A field guide to thrifted sport
Secondhand Archive
Vol. 80s · Cardinals · #81 Green

Vintage 1980s Cardinals

sweatshirts.

Vintage 1980s Cardinals sweatshirts, from the Last of St. Louis years (1980–1988). Neil Lomax throws to Roy Green in St. Louis until the 1988 move to Phoenix.

What dates a piece to the 1980s: Starter satin and pullover jackets, Champion and Russell jerseys, mostly USA-made, LA Raiders and Indianapolis Colts city names. 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. · · 1980S CARDINALS SWEATSHIRTS, BY THE NUMBERS
Years
1980–89
Garment
sweatshirt
Rough value
$63+
81
Green · #81
CREWNECK'85
80s · Sweatshirts
vol. 80s
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 · $63
TYPICAL · $140
HIGH · $350

rough guide, not an appraisal

price check

a fair price for a fair shirt

NO. 02 · WHAT TO LOOK FOR
  • Starter jackets: satin team jackets and pullover jackets with Starter's logo embroidered on the sleeve.
  • Made in USA tags are expected. Offshore-made labels became common from the mid-1990s.
  • City names: Los Angeles Raiders (1982-94), Indianapolis Colts (from 1984) and Phoenix Cardinals (1988-93). Baltimore Colts and St. Louis Cardinals gear predates those moves.
  • 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 80s cardinals
81
worn by · Green
the

Last of St. Louis

era, 1980–1988

Neil Lomax throws to Roy Green in St. Louis until the 1988 move to Phoenix.

NO. 03 · IN THE DESIGN ARCHIVE

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

Arizona Cardinals · 13 designs →Phoenix Cardinals · 2 designs →

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

How can I tell a 1980s Cardinals sweatshirt is original and not a modern reissue?

Start with the tag: the maker and the country of manufacture should fit the 1980s, 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 Cardinals 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 Green?

Green wore #81 in the Last of St. Louis years (1980–1988). Neil Lomax throws to Roy Green in St. Louis until the 1988 move to Phoenix. 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 →