ActonPrewitt707
Extremely rare vintage Hawaiian shirts have sold in excess of $10,000. While not all old Hawaiian shirts are lined with gold, you might be surprised to understand that it is not uncommon for them to sell for tons of dollars an item. Just how do you know if you have a treasure? The hard part for that novice collector is trying to know how the valuation process works. Valuing a classic garment is really as much an art because it is a science, there are numerous factors to consider.
1. Manufacturer: Some manufacturers tend to be more highly sought after than others. The reasons for manufacturer preference vary but can include style, colors as well as such details because the type of buttons used on a classic Hawaiian shirt.
2. Age: The general rule is that others factors being equal, the older the shirt the more valuable the shirt. Aloha shirts were originally made in the 1930's in Hawaii from Silk fabric imported from Japan. These made by hand silk shirts in the 1930's are considered extremely valuable and highly desired by collectors from around the globe.
3. Condition: The better the condition the larger the price. Many issues can detract from the value of a shirt including fading, holes, tears, stains and especially a missing label.
4. Pattern: Some patterns are true pieces of art and produce big bucks from collectors. Art Vogue is renowned for its back panels prints from the 1940's - 50's. These non repeating patterns, featured on the back of a shirt, are highly desired and only produced by a handful of manufacturers, Art Vogue being the most well known.
5. Size: In general, the bigger the size the greater valuable the shirt as more people can put it on. Vintage sizes run small compared to the current sizing utilized by manufacturers. The "Average American" has grown through the years and thus have the sizes. For example a "XL" sized shirt manufactured in the 1940's in now equivalent to an up to date size medium.
6. Product Demand: Some shirts are simply wicked rare, so difficult to find that they'll generate thousands of dollars.
7. Color: Some colors are preferred by the collecting community including blue and black which are exceptional background colors for the multicolor designs.
While this list in not exhaustive, it gives you a concept of the standards which go into the mental algorithm that can help determines a vintage Hawaiian shirts value. The bottom line in Aloha shirt valuation is the fact that while certain things can guide a valuation, ultimately a classic shirt is really a piece of art and price is in the eye from the collector.
