🏀 Vintage 1980s Utah Jazz “6 Pack” Team Caricature Shirt Pellon — Prototype Print Proof (Extremely Rare)

Description:

Original vintage screen-print Pellon prototype featuring the Utah Jazz “6 Pack” caricature artwork from the late 1980s. This pre-production sample was used by Sports Advertising Associates (or similar licensors) to test color registration and layout before printing on official team shirts.

Artwork showcases Jazz legends Karl Malone, John Stockton, Mark Eaton, Thurl Bailey, Bobby Hansen, and coach Frank Layden, all in a fun caricature style with their printed signatures. The bold purple and yellow “Jazz 6 Pack” design captures peak 1980s NBA style.

Printed on Pellon transfer fabric, not cotton — these sheets were never sold to the public and were only used for factory approval or print tests, making each design one-of-a-kind or one of only a few ever produced.

Details:

• Authentic 1980s NBA licensed production sample

• Size: See Measurements • Pellon test sheet

• Material: Non-woven Pellon (used for color and screen alignment testing)

• Condition: Excellent for age — vivid colors, minimal wear, no production folds

• Features caricatures of Karl Malone, John Stockton, Thurl Bailey, Mark Eaton, Bobby Hansen, and coach Frank Layden

• Estimated year: 1988–1989

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Rarity & Collectibility:

• Extremely rare — Pellon proofs were never available commercially and typically exist in quantities of fewer than 5 per design.

• Highly sought after by collectors of vintage NBA apparel, Utah Jazz memorabilia, and 1980s sports art prototypes.

• These prints represent the final approval stage before mass production, offering a unique piece of apparel and sports licensing history.

🧵 What a “Pellon” means in the shirt-printing world

• In vintage apparel production (especially 1980s–1990s), a “Pellon” is a test transfer or sample print made on a white fabric swatch before mass-producing shirts.

• The purpose was to:

• Test the color registration, placement, and ink quality of a design.

• Approve or adjust before printing hundreds or thousands of shirts.

• These were usually printed on Pellon fabric sheets (a type of nonwoven polyester testing material — hence the name).

• They were not sold to the public — they stayed in the print shop or were sent to licensors (NBA, Nike, etc.) for approval.

Check out my other listed Pellons • This all came from one storage locker. A Greatful Dead one sold in the last year I believe for close to $1000.