Most valuable and rare Levi’s jeans worth up to £2,300 – exact code to spot
Scroll to find out how to spot rare and valuable items hidden around your house
IF you’re gearing up for a New Year refresh, keep an eye out for jeans lurking at the back of your wardrobe that could be worth a fortune.
It turns out there are vintage Levi’s jeans that are worth a pretty penny.
Whether they’re hand-me-downs passed from siblings, or you’ve picked them up in a vintage shop, you could potentially get a windfall to give your bank a boost ahead of the festive season.
“Preloved jeans have become increasingly popular, with Levi’s emerging as one of the favourite’s in the resale market, said personal stylist and retail expert Lindsay Edwards.
“This iconic denim brand can fetch surprisingly high prices online.
“Or, perhaps you might want to consider investing in a preloved pair which you might sell further down the line for a profit.”
Lindsay said the best finds are anything that was classic for the era it was made.
Jeans which were made in America between 1949 and 1954 are much sought after.
For example, some pairs sell for more than £2,000 on second-hand selling platform eBay.
But just because they were originally sold across the pond, it doesn’t mean that you couldn’t have picked up a pair on the second-hand market here in the UK.
Lindsay recommends buying Levis through Depop, eBay, Vinted and Vestiaire Collective, as you’re likely to pick up a rare and valuable pair for a knock-down price.
Below, Lindsay has outlined how to spot the rarest and most valuable Levi’s jeans you could have knocking around in your home.
How to spot rare and valuable Levi’s jeans
Look out for codes
Levi’s jeans are often identified by a numerical code that represents different styles and fits.
The 501s, for example, are the original fit featuring a straight leg and a button fly.
Although they were first produced in the 1980s, they are still in production today.
Lindsay said: “It’s the vintage factor which is sought after online. The older the better.
“Listings on preloved shopping sites indicate that vintage 201, 501, 505s and 550s are reaching some of the highest prices online.”
When we checked eBay, we found a pair of vintage 70s 505 jeans sold for a whopping £1,909.07 on September 11 with 42 bids.
Washing care labels
Although Levis does not imprint a year of manufacture on their jeans, there are a few clues which can date them to some degree.
Lindsay said: “Washing care labels were added to Levi’s in the 1970s, so if they have a care label they were certainly manufactured sometime from the 1970s onwards.”
Washing care labels are tags attached to clothing and textiles that provide instructions on how to properly care for the item to prevent damage and maintain its quality.
The Sun found a number of pairs of jeans from the 1970s that sold for over £1,000 on eBay.
This includes a pair of 501’s from the decade that sold for £1,319.19 on November 18.
Stitching
“If the inseams have a single stitch running down the inner thigh, they were made before the mid 1980s,” Lindsay said.
We found a few pairs of single-stitch Levi’s that have sold on eBay for big money this year.
One was a pair of the vintage 60s 501s which sold for £424.04 on September 5, while another pair of single stitch 501s from the 70s sold for £235.65 on October 1.
“Big E”
The ‘Big E’ on Levi’s jeans refers to a specific detail on the red tab logo found on the back pocket of the jeans.
The red tab, which is a small fabric tag, usually has the word “Levi’s” printed on it.
On jeans produced before 1971, the word “Levi’s” was written with a capital E – hence the term “Big E”.
After 1971, Levi’s switched to using a lowercase “e”.
The “Big E” on the red tab is a significant detail for vintage denim collectors, as it indicates that the jeans were made before 1971 and are therefore considered more rare and valuable.
This change in the logo is one of the key features used to date vintage Levi’s jeans, Lindsay told The Sun.
We found a pair of jeans with this feature that sold for £2,354.77 on November 1.
How to sell your Levi’s jeans
There are different ways to sell your old Levi’s jeans.
Online marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy are some of the easiest ways to do this.
They allow you to reach an international market, meaning you’re not limited to just a UK seller.
They also give you a good way of valuing a doll or collection by viewing items that have already been sold on the site.
If you’re confident your Barbie is of high value, look at a specialist collectables auction.
Auction houses often hold auctions specifically for rare fashion items too.
But it’s important to keep in mind that there may be fees and commission charges when selling through auctions.
Other options are to go to a vintage clothing fair or to contact a collectable dealer.
Meanwhile, The Sun has revealed the most rare and valuable Barbies worth nearly £1,000.
Plus, the exact details to spot on football trading cards could make them worth up to £12,000.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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