Leather Jackets on Ebay is Like Heroin

Vespizzare · Nov 29, 2012

I'm off work for a while and have to admit that Ebay is a kick. If you sort of have your "feed" set Aero, Vanson, or whatever, every time you check there's some new gem there. Of course, they all aren't exactly your size or your cup of tea, but a lot of them are! It seems like if you keep checking, sooner or later exactly what you're looking for is going to pop up. Most good stuff is snapped up right away as a "buy it now," probably by some guy who just said, "Bingo!" It's going to be a drag when I get back in harness and can't look so often at odd times when most people are are work. (IXL, you warned me.)

Perfect example of what I'm talking about: This morning there was a "worn once" black leather Vanson Stadium jacket in size 40 for "buy-it-now" $200. I almost went for it. You see tons on Manx jackets but never one like that. But I felt that ecological niche in my closet was already filled so I passed. (Thankfully, it had a seam up the middle of the back which I don't like.) A little while later somebody took it, so while I think a $700 Highwayman will stick around for a while, a real bargain may not be there at quitting time.

P.S. Right now I have my face fixed for a hea-vy Aero or similar motorcycle jacket lined with shearling. If one comes up for less than retail, don't get between me and the "send" button!

P.P.S. I'm a 40 or a Medium which is nice because I think there's a little less competition.

AtlantaSpike · Nov 29, 2012

Tell me about it. I look daily. There are quite a few on now, and one I am definitely going to go pretty high on. I try not to get my hopes up as invariably it goes way past my range (which is pretty high) or is just not quite what I am looking for to pull the trigger on.

handymike · Nov 29, 2012

Then comes the sobering reality of winning it, receiving it, and having it not quite fit right.
But I have to admit that there is a rush in selling as well.
If you get your money back, that is.

Panacheman · Nov 29, 2012

Hi my names panacheman and im an Ebay jacket junkie and this is my story
ahh the call of the bay i know it well Ive yet to buy any of the big brands on their but many cheaper vintage finds have found their way into my possession many have been discarded to charity shops or sold again on ebay but a select few have a place of honor in my closet
like my horsehide long peacoat. It was made in canada of all places. I spent 20 dollers on it based of a fuzzy photo and some frankly suspect measurements. By the time UPS dropped it on my doorstep i Couldn't wait to tear open the box i was desperate for a fix i could almost feel its weight on my shoulders the tiff hide flapping in the wind just a little taste of that first jacket rush again. the jacket came out of the box stiff and heavy it looked like it had never been worn and hardly a wrinkle could be seen from its time in secondhand storage. searching through it i found a tag scarcely attached by a few sad threads it said genuine horsehide. being young and inexperienced i did not know what rare jewel i held in my hand. almost trembling with anticipation i pulled it on slowly so as to savour that first taste. it fit tightly scuba suit tightly nearly broken with disappointment i unzipped the cheap and ugly liner and put the jacket on again it fit snugly but not so much that i wouldn't wear it. my appetite was sated for the moment
since it arrived its been one of my regulars hung in a position allowing easy access in my closet on its own special wide padded hanger, but Ive lost over 100lbs since then so the jacket is quite large on me and the acetate lining which was a little flimsy and worn in the first place is need of replacement the fibers gave up the ghost long ago shedding the horsehide tag on some forgotten sidewalk the ugly liner has been lost to the mists of time making the jacket all that less practical. it stays in my closet these days sad but i have a feeling it will rise again to take its rightful place. all it needs is a little TLC from a good leather tailor a lining suitable of its grandeur and a second hand burberry thermal liner i found in a second hand shop to keep it toasty in the winter.
I am currently 2 years clean from ebay jackets
now I just need to work on my second hand store jacket problem

