Leather Jacket car show/goodwill finds

[Saabo]

My first funds are from goodwill and thrift stores. I played under $20 each and , with advice from FL, got good buys by buying a size smaller than I usually buy.

Black leather. Unknown type. But looks good

Next is a Towncraft from J C Penny's. Nappa pig leather in chocolate brown ( to me ). $8

last is a unknown brand black motorcycle jacket i picked up at Carlisle car show. Very heavy leather but, the liner has been removed so I don't have any idea of brand.

All these are 2xl and fit a little tight but as I understand with leather jacket that's what you want.

 

[robrinay]

Welcome - if you’re anything like me you’ll keep on upgrading your jackets as you find the bargains and follow the advice from here. I started with a Levi ‘Highwayman’ then replaced it with an Aero Highwayman and so on. It got out of hand when I found I’d got three Aero Highwayman jackets so I sold one at a great profit and bought an Eastman A1.

 

[Guppy]

Not to be negative, but neither of these jackets are anything special. The first one is a mall jacket, through and through. The second is a no name perfecto clone with the lining missing.

 

[jacketjunkie]

You did good sizing down; leather bulks up very much and is quite unforgiving if the jacket is too big. For what you paid, you got a lot of jacket there. Particularily the Perfecto looks nice.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Not to be negative, but neither of these jackets are anything special. The first one is a mall jacket, through and through. The second is a no name perfecto clone with the lining missing.

I think what Guppy is saying is that this site has a focus on classic era (roughly 1920-60) styles, made with quality materials.

The first two jackets are not classic era - they are modern blouson styles which you would have been sourced recently in a main street store. The patterns are not especially well executed - there are many seams which indicates the company wanted to use up smaller easily sourced pieces of leather rather than high quality hides. The bottom perfecto copy is getting closer.

A good guide to the kinds of jackets privileged on this site can be found through looking at the jackets available at Aero Leather. It's like a primer in classic era designs - I found it useful to build a golden era leather jacket literacy.

 

[navetsea]

I thick the OP just wanted to start a thread for other members to follow up with those lucky bargain finds in such meeting/ events, which is an interesting thread idea.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I thick the OP just wanted to start a thread for other members to follow up with those lucky bargain finds in such meeting/ events, which is an interesting thread idea.

Sure, but this site has a clear focus and getting some information about it is a courtesy. Some of my favourite jackets have been thrift shop bargains.

 

[Saabo]

Thanks for the feedback but, not everyone chooses to live near large cities or has unlimited funds so i shop where I can. I know I can save up funds to buy $800+ jackets but that money will get used for the family if needed. I thought that this site was for fun but I am seeing people are taking it too serious. That is why I posted THRIFT SHOP finds. But I am going to enjoy my day. Ya'll have a wonderful day !

 

[Seb Lucas]

You sound upset, Saabo. I apologise for taking your post seriously and offering feedback since that's what I thought you were wanting. It's kind of how this site functions. As I said, some of my favourite jackets were bought in thrift shops although they were in a period utility jacket style.

 

[dubpynchon]

I'd buy all my clothes in thrift shops if so many people didn't have the same idea over here. Also, if I could go back to when I started buying jackets I'd only buy second hand, there isn't really much advantage to buying new unless you need a custom fit. Anyway, there's no need to take offence.

 

[Downunder G Man]

I found a perfect waxed canvas Carrhart jacket in a salvation army store. $18 Australian. ($12.50 USD.)

Delighted I was ! Passed it on on as a gift to a good friend. Your finds are very well priced , "Good onya mate !"..

As dubpynchon says , I suspect others haunt the thrift stores here to pick up all the leather finds. I look with no luck.

I will endeavour to keep looking tho' , nothing ventured nothing gained

On the other hand most all of my denim finds , Levi in 36" waist ,I have found in thrifts for $6 Aussie ( $4 USD !)

 

[robrinay]

Thanks for the feedback but, not everyone chooses to live near large cities or has unlimited funds so i shop where I can. I know I can save up funds to buy $800+ jackets but that money will get used for the family if needed. I thought that this site was for fun but I am seeing people are taking it too serious. That is why I posted THRIFT SHOP finds. But I am going to enjoy my day. Ya'll have a wonderful day !

Stay a while-
Lots of us buy in thrift stores so no worries there. With patience and frequent visits you find fantastic bargains and save loads. They call them Charity Shops and Junk Shops in the U.K. I bought one of my Aero Highwayman jackets for £15 on a ‘Car Boot’ sale - that’s like a Yard Sale but held on a car park and sellers sell from their car boots (trunks). I had to fix the zipper by replacing the puller but Denny who posts here kindly sent me a replacement for free. I have 12 pairs of quality denim jeans(Levi’s Wrangler,Edwin and Lee), -all from thrift stores. I’m selling a hifi Valve amp I bought for £20 a few years ago on eBay and it’s reached £200 already. Of course I’ve made lots of mistakes down the way but as my dad used to say,
“If you don’t make mistakes you don’t make anything!” Love the hunt!

 

[Will Zach]

Saabo, great thread idea. Please stay. Recently someone on here scored a Buco jacket at a motorcycle swap meet for $20. He can sell it for $1,500. We all love hearing such stories (just to get green with envy). As you keep reading this forum you'll learn what kind of jackets the lounge members value. I cannot afford a Buco either (I mean I can, but I do not value it at $1,500 so I won't buy). But members here gave me great advice on the "next best thing" which you can easily have for $250 on eBay or for $15 at a bike show if you're lucky. The hunt is fun.

 

[Saabo]

Don't worry I am not going anywhere. I enjoy the different threads I read on FL. We all are here to have fun and "talk" to posters from all over the world and get their views and ideas. Just sometimes we all need to remember where we come from including ME.
Have a wonderful day guys!

 

[Monitor]

This one was a flea-market find.

 

[Bennarion]

This one was a flea-market find.

Wow
I would like to see this on you.

 

[Monitor]

Wow
I would like to see this on you.

I've had three of these, I think and none of them fit me any good.
This was an older pattern, 90's or so and it's really oversized and baggy. I sold them off and quite well at that! Starting bid was like $50 and reached more than I'd even dream of. The jacket was superb in quality, though. Really heavy cowhide.

 

[oneterrifichog]

My wife runs a Thrift Shop for the Episcopal Church we attend and very few Leather Jackets pop up. We did have Schott G-1 come up which I sold for them on the bay. This was the only Leather jacket she has seen that was worth a great deal. But that's fine because people that really need clothing can get things they need for little or nothing so they can put their savings toward the important necessities for their families. While there are a number of high end items that come into the Thrift shop most are business wear such as Mens Suits etc and Ladies clothing as well as decent work clothing. Once a week the volunteer ladies come in and cull the unacceptable clothing and other items which goes to another charitable facility. I would add that all of the money made goes to either a scholarship fund or to help people in need such as refugees coming into the country in dire straights.

 

[Toto1234]

paid $20 for this one ....
Mint condition, size 44, late 50s, early 60s.

 

[Gamma68]

If you are diligent, you can find nice leather jackets at thrift stores occasionally.

Here is a Golden Bear A-2 I found for $10:

But it's not just a run-of-the-mill Golden Bear. Don't know who the artist was who wore this jacket at the Presidential Inauguration ceremony.

Here's a vintage horsehide jacket I picked up for less than $40:

Neither jacket fit (too big). Flipped both for a nice profit (a woman executive at Fabergé in NYC bought the horsehide jacket). Used those funds to purchase several other jackets that fit nicely.