Second Hand Football Shirts, Vintage & Modern: How to Resell in 2026

Second hand football shirts, whether vintage or modern, sell on the strength of three details every collector looks for first: club or national team, season and actual size, plus the kit manufacturer and sponsor, which together date the piece. Originals are recognised by their labels, product codes and print quality; non-authentic shirts should be discarded. They sell on Vinted, eBay and at sportswear markets, all year round. The Box Maglie da Calcio – Second Hand Football Shirts by the Kilo holds roughly 5-7 shirts per kilo, from different eras and leagues — vintage shirts and modern shirts from recent seasons — with no guarantee of specific teams or years.

Vintage or modern: what changes for the reseller

Not every used football shirt is vintage. Vintage shirts (1980s, 1990s and early 2000s) are valued for their rarity and the moment they represent, and they are what the collector is after. Modern shirts from recent seasons sell faster, to people who simply want their team's shirt for less than new: a lower margin per piece, but quicker turnover. The box contains both, and it pays to treat them differently: identify and describe the vintage ones with care, photograph the modern ones well and price them below new.

Why football shirts are a category of their own

Unlike a sweatshirt or a jacket, a football shirt has a precise identity: it belongs to a team, a season and often a moment (a final, a title win, a player). The buyer is not looking for "a shirt", they are looking for that shirt. This changes how you work: the value lies in knowing how to identify and describe it, not just in photographing it.

It is also a category that buys all year round, not only in season, and that has an international audience: a 1990s Italian club shirt appeals to buyers across half of Europe. The sportswear context of that decade is covered in the guide to 90s vintage sportswear.

How to recognise an original shirt

We do not issue piece-by-piece certifications, but there are checks every reseller can do alone.

• Manufacturer's inside label: it must match the era of the kit (label type, country of manufacture, product code). The general method is in the guide on how to recognise original vintage from labels; for the two most common manufacturers see the guides on vintage Nike and vintage Adidas.
• Crest and sponsor: on an original they are embroidered or applied precisely, with clean edges; on copies the colours are often wrong and the prints thick and rubbery.
• Fabric and stitching: period shirts have weights and weaves specific to their era; uneven stitching and loose threads are a warning sign.
• Historical consistency: sponsor, manufacturer and graphics must belong to the same season. A combination that never existed is a copy.

Also distinguish between a match shirt, a training shirt and a replica sold to the public at the time: all are legitimate, but they have different value and different audiences, and must be declared for what they are.

What to write in the listing

A football shirt listing that works always includes, in this order: club or national team, season (even approximate, "late 90s" if you cannot pin it down), type (home, away, third, training), manufacturer, sponsor, label size and actual measurements (shoulder to shoulder and length), any name and number on the back, and condition with every flaw described one by one.

Photos must show the front, back, inside label, crest and sponsor close up, and every flaw. Cracked prints, pulled threads on embroidery and stains should be photographed, not hidden: the collector accepts them if they know in advance, not if they discover them on delivery. The general rules are in the guide to photos that sell on Vinted.

Where to sell them and how to price them

Vinted works for Italian club shirts and for low- and mid-range pieces; eBay is the better marketplace for sought-after pieces and for the international audience, which is large in this category. The guide on how to sell vintage on eBay covers international shipping and listing format.

Price each piece on sold listings of the same kit, not on the average of the lot: the same box can hold shirts worth little and sought-after pieces, and the result depends on how good you are at telling them apart. The basic method for building a price from the garment's cost is in the guide on how to price vintage. We do not give earnings estimates: in this category, the seller's expertise makes the difference.

What the Box Maglie da Calcio – Second Hand Football Shirts by the Kilo contains

Second hand football shirts from different eras and leagues, vintage and modern: Italian and European clubs, national teams, training shirts and replica kits. Lots change constantly and we do not guarantee specific teams, years or sizes; the box is not assembled to order. Shirts are light, so the yield is high: roughly 5-7 pieces per kilo, about 15-20 in the 3 kg box (an estimate, not a guarantee). It is available in 3, 5 and 10 kg.

Non-authentic items are discarded during selection; as this is second hand, we do not issue piece-by-piece certifications, and the checks described above remain yours to do. Items are chosen to be resold as they are, with the grading tolerance explained in the Grade A and Grade B guide: some light signs of wear can occur and must be declared in the listing.

If you have never bought by the kilo, first read what a KiloBox is and how it works.

Caring for the shirts before selling

Polyester shirts are washed cold or at 30 degrees, inside out, with no fabric softener and no tumble dryer; prints and numbers are never ironed directly. Older cotton shirts tolerate little heat. Fabric-by-fabric details are in the guide on how to wash and sanitise vintage garments.

Frequently asked questions

How do I recognise an original vintage football shirt?

Check the manufacturer's inside label (consistent with the era, with a product code), the quality of the crest and sponsor (embroidered or applied with clean edges), fabric and stitching, and the historical consistency between sponsor, manufacturer and season. A combination that never existed is a copy.

Can I request a specific team or season in the box?

No. The box is a selection by weight of shirts from different eras and leagues; we do not guarantee teams, years or sizes and it is not assembled to order.

How many shirts are there in 3 kg?

Roughly 15-20, based on 5-7 pieces per kilo. Modern polyester shirts weigh less than 80s-90s cotton ones, so the number varies with the lot.

Where do vintage football shirts sell best?

On Vinted for Italian clubs and the mid range, on eBay for sought-after pieces and the international audience. In both cases the listing must state club, season, shirt type, manufacturer, sponsor, size and actual measurements.

The box for those who work this category is here: Box Maglie da Calcio – Second Hand Football Shirts by the Kilo, Vintage and Modern, in 3, 5 and 10 kg.