Wal-Mart Nazi swag now on eBay

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Wal-Mart Nazi swag now on eBay

Ben Popken from The Consumerist has discovered that some of Wal-Mart’s Nazi t-shirts are now being listed on eBay. I have to think that the eBay seller who listed them knows the significance of the Nazi skull since he lists them as being Totenkopf in the listing’s title.

The seller made sure to also list them in the Militaria/WW II (1939-45)/Germany/Medals, Pins, Ribbons catagory. I’m guessing that’s where one goes when they want to find Nazi stuff on eBay. When you cannot simply run out to your local Wal-Mart.

Totenkopf Shirts On Ebay [The Consumerist]

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Posted In Wal-Mart Totenkopf | Permalink

26 Responses to “Wal-Mart Nazi swag now on eBay”

on 14 Nov 2006 at 1:01 pm1Shawn Honnick

I heard about this and your site here on WTOP just now in the car. Glad you found that. Too bad their buyers aren’t doing their jobs before it hits the store shelves!
on 14 Nov 2006 at 4:23 pm2darwin

i still love walmart. if mom and pop can not hack it out with wally they need to move on. this should not be held over on WM, this is some freaks idea of a joke and i doubt that the WM “powers that be” know one skull head from another.
on 14 Nov 2006 at 5:41 pm3Jerry Self

I heard about this on MSN, and that your web blog had more details on it.

I’m a world war two memorabilia collector, and have been collecting for over 25 years.

While the picture on your shirt does resemble the SS “Toten Kopf” (Death’s Head) emblem of the SS, I’d like to point out that the SS were’nt the only group to use it.

The vikings circa 850 through about 1225 were known to use similar skulls which have been found on finger rings, swords, hammers and other tools.

Several pirates have used nearly identical images on their flags.

Numerous religious (christiian as well as other) sects used or are currently using similar skulls.

So, while I’m not defending Nazism, I think it only fair that the all the facts about the image in question get presented.
on 14 Nov 2006 at 5:43 pm4Ehsen Lauren

THE Shirt clearly says since 1978. You need to chill out a little!
on 14 Nov 2006 at 6:46 pm5Johnny B

I guess I’ll have to go to Ebay to get one then…
on 14 Nov 2006 at 7:19 pm6Halfmad

Jerry, Christian churches used swastikas in their architecture at one point, too. That doesn’t mean it’s okay for Wal-Mart to sell clothing with swastikas on them!
on 14 Nov 2006 at 7:55 pm7L Dawg

Walmart NoBoundaries Totenkopf Death Head T-Shirt S
1 bid- $0.01

Walmart NoBoundaries Totenkopf Death Head T-Shirt M
1 bid- $0.01

Walmart NoBoundaries Totenkopf Death Head T-Shirt L
2 bids- $0.06
Free 6d 05h 34m

Walmart NoBoundaries Totenkopf Death Head T-Shirt XL
9 bids- $23.20

XL - 9 bids. Make your own conclusions.
on 14 Nov 2006 at 11:43 pm8Scott Butki

Wow. To think I knew you back when your name wasnt listed in the local paper.
WAy to do good, man
on 15 Nov 2006 at 12:30 pm9laura

Here’s something else Wal-Mart has been up to:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16005417.htm
on 15 Nov 2006 at 7:11 pm10terri

I hope that they take these shirts off the shelves soon. They should shred them and recycle them into dustcloths or something.
on 15 Nov 2006 at 11:03 pm11Mike

I saw one of the shirts on ebay up to $45 yesterday, and it was gone today. And just a couple of hours ago there was “Buy it Now” listing, and now that’s gone, too. Not sold. Deleted. Ebay has other totenkopf items for sale, so I wonder if they’re just pulling the stuff off ebay that mentions Wal-Mart?
on 16 Nov 2006 at 2:58 pm12Rachel

Hey Rick,
Just thought you might like to know I found some at my local Walmart at lunchtime today.

