Sell to Us · Vintage Levi’s Jackets
Sell your old Levi’s jacket from any state, paid before you ship.
From any state · free video appraisal · paid before you ship
California Vintage Buyers buys old Levi’s denim jackets from every state: the one-pocket Type 1 (506XX), the Lot 213, the two-pocket Type 2 (507XX), big E Type 3 truckers, and the blanket-lined 517XX and 559XX. Text photos to (949) 449-1255 for a free video appraisal. We agree the price on the call, pay you through PayPal before you ship, and pay the shipping. We paid $12,000 cash for a 1940s Type 1.
Jackets are the heart of what we buy. A denim jacket that looks ordinary to a thrift store, an estate sale crew, or a general vintage shop can be a four or five figure piece to a collector, and the difference sits in details most people never think to look at: how many pockets, whether there are pleats down the front, whether there is a buckle strap across the lower back, what the patch is made of, and what is stamped on the back of the buttons. We read those details with you on a video call, while the jacket is in your hands, and tell you plainly what it is.
It does not matter where you live. About two thirds of the people who text us about old Levi’s live outside California, and their jackets come from a closet, a ranch house, a garage, or a parent’s cedar chest, and the process is the same everywhere: photos, a short video call, an agreed price, payment first, then the box. For a big collection, or a jacket that deserves a look in person, we travel, and that includes the rest of California: Fresno, Bakersfield, the Central Valley, Sacramento and the Bay Area. In Southern California we can come to you and pay cash the same visit.
The jackets we buy, oldest first
Type 1 (506XX), 1905 to 1953
One chest pocket, pleats down the front, a buckle strap across the lower back. The rarest and most wanted Levi’s jacket. The cinch stayed on the Type 1 right through the war until the Type 2 replaced it, so a buckle is expected, and on the biggest sizes a T-shaped seam down the back marks a large size, which carries a real premium.
Text us a photo Send us a photoLot 213, the 1920s budget jacket
Levi’s sold the 213 as the affordable cousin of the Type 1, in the cheaper No. 2 range. Originals surface rarely and are priced one at a time; we want to see every one. Levi’s has reissued it, so the inside labels and button backs come first.
Text us a photo Send us a photoType 2 (507XX), 1953 to 1962
Two flapped chest pockets with pleats, and buttoned adjuster tabs at the back sides instead of a buckle. A leather patch means one of the earliest; a paper patch came later in the 1950s.
Text us a photo Send us a photoBig E Type 3 (557XX and 70505)
Pointed pocket flaps and V-shaped seams, introduced 1962 and renumbered 70505 around 1967 or 1968. A capital E on the red tab means 1971 or earlier.
Text us a photo Send us a photoBlanket-lined jackets
The winter versions: the 517XX (a lined Type 2), the 559XX (a lined Type 3), and the one Japanese collector references call the 519XX, a lined Type 1, so rare that one Kyoto shop says it has had two in 22 years.
Text us a photo Send us a photoWWII jackets
From 1941 wartime rules took the flap off the Type 1 chest pocket and put plain donut buttons on the front. Collectors chase these, and Heddels notes that wartime Type 1s are sometimes priced above 1930s ones.
Text us a photo Send us a photoLee, Wrangler, and old denim of every label
Lee 101-J and Storm Rider jackets, early Wrangler, and old store-brand denim. If the jacket looks old and the tag is unfamiliar, it is still worth a photo.
Text us a photo Send us a photoDo not wash it, do not fix it, text it
Repairs, holes, paint, fading, and a missing button are part of the story collectors pay for, and a washed or mended jacket can lose real money. Put it on a hanger exactly as it is, take photos of the front, the back, the chest pocket, the red tab, the patch at the back of the collar, any inside label, and the back of one button, and text them to (949) 449-1255. A real buyer answers the same day. If it is a jacket we buy, we set up a ten minute video call, FaceTime or whatever you already use, agree the price while you hold it, and send payment through PayPal before anything is packed. Shipping is on us. If it is a reissue or a later jacket we do not buy, we will tell you that too, and roughly what it is.
Which Levi’s jacket do you have, and what they bring
Honest everyday figures, not the auction records. Where only listings exist, the table says asks. Read the inside label and the button backs before believing any of it: Levi’s has reissued every one of these jackets.
| Jacket | How to spot it | What they bring |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (506XX), 1905 to 1953 | One chest pocket, front pleats, buckle strap on the back; red tab from 1936, lettered on one side | Worn examples typically $2,000 to $8,000 (our July 2026 read); exceptional early or wartime pieces $10,000 to $30,000 and beyond. We paid $12,000 cash for a 1940s Type 1. |
| Lot 213, 1920s | The Type 1’s cheaper cousin; no care label on an original | Originals surface too rarely to give a fair range; each is priced on its own. Levi’s reissues asked about $750 to $1,200 on eBay in October 2026. |
| Type 2 (507XX), 1953 to 1962 | Two flapped chest pockets, pleats, adjuster tabs instead of a buckle | $800 to $1,500 typical; US sellers asked about $2,000 to $5,500 for originals in October 2026 |
| Blanket-lined Type 2 (517XX) | Type 2 outside, wool blanket lining inside | US sellers asked about $2,000 to $5,500 in October 2026 |
| Big E Type 3 (557XX, 70505) | Pointed flaps, V seams, capital E on the tab, no care label | $150 to $2,000 and beyond |
| Small e trucker, 1970s on | Lowercase e on the tab, a care label inside | Usually $50 to $300 |
| Levi’s reissue (LVC) | A modern care or size label, 555 on the button backs, a blue line selvedge, or a hand-numbered label | Sells as a reissue, not an original; we will tell you which you have |
Ranges from growth research verified July to October 2026: CVB purchases, Heddels, Levi Strauss and Co, and eBay listings read through the eBay API on October 27 and 28, 2026 (listings are asks, not sales).
