38 models · 6 brands
Jeans that are already broken in, often for less than new. Which vintage Levi's, Lee and Wrangler to buy, how to date them and what to measure first.
Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler have been making the same few jeans and jackets for generations, so there are millions of old ones out there. The tab, the selvedge, the rivets and the labels tell you when a pair was made, and the tape measure tells you whether it’ll fit, because the size on the tag rarely does. Each page covers one model with its story, how to date it from the photos and what to check before you buy.
A checklist for all 38 modelsFacts checked, sources listedNo affiliate links
Date a pair from the photos
the quick tells01Big E or small e
LEVI'S in capitals on the red tab means the pair was made before 1971. A lowercase e means 1971 or later. Levi's has brought the Big E back on reissues, so check the care label too.
02Care label
Old Levi's have no care label at all. They arrived in the early 1970s, so a Big E tab sewn next to a care label points to a reissue.
03Rivets or bar tacks
Feel for rivets hidden under the back pockets. Levi's hid them from 1937 and replaced them with stitched bar tacks around 1966.
04Selvedge
Turn up a cuff. A white edge with a red line is Cone's narrow-loom redline denim, which Levi's used until Cone moved to wide looms in the mid-1980s.
05Back-pocket stitching
A single row of stitching round the back pockets dates a 501 to before about 1976 to 1978. After that it's a chain-stitched double row.
06Top button
A letter or a single digit on the back of the top button fits the 1950s and 60s. Three-digit factory numbers start in the early 1970s, so a 555 under a Big E tab is a Valencia Street reissue.
The denim rack
brand · modelEvery model we cover, hung by brand. Most of them were made for decades, so each page splits the years that collectors chase from the ones you can simply wear.
Levi's19
- 501 Big EStraight leg
- 501XX Hidden RivetStraight leg
- 501 Small e RedlineStraight leg
- 501 Shrink-to-Fit 0000Straight leg
- 501 Rinse 0115Straight leg
- 501 Made in USA, 90sStraight leg
- 501 Made in MexicoStraight leg
- 501 CTTapered
- 505Straight leg
- 506XX Type I JacketJackets and coats
- 507XX Type II JacketJackets and coats
- 557XX Type III Jacket Big EJackets and coats
- 70505 Trucker Jacket Small eJackets and coats
- 517 BootcutBootcut and flare
- 519 Corduroy JeansSlim
- 550 Relaxed FitRelaxed
- 559 Relaxed StraightRelaxed
- 569 Loose StraightRelaxed
- 646 Bell BottomBootcut and flare
Lee6
Find yours
browse byBy brand
Levi's19 modelsstraight-leg jeans, tapered jeans, denim jackets and coats and bootcut and flare jeansLee6 modelsstraight-leg jeans and denim jackets and coatsWrangler6 modelsstraight-leg jeans, slim jeans and overallsBig Yank3 modelsoveralls, denim jackets and coats and straight-leg jeansJCPenney2 modelsstraight-leg jeans and slim jeansSears2 modelsstraight-leg jeans
Where most people start
Levi's · Straight leg
501Levi's 501 Small e Redline
1971 to the mid-1980s
$300–$525 typical ask
Levi's · Straight leg
501Levi's 501 Big E
Big E tab 1936–1971; this page covers the bar-tacked pairs of about 1966–1971
$460–$925 typical ask
Levi's · Jackets and coats
557XXLevi's 557XX Type III Jacket Big E
late 1961–1971
$270–$525 typical ask
Lee · Jackets and coats
101-LJLee Storm Rider
1949–present (Storm Rider label from 1953)
$140–$280 typical ask
Wrangler · Straight leg
13MWZWrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut
About 1952–present (the renamed 11MWZ)
$35–$50 typical ask
Levi's · Straight leg
505Levi's 505
1967–present
$35–$65 typical ask
From our latest eBay check
Sears Toughskins JeansVintage 4 20x15 Jeans 1970's Boys/Girls Sears Toughskins Bootcut Relic Bootcut
$17.92 est. deliveredCheapest
Checked Oct 11, 2026
Sears Roebucks Western JeansGenuine Roebucks Men's Jeans USA Blue Denim 42 x 30
$16.90 est. deliveredCheapest
Checked Oct 11, 2026
Penney's Foremost Western JeansVINTAGE ORIGINAL DENIM JEANS PANTS FOREMOST JC Penney KIDS SIZE 1950's
$44.45 est. deliveredCheapest
Checked Oct 11, 2026
Blue Bell Bib OverallsMen’s Big Ben Overalls Bibs Denim 40x34 Made In USA
$36.33 est. deliveredCheapest
Checked Oct 11, 2026
Buying guides
7 guidesQuestions people ask first
What's the difference between Big E and small e Levi's?
It's the red tab on the back pocket. Until 1971 it read LEVI'S in capitals, and from 1971 it reads Levi's with a lowercase e, so collectors call the older ones Big E. Levi's brought the Big E back for premium jeans in 2018, so check inside too. Jeans from before 1971 have no care tag, and a Big E pair with one is almost always a reissue. Hidden back-pocket rivets, a leather patch and selvedge outseams help narrow the date further.
Why doesn't the tag size match the measurements?
Vintage jeans have usually been washed for decades. Shrink-to-fit 501s were sold unshrunk, and Levi's care tags warned they'd lose about 8 to 10 percent. Wear stretches denim back out, some pairs have been hemmed or taken in, and label sizes have drifted over the years. Ask the seller for the waist measured flat and doubled, the inseam, the front rise, the thigh and the leg opening, then compare them with a pair you already wear.
Does selvedge mean a pair of jeans is old?
On an original US Levi's 501, selvedge means the mid-1980s or earlier, when Cone moved the 501's denim to wide looms. That still covers plenty of 1970s and early 1980s small e pairs. On anything else it means less. Levi's Vintage Clothing, Japanese reproduction brands and Wrangler's heritage reissues all use selvedge denim, so check the care tag and the country label before reading anything into the edge.
How do I spot a reissue sold as vintage?
Look inside first. A care tag, a modern size tag or a Made in Japan label on a Big E or cinch-back pair means a reissue. Levi's Japan began reissuing vintage styles in 1986, the US company followed in 1992, and Levi's Vintage Clothing has made them since the mid-to-late 1990s. Three-digit numbers on the back of the buttons are common on reissue jackets, and Japanese repro brands put their own names on the patch and buttons.
When did Levi's stop making jeans in the USA?
Levi's closed its Valencia Street plant in San Francisco in 2002 and its last US factory, in San Antonio, at the end of 2003. So a mainline 501 with a Made in USA tag was made before then. The exceptions are later premium and Levi's Vintage Clothing pieces, some of which were made in the US again, so read the care tag and the patch too. Wrangler's last US factory closed in 2005.
Sell to us
Old Levi’s in the back of the closet?
Tell us what you have, with flat measurements, photos of the tab, patch and labels, and any holes or repairs, plus your price. Our denim expert will get back to you quickly with a cash offer if it’s a fit. No listing to write, no fees.