What is ThreadDate?
The world's first crowdsourced database for dating vintage clothing identifiers
The Problem
Vintage clothing authentication is fragmented. Information about dating tags, buttons, zippers, and stitching is scattered across forum posts, Instagram stories, and word-of-mouth knowledge. This makes it difficult for:
- Resellers to accurately date and price vintage pieces
- Collectors to verify authenticity and era
- Archivists to catalog historical garments
- Enthusiasts to learn about vintage clothing history
Our Solution
ThreadDate brings this knowledge together into a searchable, verifiable database. Think Wikipedia meets Discogs, but for vintage clothing identifiers.
Comprehensive Coverage
Not just neck tags. We catalog care tags, buttons, snaps, zippers, tabs, stitching patterns, and hardware.
Community Driven
Built by vintage enthusiasts, verified by the community. No single source of truth—crowdsourced accuracy.
Evidence-Based
Submissions supported by catalog scans, copyright dates, and primary sources. Verifiable, not speculative.
Always Growing
New brands, new eras, new identifier types. The database expands with every contribution.
Who It's For
Vintage Resellers
Date your inventory accurately. "1980s Nike" vs "1990s Nike" can mean a 3x price difference.
Serious Collectors
Verify authenticity before purchasing rare pieces. Catch reproductions and misattributed eras.
Thrift Store Diggers
Quickly identify valuable pieces in the wild. Your smartphone + ThreadDate = portable authentication.
Fashion Archivists
Build comprehensive catalogs with accurate dating. Reference primary sources.
Why Crowdsourcing Works
No single expert knows every brand, every era, every tag variation. But the collective knowledge of thousands of vintage enthusiasts? That's powerful.
Our reputation-based verification system ensures quality:
- Multiple users verify each submission
- Evidence is required for contentious dates
- High-reputation contributors have more weight
- The community self-corrects over time
Our Mission
To preserve and democratize knowledge about vintage clothing authentication. We believe this information should be free, open, and accessible to everyone—from the casual thrifter to the museum curator.
ThreadDate is a public good. No paywalls. No gatekeeping. Just a community building something valuable together.