About Kit Vaults
A private collection, open to you
We are collectors first. Kit Vaults exists because we wanted to buy shirts from people who had actually checked them. Every shirt here has been through the same three checks, and every one is the only one we have.
How we authenticate
Three checks
- 01
Tags and codes
We start inside the shirt. The maker's tag, wash label and product code are matched against the season the shirt claims to be from. A code that does not belong to that year ends the process there.
- 02
Stitching and badge
Badges, sponsor prints and seams are compared with reference shirts we hold or have documented. We look at thread count on embroidery, the edge of a heat-pressed print and how the hem is finished.
- 03
Graded and coded
We give a grade from A to D, photograph any flaw and write it down plainly. Then the shirt receives a Kit Vaults code that stays with it for good.
Condition grades
A to D
Stated with the grade and the flaw. "Grade B. Light pilling on the left cuff." Nothing more flattering than that.
- A
Excellent
Worn lightly or never. No marks, pulls or fading. Print and badge crisp.
- B
Very good
Light signs of wear such as slight pilling or a faint mark. Nothing visible from arm's length.
- C
Good
Visible wear: fading, a small pull or cracked print. Each flaw photographed and described.
- D
Collector's piece
Heavy wear or damage, listed for its rarity. Every issue shown up close.
The Kit Vaults code
One code, for good
Each shirt is given a code built from the season it belongs to, the club, the kit and its stock number. It is printed on the card that ships with the shirt and stays on record here.
KV-1990-NAP-H-0417
- KV
- Kit Vaults
- 1990
- Season end year
- NAP
- Three-letter club or nation
- H
- Home, Away or Third
- 0417
- Four-digit stock number