Levi’s Type 3 Trucker Jacket (557XX and 70505): Big E or Not, What It Is Worth, and Where to Sell It

Levi’s introduced the Type 3 in 1962 and has made it, in one version or another, ever since. That long run is why the same-looking jacket can be worth thirty dollars or three thousand. What separates them is not the shape but a few small details that take a minute to read: the tab, the lot number on the patch, the labels inside, and the buttons.

How do I know if my jacket is a Type 3?

Two chest pockets with pointed flaps, and long seams running from the pockets down to the waist in a V. No pleats, which is what separates it from the Type 2 before it, and no buckle at the back. Small buttoned tabs at the back of the waist let you tighten it. If your jacket has pleats or a single pocket, it is a Type 2 or a Type 1, and those are worth reading about first.

557XX or 70505: how do I date a Type 3?

Levi’s sold the first Type 3 as lot 557XX and renumbered it 70505 in about 1967 or 1968; Heddels and the Japanese magazine Houyhnhnm both date the change to those years. The patch tells you which you have: the 557 patch is larger, the 70505 patch smaller. Then read the tab and the inside.

The buttons help too. Turn the front placket over and look at the back of each button: early jackets carry a one digit number, later ones three digits. Collectors read these as factory codes, but published lists disagree, so treat the number as a clue rather than a date. A 555 stamp means the Valencia Street plant in San Francisco, which also made Levi’s own reissues.

Is my big E trucker an original or a reissue?

Levi’s Vintage Clothing has reissued the 557XX, from Valencia Street in the late 1990s and later from Japan as a 1961 model, with a big E tab and a 557 patch. The tell is the same as on every Levi’s reissue: an original big E trucker has no care label inside, and a reissue has a printed label with a style number such as 70557 or 74998 and a country of origin. On October 28, 2026, Valencia Street reissues were listed on eBay at about $400 to $1,460 and Japan-made ones at about $240 to $750 (asking prices). The reproduction guide covers more of the tells, and the big E guide explains what the capital letter does and does not prove.

What is a Levi’s Type 3 trucker jacket worth?

Asking prices run above sales, and we could not read sold prices, so treat the listings as a ceiling. One big E 557XX had been listed at $10,500 since April 2025 without selling. Inside its range, a big E trucker moves up with deep, even fading earned by years of wear, a big size such as 44 or 46, a readable patch, and no repairs, cropping or added patches. A small e trucker is a wearable jacket rather than a collector piece, and the honest middle of its range is nearer the bottom; a Made in USA label, a blanket lining, an extreme size or a great fade lift it. Made in USA Levi’s covers the 1980s and 1990s jackets in more detail.

What should I not do to a trucker before selling it?

• Wash it, if it is a big E. The fade is most of the value and a wash changes it for good.
• Cut the patch or the labels out. The patch and the labels are how a buyer dates it.
• Pick off patches and pins someone added years ago. They leave holes and shadows, and period patches are collected in their own right.
• Trade it in at a store counter. Checked in September 2026, Levi’s SecondHand pays up to $30 in store credit for a jacket made more than twenty years ago, big E or not.
• Price it from one listing. Read the tab, the patch and the labels first.

Where can I sell a Levi’s Type 3 trucker jacket?

For a small e trucker, a local vintage shop or a listing on eBay, Grailed or Depop is a reasonable route, and we will tell you so. For a big E or a 557XX, get it read first. Listing it yourself usually brings the most if you photograph the tab, patch and labels well; the route comparison sets out each platform’s cut. California Vintage Buyers buys Type 3 jackets from every state: we look at the jacket 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. Start with the photo guide, then call or text (949) 449-1255.