Mike Spitz’s shop is the room that every sports fan dreams of.
Spitz’s East Village vintage sports store, Mr. Throwback, looks like his childhood bedroom on Long Island, where he grew up. He was a fan of the New York Yankees, New York Knicks, New York Islanders, and New York Giants. He hung up posters. He wore hats. He collected starting lineups.
The walls inside Mr. Throwback are similarly lined with jerseys, hats, shirts, and jackets from every major sport—basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and soccer. Spitz’s selection favors New York teams, especially the Knicks, Yankees, and Mets.
Spitz wore a white t-shirt from the 1994 NBA Finals, with a large graphic of the Houston Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon and the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing printed on the front.
“T-shirts are hot right now,” he said, showing a pair of Knicks shirts that had just come in. “Better graphics, bigger graphics. Bigger, more premium than the regular Knicks logo on it.”
‘The best name for a basketball jersey is a throwback jersey’
Spitz has been buying and selling vintage sports apparel for 13 years. He’s been collecting for longer. In 1996, he went to Marshall’s and bought his first Champion jersey. He found another — a white Shawn Kemp Seattle Supersonics jersey — when he got home from college. He bought jerseys through eBay, estate sales, and flea markets. In 2012, Spitz started selling. Starting every weekend in January, he’d brave the New York cold and head to the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market. He soon moved to DeKalb Market, then opened his store in the East Village. He quickly realized that he wanted to buy and sell sports gear for the rest of his life.
“[I] fell in love with people walking up saying, ‘Oh my God, you have such cool stuff,’” said Spitz. “And then the art of the sale, the negotiation.”
One of Spitz’s regulars, a customer from New Jersey named Drew, walked in with a navy and red Tommy Hilfiger duffel bag. He pulled out a gray bomber jacket featuring the Yankees’ script and a smaller blue bomber, which had the Mets’ script embroidered across the front.
“How much for both of these jackets?” asked Spitz.
“I’d do $100 on the gray and $80 on the Mets,” said Drew.
“$150. I’ll pay your full ask and I’ll give you $50 for that,” Spitz said, gesturing to the Mets jacket.
Vintage sports apparel has been steadily growing in popularity over the past two decades. According to Google Trends, search interest in throwback NBA items in the United States has increased by 150% in the month of May over the last 10 years. Interest peaks every April and May, in the heat of the NBA playoffs. In New York State, New York City has been a hotspot for searches.
“In COVID, people started being really nostalgic with their stuff,” said Spitz. “They found stuff, started selling on eBay. Cards went through the roof, jerseys. It was really a busy time.”
With the rise in popularity of vintage sports memorabilia comes a warning from Spitz: be careful. Counterfeit items are prevalent in the industry, and online sellers occasionally ship out newer items. As a throwback expert, Spitz encourages consumers to visit his shop for authentic gear and to negotiate prices.
Spitz is also a collector, and is always on the lookout for the next rare piece to keep, like the current anchor of his game-day outfit. He currently wears a 1996 game-worn Patrick Ewing jersey to Knicks games — something that he walked into his store. Ewing is his favorite Knicks player of all time.
His name, “Mr. Throwback,” is similarly inspired. He wanted a trademark that was recognizable and respected in the throwback jersey world.
“I always sold basketball jerseys,” said Spitz. “And the best name for a basketball jersey is a throwback jersey. And ‘Mr.’ is a sign of respect.”
‘Off the back’ with Mr. Throwback
“You got a little bit more room on the Mets?” asked Drew. “Just ‘cause that’s what I paid for it. I can do $70.”
“Can you do lower on this jacket?”
“$160?”
“$155.”
Spitz had been making deals like this for years. He recently started going to games and offering to buy fans’ jerseys. He called this “Off the Back,” a phrase he had shaved into his back hair. At a recent Knicks game, no one wanted to sell Spitz their Knicks jersey, but he bought a Rangers Starter jacket.
Programs like “Off the Back” are helping Spitz expand his brand, both globally and within the East Village community. Kid Cudi and Spike Lee have both been to his store. He’s had customers visit from Europe.
The East Village has been home to Mr. Throwback for the past 13 years. Spitz said he’d like to sponsor a community event like a dunk contest or a basketball event in nearby Tompkins Square Park.
But he’s most proud of the loyal customer base he’s built over the years, which helps him attract new customers and continue to build a community around vintage sports apparel.
“If you have a great experience somewhere, you’re going to tell the world,” said Spitz. “If you’re going to have a terrible experience, you’re going to tell the world. I’d rather you tell the world you’re gonna have a great experience.”
