1950s Levi’s: How to Tell If Yours Are From the 1950s and What They Are Worth

How do I date 1950s Levi’s jeans?

Two small things do most of the work: the patch on the back of the waistband and the red tab on the back pocket.

Heddels, the dating guide collectors use, calls the 1947 to 1955 pair the post-war 501XX and dates the Jacron patch from 1955; it notes leather was phased out around 1954. Hidden back pocket rivets lasted into the mid-1960s, so they confirm an old pair without narrowing it to the decade. The sewn arcuate with a small diamond where the two arcs meet runs from 1947 on. The how-to-date guide walks every signal with photos.

What other 1950s Levi’s are worth looking for?

• The Type 2 jacket, lot 507XX, made from 1953 to 1962, with two pleated pockets and a buttoned tab at each side of the waist. The Type 2 guide dates it.
• The Type 1 jacket, lot 506XX, until the Type 2 replaced it in 1953. The Type 1 guide.
• Blanket-lined jackets: the 517XX Type 2 and the rarer Type 1 that Japanese collector references call the 519XX. The blanket-lined jacket guide.
• The women’s 701, which Levi’s began selling across the country in the 1950s. The 701 guide.
• Kids’ jeans: the 503ZXX of the late 1950s, with the same denim and hidden rivets as the adult pair. The kids’ guide.
• The zip-fly 501ZXX, the 501 with a zipper, made briefly in the 1950s. The zip-fly guide.
• Denim western shirts with the Shorthorn label and pearl snaps. The denim shirt guide.

Are mine from the 1950s or a reissue?

Levi’s Vintage Clothing has reissued the 1954 and 1955 501, the 1953 Type 2 and the 1950s 701, with big E tabs, selvedge and the right patch on the outside. The inside gives a reissue away: a printed care or size label sewn inside with a style number and a country of origin, and on many 1990s reissues 555 on the button backs, for the Valencia Street plant in San Francisco. A 1950s original has no care label at all. The reproduction guide covers more of the tells.

What are 1950s Levi’s worth?

Sold prices are the honest number, and the summer 2026 sales topped out at $2,500 for a 501XX; the higher figures above are asks, mostly from dealers in Japan. What moves a 1950s piece up is a leather patch over a paper one, a one-sided tab, dark denim, a size that fits a grown adult today, and no repairs or alterations.

Where can I sell 1950s Levi’s?

Listing them yourself on eBay or Grailed usually brings the most if you photograph the patch, tab and button backs well and handle the questions; the route comparison sets out each platform’s cut. Vintage shops pay less but pay at once. California Vintage Buyers buys 1950s Levi’s jeans and jackets from every state: we look at them together on a free video call, agree the price on the call, and pay through PayPal before you ship, with shipping on us. In Southern California we come to you and pay cash the same visit. If yours are worth more listed yourself, we will say so. Start with the photo guide, then call or text (949) 449-1255.