Finds and Deals - Leather Jacket Edition

[jonbuilder]

Himel Bros. Heron – Shinki Horsehide Jacket – 42 auction
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Himel-Bros-Heron-Shinki-Horsehide-Jacket-42/233815242713

 

[Monitor]

WARNING! Here's one of those Buco jackets you want to avoid at all costs. This one at least seems to be made from leather but even that's not sweetening the deal. WARNING!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-1960s-BUCO-Cafe-Racer-Leather-Motorcycle-Jacket-Size-44-46/233814758686

 

[Marc mndt]

WARNING! Here's one of those Buco jackets you want to avoid at all costs. This one at least seems to be made from leather but even that's not sweetening the deal. WARNING!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-1960s-BUCO-Cafe-Racer-Leather-Motorcycle-Jacket-Size-44-46/233814758686

The jacket is missing the label and it obviously has been in vacuum bags for some time, hence all the creases. But still, 130GBP is dirt cheap. Same holds for the Schott cr I bought yesterday. I wonder why Mintvintage is selling these so cheap.

 

[JMax]

Green label Langlitz 44

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333676161730

 

[Monitor]

The jacket is missing the label and it obviously has been in vacuum bags for some time, hence all the creases. But still, 130GBP is dirt cheap. Same holds for the Schott cr I bought yesterday. I wonder why Mintvintage is selling these so cheap.

This jacket is worth 13 GBP at best. Schott is a brilliant jacket, this is junk but being sold under Buco label often leaves people confused & thinking they're getting a smashing deal on a super sought after brand, who then pay good money for them.

 

[Marc mndt]

This jacket is worth 13 GBP at best. Schott is a brilliant jacket, this is junk but being sold under Buco label often leaves people confused & thinking they're getting a smashing deal on a super sought after brand, who then pay good money for them.

I'm a bit surprised to see a respectable seller like mintvintage engaging in such dubious selling 'techniques'.
I did notice that the zippers were off. Collar as well. But what do I know, maybe this was some kind of rare Buco I didn't know about.

I'm glad we can rely on your knowledge @Monitor. Saves me from buying crap.

 

[Blackadder]

I'm a bit surprised to see a respectable seller like mintvintage engaging in such dubious selling 'techniques'.
I did notice that the zippers were off. Collar as well. But what do I know, maybe this was some kind of rare Buco I didn't know about.

I'm glad we can rely on your knowledge @Monitor. Saves me from buying crap.

Yes, that is the MKS Buco made after Buco name/copmpany has been sold to MKS. Many of these 70s or perhaps 80s Buco are not well made but they are still "Buco". There are even MKS Buco PVC Pleather jackets that are sold as leather hence the Warning from Monitor.

 

[Monitor]

I'm a bit surprised to see a respectable seller like mintvintage engaging in such dubious selling 'techniques'.
I did notice that the zippers were off. Collar as well. But what do I know, maybe this was some kind of rare Buco I didn't know about.

I'm glad we can rely on your knowledge @Monitor. Saves me from buying crap.

What @Blackadder explained plus, technically, mintvintage isn't doing anything wrong, so to say; They are selling a jacket labeled Buco for a relatively realistic price, all things considered (all things to consider are of course only a Buco label). Just that it's not a very good jacket and while people are often justifiably quick to jump on anything Buco, in this case, it'd be a mistake. Questionable quality, material and poor resale value, provided you don't find someone to scam.

In all fairness, the jacket itself looks good and functional cut/pattern wise, which is kind of given, considering it's basically a Brooks knock-off and if it wasn't done in such a poor leather, I think it'd be a very cool piece.

 

[Marc mndt]

What @Blackadder explained plus, technically, mintvintage isn't doing anything wrong, so to say; They are selling a jacket labeled Buco for a relatively realistic price, all things considered (all things to consider are of course only a Buco label). Just that it's not a very good jacket and while people are often justifiably quick to jump on anything Buco, in this case, it'd be a mistake. Questionable quality, material and poor resale value, provided you don't find someone to scam.