A Recent Find
A 1940s Levi’s Type 1 jacket, sold to us by a former dealer who knew exactly what he had. We paid $12,000 in cash, the same day.
From the Shop
Levi's Type 1 Jacket Bought on a House Call: Leather Patch Still Attached
Read the transcript
What's up guys? On my way. About to go see a sweet Type 1. Nice old, I think it's an early 50s one. A mother who's in her 90s and her daughter reached out to us. And got some cash here. So we're going to go check it out. See how it goes. Alrighty guys, just got it. The thing is tiny. They were beyond thrilled with my price I offered. I think I overpaid for sure. This thing would probably barely fit my 7 year old. But you know what? It's cool, man. It's still a Type 1. But I definitely think I overpaid. Pretty sweet. Check out, it still has the leather patch. Crazy. Most of the time after washing, or people just used to cut those things off back in the day. But got the Type 1. Yeah. Came out of the gate real strong, and the pleats are all busted on it and stuff. But you know what? We still love it. Still 40s Levi's. But I definitely think I overpaid. But they threw in a tie. Look at this old 50s horse tie. Isn't that cool? Gosh, I'll wear this thing to a wedding. Anyways, very cool. Add to the collection. Success, I guess we'd call that. Maybe. Because I paid a lot. All right, well, here she is. Just wanted to show you. Super cool. Looks like a shotgun shell went off accidentally while it was in the pocket. But that happens sometimes.
How it works
Text us photos.
Send shots of the piece, the tags, and the buttons to (949) 449-1255. A real buyer answers the same day.
Video call, price agreed.
Ten minutes on FaceTime or whatever you already use. We agree the number while the piece is in your hands.
Paid before you ship.
The PayPal payment lands before you pack a box, and shipping is on us. In Southern California we can come to you and pay cash instead.
Common questions
Who buys old Levi’s jackets?
California Vintage Buyers does, from every state. Text photos to (949) 449-1255 for a free video appraisal; we agree a price on the call, pay you through PayPal before you ship, and pay the shipping. We buy Type 1, Lot 213, Type 2, big E Type 3 and blanket-lined jackets, and Lee and Wrangler jackets too. In Southern California we come to you and pay cash.
I live in Fresno or the Central Valley. Who buys old Levi’s jackets near me?
We do. California Vintage Buyers is based in Orange County and buys old Levi’s jackets and jeans from all of California and every other state. From Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton or Sacramento, text photos to (949) 449-1255 for a free video appraisal; we agree the price on the call, pay you through PayPal before you ship, and pay the shipping. For a Type 1, a Lot 213, or a big collection, we can drive up and look at it with you in person.
I have an original Levi’s 213 jacket and the matching pants. Who will buy them?
We will, and we would like to see them before you take any offer. An original 213 is a genuine rarity: Levi’s sold it in the 1920s as the budget cousin of the Type 1, and few survived. Originals come up too rarely for an honest published price, so each one is valued on its own, and a matched jacket and pants set is rarer again. Text photos of both pieces, front and back, the patches, the inside of the waistband and collar, and the back of a button to (949) 449-1255, and we will read them with you on a video call. Keep them together and unwashed until then.
How do I know whether my Levi’s jacket is an original or a reissue?
Look inside before you look at the outside. Levi’s Vintage Clothing has reissued the Type 1, the 213, the Type 2 and the Type 3, and the reissues copy the pleats, pockets, cinch and patch. A modern care or size label, the number 555 stamped on the button backs, a blue line along the selvedge, a hand-numbered label, or a Japan or other modern country of origin means a reissue. Care labels only began in 1971, so a jacket from the 1920s to the 1960s has none.
Do I have to ship my jacket before I get paid?
No. We agree the price with you on a video call, then the money lands in your PayPal before you pack anything. We send the shipping label, so shipping costs you nothing. You never send a jacket to us on trust.
How can I tell a Type 1 from a Type 2 or Type 3?
Count the chest pockets and look at the front. One pocket with pleats down the front is a Type 1, and it has a buckle strap across the lower back. Two flapped pockets with pleats and buttoned tabs at the back sides is a Type 2. Pointed pocket flaps with V-shaped seams and no pleats is a Type 3, and a capital E on its red tab means 1971 or earlier.
My jacket is worn, torn, or painted. Is it still worth selling?
Usually yes, if it is the right jacket. Wear, fading, repairs and even paint are part of what collectors pay for on a Type 1 or Type 2, and a hard-worn early jacket beats a clean later one. What hurts value is washing, fresh repairs, and cutting anything off, so please leave it exactly as it is and let us look first.
Should I sell my Levi’s jacket on eBay instead?
You can, if you can date and grade it accurately. eBay’s fees on clothing run in the region of 13 to 15 percent of what the buyer pays, high-value denim attracts fraud and return claims, and a misread jacket costs you in both directions. Levi’s own SecondHand trade-in pays a gift card, $35 for a Trucker Jacket made more than twenty years ago as of August 2026, whatever the jacket turns out to be. We pay real money, before you ship, for the ones collectors want.
Do I need a buyer in my own state?
No. A rare Levi’s jacket is bought and sold by a national collector market, not a local one, so the buyer who knows it best is rarely down the road. We buy from every state by photos and a video call, pay before you ship, and pay the shipping. For a big collection we come to you.
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 video appraisal · Paid before you ship, shipping on us
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.
Or send your photos online Photos on your phone? Text them to (949) 449-1255
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