When you buy a retro football shirt, you are not necessarily buying a shirt that looks like it has just come out of the packaging. Quite the opposite. Many retro shirts have lived a long life, and small signs of wear and tear are often a natural part of their history.
Two terms you often encounter when it comes to used and older football shirts are "pulls" and "bobbles". But what do they actually mean, and what should you be aware of when buying a retro shirt?
What are “pulls”?
A pull is a small thread or fiber in the fabric that has been pulled out or loosened from the weave itself. This can happen, for example, if the shirt has caught on something, has been used for football, or has simply been washed and used many times over the years.
Pulls can vary greatly in size and visibility. Some are quite small and almost require a magnifying glass to find, while others are more visible when you look at the shirt up close.
Pulls are not uncommon, especially on older football shirts. The materials and weave of many classic shirts mean that small threads can, over time, be pulled out of the fabric. This does not necessarily mean that the shirt is in poor condition, but it is naturally something that should be included in the assessment of the shirt's overall condition.
What are “bobbles”?
Bobbles are the small pills or fuzz that can appear on the surface of the fabric due to friction and general wear. In English, this would often be described as pilling or small fabric knots.
They typically occur when the fibers in the fabric rub against each other or against other materials. This can happen during use, in the washing machine, or simply as a result of many years of handling.
Like pulls, bobbles can be almost invisible or relatively distinct. A shirt, for example, might have bobbles in certain areas, while the rest of the shirt appears exceptionally well-preserved.
Retro shirts can be more than 40 years old
At Retrotrøjer.dk, we sell original retro football shirts, and some of the shirts in our assortment are more than 40 years old.
This is important to consider when assessing the condition of a retro shirt.
A football shirt from the 1980s or early 1990s may have been worn, washed, stored, hung in a closet, and changed owners multiple times over the decades. Therefore, it is entirely natural that many of these shirts will have various forms of wear.
This can include pulls and bobbles, but also general signs of use, minor marks, or wear on, for example, sponsor prints, club logos, manufacturer logos, and name and number prints.
For us, this is part of the charm of original retro shirts. They are not newly produced copies of old designs. They are original shirts from the period in question, and therefore their age can also be seen on some examples.
Always check “Shirt condition”
We want you, as a customer, to know what you are buying. Therefore, any pulls, bobbles, and other significant signs of wear will be stated under "Shirt condition" in the product description for each individual shirt.
Here, we describe the shirt's condition so that you can form an impression of how the specific item appears beforehand.
This is particularly important because two examples of exactly the same football shirt can easily be in vastly different conditions. One might have been unused in a closet for 30 years, while the other might have been worn to hundreds of football matches, on holidays, and on the football pitch.
This is precisely one of the big differences between buying retro shirts and new football shirts: Every single used retro shirt is its own unique item with its own history and condition.
Part of history
Pulls and bobbles are not mysterious technical terms. They simply describe different forms of common wear and tear on the fabric.
When a shirt has existed for 20, 30, or more than 40 years, you cannot always expect it to be perfect. In return, you get something that a brand new shirt can never offer in the same way: an original piece of football history from the period when the shirt was actually worn.
At Retrotrøjer.dk, we always try to describe the condition as accurately as possible. Therefore, we recommend that you both carefully review the pictures and read the "Shirt condition" section before purchasing.
This way, you will know whether your upcoming retro shirt has pulls, bobbles, or other traces from a long life in the service of football. Remember also that if we have any old football shirts where the wear is extraordinarily great, you will typically find them in the category Football shirts on sale.
