Levi’s pants from the 1880s sold for $76,000 at an auction in recent days. The jeans could well be used to ‘buy a Starbucks’, says an antiques expert
Vintage Levi’s pants from the 1880s sold for $76,000 at an auction in New Mexico on Oct. 1.
The jeans were found in an old mine several years ago, according to specialized media. Apparently worn by a miner, they feature buttoned suspenders at the waist and a single back pocket. The jeans retain vintage candle wax markings.
View this post on Instagram
The auction winner was identified as Kyle Haupert, a 23-year-old vintage clothing dealer from San Diego, California.
Haupert bought the old jeans along with Zip Stevenson, owner of the vintage clothing company Denim Doctors. He paid 90% of the winning bid and hopes Stevenson, who has more experience, will help him place the item with another buyer.
“I’m still a little stumped, just surprised at myself for buying them,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
The total price paid was $87,400, already with a buyers premium included.
Through the Instagram account of his Golden State Vintage store, Haupert shared images of the auction and of the jeans purchased. “These speak for themselves,” he said in a post.
According to the auction list, the jeans are one of the oldest Levi’s on record from the gold rush era. They could be considered as the holy grail of vintage denim collecting. The pants are in “good/wearable” condition, according to the listing.
“You could take them to a Starbucks,” Stevenson said, referring to the garment’s condition.
It is possible to find unimaginable items at auctions such as the jeans mentioned among other “eccentricities”. In recent weeks, the hair of the legendary legend of the New York Yankees Babe Ruth exceeded $ 11,000 dollars.
For its part, a jersey worn by Michael Jordan in the Chicago Bulls finals was auctioned for $10 million.