In all fairness, the jacket itself looks good and functional cut/pattern wise, which is kind of given, considering it's basically a Brooks knock-off and if it wasn't done in such a poor leather, I think it'd be a very cool piece.

What about all those creases from being vacuum packed. I doubt they will settle. A crease here and there would be ok, but this jacket looks like it was crammed into a shoebox for 20 years.

 

[Will Zach]

^^
These types if creases from being crammed in huge crates can never be removed. Beware.

 

[Monitor]

What about all those creases from being vacuum packed. I doubt they will settle. A crease here and there would be ok, but this jacket looks like it was crammed into a shoebox for 20 years.

Yep, hard to get these out though they might become less obvious after a lot of wear.

 

[AeroFan_07]

^^
These types if creases from being crammed in huge crates can never be removed. Beware.

Ok, so this is helping to clarify something I have taken notice of the past couple of years here in the Midwest US.
This all began by noticing a complete "absence" of vintage leather jackets in Goodwills, Salvation Army stores, etc. Seems they were just "gone."

Then I noticed quite a of few of these jackets poping up, all at once in these stores, typically in major malls:
https://ragstock.com/

Here is thier Leather jacket page: https://ragstock.com/shop/product-category/recycled-vintage-clothing/vintage-leather-jackets/

Today I found out there is more to this story. (Heartbreak alert!!! What you will see below may indeed cause us on here to gasp - shudder, tremble and spew our moning coffee! )

Look at thier website under Motorcycle Jackets (you can't find these in the stores, only online)
https://ragstock.com/shop/product-c...e-leather-jackets/vintage-motorcycle-jackets/

However nearly All of thier jackets had the same "creasing" occuring on them. Like they had literally been crumpled into a box. Makes more sense to think of them being "bailed." looks like most if not all of these are ruined.

Just look at the condition of this Schott: https://ragstock.com/shop/vintage-motorcycle-jacket-113/

How about this Dainese?: https://ragstock.com/shop/vintage-motorcycle-jacket-161/

They also have an extensive selection of recycled Denim jackets - most of which do not have the crease effects. Plus you can just throw them into a wash and that takes care of the creases after a wash & dry. Perhaps I should buy one of the "vintage leathers" and try the same thing?

 

[Monitor]

There's a store in the UK that does the same. Hundreds of jackets, all dirt cheap. Actually some sweet pieces there.

https://brandsguru.co.uk/product-category/wholesale-men-vintage-clothing/

 

[Marc mndt]

Ok, so this is helping to clarify something I have taken notice of the past couple of years here in the Midwest US.

I see a quite a number of German looking jackets.

 

[Cornelius]

A few years back there was a "curated" secondhand store which my girlfriend & I would frequent in our neighborhood. It was between our apartment & a walking-distance cafe we hit several times a week, and therefore easy enough to just pop in & see what was new on the racks; plus, they'd often give her discounts on the shoes & old prom dresses she'd buy for band performances. On their days off the couple who ran the joint would hit estate sales around the Midwest, rural Goodwill stores, etc. Their resale prices were much higher than your usual thrift store, but that was because you didn't have to dig through mounds of rags to find that diamond in the rough. They had done all the legwork for you. They also sold records from local bands and had monthly "open nights" with free beer & a DJ, had a nice community vibe.

So one day I'm in there flipping through old duck hunting jackets when a quartet brusquely enters, immediately spreads around the store, and starts tearing through racks of clothes. All speaking to one another in Japanese. Three stylish women in their early 20s, giggling, and a very grumpy man in middle age, maybe 45-50. The man is barking orders at the young ladies and soon begins literally THROWING clothes at the checkout counter from across the store! I'm standing there, baffled at this weird scene which materialized out of thin air, and especially surprised by the incredible rudeness. One of the shop owners is at the till and seems farely unfazed by all of it. I head out, giving the cashier a look, who makes a gesture like "I'll tell you later."

Turns out this Japanese man would appear at the store unannounced at least 6 times a year, always with 3 young women (but never the same ones). Always incredibly rude, but he'd drop thousands of dollars cash right there and clean the place out of all their most obscure sartorial trophy finds. So the owners put up with his behavior, as each visit paid almost two months rent on the entire store & kept inventory fluid. Dude particularly went after Letterman jackets, I was told. Everything he bought was brought back to Japan in carry-on & checked luggage - hence the "assistants," who were essentially acting as "Ametora" mules!


