Mexico's banned radical Aztec design? Fiorentina's super rare Super Mario? Step this way!
With the clamour for vintage football shirts setting trends and generating trade from Lincolnshire to Budapest, another firm has thrown their hat in the ring, sourcing their stock from exotic corners of Latin America and finding plenty of demand.
Bristol-based TopBinz are the UK’s latest purveyors of retro soccer tops, the result of a heated discussion over drinks. “The three of us were pulling pints and collecting glasses in a Bristol pub when we realised we needed a new career path,” says Eva Van Nuil, one of the co-founders of recently established enterprise, TopBinz.
And, as hinted by the name, slang for the ball hitting the corner of the net in dramatic fashion, this new initiative combines age-old vernacular with a tinge of retro. “Our goal was to keep original shirts in circulation,” says Eva, explaining the concept behind TopBinz.
“These aren’t just bits of fabric – they’re history, and they don’t belong in landfill. By buying vintage from us, you’re helping preserve football heritage while giving quality shirts the respect they deserve. We also believe vintage football shirts should be worn beyond match days – as fashion statements, cultural markers and everyday essentials.”
The location for this operation goes beyond its status as a two-club city: “Our ethos ties into Bristol’s creative spirit: a place defined by youth culture, art, music and self-expression”. For all that, TopBinz was still a leap in the dark in these times of financial instability.
Having given up their day jobs, Eva and her mates Harry and Betty soon found themselves in a warehouse surrounded by bright, exotic merchandise gleaned from a bulk buy and a business link with Latin America. “Pretty soon, we had loads of shirts coming in from Mexico,” says Eva, “including one of Jorge Campos’ iconic multi-coloured goalkeeping tops from the 1994 World Cup”.
Also among the booty, there was Mexico’s elaborate Aztec shirt that was banned by FIFA four years later, a real find, and, rarity of rarities, a Fiorentina Super Mario top from the late 1990s. Sorting this stuff out, however, was another matter… “It takes forever!” admits Eva, acknowledging the long hours required to sift through the merch to assess size, condition and, crucially, which team (and, equally vitally, which season) the shirt belongs to.
With a stock numbering upwards of 4,000 items and counting – literally, in Eva’s case – it’s clearly time-consuming to keep on top of things. The gear is also fairly equally divided between shirts from British and international teams, meaning many hours spent studying obscure club badges and names of little-known sponsors.
This in turn led Eva and her team to create a Collector’s Corner, a stash of sought-after treasure for real aficionados to drool over.
Meanwhile, Eva’s business acumen has enabled her to turn a potential negative – currently TopBinz only operates online, while she keeps seeking rarely found retail premises becoming available in Bristol city centre– into a positive.
The warehouse where Eva and colleagues seem to spend every waking hour doubles up as The Bristol Vault, a by-appointment-only trove for enthusiasts to peruse in person. If that person might be you, then book a time in the schedule (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm).
Breaking their online presentation down into Classic Sponsors, Legends and Concept Kits also plugs into what fans might be looking for. Having only set up in September, it’s still early doors for TopBinz – but with Bristol City now making a serious challenge for a first-ever promotion to the Premier League and a World Cup soon upon us, there may be busy times ahead for Eva and her team.
TopBinz, currently online purchasing or visits by appointment only.
