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Where to buy used vintage leather jacket

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
good morning
I am brand new to buying leather jackets where are you buying all of these cool looking jackets
are most brand new, fedora lounge, eBay, poshmark , ETSY
also what do you type in to search and get all of the old school USA made jacket or do you have to know all of the companies and type each individual leather jacket company
thanks for everyones help
 

Marc mndt

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,314
When I started my search for that one perfect jacket, I searched for well known brand-names like Schott on eBay, only to find out that there's a lot of lesser quality jackets that people are trying to sell for too much money. Then I learned about other jacket makers like Eastman, which are less known to the big public. If you're lucky you can find one for a good price on the bay. My best finds however were on local online marketplaces. That's where you find that bargain gem, if you're lucky of course. Then I learned about high end jackets makers. Its difficult to find any of those online because their production numbers are much smaller and you really have to be lucky to find one that has the right measurements. Best chance to find something from a high end jacket maker is on fora like tfl or vlj, or on the makers own sales pages. Because chances of finding the perfect jacket from a high end jacket jacket maker are really small, I just buy those new from the source.
Long story short, where to search depends on what you're looking for.
 
Messages
16,816
good morning
I am brand new to buying leather jackets where are you buying all of these cool looking jackets
are most brand new, fedora lounge, eBay, poshmark , ETSY
also what do you type in to search and get all of the old school USA made jacket or do you have to know all of the companies and type each individual leather jacket company
thanks for everyones help

I search by the name of the brand I'm interested in (Schott, Langlitz, etc.), by the style of the jacket (cafe racer, leather trucker, double rider...) and by some distinctive features (d-pocket, horsehide, vintage and so on...).
Make sure to narrow the search to show you only Used/Preowned items, that way you'll clear out your results of 90% of the junk that would normally get listed.
Just looking for "vintage leather jacket" with correctly set filters will give you some good results.

Make sure to save your searches & turn on notifications.

As Marc stated, good places to look are the forums of course and Facebook Marketplace will occasionally produce some gems.
I also look in...
Ebay, Etsy, Grailed, Facebook Marketplace and local classifieds.
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
I search by the name of the brand I'm interested in (Schott, Langlitz, etc.), by the style of the jacket (cafe racer, leather trucker, double rider...) and by some distinctive features (d-pocket, horsehide, vintage and so on...).
Make sure to narrow the search to show you only Used/Preowned items, that way you'll clear out your results of 90% of the junk that would normally get listed.
Just looking for "vintage leather jacket" with correctly set filters will give you some good results.

Make sure to save your searches & turn on notifications.

As Marc stated, good places to look are the forums of course and Facebook Marketplace will occasionally produce some gems.
I also look in...
Ebay, Etsy, Grailed, Facebook Marketplace and local classifieds.
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
When I started my search for that one perfect jacket, I searched for well known brand-names like Schott on eBay, only to find out that there's a lot of lesser quality jackets that people are trying to sell for too much money. Then I learned about other jacket makers like Eastman, which are less known to the big public. If you're lucky you can find one for a good price on the bay. My best finds however were on local online marketplaces. That's where you find that bargain gem, if you're lucky of course. Then I learned about high end jackets makers. Its difficult to find any of those online because their production numbers are much smaller and you really have to be lucky to find one that has the right measurements. Best chance to find something from a high end jacket maker is on fora like tfl or vlj, or on the makers own sales pages. Because chances of finding the perfect jacket from a high end jacket jacket maker are really small, I just buy those new from the source.
Long story short, where to search depends on what you're looking for.
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
What are some of the high end leather jacket companies I am very new to this market
Thanks
 

dannyk

One Too Many
Messages
1,812
Very good thanks
Is there some besides old school USA type of jacket you’re interested in at the moment? Like cross zip, cafe, military, motorcycle, d pocket, horse hide...if you have one or two brands or styles that you’re most interested in maybe we have something for sale, have seen something pop up, can shoot you a message if we find it. Or the thread here in outerwear called “finds and deals leather jackets edition” that’s where if we come across good deals or rare items we post them. For a first jacket unless you have a ton of money you can find some cheaper items. I always recommend getting a few cheaper ones first to find what you really like and find what fits before you go for that grail end game jacket. The chances of nailing it the first time are like 1%. Ask around and you’ll find that out from us guys. So many searched and chased and spent big thinking they found it, only to find out it doesn’t fit, doesnt live up to their hype, or actually isn’t their style once they have it on.
 