Edit: All that to say, between companies like 'Ragstock' and small time operators like the man above, I can easily see why the pickings have gotten so slim at thriftstores across the Midwestern US over the past decade.

 

[JMax]

Leatherman (Cal). I’ve been looking for one of these more recent Cals in my size. Stunning.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254804146034

 

[AeroFan_07]

^^ so nice! But 24.5" sleeves and 20" waist? Also 22" back length apparently so quite short...

Note the taper on the back of this jacket...(Granted the laces are pulled tight here)

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Indian Ranger style. 25 ptp to 20 waist. Jeez.

hey, I guess this is as good of a place to ask as any since we're all hunting for good vintage stuff but that sometimes might have some issues. Those frayed zipper bottoms you see a lot. Big issue? Something that will only get worse with time? Or nothing to worry about?

Been on the hunt for an older Vanson and surprisingly I'm coming across a lot of them with the frayed zipper bottom, the side that gets inserted has some separation from the core basically, obviously to different degrees.

Not sure if there's a fix to keep it from getting worse or if that's phase 1 of an eventual whole zipper replacement.

 

[Claybertrand]

In General, a frayed pin side zipper tape is a ticking time bomb. Depending on condition, you can get by treating it gingerly but aside from one member's homemade fix I saw a year or 2 ago here in the lounge, its a Terminal illness to the zipper. Not an IF --- but a WHEN it will fail. Then you are off to get a new main zipper to the tune of about $100 plus zipper cost. If going the YKK route, a new #10 is cheap ($15 or so in my area perhaps cheaper elsewhere). If you are going for a vintage #10 NOS Talon or God forbid a Crown you're looking at roughly $70-$200 JUST FOR THE ZIPPER then you can ship the jacket ($20-$40) and pay the Tailor fee ($100 or so in my area at least).

SO---IMHO---when dealing with Main Zip Tape issues or multiple missing teeth etc.----CAVEAT EMPTOR.

 

[Blackadder]

Ok, so this is helping to clarify something I have taken notice of the past couple of years here in the Midwest US.
This all began by noticing a complete "absence" of vintage leather jackets in Goodwills, Salvation Army stores, etc. Seems they were just "gone."

Then I noticed quite a of few of these jackets poping up, all at once in these stores, typically in major malls:
https://ragstock.com/

Here is thier Leather jacket page: https://ragstock.com/shop/product-category/recycled-vintage-clothing/vintage-leather-jackets/

Today I found out there is more to this story. (Heartbreak alert!!! What you will see below may indeed cause us on here to gasp - shudder, tremble and spew our moning coffee! )

Look at thier website under Motorcycle Jackets (you can't find these in the stores, only online)
https://ragstock.com/shop/product-c...e-leather-jackets/vintage-motorcycle-jackets/

However nearly All of thier jackets had the same "creasing" occuring on them. Like they had literally been crumpled into a box. Makes more sense to think of them being "bailed." looks like most if not all of these are ruined.

Just look at the condition of this Schott: https://ragstock.com/shop/vintage-motorcycle-jacket-113/

How about this Dainese?: https://ragstock.com/shop/vintage-motorcycle-jacket-161/

They also have an extensive selection of recycled Denim jackets - most of which do not have the crease effects. Plus you can just throw them into a wash and that takes care of the creases after a wash & dry. Perhaps I should buy one of the "vintage leathers" and try the same thing?

The international vintage dealers rely on buyers to grab whatever they can find at those thrift stores, second hand market and yard sale and shipped everything all bunched up in crates to be sorted later. At those "vintage" stores, you can find tons of vintage clothing mostly jeans at the back all tied up perhaps even mixed with jackets with ropes to save space and for easy storage. The average cost to them is so low and the volume so huge that the joke is they pay for those by weight.
John Lofgren started of as buyer for a Japanese dealer too.
https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/99ygvz/brand_spotlight_john_lofgren_footwear/