Sell to Us · Vintage Carhartt
Sell vintage Carhartt to people who know what a union label means.
Free visit · cash offers · no obligation
Old Carhartt has quietly become one of the most wanted names in vintage workwear. Detroit jackets with blanket linings, chore coats gone the color of sand, double-knee work pants with honest paint on them. The Japanese and European markets pay real money for the good pieces, and most of the good pieces are hanging in garages, one donation run away from being lost.
The company has been dressing hard work since 1889, when Hamilton Carhartt started making bib overalls for railroad men in Detroit, and the oldest surviving pieces are the prizes: the railcar-and-heart logo ran until the early 1960s, so any heart-logo tag means a garment more than sixty years old, and 1940s pieces with union tags and donut buttons are the kind dealers list in the hundreds even as deadstock work clothes. We buy vintage Carhartt in person across Southern California and remotely from anywhere in the country, with the price agreed on a video call and payment through PayPal before you ship. We are California Vintage Buyers, based in Laguna Hills and the team behind the Old 44 Vintage shop, workwear is a daily part of our buying, and we read the tags, the stitching, and the hardware the way the collector market does.
The Carhartt we look for
Detroit and chore jackets
Blanket-lined Detroits, duck chore coats, and anything with the railcar-and-heart logo or a union-made label. Good chore coats bring a few hundred dollars, and worn and faded is good.
Double-knee pants and overalls
Double-front work pants, bib overalls, and coveralls, especially made-in-USA production. Paint and repairs rarely kill a deal.
The older, the better
Heart-logo pieces from the early 1960s and before, 1940s union-tag garments, and anything with donut buttons or a blanket lining. If the label looks old to you, it is worth a photo.
Whole work wardrobes
A tradesman's closet, a ranch's storage room, a garage of work clothes. We buy the lot and sort it honestly in front of you.
House calls for workwear, anywhere in Southern California
One phone call and we come to you, from Los Angeles to San Diego and out to the desert. We evaluate every piece in front of you, explain what makes it worth what it is worth, and pay cash before we leave. One recent seller, Joe, said it best in his Google review: “Had a bunch of old Carhartt workwear and Levi’s jeans I was going to give away or donate. These guys filled my pockets with fresh greenbacks. Thanks for the love gentlemen!”
Why It Matters
The difference between ordinary and valuable is in the details: a stitch, a hallmark, a date code. Knowing them is our entire job.
How it works
Call or text photos.
A real conversation about what you have, no pressure to sell.
We come to you.
We look at everything, at your pace. We know what we're seeing.
Cash offer, same visit.
A fair price on the spot, or a full estate sale run for you.
Common questions
Is worn or faded Carhartt still worth selling?
Usually yes. Fade, wear, and honest repairs are part of what the market wants from vintage workwear. Condition matters less than age and model, so let us look before anything goes in a donation bag.
How do I know if my Carhartt is vintage?
The tag tells the story. The railcar-and-heart logo means early 1960s or before, union-made labels and made-in-USA production point to the valuable decades, and details like donut buttons and blanket linings push a piece older still. Text a photo of the tag and the front of the garment to (949) 449-1255 and we will tell you the same day.
Why are old Carhartt jackets worth so much?
Because duck canvas outlives fashion. The workwear look sells worldwide, USA production ended for most lines decades ago, and the surviving supply shrinks every year. Good blanket-lined chore coats commonly bring $200 to $380 on the collector market, Detroit jackets more in deadstock and rare configurations, and true 1940s heart-logo pieces are dealer-case items.
Do you buy other workwear brands too?
Yes. Dickies, Ben Davis, Big Mac, Key, and the obscure union-made brands nobody remembers. Old denim and workwear of almost any label deserves a look.
Where is the label on old Carhartt?
Two places worth photographing. The main label sits at the back of the collar or just inside it, and there is often a second tag inside a pocket or on the inner seam carrying the union mark and the country of manufacture. Shoot both in daylight along with the logo itself, because the logo dates the piece and the labels confirm it.
Does the lining matter on a chore coat?
Yes, more than the outer shell in many cases. The blanket lining is usually the first thing to fail, it is the hardest thing to replace honestly, and an intact original lining separates a good example from an average one. Photograph the lining at the shoulders and the cuffs, where wear shows first.
Know what it’s worth before you sell.
Our field guides explain how the market actually prices these things. No fishing, no hype: real ranges and the details that move them.
One call. We’ll take it
from there.
(949) 449-12555.0 on Google · Free visit, no obligation · Cash the same visit
Mon-Sat 6 am-8 pm · Sun 8 am-5 pm
A real person answers seven days a week, weekends included. Photos sent today are usually answered the same day.
Prefer photos? Text them straight to the same number · or send them here
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