KitMarket Guides
Everything you need to know about buying, collecting, and caring for second-hand football kits. Written by the KitMarket team.
Ready to put the theory into practice?
Buying Guide
Everything you need to know about buying authentic, affordable second-hand football shirts, from vintage kits to retro jerseys.
Where to Buy Second-Hand Football Shirts
Dedicated marketplaces, Vinted, eBay, Facebook groups and retro shops compared, plus what actually makes one safe.
Buying Football Shirts on Vinted
What Vinted checks, what it doesn't, and a football-specific checklist before you buy.
How to Spot a Fake Football Shirt
A complete authentication checklist: labels, stitching, fabric, crests and the details counterfeiters usually get wrong.
The Best Vintage Football Kits of the 1990s
Why the nineties produced football's boldest shirt designs, and which of them collectors still chase today.
Buyer Protection
Every purchase is covered by secure payments, an authenticity guarantee, and full refund protection.
Seller Guide
How to sell football shirts successfully on KitMarket: tips for photos, descriptions, pricing and shipping.
Pricing Tips
How to price your football shirts for maximum sales, with a price calculator and market insights.
What Is My Old Football Shirt Worth?
The five factors that decide whether your shirt sells for €15 or €150, plus how to price it competitively.
Authentication
Get your football kits authenticated by our experts. Verified items sell faster and for higher prices.
Seller Protection
Sell with confidence: secure payments, verified users and dispute resolution on every order.
Football Shirt Labels: Real vs Fake
The single fastest check before you buy: woven vs printed, wash labels, and what changed by era.
Nike Product Codes Explained
Where to find Nike's style code on a shirt, and what it can and can't prove.
adidas Product Codes Explained
Where to find adidas's article number, and how the system has changed across eras.
Authentic, Replica or Player Issue?
The three tiers of football shirt explained, and why the price gap between them is so large.
Badges and Stitching: What Fakes Get Wrong
The three ways crests are applied, and what to check up close to spot a counterfeit.
Authentication Case Files
How our authentication review actually works, illustrated with the patterns reviewers see most often.
How to Check a Seller Before You Buy
Account history, reviews and response quality. What to look at before you pay.
Football Shirt Value Calculator
Answer a few questions for a rough price range based on team, season, condition and more.
The Most Valuable Football Shirts Ever Sold
The current auction record, and what actually drives record prices.
What Makes a Football Shirt Rare
Age alone doesn't make a shirt rare. The real factors, from print runs to manufacturer transitions.
Match Worn, Match Issue or Retail?
Three claims that sound similar but mean very different things, and very different price points.
How to Avoid Football Shirt Scams
The common scam patterns targeting shirt buyers, and the habits that avoid them.
Football Shirt Condition Grades Explained
What "new without tags" and other condition grades actually mean, and what to check.
The Best Football Shirts of the 1980s
The decade that quietly invented the modern football shirt: bold colour blocking and the first iconic sponsors.
The Best Football Shirts of the 2000s
Sharper templates and technical fabrics: the noughties kits collectors are rediscovering now.
Retro, Vintage or Reissue?
Three words used interchangeably in listings that actually mean very different things.
How to Wash and Store a Vintage Football Shirt
The wrong wash cycle can undo decades of good condition. How to care for a shirt properly.
Classic Shirt Sponsors and Why They Matter
The iconic sponsor eras collectors use as a dating and value tool.
How to Photograph a Football Shirt for Sale
Lighting, angles and the shots buyers actually want to see, with just a phone.
How to Ship a Football Shirt Safely
Packaging, folding, tracking and insurance: how to get a sale there in one piece.
Football Kit Size Guide
Size charts for men, women and kids, plus brand-specific fit tips so you order the right shirt first time.