Did I make a mistake buying this Avirex A-2?

[JulianK13]

Saw this deal on eBay and jumped on it without knowing enough. Apparently there are decent Avirex's and then the quality tanked. I can't figure out which one this is. Any insight would be appreciated so I can undo payment if need be.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/VTG-1978-BR...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Thanks,

J

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Saw this deal on eBay and jumped on it without knowing enough. Apparently there are decent Avirex's and then the quality tanked. I can't figure out which one this is. Any insight would be appreciated so I can undo payment if need be.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/VTG-1978-BROWN-LEATHER-A-2-AVIATOR-BOMBER-JACKET-by-AVIREX-USA-Army-Air-Force-40/173923366138?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Thanks,

J

Sorry, but i’m going to be honest with your question.
Buyer’s remorse and even worse buyer’s remorse based on someone else's opinion is an extremely unethical reason to not honor your auction commitment.
End of story!

 

[nick123]

That's a good price you got it for. Inspect it; note fit and measurements for future purchases. It looks like a pretty nice jacket for what it is. You could probably sell it here and make some money on it. I agree with Abbadatdehat.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thats one of the better ones. Keep it.

 

[rocketeer]

Not a bad price at all when you consider a second hand Aero or Eastman often sell for £300+. OK, they are up there with the best, but that was what you get in a broad range of authenticity, quality and details.
Buy it, then put it back on with better photo's, price it low but more than you paid and add 'Best Offer'. As Nick said, put it in our classifieds or Facebook sales page, you may at least get your money back or even more than you paid.
Backing out of deals on eBay has made it what it is to me, a rather untrustworthy sales platform. I rarely sell now, I have had too many bidders say " I hit buy by mistake' 'A friend bided for me and it's not what I wanted' 'My son used my credit card without permission' etc. Others bid on numerous similar items and only want to pay for the cheapest.

Sorry that went off on a rant but too many eBay buyers, and sellers also try to get out of the deal if it does not go their way.

 

[Downunder G Man]

Bargain, what more to say ?

I have an Avirex A2 in Russet myself. Very good quality for the price , I wear it as a "winter" jacket when not on my Harley.

It was not an expensive jacket , but well more so than your purchase. Mine is US made and Horsehide.

 

[Brettafett]

Agree with everyone above... I love what Nick said about checking quality, measurements, fit etc... You will no doubt be looking for other jackets in the future, now you have a ball-park, starting point for the next one.
We have all been through this, paid our dues... Bought and sold many jackets, found some keepers and some bad eggs along the way. All part of the fun. Its money well-spent.
One of my very fist flights jackets was an old Avirex 'Flying Tigers' patched G-1, made of lamb. It was very comfy and looked cool, but was in no way an accurate repro. Nice jacket none-the-less.

 

[JulianK13]

You are all right. I guess I got a little too concerned after reading some threads about other Avirex jackets. Hopefully this is one of the jackets made out of horse hide and is of decent quality. I think I was a little misled because I thought the jacket itself was from 1978 but the seller obviously got confused by the tag.

 

[Bfd70]

For that price who cares if it’s junk. Wear it for yard work if that’s the case. Otherwise use it to see if you like the style. For instance I love looking at A2s. I do not like wearing them.

 

[Peacoat]

You are all right. I guess I got a little too concerned after reading some threads about other Avirex jackets. Hopefully this is one of the jackets made out of horse hide and is of decent quality. I think I was a little misled because I thought the jacket itself was from 1978 but the seller obviously got confused by the tag.

Well, it won't be horse hide. Maybe I didn't look close enough, but I didn't see anything about the jacket being from 1978. Looks like a 1992 jacket to me with military specs, if the tag is authentic. If it is a good fit, then keep it. You got a good deal.

 

[JulianK13]

Well, it won't be horse hide. Maybe I didn't look close enough, but I didn't see anything about the jacket being from 1978. Looks like a 1992 jacket to me with military specs, if the tag is authentic. If it is a good fit, then keep it. You got a good deal.

If it’s military specs, I’d be happy. If it’s decent cowhide it would still be a great jacket. I’ll post more when it comes.

 

[Peacoat]

The DLA prefix is consistent with a jacket contracted in 1992 (DLA = 1977 through 1993), so I think this tag is legitimate.

