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Buying-Selling-Collecting Leather Jackets: New-Old

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,481
Location
Illinois
We all have stuff coming in and I await each new offering.
My excitement has built a rather large collection of jackets. I sometimes tire of the pursuit, but press on.

This new jacket answers and raises question no one but me is probably interested in. I have moments of doubt and thoughts of selling all of them. They do come out of the closet but seems another takes it's place soon.

I have several to sell, but moving slowly in getting things done. I can't seem to place prices on things right now.
Click to expand...
I hear ya. I am sick.

I have well over 150 jackets by now.......... and I have lost weight.....gained weight......lost a lot of weight......gained alotta weight.........then most recently last year lost a TON of weight........ and I have the long trail of jackets to prove it!!! I am fitting into jackets that I never could before. Some members of my GOTTA SELL pile now fit me....... and some old favorites have me contemplating possibly moving them. My in house jacket rankings have certainly seen some changes for sure.

I go through periods where I am trying to stay away from buying but then something special presents itself and I can't help myself but to snatch it up. I have at least a few dozen to sell. Some are what I would term "STARTER/ENTRY LEVEL"" jackets that are under $100........ some are more special and some have no available comparisons to base a sales price on. I am building a closet addition in my home renovation that will add just under 100 square feet to the existing master closet with Ten Foot walls and ceilings to allow for 3 levels of jacket racking. I will need to make a pole and hook type of jacket retriever to get them off of the highest rack. But I will want and in some cases NEED to clean and condition the whole herd before commingling all of these jackets with my clothes/shoes. I don't have a place clean enough to do that until my construction is finished though so I have some interesting scents combining to waft thru my jacket overflow rooms to say the least.

Sometimes the thought crosses my mind of what I could buy with my leather jacket money if they were all sold. I am totally addicted to hunting these jackets down and finding cool vintage. I MAY put some for sale at my cousin's record store he is opening soon. Anything I sell I will obviously offer here in the Lounge. Jackets I have to return to Sellers always contain a note from me referring the Seller to the Lounge where they pay no fees and will have a welcoming audience and a concentration of sick individuals like me who like to nit pick zippers and seams and lament the measuring follies of novice Sellers.

Honestly---it didn't start this way!!!! I have learned so much from this Lounge. The learning never stops and it spurs new interest in different styles and fits. I love gawking at members' jacket collections.

Every once in a while I spend hours trying on jackets and reminding myself what all I have and how cool I think they are. Its a very personal hobby in many ways but I am glad to be able to share it with everyone here. I feel like its a cross between a club and a therapy group. Lol. LONG LIVE THE LOUNGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terry, if you sell all of your jackets---that day will be a sign that THE END TIME is upon us. It would be a sad day hopefully we never have to see. I don't ever wanna see those TOOLS from American Pickers sashaying around your house asking, "....How bout this old Peters Police Jacket.............wouldja do $150??? How bout the Peters Police Jacket and these old Sears jackets for $250???? Wouldja do that???? $250 on these five old jackets!?!??!?!!?! Oh WOW are those Vintage Gibsons I see!?!?!!?!?!?! Are these for sale too!?!?!?!!?" UGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! If you EVER have to sell your jacket collection----I think you might find quite a few of us booking tickets to Galesburg.................




Yes, I stole your post from another thread. Things move fast here and I don't. I can put it here out of the way and just gnaw on it!

Your post sounds like me.

The Pickers original home is only 60 miles north of me! I don't have quite the loads they are looking for. I believe they want a bit more dirt and dust than I can provide. That environment does add to the drama.

Storage is an issue. Mine is always evolving. Honestly hard to keep track. I have basically lost and found them in the house!

While I don't know the exact total, I do know I'm down to mostly choice stuff. I've sold some choice jackets along the way too. It can be stressful when I have bills due. I have developed a system of buying/selling which pays for my collection.

The collection itself can become too much or too many. I have broken it down in my head so I can focus, it is a huge arena.

My newest jacket is an example of a good fit for the collection if not a fit on me. This is tough; having very cool jacket you can't wear. I have a few and buy them if they make sense. This one makes sense and is very interesting jacket which may be even more so on examination.

My incoming jacket has a thread on here. This community is writing the story of this jacket. It is not my thread. Yes, the documentation on this jacket is here and this will be a part of that. Isn't that interesting?
 

Will Zach

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,469
Location
SoFlo
I just like old things in general. And I like leather jackets. So, I like old leather jackets. So far I've had zero interest in new jackets. It gives me the same kind of pleasure to wear a 1940s jacket as another guy to drive a 1940s car. Or to play a vintage instrument. Same thing. I have a thing for Japan as well, sharing their wabi sabi philosophy and aesthetics, which kind of aligns with old leather jackets for me. For me to keep the jacket, I must want to wear it. Closet queens usually go sooner or later. My target is to have 5 jackets so I can wear'em all. Right now about 15. I love the hunt, always hoping for that unlabelled unicorn in my size for $100, lol.
 
Messages
17,157
Location
Chicago
I have just one more to go. I have not looked at eBay or Etsy in about a month (not for jackets anyway). Ive really slowed my impulse, down to a trickle. I have 4 leathers right now, 2 Aero, 2 vintage. 3 wool: 1 Aero, 2 vintage. I plan on buying my final Aero on 9/20. It’s a jacket I’ve wanted for a very long time. After that, I’m done.
No more vintage chasing, no more new repros. I’m going to settle up at the bar with my 5 skins. I’ve said this a million times before but never had anything in my closet that let me believe it. I finally do. My belly is full and my thirst quenched. I don’t know where I will apply my autism next, but I do know it won’t be toward jackets. I am ready to put a pin in jackets.
 

morrison2951

Practically Family
Messages
667
Location
F-V, NC
I'm pretty new to the game.

Started out with my dad's Cooper A-2 and have since settled on Vanson as my jacket of choice having a few in their rare HH along with a vintage '80's Model A in their competition leather with zip out lining that is the perfect jacket for all occasions.

The others in my collection are a vintage 40's Wolf HB, Norshor Cossack Collar, Aero Trucker, Thedi Niko, ELMC Californian and perhaps the prettiest of the bunch is a one-off GW Admiral Byrd.

I'm all set now and happy with these. :)
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,187
I have a habit of going on benders. Better leather jacket than many other things.

I miss the days when the only things I was buying and sharing were bags of Thunder Crunch chips and maybe a slurpee.
 

Viking752

Practically Family
Messages
524
Location
Central Florida
Got my first leather jacket when I was 15 and have always had at least one. Quite a few brands in those 40 some odd years, Ralph Lauren, Timberland, Wilson’s leather, Orvis, Eddie Bauer all come to mind. Then I joined TFL and it became more of a treasure hunt for that perfect jacket the names were more Schott NYC, Legendary USA, Natel, Reed leather . I always had one or two in my closet, now the number is 6 and want to go down to 3. I rarely never buy new, I prefer to have others take the initial hit and then grow tired or ill fitting and sell it off. My two personal meme style photos sums it up.
the span of years is 1977 until 2022 in these photos.
FB63E9BF-5FEE-4F6F-91DE-691DF88BC4EC.jpeg
5217E339-CB25-45CD-8437-D3D32A5F128E.jpeg
 

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