Everyone knows a fake heart shaped box nirvana tee when they see one, but no one really knows about why some bootleggers make fake vintage shirts. In the vintage community, people who make bootlegs or fake reprints of original vintage shirts get an extremely bad reputation. Most people are quick to hate on them and accuse them of ruining the community because with more fakes in circulation, it becomes harder to identify authentic shirts. Many of these bootlegs come from countries overseas like Thailand and Indonesia.

We had the opportunity to speak directly with a Thai bootlegger to hear his side of the story. The seller did not want to use his name or Instagram because he knows he is doing something that the vintage community deems “wrong”. However, the situation in his country and his personal struggles have forced him to do whatever it takes to make money.

Why did you decide to start making bootlegs?

“1 Year ago, I started with making bootleg band t shirts. The economy (in Thailand) went bad and there was no money in the country, no more income. I must provide food for my family. I used to work as a master of ceremony (MC) for festivals.  In our country theres many bootleggers and t shirts makers that make everything in mass quantities. It was simple to get access to the materials and machines.

I am a band tee freak. I have many original band tees. Before the pandemic I sold only original band tees. But once the pandemic started, I needed to find other ways to provide for my family. So, I got a loan from my family to pay for electricity, school for my kids, and food. All my buyers are from Indonesia, and I’ve been selling online since 2020.”

What about people who hate bootleggers?

“Some Americans get mad, but I don’t care, because can you support my family? Can you put food on my family plate? This is all I can do right now to support myself.”

How are you different from other bootleggers?

“I don’t put Giant or Brockum tags. I’m not like other sellers. I do it only if someone needs it. I’m not looking for too much profit. I just need enough to survive.”

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Its easy to not sympathize with a bootlegger because we feel that they are damaging the vintage community. But we have to remember that these are people just like us. They have wants and needs. Its too easy to dehumanize someone on social media because they do something that we don’t agree with. But realistically if we were in their situation, we may resort to doing the exact same things. We’re not saying we 100% agree with fake tees, but hearing the other side of the story really makes us think, and we hope it makes you think too.