The old custom-designed royal-blue and white Spartan band uniforms — with a distinguished yellow-gold accents and Brentwood “B” — were stuffed and crammed into every spare corner and closet band director Steve Leopold could find.
It took five years, but the Spartan band uniforms finally are getting a second life and bringing in $3,375 for the district.
“These uniforms have served their purpose here, and now they get to go to another district to serve another purpose,” Leopold said. “And we're gaining all of our storage space back.”
Brentwood School Board members last week agreed to sell the district's old band uniforms to an undisclosed private academy in Texas. The money received through the online sale of the uniforms will go back into the district's general fund, Superintendent Amy Burch said.
“Every little bit helps,” she said.
The 150 Brentwood marching-band uniforms sold were designed by Leopold in 2001 to represent the school, with “Spartan” stitched across one shoulder and “Brentwood” on the other.
He doesn't know how old the district's previous uniforms were — but they were well worn, and some weren't even from Brentwood. The band was so large at the time that it ran out of uniforms, and members were given old pieces from the University of Pittsburgh that had the same colors.
In 2006, the district changed its colors from royal blue and yellow gold to navy blue and Vegas gold.
The Spartan marching band, which now has about 55 members, was the last group to get new uniforms in 2009 for $49,000. The new uniforms had a new Brentwood look, Leopold said. Band uniforms typically last 10 to 15 years.
“They were only 8 years old when we got new uniforms,” Leopold said. “Some were very lightly used. Some were never worn.”
So he found a website, MarchingLinks.com, that helps schools sell their used band uniforms online for less than the cost of a new uniform. Shipping costs are covered by the buyer, and the company takes a percentage of the sale that's not included in Brentwood's profits.
Since starting the online site that helps recycle or repurpose band uniforms 15 years ago, MarchingLinks.com president Laura Wolf said several thousand uniforms have sold worldwide.
“It's becoming more common,” said Wolf, whose company is based in Ebensburg.
Most of the schools selling uniforms on the site are larger, with bands between 100 and 200 members, Wolf said. Buyers typically have bands with between 50 and 100 members.
New uniforms can cost between $400 and $600 per student, yet resale often costs about $40 to outfit a student, she said.
“Generally, it's going to a school that has the same colors,” Wolf said. The name, however, can be covered with a patch or removed.
Shaler Area High School sold its uniforms through MarchingLinks.com about five years ago, Wolf said.
Since he found out about the sale, Leopold has spent the last week packaging all of the old uniforms, capes, raincoats and hats into 33 boxes that line a lower hallway at Brentwood Middle/High School.
Students got a laugh at the idea of their old uniforms being worn by other students.
“It's kind of funny to think about people wearing Brentwood's uniforms somewhere else,” said junior Merlin Reiland, 16, whose brother, Jimi, wore the old uniform his freshman year.
Stephanie Hacke is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-388-5818 or shacke@tribweb.com.
