Man puts a tattered 1940s sweatshirt on sale for an unbelievable price—you’ll be laughing

A recent viral video has social media buzzing with disbelief and laughter, as a man boldly puts up a shredded sweatshirt for sale with a price tag that could fund a small wardrobe revolution. The relic in question is an 85-year-old, heavily distressed sweatshirt, which the seller claims is a historical gem from the 1940s.

But judging by its current state—ripped, rust-stained, and barely holding together—calling it clothing might be generous.

The seller, who presented his find in a video on Instagram’s Bidstitch account, refers to the piece as a “1940s hoodless afterhood” with a “rust-stained patina” and “exceptional distressing throughout.”

Well, he just means to say that it’s a hole-ridden sweatshirt that looks like it squared off against a hurricane and lost. But at the end of that, the guy goes ahead and demands a jaw-dropping $2,500.

It's no surprise, then, that the internet exploded with this story. The video has garnered more than 8.2 million views and transformed the hoodie itself into an unwitting meme. Comments poured in, ranging from sharp critiques to outright absurdity.

One user didn’t hold back: “It was found in a house? Was the decayed body still wearing it?”

Another chimed in with: “Imagine walking into an abandoned house and trying to sell the toilet paper you found.”

Someone declared: “This world is cooked.”

A user went on to ask: "At what point do we stop pretending this isn’t weird?"

Another user humorously mentioned: "Can someone let me know if this guy is ok."

"I have a used boxer to sell for about $5000", a comment read.

""Rust" staining. Is that what they call tweaker feces in LA?" another comment read.

A comment read: "ah yes the crackhead diarrhea hoodie. Let's price it unfathomably high because it's "different"."

A user stated: "That's not "distressing" bro, that's just straight trauma."

---

Viral 85-year-old sweatshirt

A person filming the video asks:

“If someone comes to you and says, ‘Hey, I really want to buy this,’ what price would it be to get it out of your hands?”

His answer is an amount that could buy you a truckload of brand-new sweatshirts, plus a vacation to recover from the sticker shock.

It’s only $2,500.

The seller justifies the price by pointing to its historical significance. According to him, the sweatshirt is an example of a “double-V” design with an “applied bottom pocket,” a piece of fashion history from the post-World War II era.

“It’s super rad,” he adds, explaining that the garment’s two-ply construction makes it “wearable even though it has like tons of holes.”

He even admits:

“I hope nobody buys it so that I can keep it.”

Bold move, considering most people wouldn’t wear it even if it came with a bonus sweater underneath.

---

The origins of an "afterhood"

For those wondering if this tattered relic really holds any historical merit, here’s the tea. Sweatshirts like this one emerged in the 1940s, a time when clothing evolved from couture to practical, mass-produced styles due to wartime fabric rationing.

The “after-hood” design—essentially a crewneck with a hood sewn on—was all the rage among workers and athletes who needed functional, warm clothing.

But is this particular sweatshirt a piece of history or just, well, a piece? Experts might argue that its double-ply construction and design give it a claim to authenticity. Still, its current state makes it a hard sell—literally.