Vespizzare · Nov 29, 2012

Panacheman said:
Hi my names panacheman and im an Ebay jacket junkie and this is my story
ahh the call of the bay i know it well Ive yet to buy any of the big brands on their but many cheaper vintage finds have found their way into my possession many have been discarded to charity shops or sold again on ebay but a select few have a place of honor in my closet
like my horsehide long peacoat. It was made in canada of all places. I spent 20 dollers on it based of a fuzzy photo and some frankly suspect measurements. By the time UPS dropped it on my doorstep i Couldn't wait to tear open the box i was desperate for a fix i could almost feel its weight on my shoulders the tiff hide flapping in the wind just a little taste of that first jacket rush again. the jacket came out of the box stiff and heavy it looked like it had never been worn and hardly a wrinkle could be seen from its time in secondhand storage. searching through it i found a tag scarcely attached by a few sad threads it said genuine horsehide. being young and inexperienced i did not know what rare jewel i held in my hand. almost trembling with anticipation i pulled it on slowly so as to savour that first taste. it fit tightly scuba suit tightly nearly broken with disappointment i unzipped the cheap and ugly liner and put the jacket on again it fit snugly but not so much that i wouldn't wear it. my appetite was sated for the moment
since it arrived its been one of my regulars hung in a position allowing easy access in my closet on its own special wide padded hanger, but Ive lost over 100lbs since then so the jacket is quite large on me and the acetate lining which was a little flimsy and worn in the first place is need of replacement the fibers gave up the ghost long ago shedding the horsehide tag on some forgotten sidewalk the ugly liner has been lost to the mists of time making the jacket all that less practical. it stays in my closet these days sad but i have a feeling it will rise again to take its rightful place. all it needs is a little TLC from a good leather tailor a lining suitable of its grandeur and a second hand burberry thermal liner i found in a second hand shop to keep it toasty in the winter.
I am currently 2 years clean from ebay jackets
now I just need to work on my second hand store jacket problem

Good to hear your story. Misery demands company. Sometimes I, too, think they have feelings and there's a closet pecking order, which is sick.

rocketeer · Nov 29, 2012

handymike said:
Then comes the sobering reality of winning it, receiving it, and having it not quite fit right.
But I have to admit that there is a rush in selling as well.
If you get your money back, that is.

I once bought a WWII Ike jacket of the 'Bay', chest 44 it should have fitted great. Trouble was it was 'V' shaped. A local bespoke tailor told me it was probably made for someone with a bodybuilders physique. It couldnt be altered, the seller had not listed the waist size so I took it on the chin and donated it to a charity shop.
As for selling, how many times has someones elses 44 chest, 34 waist or 57 hat size been different than yours, then said, 'I would not have bid as much if I knew it was too small/large'. "100% refund then?" "No thanks, Ill keep it but would like a small refund,", "No chance, send it back and Ill refund return post as well" and it goes on and on.
J

Vespizzare · Nov 29, 2012

rocketeer said:
I once bought a WWII Ike jacket of the 'Bay', chest 44 it should have fitted great. Trouble was it was 'V' shaped. A local bespoke tailor told me it was probably made for someone with a bodybuilders physique. It couldnt be altered, the seller had not listed the waist size so I took it on the chin and donated it to a charity shop.
As for selling, how many times has someones elses 44 chest, 34 waist or 57 hat size been different than yours, then said, 'I would not have bid as much if I knew it was too small/large'. "100% refund then?" "No thanks, Ill keep it but would like a small refund,", "No chance, send it back and Ill refund return post as well" and it goes on and on.
J

I agree some items are "a pig in a poke" and there's always going to be a moment of doubt when you open the box. Still I think if it's a quality brand, you can see the size tag, and the seller has good feedback, you're pretty much dealing with a known commodity. No?

cuthbert · Nov 29, 2012

I need to stop watching ebay!

Jackets, watches...

majormajor · Nov 29, 2012

I recently looked at a jacket on the bay with a 24" pit-to-pit.

I asked the seller for the shoulder-to-shoulder. He told me it measured 48"

I said that couldn't be right.

"Sorry" he said, "I meant 24"....."

I said it still wasn't right.

He said it was.

I didn't buy the jacket:eeek:

jimmer_5 · Nov 29, 2012

I was watching a Vanson PLU-3 yesterday and I decided not to bid. It went for $350. I actually have a custom brown one on order with Logan's closet, but I still would have liked to buy the eBay one, particularly at that ridiculously low price. Stupid Christmas bills......

Vespizzare · Nov 29, 2012

majormajor said:
I recently looked at a jacket on the bay with a 24" pit-to-pit.

I asked the seller for the shoulder-to-shoulder. He told me it measured 48"

I said that couldn't be right.

"Sorry" he said, "I meant 24"....."

I said it still wasn't right.

He said it was.

I didn't buy the jacket:eeek:

A lot of times there's a size tag that says 42 and they'll say the "pit to pit" its 21".

majormajor · Nov 29, 2012

Vespizzare said:
A lot of times there's a size tag that says 42 and they'll say the "pit to pit" its 21".

Yup, but shoulder-to-shoulder is always smaller than pit-to-pit.

24" pit-to-pit should equate to between 18-21" shoulder-to-shoulder.

NEVER the same as the pit-to-pit

jimmer_5 · Nov 30, 2012

Vespizzare said:
A lot of times there's a size tag that says 42 and they'll say the "pit to pit" its 21".

