A field guide to thrifted sport
Secondhand Archive
MIAMI · ORANGE BOWL

The Dolphins,
archived.

Vintage Miami Dolphins sweatshirts and jerseys, filed by era. Undefeated 1972 season; Super Bowl VII and VIII champions. Navy is the giveaway: logos and numbers without navy are 1996 or earlier, while the darker dolphin with navy shadows came in 1997.

#008E97·#FC4C02
54
Thomas · 90s
─── A Signature Era ───

Shula to Jimmy

Shula retires after '95, Jimmy Johnson takes over, and Marino's last game is a 62–7 playoff loss in Jacksonville.

Years
1990–1999
Wore
#54
Tells
Starter pullovers
NO. 01 · DATING DOLPHINS GEAR: LOGO & UNIFORM TIMELINE
  1. 1966The Dolphins debuted in aqua and coral with a helmeted dolphin leaping through a sunburst.
  2. 1974The dolphin was centered on the sunburst in a slightly smaller logo.
  3. 1997The logo was updated with a simpler sunburst and a darker, sterner dolphin, and uniforms gained navy drop shadows and a new number font.
  4. 2003-04Orange jerseys appeared occasionally in prime-time games.
NO. 02 · THE DOLPHINS INDEX
1960–1979

60s–70s

Miami Dolphins · Perfect
1980–1989

80s

Miami Dolphins · Marino
1990–1999

90s

Miami Dolphins · Shula to Jimmy
2000–2009

2000s

Miami Dolphins · Wildcat
NO. 03 · IN THE DESIGN ARCHIVE

Specific Dolphins designs, one page each, with every past eBay example we found.

NO. 04 · FIELD NOTES
✓Tag check: does the maker and the country of manufacture fit the era the seller claims?
✓Print check: do the logo, wordmark and any copyright date match that year's team identity?
✓Fit check: ask for pit-to-pit and length in inches; vintage tag sizes run differently.

How to date vintage NFL apparel →