Authenticity at Keep It Classic
How we know it’s real
Every piece on our floor and on this site gets worked over before it gets listed. Tags read inside out. Stitch count confirmed. Lettering checked for tackle-twill, heat-press, or sublimation. Cartridges plug-tested. VHS spines cross-referenced to distributor catalog numbers. We write the provenance in plain English on every listing so a buyer can follow the same checks we ran.
This page is the method. The category guides below are the specifics.
The 9-point intake
Nothing goes live until it clears this pass. The shop runs the floor verification in-house. When a piece sits on the edge of an era, we cross-reference it before it ever gets a SKU. Our team has handled thousands of pieces across wrestling, jerseys, VHS, retro games, tees, and toys.
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Tag read. Pull the tag. Date the copyright notice. Confirm the trademark position against the era. Flag a registered-trademark symbol that didn’t exist until the license caught up.
Inside-out tag read on a vintage tee. Copyright notice and trademark position dated against the print era. -
Stitch and construction. Single-stitch hem points to pre-1999 on most US-made tees. Double-stitch on a “vintage” tee gets a second look. Jerseys get a jock-tag year code and a tackle-twill versus heat-press call.
Single-stitch hem on a vintage US-made tee. Pre-1999 construction tell. -
Lettering build. Tackle-twill sewn overlay, heat-press transfer, sublimated print, or embroidered patch. Each one tells a different license-era story. A glued tackle-twill on top of a faded heat-press line is a tell.
Graphic print on a vintage tee. Print layer and feel checked against heat-press and sublimation. 
Tackle-twill lettering on a Mitchell and Ness Hardwood Classics jersey. Sewn overlay, era-correct stitch. -
Fabric weight and hand. 50/50 blend versus 100% cotton. Satin weight on a Starter lining. Nylon versus poly on shell fabric. These narrow the production window.
Shell fabric and zipper hardware on a vintage leather jacket. Weight and hand check against era spec. 
Embossed interior patch on a vintage jacket. Logo relief and stitch tension confirmed. -
Distributor mark. On VHS: Coliseum Home Video versus WWE Home Video, catalog number, SP or SLP tape-speed, clamshell versus slipcover. On games: oval versus rectangle Seal of Quality, country-of-manufacture stamp.
Three WWF Coliseum Home Video VHS spines, 1992 to 1993. Catalog numbers and tape-speed cross-checked. 
Blockbuster Video rental VHS case. Distributor sticker and shell type cross-referenced to catalog. 
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sega Genesis box. Seal of Quality and country-of-manufacture stamp checked against the release window. -
Provenance line. Where the piece came from. Estate, collector buyout, walk-in trade, consignment. We write this in the PDP so the trail is visible, not hidden.
Stack of vintage Goosebumps paperbacks from a recent estate buy. Printing code and cover-variant logged against the R. L. Stine run. -
Condition call. Measured against the 10-tier scale on our Condition Scale page. Photographed where wear is visible. No soft-pedaling.
Chicago Bulls NBA jersey on the hanger. Jock-tag year code and tackle-twill numbers logged before the condition tier gets called. -
Function check. Cartridges plug-tested on a real console. Battery-save titles confirmed where the game uses SRAM. VHS spot-tested on a working VCR when available. Zippers, snaps, and liners cycled on jackets.
Two NES cartridges ready for plug-test. Label variant and country-of-manufacture stamp logged before the console confirms function. -
Shop sign-off. The shop signs the call. If it’s on the edge, we say so in the listing, we don’t bury it.
Boxed vintage set on the shelf after the sign-off. Card-back graphics and packaging tells logged in the listing.
Category guides
Three guides live right now. More land on a rolling cadence as we work through the catalog.
Starter Jacket Authenticity
1988 to 1996 era markers, Logo 7 versus Starter Pro Line, tag patterns, heat-press versus tackle-twill lettering, satin lining years, license tells, common fakes.
VHS Distributor Eras
Coliseum Home Video versus WWE Home Video, clamshell versus slipcover, catalog number patterns, tape-speed flags, rental-era markers, bootleg tells.
SNES Cartridge Label Variants
Oval versus rectangle Seal of Quality, country-of-manufacture stamps, repro tells, cart-only versus CIB versus sealed markers, our plug-test method.
More from the reference shelf: the full guides index, the 10-tier condition scale, and the shop journal for era-by-era deep dives.
Authenticity FAQ
How do you know it’s real?
We run the 9-point intake above on every piece. We read the tag, we confirm the construction, we cross-reference the era, we plug-test the electronics, and we write the provenance line in the listing. If we can’t confirm it, we don’t list it. If it’s a reissue or a later-era pressing, the listing says so.
Who does the authentication?
The shop does. Our team handles the floor verification, shoots the catalog, and cross-references era and license details on the harder calls. When an item sits on the edge, the listing says so in plain English.
What if I buy something and want a second opinion?
We welcome it. Bring the piece back to the store at 707 E Fremont Street, Suite 1170, or email info@keepitclassiclv.com with photos of the tag, the construction, and the piece laid flat. Our 14-day return window covers you while you verify. Details in the refund policy.
Do you issue grading slabs?
No. We are not PSA, WATA, or Beckett, and we don’t imply that we are. For graded, sealed, or third-party-certified high-tier pieces, we recommend the third-party service that covers that category. Our authority is method, tenure, and the photos we publish with every listing.
What happens if I find a fake?
If a piece you bought from us turns out to be misrepresented, we make it right. Full refund, including return shipping if it was ours to catch. Email info@keepitclassiclv.com with the order number and the verification evidence.
How does this apply to pieces I’m buying from someone else?
These guides are written so you can authenticate against any seller. Take them to an estate sale, a flea market, or another online listing. A seller who knows the category will happily answer the tag, construction, and distributor questions. A seller who doesn’t usually gets quiet. That is a signal.
Next up
On deck: vintage jersey authentication (Mitchell & Ness, Starter NBA, Champion NFL), vintage t-shirt dating (single-stitch tags, copyright positions), and Coliseum Home Video versus WWE Home Video re-release identification. To request a category sooner, call the shop at (702) 605-3332 or email info@keepitclassiclv.com.
Shop the categories these guides cover: Starter, Jackets, VHS Tapes, SNES, Video Games, Wrestling.
How to authenticate a 90s Champion NBA jersey
Four checks, in order. First, the neck tag: a real 90s Champion NBA tag reads CHAMPION in block letters on a woven label with NBA AUTHENTIC or a circle-C license stamp and a size letter (S, M, L, XL) below. Second, the side seam: NBA Champions from 1994 forward carry a woven side-panel tag. Third, the mesh: originals use an open, airy knit that breathes; reproductions use a tighter, crisper knit. Fourth, the letters and numbers: they are stitched tackle twill on on-court spec, screen printed on replicas. If all four pass, you are holding an original. One fails, call it a reproduction.