On any given day there are many United States Secret Service shirts, caps, t-shirts and other items for sale on eBay. How do you know that what you are buying is authentic? There are some sellers that offer Secret Service N.T.A.C. or C.A.T. Star logo tee shirts for sale. These shirts are made by novelty tee shirt (t-shirt) companies and are in NO WAY related to the U.S. Secret Service.  These shirts show the Secret Service star and the NTAC or CAT logo silk-screened on a tee shirt. The printing is poor and the logo is not crisp and clear. This logo has been picked off of an internet site and reproduced. There is NO ONE who should have an endless supply of Secret Service items in every size. This is a big tip off! Also, tee shirts and caps that say "SECRET SERVICE" in large lettering are NOT made by the Secret Service.

The Secret Service does sell tee shirts in the store with a small Secret Service logo on the left chest. They also make division tee shirts that persons from that division may purchase at the store, i.e. Presidential Protection, Vice-Presidential Protection. The tee shirts are a name brand and have high quality screen printing. In the fall and winter the ERA generally produces long sleeved shirts with a logo.

I have seen a few embroidered golf or polo shirts that have not been made by the USSS on eBay but it has been awhile since they have been offered for sale. USSS ERA  golf style shirts are high quality with precise embroidery, usually on the left chest.

In fact, it is a Federal Law that no individual or company may reproduce the Secret Service Star or badge logos. All items made by the Secret Service with the star and badge logos are authorized and produced through the U.S. Secret Service ERA at USSS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The ERA or Employee Recreation Association was started in 1999 to supply Special Agents with articles of clothing, caps, writing instruments, notebooks, portfolios, pins, badge holders, key chains, pen knives, money clips, Christmas ornaments and other "gift ware" items for their personal use or to give away as a gift. The Agents often need items to give as gifts of appreciation to fellow Federal Law Enforcement Officers, local police or officials that help with motorcades, advance logistics in their cities, or other cooperative events. To provide these items at a reasonable price so that any level employee can afford to purchase USSS items, the ERA sells merchandise at very little profit.  The ERA Store is run by civilian employees that are governed by a board made up of Agents and employees of various branches of the Secret Service. The board meets to approve new merchandise that the ERA proposes to manufacture and sell at the store at HQ and at the USSS training facility. Even the various divisions and field offices of the Secret Service that wish to produce pins and division shirts need to get the approval of and have items made by the ERA.  On every USSS ERA sales receipt it states that merchandise may not be resold. There have been instances of employees or people with access to the training facility buying large quantities of Secret Service merchandise and reselling it on eBay. These folks were eventually caught and punished. Vendors that make merchandise for the Secret Service ERA sign a contract that states the merchandise they manufacture may not be sold to anyone outside the ERA. Only items that are no longer produced by the ERA, have been collected over time or recieved as a gift may be legally resold.

Many years ago there was a store in the basement of the White House that sold Secret Service and White House items. These items had little regulation. This store was eventually closed in the mid to late 1990's. The ERA took over the production of everything Secret Service and the White House items continued to be produced by the Secret Service Uniformed Division and sold at their store in Washington, D.C..

The profits made by the USSS ERA are given back to the employees of the Secret Service by donations of merchandise to each field office or special events catered by the ERA. The ERA also provides financial help to employees facing a family or personal crisis, medical issues, death in the family or other need. Donations are made by the ERA to various Secret Service and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies and organizations like C.O.P.S., Concerns of Police Survivors. "Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) was organized in 1984 to serve “spouses, children, parents, siblings … and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty.” The National Police Challenge or NPC50 is a race that is sponsored each year by the ERA with all proceeds being donated to C.O.P.S. and H.E.R.O.E.S.. The race is run at the Secret Service training facility and open to Federal and local police departments.