FAQ: Sweatshirts

Five tiers, hand-graded: Mint, Near Mint, Very Good, Good, Fair. For sweatshirts and hoodies the heaviest signal is screen-print integrity (cracking, ghosting, lift), pilling and fabric thinning at high-friction zones, ribbing stretch on collar and cuffs, drawcord presence on hoods, hood lining condition, and any holes or pulls. Reverse-weave gusset wear, kangaroo-pocket sag, and waist ribbing collapse are all noted explicitly when present.

Vintage cuts run boxy by modern standards. A 90s Champion reverse-weave Large fits closer to a modern Medium-to-Large with shorter overall length and wider through the body. An 80s Russell Athletic Large is shorter still. Every PDP carries flat-lay measurements: pit-to-pit, length from base of collar to hem, sleeve length from shoulder seam, plus shoulder seam width on cut-and-sew construction.

Heaviest concentration in the 1985 to 2005 window. Champion reverse-weave from the made-in-USA era, Russell Athletic NCAA from the spell-out and varsity-applique runs, Lee Sport licensee NCAA and NFL, Jansport collegiate hoods, Jerzees blanks with screen-print era graphics, Starter NBA and NFL pullover hoods, Logo 7 graphic crews, Salem Sportswear pop-culture crews. Y2K runs include early Nike, Reebok, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Sport, and the Nautica color-block era.

Tag stack and construction. Made-in-USA Champion reverse-weave runs a specific size tag, weight tag, fabric content tag, and union label progression that ladders by decade. Reverse-weave construction itself shows the side gussets, cross-grain panel orientation, and characteristic shrink pattern. We pull every reverse-weave that comes in, date the tag stack, and cross-check against the construction era before listing.

Original screen-print crews from the licensee era get the print photographed straight-on under even light. Cracking, ghosting, fade, and lift are all called out. Tackle-twill and chain-stitched applique on varsity sweats get the stitch quality photographed. We do not list a graphic crew where the print era and the tag era do not match.

Most vintage cotton sweatshirts that survived to today have been through multiple washes already and the shrinkage curve is mostly behind them. Champion reverse-weave was specifically engineered to resist length shrinkage. That said, hot wash and high-heat dry on a 90s cotton crew can pull a quarter inch of length and chest. Cold wash inside-out, hang dry, is what we recommend.

Cold wash inside-out, no fabric softener, hang dry. Anything with a fragile screen-print or applique gets spot-cleaned only. Stains that survive the cold wash are graded down rather than chemically blasted. The grading happens after cleaning so the listing photos and the description match what arrives.

Online orders: 14 days from delivery to start a return. Item must be unworn, original condition intact, buyer covers return shipping. In-store: exchange or store credit only, no cash refund. Listing photos cover sizing and condition explicitly, including pit-to-pit and length, so returns are uncommon.

Folded into a poly mailer for crewnecks and lighter hoods, boxed for heavier reverse-weave pieces and anything with chenille or tackle-twill that should not press against itself in transit. Shipping is calculated at checkout based on weight and destination. Tracking goes out by email same day or next business day after the order is placed.

Yes. Strongest interest in made-in-USA Champion reverse-weave, original-licensee NCAA and NBA pullover hoods, Lee Sport and Logo 7 graphic crews, Salem Sportswear pop-culture crewnecks, and the Y2K technical fleece runs from Nike, Polo Sport, and Tommy Hilfiger. Bring them in during shop hours.