Modern tag sizes are rarely an exact measurement - I think vintge ones tend to be a lot more literal. These days, they are a representation of the size of the user's chest (forgive me if you already knew this). I have a 43.5 inch chest measurement, and generally wear a size 44 jacket. A jacket that measures 23" across the chest (46" around) feels like a close vintage fit on me with a t-shirt underneath. 24" across (48" around) is a good fit, but I have room for a sweater underneath. 25" across (50" around) is too large for my taste - unfortunately, this is the case with my 2-year old Aero half belt.

I have handled size 44 jackets that were as large as 26" across the chest, and I have owned multiple jackets in the same brand and tag size that varied several inches in measurements. In any case, I never ever trust label sizes these days. I always ask for measurements - across the chest, across the shoulders in back, sleeve from shoulder to cuff, and length.

Vespizzare · Nov 30, 2012

jimmer_5 said:
I was watching a Vanson PLU-3 yesterday and I decided not to bid. It went for $350. I actually have a custom brown one on order with Logan's closet, but I still would have liked to buy the eBay one, particularly at that ridiculously low price. Stupid Christmas bills......

I looked up that jacket. It was nice because it had a double zipper.

spike42 · Nov 30, 2012

I tend to look at ebay more as a casino - one where all the machines are rigged to never pay out, and all the cards are marked in favor of the
house :} Between the dim photos and/or missing or inaccurate descriptions (including measurements), I'm tired of losing money on return shipping.
I'm a weird size (46 Xtra Long), so much of what I peruse wouldn't work for me anyways.....I am really grateful to have found TFL, and based on my
reading here, am just going to stop wasting money trying to save money on ebay. I will instead do things right and order something made. I do
envy you folks that can buy yourself something cool and vintage, however.

resortes805 · Dec 1, 2012

Vespizzare said:
A lot of times there's a size tag that says 42 and they'll say the "pit to pit" its 21".

Alot of leather jacket companies in the 1930s and 1940s actually tagged their wares with the size of the exact measurements. I have a long half-belt tagged as a 42 with a pit to pit of 21, and I also have a regular half-belt tagged as a 40 with a pit to pit of 20. It does not make sense, but that's how some of them did it.

Aerojoe · Dec 1, 2012

Vespizzare said:
Leather Jackets on Ebay is Like Heroin

I'd say leather jackets are like heroin in everywhere. Another leather-holic here

philosophy101 · Dec 1, 2012

resortes805 said:
Alot of leather jacket companies in the 1930s and 1940s actually tagged their wares with the size of the exact measurements. I have a long half-belt tagged as a 42 with a pit to pit of 21, and I also have a regular half-belt tagged as a 40 with a pit to pit of 20. It does not make sense, but that's how some of them did it.

Actually, I think it makes good sense to tag according to the garment's exact measurements. That way, if the buyer knows his own body measurements he can choose the garment size according to his own preference as to snug vs. roomy fit. However, it works only so long as it's understood by all what the tag size refers to.

I wonder, at what point in history did the garment industry shift from having tags that refer to the garment's measurements to having tags that refer to the person's measurements? Any garment industry historians out there?

Vespizzare · Dec 1, 2012

spike42 said:
I tend to look at ebay more as a casino - one where all the machines are rigged to never pay out, and all the cards are marked in favor of the
house :} Between the dim photos and/or missing or inaccurate descriptions (including measurements), I'm tired of losing money on return shipping.
I'm a weird size (46 Xtra Long), so much of what I peruse wouldn't work for me anyways.....I am really grateful to have found TFL, and based on my
reading here, am just going to stop wasting money trying to save money on ebay. I will instead do things right and order something made. I do
envy you folks that can buy yourself something cool and vintage, however.

Actually, I was somewhat chastened by later developments and now agree with the above more than I did when I started this string. I may buy something on Ebay in the future but only if it's brand new and condition is not an issue.

Vespizzare · Dec 1, 2012

resortes805 said:
Alot of leather jacket companies in the 1930s and 1940s actually tagged their wares with the size of the exact measurements. I have a long half-belt tagged as a 42 with a pit to pit of 21, and I also have a regular half-belt tagged as a 40 with a pit to pit of 20. It does not make sense, but that's how some of them did it.

But I was referring to say a modern Vanson or whatever where you could see a size tag that was the same as the "pit-to pit" listed below.

Leather Jackets on Ebay is Like Heroin

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One Too Many

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Call Me a Cab

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