Talk me out of buying this Buco?

[The Lost Cowboy]

I have a chance to buy this 1950s J-81 Buco. It's steerhide and I love steerhide, fits very very well and is at the extreme limit of my budget (in other words, no money for anything else).

Two problems:
1. The liner is almost separated completely from the top (see the third photo). What would it take for me to repair this? I'm not completely useless with thread and needle, but this patch job looks really out of my league. What would my options be?

2. The leather in one spot right at the shoulder is pretty weak (see 4th photo, though I don't think it shows). I'm assuming it needs a support patch of some kind to ensure it doesn't rip, but I don't really know.

Can anybody say how much extra these two jobs would cost me if I sent this off? Where would I even send it?

3. The seller (in Tokyo) is asking just at $700 US. That feels fair to me but does anyone who knows better want to tell me it's too much?

I really love this Buco but I am in a situation in life where I need to think very practically about my finances. I can't afford to purchase a closet queen - I want to wear this guy. So what would it take for me to make this thing road worthy (not meaning riding, just meaning running around in like a fashion jacket)?

Any other reasons I shouldn't buy this?

Thanks for any advice. I've got two more days in Tokyo and might see something else, but this Buco does feel like a contender for favorite jacket ever - it has a special vibe that might not show well in the photos.

 

[MrProper]

I have a chance to buy this 1950s J-81 Buco. It's steerhide and I love steerhide, fits very very well and is at the extreme limit of my budget (in other words, no money for anything else).

Two problems:
1. The liner is almost separated completely from the top (see the third photo). What would it take for me to repair this? I'm not completely useless with thread and needle, but this patch job looks really out of my league. What would my options be?

2. The leather in one spot right at the shoulder is pretty weak (see 4th photo, though I don't think it shows). I'm assuming it needs a support patch of some kind to ensure it doesn't rip, but I don't really know.

Can anybody say how much extra these two jobs would cost me if I sent this off? Where would I even send it?

3. The seller (in Tokyo) is asking just at $700 US. That feels fair to me but does anyone who knows better want to tell me it's too much?

I really love this Buco but I am in a situation in life where I need to think very practically about my finances. I can't afford to purchase a closet queen - I want to wear this guy. So what would it take for me to make this thing road worthy (not meaning riding, just meaning running around in like a fashion jacket)?

Any other reasons I shouldn't buy this?

Thanks for any advice. I've got two more days in Tokyo and might see something else, but this Buco does feel like a contender for favorite jacket ever - it has a special vibe that might not show well in the photos.


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I'm not familiar with vintage, but if I wanted to wear them and was on a budget, I probably wouldn't take them because there would probably be follow-up costs.
On the other hand, if your heart is in it...

 

[Bennarion]

Do not buy this jacket, the leather is in poor condition. This jacket is suitable only for the collection. For $700, you can find a good jacket that you can put on and not think about repairs.

 

[navetsea]

too far gone

 

[Peter Mackin]

Buy it for 100$ max ,use it for display or walk away.

 

[Will Zach]

Good money should be spent on good jackets. This one isn't. Poor liner condition can be overlooked. Poor leather condition never.

 

[BloodEagle]

I'm a master at gettng excited and jumping in with both feet on clothing purchases and in time wishing I hadnt - so I think I may understand where you are, but I think you should think about how you'll feel about it 2 weeks down the line and walk away from this one.

 

[TartuWolf]

Would definitely skip this one.

 

[Bfd70]

I’d call Dena at great leather and get an idea what you’d be looking at $ wise to make it a daily driver

 

[tweedydon]

This looks like a money pit. Save, and get a LW reproduction in a year or two!

 

[Jon Crow]

Big pass for me

 

[Jon Crow]

In comparison to this? Yeah I know it's a 38 but condition!

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/1161432779?conversionType=YahooAuction_DirectSearch

 

[AeroFan_07]

If you are financially already pressed - and traveling out of state & country - you could wind up in a really bad situation if you had no reserve left, and a jacket that could not be easily re-sold.

That and the condition of this jacket is a solid Pass for me.

 

[Monitor]

This jacket isn't going to change a single thing in your life. Save the money for something unique, something that's not mass-produced.

 

[handymike]

I’ve had a similar experience. I own a Ralphs- Pugh that is a huge favorite (pattern and fit-wise). It is also steerhide. The leather started like this Buco, and soon ripped. The thread disintegrated at the shoulder, and my attempts to salvage/ condition the hide back failed. It is only good for a pattern jacket, and it makes me sad to see it in the back of the closet….
I have seen videos of a shop in Japan that can restore these things, but that comes at a high cost. A $700 buy-in isn’t a bargain for this jacket.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Don't do it

 

[Khilij]

This ain't it, there'll be other jackets in better condition. This one just seems like a money pit waiting to happen.

 

[Jon Crow]

This ain't it, there'll be other jackets in better condition. This one just seems like a money pit waiting to happen.

700 bucks worth of junk, I've scrapped better

 

[torfjord]

One more vote for absolutely not buying it. That jacket is thrashed or soon about to be. You can find better condition vintage for less money.

 

[dannyk]

All I can add is an echo chamber. But I would look at it like this: it’s 700 dollars. And other original bucos depending on all the usual factors, age, style, condition, are 500-3-4,000 sometimes more. But let’s say you can find a decent to good one for 1,200 or a repro that’s awesome for 1-2,00. You’re going to spend 700 which seems like savings until you’re another 500-700 in repair costs and that’s if it can be saved. It might be another 500-700 and it isn’t even wearable! So that’s like 1,200-1,400 which is no savings at all. Either hold out until you get lucky and find a low cost listing somewhere, save your money for a few months or a year, when you can afford a really nice one; or save and get a really nice repro. Sometimes savings are no savings at all. Save you up front just find out the true costs down the road.