About us:
Welcome to Vintage Ice Hockey! We're glad you're here. Our mission is to celebrate defunct hockey teams that don't take the ice anymore, many of which still have a special place in people's hearts and memories.
The truth is, sports history doesn't get a lot of love. Sports are generally all about the here and now. Who's going to win the game tonight? Who's going to win the championship this year? And that's great! But there's also a long history of hockey that has been lost or that is being lost. We want to bring back to life the teams that are special in their own ways and need to be remembered. Vintage Ice Hockey is a home for all of those teams from long ago; both those fondly remembered and those forgotten.
To do that, we're creating apparel for these teams that, in many cases, simply doesn't exist anywhere else. We also have a blog that will look to shine a light on the players, teams, and fans of these teams and to give their stories a platform in the digital age.
If there's a hockey team that no longer takes the ice that is near and dear to you, we hope you join us in our journey to breathe life back into these teams. You can visit us at VintageIceHockey.com, and sign up for our mailing list which will bring the blog and other info directly to your inbox once a week.
I haven't received the discount code for joining your mailing list. What should I do?
After signing up, the code will be emailed to the address you provided. You should receive it within a minute or two. If you don't, please check your spam mail folder for any emails coming from an @vintageicehockey.com email address. Sometimes, our automated emails will bounce back if you are not using a google/yahoo/hotmail address. If you still don't receive the email, let us know and we will make sure you get the discount even if you have already placed the order.
What does shipping cost and how fast is it?
EVERYWHERE: We offer FREE STANDARD SHIPPING on EVERY ITEM in the store to anywhere in the world. No minimums, not now, not ever. We eat shipping costs for breakfast. FREE PREMIUM SHIPPING: All orders $50+ qualify for free premium shipping to anywhere in the world.
USA - Apparel and Mugs: We are a print-on-demand shop, which means that we will create your products upon receiving your order. Due to this our standard shipping (free) on apparel is 5-7 business days within the continental United States via USPS. We offer expedited shipping for $7 that will ship a little bit faster in 3-4 business days via USPS Priority (free on orders over $50+). Finally, if you really need your items fast, we offer express shipping in 2-3 business days for $20 via FedEx.
Outside the USA: Apparel and Mugs: We are a print-on-demand shop, which means that we will create your products upon receiving your order. Due to this our standard shipping (free) on apparel is 10-21 business days and varies widely by country. This option does not come with door-to-door tracking. We offer expedited shipping for $17 that will ship faster in 4-9 business days (free on orders $50+). Finally, if you really need your items fast, we offer express shipping in 3-6 business days for $26. Please note that these international ship times are generalized and may vary by country.
What brands do you use and how is apparel printed?
Every item in our shop is made on demand, which means that we do not print any items until your order is placed. All items are printed and shipped from within the USA by Spreadshirt at their facilities in Nevada and Pennsylvania. The apparel Spreadshirt prints our designs on comes from name brands such as Gildan, Hanes, and Spreadshirt's own brand of apparel that is specifically made to be printed on their machines. Spreadshirt's brand of apparel is used for our premium hoodies and long sleeve tees. You can find out more specifics about what garment an item will be printed on in the product description of that item or on our size chart, as it includes product descriptions.
Will my item look exactly like the picture?
If you order a shirt or hoodie, no, not exactly like the picture but darn close. Because we do not print any items until an order is made, the images on the website are digital mockups of what the end product will look like. Printing may vary based on the complexity of the design and the specific garment material/color that it is being printed on. We do our best to match the mockup. If you'd like to get an idea of what the end product looks like, you can check out our clearance section which offers pictures of the real thing (some of the clearance items are misprints but in general they are correctly printed items that were returns or test prints and this will be noted in the description of the item).
However, clearance items, stickers, patches, and hats use real pictures of the items and will be the exact item that is shipped to you (in the case of clearance items) or a duplicate of the item pictured. One caveat; embroidery on hats can be tricky, and if your hat doesn't look like the picture please let us know and we will exchange it for you.
What is the difference between "premium" and regular t-shirts and hoodies?
Premium vs. Non Premium Tees
Our regular or non-premium t-shirts are what we originally started the site with. These are Fruit of the Loom 3930 tees that are a heavy and thick feeling style of t-shirt. We find that a lot of our customers like these when they are looking for a shirt that has a sturdy, thick feel to it. These shirts are not labeled as standard or non-premium, but you will know them since they will not say 'premium' anywhere in the title. They are also handy as many of the colors we offer are available in sizes up to 6XL. However, we received feedback that some customers were interested in thinner, lighter feeling tees.
Our premium t-shirts were introduced recently to provide an option for a lighter and thinner feel of t-shirt. There are two types of these premium tees.
- The first is used for our text-only or "Dated" designs. These are Next Level brand 6210 shirts that are 60% cotton but still provide a lighter, softer feel than the standard shirt. Not all teams have these dated t-shirts available.
