Identifying Bootleg Shirts - Advice Anyone?

I would think the best way to know is to ask questions, maybe message the seller or the band and find out...could be kind of a hassle though, especially with big name bands that are harder to contact directly and I would think that a bootlegger probably wouldn't admit that his product isn't legit so that'd make the search for answers difficult. If its an online sale, if there's pictures, try to pay close attention to details like you mentioned with the Old Man's Child shirt. I would think that if its a well made bootleg there's probably not going to be any signs to show that it is one, of course the quality of the product will vary depending on who's making them; if I'm ordering online I know I don't like when they can't show a picture of the actual product (this goes for official merch too) like they have a black outline of the shirt with the design copy-pasted in the middle...doesn't show how it really looks. I don't think all legit shirts have copyright dates on them, I know I've bought official merch that doesn't have that on it.

as much as I want to directly support bands I like, if a shirt is a bootleg and it looks cool I might buy it, like you said sometimes there's shirts that have really old, out of print designs on them, or maybe it just looks better than the official merch the band or record label is selling.

as for advice on trading on this site, I personally would never try it, especially internationally, too much risk of getting ripped off, or lost/confiscated items... I know I don't want my name trashed all over this site for anything out of my control. I have sold one shirt and bought another on this site, and had good experience with it, its a little better to sell/buy here because we pretty much all have paypal and if anything goes wrong, you can always file a complaint thru paypal and get it resolved. There is a thread that's usually kept up to date and stays near the top of the forum activity section called "Good traders and reliable people to deal with / People to avoid" so if you want to trade with someone you can scroll thru and see if other users have had any experience with them for better or worse.

First of all there are many ways of telling a bootleg from an original. Sometimes the original or the 'band/label approved' shirts don't necessarily have copyrights or years etc on them. When I saw Mgla in Montreal, I bought a shirt directly from them that didn't have any trademark/copyright stuff on it and it is not unusual (sadly lost that shirt the same night!).

1. It is possible that the band may let a third party release a shirt. This can happen due to 'kinship' between members of the band/label and the said the third party. It could also happen as a tribute to the band. I have seen this happen and though rare, not entirely impossible.
And yes the designs may differ, but that is usually at the discretion of the band/third party and their agreements.

2. Yes, a lower quality of print. The colours that differ from the original, for example bootlegged shirts have 'milder' colours. Sometimes a desing that was originally a full coloured print maybe bootlegged as a one-colour shirt. The brand of the shirt is also a giveaway. Usually band shirts are printed on Gildan, Anvil, FotL etc. bootlegs tend to be cheaper feeling material.
That said, I've got bootlegs that have outlasted and are better than some originals.
Also, a lot of the time I have noticed most of the stuff coming out of Thailand/Mexico tend to be bootlegs. However, that is not to say that these countries don't produce legit/licensed band merch. Some labels operating out the said countries do do legit stuff. Some are obviously bootlegged. There are some Eastern European countries that I have seen to be funneling bootlegs. USA also has a few well-known bootleggers.

3. Not always!

4. Chances are that there maybe both LS and SS and even girly/wife beater/hoodie versions of a particular design. It is entirely possible that you or anyone else may just not be aware of it. I can name many bands that are really underground that I was even surprised to have found that had merch or shirt designs that I always wanted. A prime example would be Bethlehem. They had shirt designs that I thought were non-existent.

I hope this helps!