When you pick up a limited edition tee, the first thing you'll notice is the numbering. It's usually printed on the back of the neck tag or as a graphic on the shirt. "125/500" means your tee is the 125th out of 500. That's straightforward. But here's the catch: the number alone doesn't tell you if it's rare or valuable. You need to know the edition size. A "No. 7" with no edition size could be one of thousands.

So, when you're looking at a numbered tee, the first question to ask is: "What's the total edition size?" If the answer is vague or missing, treat the number as decorative rather than a scarcity marker.