Buffums Department Store Kids Tee / T-Shirt
S / White
$16.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Share a little Long Beach history with a young Buffums fan. This kids tee celebrates the department store that began in 1904 and grew into a Southern California chain of 16 specialty stores. Buffums was remembered locally as the Grand Dame of department stores, with a downtown flagship and an advertising line that shoppers still recognize. It makes a playful pick for family outings, local-history events, or introducing the next generation to a distinctive name in regional retail.
Buffums began in Long Beach, California, in 1904, when Charles and Edwin Buffum and other partners bought the Schilling Bros. dry goods business and began operating it as The Mercantile Co. The business grew from a downtown store into a regional chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California. Its downtown flagship expanded over several decades: a new building opened in stages in 1924, a parking garage followed in 1941, and additions in 1960 and 1964 enlarged the complex. From the 1950s, the chain gradually added stores and promoted its specialty-store identity. Known locally as the “Grand Dame” of department stores, Buffums used the advertising line “I've been to Buffums” in the 1970s and 1980s. Australian retailer David Jones bought the chain in the 1970s; by the time of its attempted sale in the 1980s, it had become part of Adelaide Steamship Company. In 1982, the Long Beach store and headquarters moved to Long Beach Plaza after the downtown complex was sold; that complex was demolished in 1985. Buffums entered liquidation after the 1990 Christmas season. A brief retail relaunch opened in Long Beach's Belmont Shore neighborhood in October 2015 and closed in March 2016.
Share a little Long Beach history with a young Buffums fan. This kids tee celebrates the department store that began in 1904 and grew into a Southern California chain of 16 specialty stores. Buffums was remembered locally as the Grand Dame of department stores, with a downtown flagship and an advertising line that shoppers still recognize. It makes a playful pick for family outings, local-history events, or introducing the next generation to a distinctive name in regional retail.
Buffums began in Long Beach, California, in 1904, when Charles and Edwin Buffum and other partners bought the Schilling Bros. dry goods business and began operating it as The Mercantile Co. The business grew from a downtown store into a regional chain of 16 specialty department stores across Southern California. Its downtown flagship expanded over several decades: a new building opened in stages in 1924, a parking garage followed in 1941, and additions in 1960 and 1964 enlarged the complex. From the 1950s, the chain gradually added stores and promoted its specialty-store identity. Known locally as the “Grand Dame” of department stores, Buffums used the advertising line “I've been to Buffums” in the 1970s and 1980s. Australian retailer David Jones bought the chain in the 1970s; by the time of its attempted sale in the 1980s, it had become part of Adelaide Steamship Company. In 1982, the Long Beach store and headquarters moved to Long Beach Plaza after the downtown complex was sold; that complex was demolished in 1985. Buffums entered liquidation after the 1990 Christmas season. A brief retail relaunch opened in Long Beach's Belmont Shore neighborhood in October 2015 and closed in March 2016.
| S | M | L | XL | |
| Width, in | 15.24 | 16.26 | 17.24 | 18.23 |
| Length, in | 20.87 | 22.13 | 23.39 | 24.37 |
| Size tolerance, in | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Product features
- 100% combed ring-spun cotton (solid colors); heather blends available for softness and stretch
- Extra lightweight (4.2 oz/yd²) for breathable, all-day comfort
- Side seams and shoulder tape for shape retention and durability
- Ribbed knit collar and tear-away DTF inner neck label for comfort and fit
- Retail fit crew neckline with DTG/DTF printing on a sustainably made Bella+Canvas blank
Care instructions
- Machine wash: warm (max 40C or 105F)
- Non-chlorine: bleach as needed
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Iron, steam or dry: medium heat
- Do not dry clean
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Bella+Canvas 3001Y, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Care instructions: Machine wash: warm (max 40C or 105F), Non-chlorine: bleach as needed, Tumble dry: low heat, Iron, steam or dry: medium heat, Do not dry clean