Capital E or Small e? How to Read the Levi's Red Tab
Sam Wingenbach, California Vintage Buyers. November 6, 2026. 27 sec.
The little red tab on old Levi's narrows the era fast: no tab at all means before 1936, LEVI'S on one side only runs from 1936 to the early 1950s, on both sides from the mid-1950s to 1971, and a small e means 1971 or later. A capital E with no care tag inside is a pre-1971 pair, so have it read before it goes to the thrift store. Text a photo of the tab to (949) 449-1255 for a free answer the same day. House calls across Southern California, buying nationwide.
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Transcript
What Sam actually says on camera, lightly cleaned of filler. Nothing reworded.
This Short has no spoken words, only music and on-screen text. What it shows: The little red tab on old Levi's narrows the era fast: no tab at all means before 1936, LEVI'S on one side only runs from 1936 to the early 1950s, on both sides from the mid-1950s to 1971, and a small e means 1971 or later. A capital E with no care tag inside is a pre-1971 pair, so have it read before it goes to the thrift store. Text a photo of the tab to (949) 449-1255 for a free answer the same day.
House calls across Southern California, buying nationwide.
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