Write up here: http://rebunting.journalspace.com/?entryid=806
on 16 Nov 2006 at 10:39 pm13Emily

My sister works at ebay. She’s the one that sent me the link to your site. It’s her (and others) job to troll through ebay and take crap like this off.
on 17 Nov 2006 at 8:54 am14Lokki

I think that they should not worry about it and produce it, that’s the way the image will lose its previous (unfortunate) association.
It doesn’t signify Nazism as a swastika does.
on 17 Nov 2006 at 9:04 am15Rick

You are right Lokki, it doesn’t signify Nazism. It signifies the Waffen Nazi SS. I thought I fully explained that. Oh well.
on 17 Nov 2006 at 9:11 am16Rick

As an update, it appears eBay has canceled all of the auctions for this shirt. It looks as though eBay was a lot faster then Wal-Mart when it came to dealing with this. As of yesterday, people were still finding these shirts in Wal-Mart stores. Make sure to check out Rachel’s post about it on her fine blog. She has a link in her comment.
on 17 Nov 2006 at 12:31 pm17Lokki

Ps. Nice site set up.
on 18 Nov 2006 at 6:21 am18Lokki

What it signifies Rick is a skull, you contextualized it. It actually means nothing now days.
on 18 Nov 2006 at 9:09 pm19platt

Ya.. and Hitler was just some guy…
on 19 Nov 2006 at 4:27 pm20SPLIFFxL

Well what it all boils down to is this people: Wallmart dont inform people it is connected to nazi history….so little Timmy might come to school wearing -ss- insignia(…)

lokki “What it signifies “Rick” is a skull, you contextualized it. It actually means nothing now days.”
people might not recognize them in the U.S., but here in europe i dont think there is many who wont recognize them….young old alike!

As a consumer, i wouldnt want to have the wool pulled over my eyes. It does meen something. just look how many took the time to debate it here.

And that is why wallmart should move on this…not because it infrindges on freedom of speech but becuz people ought to know what they buy. Say it on the sign “SS T-shirt” and they can do what the hell they want
on 15 Mar 2007 at 9:40 am21Hammie

03-15-07
The Totenkopf T-shirts are still alive and well in the midwest—I saw a neatly folded pile of them Tuesday! What the hell?? I thought these were being removed in NOVEMBER??
on 29 Mar 2007 at 10:42 pm22trigunkilla

i would just like to let you all know that this is no big deal. its a skull. its a beautiful skull. no im not a skinhead. or a nazi. i also apreciat* the SS rune and how that also looks awsome. though i dont think that they should make a shirt with the SS since its illegal in germany. but you all are getting in a huff because this symbol that has been around forever is used by a group you dont like (for good reason but thats not the point). now think about this. right now these symbols are what identifies them. its who they are. its what they are. and by not lett ing this inoccent symbol into the mainstream you are letting them keep their power. by geting offended by this snikheads and neo-nazis are sitting at home laughing at all of you saying to eachother “look at these idiots we are winning!”. you are being intolerant of their intolerance. if you ignore this stuff and just go “oh what a pretty skull” pretty soon it will be nothing but a pretty skull. and incase your wondering no i dont think the swastika should be put in the mainstream. its not that pretty. just stop hating their hate for christs sake.
on 03 Jun 2007 at 11:32 am23Tristan

I think there is a wider effort to market Nazi symbols to youth. See my blog at:
http://raumfahrer.wordpress.com/
Tristan
on 03 Jun 2007 at 11:40 am24Tristan

The Totenkopf symbol was used by the Prussian Hussars and adopted by the Totenkopf Division of the Waffen-SS. It was also used by the Freikorp militias after WWI, sort of a forerunner of the Nazis. According to Wikipedia it has also been used by some British military units long ago. Mostly these days it is associated with the SS and that would be the appropriate association these days, not to pirates. It’s just as wrong for this symbol to be sold by Walmart as selling the swastika. The swastika has been used elsewhere also.
on 03 Jun 2007 at 12:06 pm25Tristan

The 1978 date on the Totenkopf t-shirt probably refers to the beginning of the Nazi punk movement, which spawned the Nazi skinhead movement. See this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_punk
Tristan
on 01 Dec 2007 at 12:19 pm26bitch

there