Bradley Staer’s collection of 150 football jerseys tells the story of his life and his journey in the sport.

A huge Manchester United fan, he has every one of their home jerseys since 1986.

“A lot of people of my age will remember watching them in the ’90s and how successful they were,” he says.

Some of his favourite jerseys are from the now-defunct A-league franchise North Queensland Fury, Spain legend Andrés Iniesta’s Vissel Kobe shirt picked up during a trip to Japan, and Finland’s home and away jerseys from 2015.

“They probably have no value to anyone else except for me and some Finnish collectors, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

They seem out-of-place, but the shirts remind Bradley of his proposal to his wife Tegan in a glass igloo while on holiday in the icy country that year.

“We have a lot of very fond memories of that trip.

“A jersey is worth what someone’s willing to pay for it. It’ll mean different things to different people.”

Kit collecting goes gangbusters

It’s generally agreed that the COVID pandemic helped spark a fascination for shirt collecting and trading among football fans.

“People were just looking for something extra to do,” says Tim Morley, owner-operator of the Football House.

“It just really boomed. And that’s not just in Australia, that’s worldwide as well.”

He sources and resells authentic second-hand shirts.

“Some items that I may not have been able to sell for $50-70 back in the day- They’re now collectible things that people are willing to pay $250 plus for.”

Hundreds of people have attended Morley’s pop-up stores around the country, looking to get their hands on worn-in football treasures.

“They’re becoming a little bit more harder to get as time goes on,” he says.

“But if you can find a gem from the ’80s or ’90s and it’s in good condition, people are usually willing to pay a good amount for that.”

Retro designs make a comeback

Mariame Choucair from Sydney uses her Instagram to document her adventures as a Sky Blues fan, and to show how she styles her football jerseys.

“I think football shirt collecting and incorporating it into your everyday wear is becoming a trend.”

“For me, it’s about expressing who I am as a person.”

She has a collection of “about 150 to 160” jerseys, mostly Sydney FC, along with Socceroos, Matildas, Everton and Germany shirts.

“One of my favourite shirts in my collection is my 1990 West Germany World Cup home shirt, and it’s in a long sleeve. And it’s really, really hard to come by.”

The global football sportswear market was estimated to be worth $129 billion (AUD) in 2023, according to IMARC, with the global consultancy group predicting it will be $200 billion by 2032.

Morley says authentic retro jerseys will always stand out amongst the mass-produced modern shirts.

“I think the vintage jerseys, they were previously made with a better quality, in my personal opinion.”

“Anything that’s vintage Socceroos or from the Golden Socceroos era, 2006-ish, people love that sort of stuff.”

The business of football shirts

The second hand market has economics behind it, with shirts of certain players or teams going up in value depending on what’s happening in the world of football.

“It’s a good investment. They can park their money, basically,” says Morley.

“They can sell it down the track 5 years later, 10 years later. And there won’t be many occasions where they’re going to be at a loss.”

The growing interest in football jerseys has allowed many traders like Bradley to make their hobby into a side-hustle, using their well-honed sleuthing skills to find undervalued jerseys.

“It’s just a good way to sort of fund the collection without too much coming out of my pocket,” he says.

“I called myself Kit Hunter. It’s just knowing where to where to look basically.”

A common tactic is to buy jerseys of an up-and-coming talent, which could soar in value if they become a superstar.

Adelaide United product Nestory Irankunda is one such player whose jersey could be in high demand in the coming years.

“I picked up one as a potential investment of sorts,” said Bradley.

“But I just think it’s a wonderful memory of his time in the A-league as well. He scored some incredible goals, he’s an amazing player.”

“Football kits are for everybody”

Mariame has been questioned about her involvement in the jersey collecting space, which is mostly occupied by men.

“I had people ask me, or males ask me, “Oh, you’re into football shirts. Like, why? How come?”

“But that’s definitely come a long way.”

It’s now much more common for big sportswear brands to launch versions of football shirts in women’s sizing and shapes.

Morley says he’s seeing more interest in jerseys from female fans, especially after the success of the Matildas at the Women’s World Cup in Australia last year.

“The rise of the Matildas has been crazy. They get so many people to their games now.”

“Women used to have to just be able to buy the men’s kits. Now the women can buy kits that fit them.”

Nike experienced record-breaking demand during the World Cup for the now-iconic Matildas home jersey.

Mackenzie Arnold’s purple goalkeeper shirt sold out instantly earlier this year when it was finally made available for fans to purchase.

“Football kits are for everybody to wear. It doesn’t matter your background,” says Mariame.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re female or male or whatever gender it is that you are.

“Because of what the Tillies did … you’re seeing a lot more, men and women, young girls and young boys wearing and rocking their Matilda’s kits.”

Home-grown passion

Football shirts that are unique or vintage are an instant conversation starter among fans and players.

“You see people with older sort of shirts or just something that maybe you hadn’t seen before,” says Bradley.

Jerseys from the well-loved sides of Europe will always be in demand, but it’s hoped kit collecting will lead to more appreciation for Socceroos, Matildas and A-league jerseys.

“I generally do buy Sydney FC home, away and third kit pretty much every season,” says Mariame.

“I am someone who loves the game. Particularly the Australian game… I’m all about wearing it day-to-day and having that conversation with people.”