Retro • Vintage • Modern
About RetroTopJoe
How It Started
RetroTopJoe started quite simply — selling a few items on eBay and Vinted to make some extra money.
By August 2023, after sales started becoming more regular, I began thinking about taking it a bit more seriously.
What started as a mix of a hobby, clearing out items and making some extra cash gradually became something I wanted to build properly.
Now I’ve decided to take the next step and launch the RetroTopJoe website.
The name itself is pretty straightforward. My name is Joe, and I liked the idea of selling retro football tops whenever I came across them. RetroTopJoe stuck.
Retro • Vintage • Modern
The motto RETRO • VINTAGE • MODERN reflects exactly what I try to source and sell. I don’t want RetroTopJoe to be limited to one era or one type of customer.
Some people love the bold colours and designs of the 80s and 90s, while others are looking for something much more recent. The idea is simple: a bit of everything, for everyone.
For me, the variety is one of the best things about football shirts. The colours, the designs, the differences between eras and the uniqueness of certain shirts are what make collecting them so interesting.
The 80s and 90s are probably my favourite era, mainly because of the colours and creativity of the designs.
Just Me, Myself and I
RetroTopJoe isn’t a big company with a warehouse, a large team or a fulfilment department. It’s just me.
I source the items, inspect them, photograph them, list them, answer messages, package orders and send them out myself. I do this in my spare time as an independent side project alongside my other work, and I actually think that is part of what makes RetroTopJoe different.
I’m not trying to pretend to be a huge operation. I’m just another football fan and collector helping other like-minded people find something they like.
Fast dispatch is also something I really value. When I buy something online, I appreciate good communication and getting the item quickly, so I try to give customers the same experience.
More Than Football Shirts
Football shirts are a big part of RetroTopJoe, but the store is not limited to shirts. Stock can include:
- Football shirts
- Football memorabilia
- Signed memorabilia
- Rugby products
- Signed index cards
- Sports items
- TV, Film & Music related collectibles
- Other interesting collectibles
Sometimes people want more than football. They might want something connected to their favourite film, actor, musician or another sport, so I like having that variety.
Some items are completely one-off, while occasionally I may have more than one of the same product.
My Football Background
Football has always been a massive part of my life and I’ve always wanted to be involved in the game in some way.
I’m a former SPFL scout and I now work as a Scottish football analyst. I also work in football security in my spare time, which has given me the chance to meet plenty of people around the game and build friendships and contacts along the way.
You could probably say I’ve made a few football friends over the years.
That background is another reason RetroTopJoe feels natural to me. Football isn’t just something I sell products connected to — it’s something I’ve spent a huge part of my life around.
From Marketplace Seller to RetroTopJoe
I’ve been buying and selling items since 2022 across platforms including:
- eBay
- Vinted
- Depop
- Whatnot
- Facebook Marketplace
The website is the next stage. RetroTopJoe is still a side project, still run by one person and still built around the same idea it started with: finding interesting items, giving them a new home and hopefully helping someone find something they’ve been looking for.
Retro • Vintage • Modern
A bit of everything, for everyone.