 

[nick123]

If it’s military specs, I’d be happy. If it’s decent cowhide it would still be a great jacket. I’ll post more when it comes.

Don't get too caught up with the horse thing. When I got interested in this "hobby" I was hell bent on horse (or goat) and it was almost implied cow was inferior. I naively passed on hides which may have suited my tastes better because I "had to have horse" but then Gary Eastman's book kind of revealed what many suspected; that many originals were constructed from cow. Like, possibly nearly entiire A-2 contracts. And they've held up just fine.

One other thing; these Avirex, Cooper et. al jackets, regardless of hide, will be heavily pigmented/chrome tanned, so in reality, the hide itself probably won't be of any real significance (possibly other than any crispness horse typically has).

 

[handymike]

Yeah, horse is sometimes overrated.

 

[Monitor]

Don't get too caught up with the horse thing. When I got interested in this "hobby" I was hell bent on horse (or goat) and it was almost implied cow was inferior. I naively passed on hides which may have suited my tastes better because I "had to have horse" but then Gary Eastman's book kind of revealed what many suspected; that many originals were constructed from cow. Like, possibly nearly entiire A-2 contracts. And they've held up just fine.

Yeah, exactly the same. And it's all the same. Cow is just as quality as horse and you can't even tell it apart most of the time. Nobody can. Can't recall who, I think it was BK guy, said that the only way to tell horse from cow on some jackets is a DNA test.

Avirex is great! I've seen some bad Avirex but I've seen some bad jackets by any other maker. Right now, one of my favorites is an Avirex sheepskin trucker. It's super heavy and it's well tailored. I can't imagine how would anyone else make me a better jacket.

 

[JulianK13]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments! I think things will end up working out for the best. Just hope the bloody things fits as I’m 6’0 and 180lbs with a chest size of 40 on the dot.

 

[Seb Lucas]

If your chest measures 40 inches generally a jacket with a pit to pit of 22.5 or 23 inches would work.

Marked sizes of jackets are not helpful as companies all use different measurements - a 42 in one jacket may be a 44 or 46 in another brand.

Once you know your own measurement numbers - sleeve length, back length, pit to pit, you can buy fairly easily in future without needing to try on.

 

[JulianK13]

If your chest measures 40 inches generally a jacket with a pit to pit of 22.5 or 23 inches would work.

Marked sizes of jackets are not helpful as companies all use different measurements - a 42 in one jacket may be a 44 or 46 in another brand.

Once you know your own measurement numbers - sleeve length, back length, pit to pit, you can buy fairly easily in future without needing to try on.

Assuming they measured everything correctly. The pit to pit is only 21” (yikes) and the arm length seems pretty long at 23” while the shoulders seem narrow at 18”. This is all dependent on their accurate measurements however.

 

[Edward Reed]

Assuming they measured everything correctly. The pit to pit is only 21” (yikes) and the arm length seems pretty long at 23” while the shoulders seem narrow at 18”. This is all dependent on their accurate measurements however.

the shoulders is going to be the issue for fit most of the time. 18" might be a bit tight on you depending on your build. leather as it ages and is worn relaxes over time so a tight fit on any leather jacket isn't necessarily a problem after wearing it for a month or two. I bought a new ELC HH and it seemed stiff and tight at first but now after a year of heavy wear its a completely different jacket. excellent fit, comfortable and relaxed. so if at first the jacket seems tight but still fits okay and you have some range of motion in your arms give it a good wearing for a few weeks before you decide if its a keeper or not. (in the future look to a 42 or 44 for your size in my opinion)

 

[JulianK13]

the shoulders is going to be the issue for fit most of the time. 18" might be a bit tight on you depending on your build. leather as it ages and is worn relaxes over time so a tight fit on any leather jacket isn't necessarily a problem after wearing it for a month or two. I bought a new ELC HH and it seemed stiff and tight at first but now after a year of heavy wear its a completely different jacket. excellent fit, comfortable and relaxed. so if at first the jacket seems tight but still fits okay and you have some range of motion in your arms give it a good wearing for a few weeks before you decide if its a keeper or not. (in the future look to a 42 or 44 for your size in my opinion)

Thanks for the advice. If the fit is truly an issue I will probably sell it but who knows, maybe the seller didn’t measure the shoulders properly. I can see an A-2 being a bit awkward for someone who isn’t familiar with them to measure.