What is a Levi’s 551ZXX?

The 551ZXX is a zip-fly Levi’s jean of the big E years, made from 1961 until Levi’s renamed it the 505 in 1967. The earliest pairs carry Every Garment Guaranteed on the patch. On October 28, 2026, originals were listed on eBay at about $2,000 to $4,900, asking prices.

Did Levi’s make a zip-fly 501 in the 1950s?

Yes. The 501ZXX was the 501XX with a zipper, made briefly in the 1950s; Japanese collector shops date it from 1954 and say collectors later knew it as the 502. On October 28, 2026, originals were listed at $10,000 by a US seller and about $4,500 to $6,800 by sellers in Japan, asking prices.

How do I tell an original 551ZXX or 501ZXX from a reissue?

Look inside. Levi’s Vintage Clothing reissues have a printed care or size label with a style number and a country of origin, and many 1990s reissues have 555 on the button backs. An original from before 1971 has no care label at all.

Field Guide

Big E Zip-Fly Levi’s: What a 1950s 501ZXX or 1960s 551ZXX Is Worth

Most people know old Levi’s 501s have a button fly, so a zipper looks like a sign of a newer pair. Not always. Levi’s made two zip-fly jeans before 1971 that collectors chase: the 501ZXX of the 1950s and the 551ZXX of the 1960s. Here is how to spot them.

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By Sam Wingenbach and Jake Cover, the buyers behind our video appraisals and house calls · Updated October 28, 2026

The short answer: an original 1950s Levi’s 501ZXX, the zip-fly 501, was listed on eBay at $10,000 by a US seller and about $4,500 to $6,800 by sellers in Japan on October 28, 2026, and an original 551ZXX from the 1960s at about $2,000 to $4,900. Those are asking prices, not sales. Levi’s Vintage Clothing reissues of both were listed at about $150 to $1,400, most well under $600. California Vintage Buyers buys old zip-fly Levi’s from every state. Call or text (949) 449-1255.

Which zip-fly Levi’s do I have?

Read the lot number on the patch if it survives, then the tab and the inside.

Lot	Years	What it is	What it became
501ZXX	The 1950s; Japanese collector shops date it from 1954	The 501XX with a zipper, cut from the same denim	Collectors say it was later renamed the 502
551ZXX	1961 to 1967	A zip-fly jean of the big E years	The 505, which Levi’s dates to 1967
505	1967 on	Levi’s zip-fly answer to the 501	Still made; see the 505 guide

A Japanese vintage shop that has sold both writes that the 501ZXX shrank hard and its zippers gave trouble, so it was made only briefly, which is why so few turn up. The 551ZXX ran six years before Levi’s renamed it, and the 505 guide picks up the story from there.

How do I date a 501ZXX or 551ZXX?

The patch. A leather patch on a 501ZXX means an early pair. The earliest 551ZXX patches carry the words Every Garment Guaranteed, and Japanese shops call those the rare ones.
The red tab. A capital E, the big E, means before 1971 on both lots.
The rivets. Back pocket rivets hidden under the denim run to the mid-1960s, so late 551ZXX pairs may not have them.
The zipper. Originals carry zippers of the period, with Conmar, Gripper and Talon all seen on listed pairs. A broken original zipper is better left as it is.
The care label. None on an original. US care labels began in 1971.

Is mine an original or a reissue?

Levi’s Vintage Clothing reissues the 1954 501ZXX, the 1960 501ZXX and the 1961 and 1962 551ZXX, from the Valencia Street plant in San Francisco in the 1990s and from Japan and Turkey since. A search for “551ZXX” mostly finds those reissues and Levi’s current 551Z jeans, which are a different jean again.

Check	Original	Reissue
Care or size label sewn inside	None	Yes, printed, with a style number such as 50154 or 551-0006
Back of the top button	A short factory number	Often 555 on 1990s US reissues, from the Valencia Street plant
Country of origin	None printed	Made in USA, Japan, Turkey or another country on the label

The reproduction guide covers more of the tells.

What are 501ZXX and 551ZXX jeans worth?

What you have	Price, with the date and source
Original 501ZXX, 1950s	$10,000 asked by a US seller; about $4,500 to $6,800 by sellers in Japan, October 28, 2026 (asking prices)
Original 551ZXX, 1960s	About $2,000 to $4,900, October 28, 2026 (asking prices)
Japan shop prices	A guarantee-patch 551ZXX at 97,900 yen and a 501ZXX at 418,000 yen, July 2023
Levi’s Vintage Clothing reissues of either	About $150 to $1,400, most under $600, October 28, 2026 (asking prices)

Asking prices are hopes, and we could not read sold prices, so we give you the listings and say so. Inside each range, what moves a pair up is the usual list: a leather patch or an early guarantee patch, dark denim, the original zipper working, a size that fits today, and no repairs or alterations.

Where can I sell old zip-fly Levi’s?

Listing them yourself on eBay or Grailed usually brings the most if you photograph the patch, tab and zipper 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 501ZXX, 551ZXX and big E 505 jeans, originals and reissues, 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.

Common questions

What is a Levi’s 551ZXX?: The 551ZXX is a zip-fly Levi’s jean of the big E years, made from 1961 until Levi’s renamed it the 505 in 1967. The earliest pairs carry Every Garment Guaranteed on the patch. On October 28, 2026, originals were listed on eBay at about $2,000 to $4,900, asking prices.
Did Levi’s make a zip-fly 501 in the 1950s?: Yes. The 501ZXX was the 501XX with a zipper, made briefly in the 1950s; Japanese collector shops date it from 1954 and say collectors later knew it as the 502. On October 28, 2026, originals were listed at $10,000 by a US seller and about $4,500 to $6,800 by sellers in Japan, asking prices.
How do I tell an original 551ZXX or 501ZXX from a reissue?: Look inside. Levi’s Vintage Clothing reissues have a printed care or size label with a style number and a country of origin, and many 1990s reissues have 555 on the button backs. An original from before 1971 has no care label at all.
Where can I sell old zip-fly Levi’s?: California Vintage Buyers buys 501ZXX, 551ZXX and big E 505 jeans from every state: text photos of the patch, tab, zipper and inside of the waistband to (949) 449-1255, agree the price on a free video call, and get paid through PayPal before you ship, with shipping on us.

Have something like this?

One phone call, from any state. A free video appraisal, the price agreed on the call, and payment through PayPal before you ship, with shipping on us. In Southern California we come to you and pay cash the same day.

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