# Concert t-shirts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337 "2005-11-30T05:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/1 "2005-11-30T05:30:13Z")
Tomorrow evening, I am going to the Eagles farewell concert in Honolulu. How much do concert t-shirts go for nowadays? ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/2 "2005-11-30T05:50:35Z")
Depends on the band, of course. For something like the Eagles, I’d be shocked if it were less than $30. ---
**Author:** ![Southessex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Southessex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southessex)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/3 "2005-11-30T06:11:44Z")
Yeah, it depends on the band. Local bands might sell them for as little as $10. Lesser known (but still played on the radio) bands (like the UK’s Keane) usually sell them for $20 - $25. A super-popular band like The Eagles or Stones probably has a wide range of shirts, from $35 for a basic t-shirt to $75 for a babydoll t-shirt complete with the band’s name spelled out in rhinestones. And before anyone complains about price, rememeber that concerts are where your favorite acts make money. Of the $20 you spent on their last CD, the band itself might have gotten a quarter at most. On the other hand, spending $35 on a shirt nets the band around $15. As much as concert shirts are a rip-off, I _do_ buy them occasionally, as I know I’m helping a band far more than by buying their records. In fact, at Madonna’s last show, I dropped around $270 at the gak shack. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/4 "2005-11-30T06:21:10Z")
I figured they might cost a lot, but I am buying a memory of my favorite group. So I consider $30 worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/5 "2005-11-30T06:42:29Z")
You have to be pulling in a hefty income to afford both the tickets to the concert AND the band t-shirt these days. Congrats on that, **HubZilla**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/6 "2005-11-30T07:03:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You have to be pulling in a hefty income to afford both the tickets to the concert AND the band t-shirt these days. Congrats on that, **HubZilla**. 😉 Well, with housing so cheap in Hawaii, it was no problem. But I drew the line at the $250 floor seats. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/7 "2005-11-30T07:03:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You have to be pulling in a hefty income to afford both the tickets to the concert AND the band t-shirt these days. Congrats on that, **HubZilla**. 😉 Well, with housing so cheap in Hawaii, it was no problem. But I drew the line at the $250 floor seats. Geez, I could almost rent the band for that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/8 "2005-11-30T07:08:31Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Well, with housing so cheap in Hawaii, it was no problem. So you’re rich and you live in Hawaii, eh? Now I think I understand identity theft. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/9 "2005-11-30T09:08:05Z")
A word of caution – concert t-shirts these days are much poorer quality than they used to be. In the last 10 years I’ve bought t-shirts for Jethro Tull, ELP and Yes, and all of them fell apart within a year or two. On the other hand, my Flotsam & Jetsam shirt from the Doomsday For The Deceiver tour of 1988 is still holding up just fine, though it’s a little faded. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/10 "2005-11-30T09:31:14Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Tomorrow evening, I am going to the Eagles farewell concert in Honolulu. How much do concert t-shirts go for nowadays? At an Eagles show? Well, let me put it this way: Next to the merch booth is a loan officer… Seriously, expect to pay $40-50 a shirt. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/11 "2005-11-30T09:37:53Z")
> [@John\_Stamos'\_Left\_Ear](#): > > At an Eagles show? Well, let me put it this way: Next to the merch booth is a loan officer… > > Seriously, expect to pay $40-50 a shirt. While the grass shack cuts down on a mortgage, I cannot see paying $40-50 a t-shirt. Interestingly enough, I decided to check their [web page](http://stores.musictoday.com/store/dept.asp?band_id=525&dept_id=1699&sfid=2) and they have the shirts for $25. So if worse comes to worse… ---
**Author:** ![sniperfang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@sniperfang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sniperfang)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/12 "2005-11-30T13:12:56Z")
Tickets to Rolling Stones Forty Licks Tour concert: $50 Rolling Stones Forty Licks [T-shirt](http://www.backstreetmerch.com/stores/avalon/item.asp?id=rlst03) at concert: $10. Getting interviewed on the evening news with my buddies outside the concert, after I told my boss I was going home with a stomach-ache: Priceless. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/13 "2005-11-30T13:20:40Z")
It would have to be way more than $30. I reckon I would want at least $100 to wear an _Eagles_ t-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/14 "2005-11-30T15:43:47Z")
Just remember, don’t wear the shirt of the band you’re going to go see. Don’t be that guy. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/15 "2005-11-30T16:58:33Z")
T-shirts at the Depeche Mode show in Chicago last night were $35. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/16 "2005-11-30T17:18:36Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Just remember, don’t wear the shirt of the band you’re going to go see. Don’t be that guy. Isn’t pretty much everyone that guy? ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/17 "2005-11-30T17:50:50Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > A word of caution – concert t-shirts these days are much poorer quality than they used to be. > > In the last 10 years I’ve bought t-shirts for Jethro Tull, ELP and Yes, and all of them fell apart within a year or two. On the other hand, my Flotsam & Jetsam shirt from the Doomsday For The Deceiver tour of 1988 is still holding up just fine, though it’s a little faded. My INXS shirt from a concert in 1987 w/ all the words that end in ‘-ate’ is still in pretty good shape though it’s been retired to jammie status. Same w/ my Stryper one…it was a gift. The last group’s shirts (Okkervil River) I bought from their online store afterward b/c I was carrying a backpack to live out of @ the actual concert. They were really cheap, $18 I think. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/18 "2005-11-30T18:20:04Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Isn’t pretty much everyone that guy? It’s apparently a joke that nobody ever gets. Somebody says “don’t be that guy,” you say “what’s wrong with it,” and they say “nothing, it’s just a joke.” I’d rather be “that guy” than, say, wear a Josh Groban t-shirt to a Slayer concert. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/19 "2005-11-30T21:21:59Z")
Just be glad you guys don’t live in Oz. Here, decent concert tix can cost between $70-$100. And they’re the cheap seats at some venues! T-shirts are still fairly expensive, from $30 for a lesser known act, to $60 for a top act. A few years ago, I purchased a tour t-shirt from a Robbie Williams concert for about $50. The t-shirt has never been worn, and the screen printing was very, very poor, almost unreadable. I bought a t-shirt from the Finn Brothers concert in Melbourne about a year ago and that was about $40 too. (tix to that concert were at least $70). Quality was average, nothing to justify the price tag. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337/20 "2005-11-30T21:50:46Z")
When I saw U2 this spring in Vancouver Canada, current tour shirts were going for $45CAN if I recall. However you could by “classic” tour shirts from past tours (War, Joshua Tree, etc.) and they were going for $100CAN! That seemed like a pretty big money grab! When I saw Dave Matthews in Vancouver, I bought a nice long sleeve T-Shirt for $35CAN. Then when I saw Big Sugar (awesome Canadian band), their t-shirts were $10CAN. MtM [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/concert-t-shirts/333337.md?page=2)