dannyk

One Too Many
Messages
1,812
I like the cafe racer style
And do you know what size you typically are? One thing you’ll learn is that sizes are all over the map which is why I say good to go cheap on a couple before spending big. Vintage jackets tend to run smaller so a vintage 40 is probably more like a 36-38. Different makers sizes run differently. And if you find a custom jacket you legitimately might have no idea what the size is. It might be a 40 but the person may have added an inch of length, and shortened the sleeves by 2 inches. You really won’t know. Always, always, always can’t stress it enough ask for measurements! Now most around here will post all relevant measurements because we know this. But on etsy, eBay, grailed they may not. They might just say size 40. If you love the jacket and are considering a purchase ask them for measurements. But typically what size jacket do you take? If I see anything I can shoot you a message. But to be honest I personally am not a cafe fan so don’t come across many in my searches.
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
I like the cafe racer style
Aero
And do you know what size you typically are? One thing you’ll learn is that sizes are all over the map which is why I say good to go cheap on a couple before spending big. Vintage jackets tend to run smaller so a vintage 40 is probably more like a 36-38. Different makers sizes run differently. And if you find a custom jacket you legitimately might have no idea what the size is. It might be a 40 but the person may have added an inch of length, and shortened the sleeves by 2 inches. You really won’t know. Always, always, always can’t stress it enough ask for measurements! Now most around here will post all relevant measurements because we know this. But on etsy, eBay, grailed they may not. They might just say size 40. If you love the jacket and are considering a purchase ask them for measurements. But typically what size jacket do you take? If I see anything I can shoot you a message. But to be honest I personally am not a cafe fan so don’t come across many in my searches.
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
5’-7” 165 lbs


Shoulder to shoulder back 19”
Chest 40 1/2”
Pit to pit front 22 1/2”
Arm pit to wrist 24”
Arm pit to wrist bent 26”
 

Drdan

Familiar Face
Messages
96
Location
Rome Italy and Hannover Germany
5’-7” 165 lbs


Shoulder to shoulder back 19”
Chest 40 1/2”
Pit to pit front 22 1/2”
Arm pit to wrist 24”
Arm pit to wrist bent 26”


You've received a lot of good advice on how to track down a jacket, and taking the measurements of a good fitting jean jacket or leather jacket can be really helpful for your first purchase. I agree that you should first buy a relatively inexpensive jacket. With that jacket you'll be able to have all of the ideal measurements when you want to get a higher-end jacket. Another important measurement would be the back length from the base of the collar to the bottom of the hem. Once you're comfortable with a few jackets, you might want to order a custom jacket, made to your exact specifications. You can research the best zippers and sizes for your jacket, lining material, best pocketing material (e.g., cotton Sveylt), bonded polyester or nylon thread, ideal thread size for displaying a contrasting color, etc., etc. Some companies will allow you to make a jacket using all of your researched parameters. The FL is a great start for research, and members oftentimes place some really nice jackets in the classifieds... Good hunting!
 

BIGMIKE71

New in Town
Messages
18
You've received a lot of good advice on how to track down a jacket, and taking the measurements of a good fitting jean jacket or leather jacket can be really helpful for your first purchase. I agree that you should first buy a relatively inexpensive jacket. With that jacket you'll be able to have all of the ideal measurements when you want to get a higher-end jacket. Another important measurement would be the back length from the base of the collar to the bottom of the hem. Once you're comfortable with a few jackets, you might want to order a custom jacket, made to your exact specifications. You can research the best zippers and sizes for your jacket, lining material, best pocketing material (e.g., cotton Sveylt), bonded polyester or nylon thread, ideal thread size for displaying a contrasting color, etc., etc. Some companies will allow you to make a jacket using all of your researched parameters. The FL is a great start for research, and members oftentimes place some really nice jackets in the classifieds... Good hunting!
 

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