A field guide to thrifted sport
Secondhand Archive
Vol. 60s–70s · Kansas City Chiefs · #16 Dawson

Vintage 1960s–70s Chiefs

sweatshirts.

Vintage 1960s–70s Kansas City Chiefs sweatshirts, from the Stram & Dawson years (1963–1971). The Dallas Texans become the Chiefs in '63. Super Bowl I lost, Super Bowl IV won, 23–7 over Minnesota.

What dates a piece to the 1960s–70s: No names on many pre-1970 NFL jerseys, AFL-era names like Boston Patriots, short-lived 60s logos, Champion Rochester labels. The arrowhead and the red-and-gold uniform have stayed nearly the same since 1963, so tags and printing do most of the dating. Dallas Texans gear is either 1960-62 or a later throwback. We don't keep a market snapshot for this collection, so check listings against the list below and ask the seller for photos of the tag and the measurements.

NO. · · 1960S–70S CHIEFS SWEATSHIRTS, BY THE NUMBERS
Years
1960–79
Garment
sweatshirt
Rough value
$91+
16
Dawson · #16
CREWNECK'72
60s–70s · Sweatshirts
vol. 60s–70s
NO. 01 · ON EBAY NOW

We don't keep a market snapshot for this collection. The live eBay search shows everything listed right now; use the checklist below to judge what you find.

Search eBay →
LOW · $91
TYPICAL · $203
HIGH · $508

rough guide, not an appraisal

price check

a fair price for a fair shirt

NO. 02 · WHAT TO LOOK FOR
  • Old team names: Boston Patriots (renamed New England in 1971), Dallas Texans (moved to Kansas City as the Chiefs in 1963), Baltimore Colts and Houston Oilers.
  • Short-lived logos: the Bills' standing buffalo (through 1973), the Giants' lowercase "ny" (1961-74), the Bears' white wishbone C (orange from 1974) and the Broncos' pre-1968 bucking horse.
  • Champion labels crediting Rochester, N.Y. The company was based there until Sara Lee bought it in 1989, so the address fits this era but does not prove it.
  • Read the tag first: maker, country of origin and fiber content. A Made in USA tag fits the 80s and early 90s better than the 2000s.
  • Match the graphics to the team's timeline. The logo, colors and city name should all fit the era the seller claims.
the 60s–70s chiefs
16
worn by · Dawson
the

Stram & Dawson

era, 1963–1971

The Dallas Texans become the Chiefs in '63. Super Bowl I lost, Super Bowl IV won, 23–7 over Minnesota.

NO. 03 · IN THE DESIGN ARCHIVE

Looking for one specific design? The archive files every Chiefs design we found on eBay, one page each, with all its past examples.

Kansas City Chiefs · 17 designs →

NO. 04 · RELATED COLLECTIONS
NO. 05 · FIELD NOTES

How can I tell a 1960s–70s Chiefs sweatshirt is original and not a modern reissue?

Start with the tag: the maker and the country of manufacture should fit the 1960s–70s, and a licensed piece usually names the NFL or the team on a label. Then check that the logo, wordmark and colors match what the Chiefs used in those years. Modern retro and throwback lines copy old graphics but use current tags, so a tag photo settles most questions.

Why does this page mention Dawson?

Dawson wore #16 in the Stram & Dawson years (1963–1971). The Dallas Texans become the Chiefs in '63. Super Bowl I lost, Super Bowl IV won, 23–7 over Minnesota. Player numbers and names from a team's best-known years are the ones most often printed and sewn on fan gear, so they turn up most in secondhand listings.

How does a vintage sweatshirt fit?

Vintage sweatshirts were cut differently from today's, and cotton blends shrink with washing, so the tag size is only a hint. Compare the seller's pit-to-pit and length measurements with a sweatshirt you own.

Read the full buying guide →