Vintage 1960s–70s Lions
Vintage 1960s–70s Detroit Lions sweatshirts, 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
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- 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.
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 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 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 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.