Panting for Bluejeans : Classic American Denim Fetches Top Dollar

The arrival of autumn means it’s time to start digging out warmer clothing, and for some people that will mean tossing out old blue jeans. But doing that could be like throwing away hundred-dollar bills.

“People can get $50, $100 or $200 for true vintage items,” said Max Shapiro, a clothing dealer from San Francisco, referring to bluejeans and other classic American clothing that’s at least 25 years old. “People are shocked that we’ll pay that much.”

But Shapiro and other dealers are willing to fork out the money because they can sell the old jeans, jean jackets and other vintage items to retailers in Europe and Asia, especially Japan, at a hefty profit. A market exists in the U.S. for slightly used and vintage jeans because many people like the worn look. Small stores in urban areas, including Los Angeles, pay $10 and more for some old jeans in good condition.

But selling outside the U.S. involves bigger profits. People worldwide are eager to own a bit of Americana, sometimes at very high prices.

Overall, the market for vintage bluejeans is hot. Even jeans that are only 10 or 20 years old can fetch $65 or so, although the loftiest prices are for those at least 25 years old and in good condition.

Although most people don’t have vintage jeans lying around, those who find old denim pants or jackets boxed in the attic or stashed in a drawer somewhere could be in for a windfall.

Shapiro tells the story of two brothers in Northern California, both in their 50s, and their father, who together had about 50 vintage jeans and jackets. After hearing about Shapiro and his business, Green for Jeans, they contacted him and negotiations started.

Eventually, Shapiro agreed to pay $15,000 for the goods. At closing, the men insisted on being paid in cash, and they even asked their banker to call the Federal Reserve Board to check the authenticity of the bills.

Shapiro said he didn’t mind. That find, as well as a more recent one in the South--a man with about 15 Levi’s 501 jeans with the original tags on them, probably 25 years old or more--are “a vintage clothing dealer’s dream.”

“If you can find them, they’re great,” said Marc Luers, owner of Tatters, a clothing retailer and wholesaler in Minneapolis. “They’ve become scarce and there’s an awful lot of people looking for them.”

Competition among dealers scrounging for supply is so keen that none interviewed for this article would divulge specific sources, or even the cities where they were looking.

But the dealers regularly scout garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores in small towns and farming communities west of the Mississippi, where most vintage jeans are likely to be found.

The most popular items are bluejeans made by Levi Strauss & Co., which have been a hot American commodity worldwide for more than two decades. But old Wrangler and Lee jeans can bring top dollar as well.

The thirst for things American, especially in Japan, is what drives the market.

“Demand for vintage jeans is 98% from Japan,” Shapiro said. “In Japan, students wear uniforms in school, and since they often don’t have big houses or cars, they make statements with the clothing they wear.”

New Levi’s can cost as much as $100 in most developed countries, so people in Japan, Thailand and elsewhere in Asia or Europe are often willing to pay that much or more for older jeans, which are more of a status symbol.

Even used American sneakers have been hot in Japan, with used Air Jordans in good condition fetching up to several hundred dollars, though that trend seems to have cooled.

But vintage jeans and jackets continue to rise in price, as much as 20% a year, according to dealers.

If you have old Levi’s or jackets, here are some things to look for:

* Red lines running up the inseams on the inside of the legs. The “Redlines,” the most common older Levi’s 501, can fetch up to $65 in good condition. Produced until 1986.

* The letter “E” on the red tag on the right back pocket. If it is capitalized, you have a so-called Big E that can bring up to $200 in good condition.

* Rivets inside the back pockets. The “Double X” Big E 501 model was produced until 1965 and now fetches about $400.

* An adjustable belt in back attached by copper rivets. Very rare, these fetch up to $2,000 in good condition. Levi’s stopped making the buckle-back model in 1942 because of government efforts to save metal and fabric during World War II, according to Kay McDonough, assistant historian at Levi Strauss, which started making jeans in 1873.