# The legitimacy of t-shirt websites **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280 "2017-10-19T13:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/1 "2017-10-19T13:36:36Z")
There are, of course, some very well-established t-shirt websites out there that sell fun and funny designs. But lately, I’ve been getting targeted Facebook solicitations for t-shirts from companies I’ve never heard of, usually having to do with movies or music or sports teams that I’m a fan of. The problem is that I’d actually like to own some of these t-shirts, but I have no idea about the reputability of any of these companies. I know that setting up a virtual t-shirt print shop is a relatively easy business model, so it’s not shocking to me that there are a lot of them out there. But I imagine that means there are scam sites out there who are collecting “orders” and making off with people’s money, too. So, really a couple of specific questions, though the floor is open to general discussion: 1. How do you filter out what sites you consider to be legitimate? 2. What t-shirt sites would you consider trustworthy? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/2 "2017-10-19T13:40:41Z")
I’d say that any new place selling licensed designs are off the list for me. Unless you can find a list of authorized sellers. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/3 "2017-10-19T13:55:59Z")
Yeah, the domain for the site I was looking at today appears to have been registered on August 31st of this year. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/4 "2017-10-19T14:36:13Z")
I see these ads popping up on FB all the time, as well. As they nearly always are advertising shirts for licensed properties (sports teams, music groups, movies, etc.), I’m 99% certain that they’re making the shirts without license, and I’m pretty skeptical that they’re particularly reputable places. Sites / companies that sell fun t-shirts that I _have_ found to be reputable include: - TeeFury - Ript - Threadless - Woot ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/5 "2017-10-19T14:41:33Z")
I hadn’t heard of Ript. I’ll have to check that one out. Of course, it turned out that the t-shirt I was interested in is actually available through Amazon for half of what the suspect website wanted for it. So my immediate issue is resolved, at least. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/6 "2017-10-19T14:54:30Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I hadn’t heard of Ript. I’ll have to check that one out. Ript is similar to TeeFury – their business model is centered around the idea of “limited time only” designs (usually only available for a day or two), with a focus on nerdy / fan-culture designs. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/7 "2017-10-19T15:36:20Z")
I ordered from [https://www.80stees.com](https://www.80stees.com) before, maybe like 8 years ago, and it looks like it’s still going strong. Being a Clevelander tho we only really shop at any of the stores that rep our city. [Which](https://gvartwork.com/) [is](https://www.homage.com/collections/cleveland) [a](https://cleclothingco.myshopify.com/) [lot](https://webleedohio.com/) [of](https://freshbrewedtees.com/) [stores](http://www.rubbercityclothing.com/). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/8 "2017-10-19T16:53:54Z")
I sort of have the opposite problem. I have an old, old Gibson T-shirt with a great logo that they don’t make anymore (a globe with different guitar models encircling it and the tagline “American Made, World Played”). The shirt is practically a rag now…I’d love to get a one-off copy made but the online T-shirt places won’t do it because of licensing restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/9 "2017-10-19T17:47:09Z")
About a year ago I tried to order a “You Can Pee Next to Me” shirt, from a Facebook ad featuring George Takei wearing the shirt. The first red flag was when I never got an email confirmation of the order. The second red flag was when I never got a shirt. The cost was nominal – around $20 – and I couldn’t remember the name of the company or find the ad again (and the credit card statement info was cryptic), so I never followed up. For a little while I was worried about someone snagging my CC info and charging up a storm, but so far so good. I do sometimes wonder where the $20 went. I’ve seen other things that interested me, but I will never order from a FB link again. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/10 "2017-10-19T17:50:18Z")
[6dollarshirts.com](http://6dollarshirts.com) is legit. I’ve ordered from them a dozen times. Good shirts, can’t beat that price. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-legitimacy-of-t-shirt-websites/799280/11 "2017-10-19T18:18:56Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > About a year ago I tried to order a “You Can Pee Next to Me” shirt, from a Facebook ad featuring George Takei wearing the shirt. That’s one of the ruses that I see on some of these FB ads – they Photoshop art of their (probably non-existent) t-shirt onto a picture of a celebrity, trying to convince you that there’s some endorsement there. I used to see Johnny Depp used in a lot of the ads; now I see Nathan Fillion a lot.