Want a vintage Slayer t-shirt from 1983? In 2010 there was one on eBay with a buy it now price of $1,062.50.
It was printed on a Screen Stars blank, back when tees were 50% cotton and 50% polyester. I remember those shirts. They shrank in the dryer and the plastisol ink peeled right off. Damn, they looked cool.
Why early Slayer shirts cost so much
Slayer’s first album, Show No Mercy, came out in 1983 on Metal Blade. The band was still playing clubs around Los Angeles. Shirts from that time were printed in tiny runs. Most got worn to shreds. Very few survived.
How to spot a real vintage shirt
- Check the tag. Screen Stars, Hanes, and Spring Ford are common 80s blanks.
- Look for a single stitch on the sleeves and bottom hem. Most shirts switched to double stitch in the 90s.
- Check the print. Real vintage ink cracks and fades in a certain way.
- Be careful of reprints sold as originals. Ask for close-up photos.
Slayer t-shirts
Not ready to drop a grand? Grab the official Slayer Silver Eagle t-shirt.