- The second type of premium tee is used on all of the graphic design tees that have "premium" in the title (other than the "Dated" ones described above) and were introduced to fill a need where our customers had been requesting lighter and softer tees. These are 100% Bella + Canvas 3001 tees that are very popular in apparel shops these days. We've recently added one of these for every graphical design on the site so that every one of our graphic tees has both a standard and premium Bella + Canvas option. Please note that if you don't like light feeling t-shirts, you would probably better enjoy our standard shirts.
For more details on the sizing and content of these items, please see our size chart page.
Premium vs. Non Premium Hoodies/Sweatshirts
Our regular or non-premium hoodies are what we originally started the site with. These are Gildan G18500 hoodies that are a thick, heavy blend hoodies that you probably know well from many other retailers. These are 50% cotton and while durable and comfortable, they are not super soft. These hoodies are not labeled as standard or non-premium, but you will be able to identify them since they will not say 'premium' anywhere in the title. They do come in handy as many of the colors we offer are available in sizes up to 5XL.
Our premium hoodies were introduced recently to provide an option for a much softer feeling hoodie. These are 80% cotton and are the real deal. They are our printers' (Spreadshirt) in-house brand of hoodie, made especially to print on their own machines. We highly recommend these hoodies if you're looking for a soft, hoodie that you can wear regularly.
Every graphic design on our site will have a premium and non-premium hoodie option. To spot the difference, just look for "(Premium)" in the subject line.
For more details on the sizing and content of these items, please see our size chart page.
The designs look way too big for the shirts in the pictures. Is that how it will really print?
No. The pictures are digital mockups, so it doesn't represent the exact print area of the designs. The designs will be printed with a width of about 11 or 12 inches, which is pretty normal for a shirt. This also does not scale up, so the print area of 11-12 inches will be about the same on a medium as it is on a 3XL, so the designs do get smaller as you go up in size.
How do items print on extended sizes?
We are proud to offer many of our t-shirts and hoodies in sizes up to 6XL. The printing process and quality is the same as smaller sizes. However, on larger sizes the printed area does not increase, so the printed image on a 5XL will be the same size as on an XL.
How do I know that what I order will fit me?
You can use our size chart to get an idea of how a product will fit. If you receive your product and it doesn't fit quite right, you can exchange it for a different size or return it for a refund by contacting us. You only need to pay return shipping.
Help! I made a mistake when I ordered. What should I do?
If you order the wrong color or size, please notify us as soon as possible. We are more than happy to make changes for you at no charge, but orders usually go to print within a few hours of being received, so we have a very short window in which we can stop our printer and modify your order. Please be sure to check your order receipt that is emailed to you and let us know ASAP if something needs to be changed with your order. If your order has already gone to print, you will have to follow our normal exchange process in which you only pay return shipping to send the items back and we will process a new order for you at no charge.
What if I decide I don't want my item?
If you change your mind and decide you don't want your item, you can return it for a full refund. Just make sure to notify us within 14 days of receiving your order. You only pay return shipping. Refunds will be issued upon receipt of return.
My order doesn't look right or was damaged during shipping. What do I do?
Mistakes happen, and we make them from time to time. Sometimes packages get damaged in transit. If this happens to you, let us know and we will get a replacement order out to you as soon as possible at no charge. Please make sure to send us a picture of the damage, we can't process a new order without it.
My shirt or hoodie has small stains on it. It's not a big deal but it's not ideal. What can you do?
Sometimes there are stains on the apparel that are remnants of the printing process. They are usually very small and greyish or clear looking. These stains should disappear after the first wash. If they don't come out after a wash, let us know and we will work with you to exchange the item.
Your site is great, but I don't want to pay full price...
Well, you can sign up for our email list. You will immediately receive a code for 10% off your first order. We won't be offended if you unsubscribe later on.
You could also listen to the podcasts of some of our affiliate partners, they have discount codes on their websites or within the audio of their podcasts...
Islanders Anxiety at LighthouseHockey.com
The History of Hockey Podcast
Isles Buzz at LighthouseHockey.com
Do you ever add new teams?
We do! We add new designs all the time, usually from a team that isn't already on the site. We call it #NewMerchMonday and announce it on Twitter, Facebook, and notify everyone on our email list. The first Monday after Thanksgiving, or Cyber Monday, is also a very special Monday for us because we release lots of designs in one day!
Can I request a specific team?
Sure! We are always taking requests and love to learn about hockey history that we haven't heard about before. Feel free to contact us or drop a suggestion to us on Twitter. One thing though, please be patient. We get a lot of requests and sometimes it can take months for us to be able to offer a specific team for sale.
Do you offer kids tees or hoodies?
We can offer kids apparel, just send us a note requesting the teams that you would like to see. It is a time consuming and difficult task to add these products for each team as they are not in high demand, so we will not be adding them for all teams on our own. However we are happy to add them for teams on a "by request" basis.
How can my blog/podcast/store/famous instagram dog become an affiliate?
Feel free to contact us and let us know. We'd be happy to chat and see if a partnership would make sense for both of us.
