Re:T-shirts are currency
by hkmurakami on Thursday February 07, 2013 @06:53PM
(#5185305)
When the companies are 'current', t-shirts can be used active in trade, much like valid currency in circulation in our economy.
When the companies shut down or get bought out, the t-shirts instead behave like old, defunct currency that become collectibles and memorabilia. They're items that evoke memories and eras gone by. I have a Conner Peripherals [1] shirt from 1994 that's in my drawer which someone in my family must have gotten from Finis; the t-shirt was made in celebration of a product launch that year [2]. The t-shirt design is godawful but it's endearing.
When the companies shut down or get bought out, the t-shirts instead behave like old, defunct currency that become collectibles and memorabilia. They're items that evoke memories and eras gone by. I have a Conner Peripherals [1] shirt from 1994 that's in my drawer which someone in my family must have gotten from Finis; the t-shirt was made in celebration of a product launch that year [2]. The t-shirt design is godawful but it's endearing.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conner_Peripherals
[2] I think Mozilla does this with their team shirts and shipping products, which like the OP says, definitely helps with team spirit.