Vintage 1960s–70s Lions
Vintage 1960s–70s Detroit Lions jerseys, from the Karras years (1962–1975). The 1962 Thanksgiving beating of Green Bay, one playoff trip in 1970 lost 5–0, and a move to the Silverdome in '75.
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. Black is the tell: Honolulu blue and silver alone fits 2002 and earlier, black trim means 2003 or later, and a fanged, maned lion means 2009 or later. 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.
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 →rough guide, not an appraisal
a fair price for a fair shirt
- Names on the back: AFL teams already used them, and the merged NFL put names on every team's jerseys from 1970, so an older NFL jersey may have none.
- 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.
- Match the maker to the years. A Reebok jersey dates to 2001 or later, while Starter, Russell and Champion NFL jerseys are generally 2000 or earlier.
- Confirm the player's years with that team. A jersey for a season he never played there is a later product or a custom.
Karras
The 1962 Thanksgiving beating of Green Bay, one playoff trip in 1970 lost 5–0, and a move to the Silverdome in '75.
Looking for one specific design? The archive files every Lions design we found on eBay, one page each, with all its past examples.
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How can I tell a 1960s–70s Lions jersey 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 Lions 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 Karras?
Karras wore #71 in the Karras years (1962–1975). The 1962 Thanksgiving beating of Green Bay, one playoff trip in 1970 lost 5–0, and a move to the Silverdome in '75. 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 jersey fit?
Jersey cuts changed over the decades and sizing varies by maker; some jerseys, including many throwbacks, use numeric sizes (such as 44 or 48) rather than S to XL. Ignore the tag and compare the seller's pit-to-pit and length measurements with a jersey you own.