Vintage Lee Riders jeans: what era are these from??

[Duconos los Grecos]

Hi. Vintage Lee jeans in decent sizes (i.e. non-midget, non-wire skinny) don't show up very often. I have a hard time making out when these could be from, and what they could be worth, if anything at all.

Any ideas?

I can only see they have:

_the slanted front pockets,

_back pockets in yellow, other body panel stitches in orange

_lined back pockets

_the little Lee tag is either totally worn out, or it only has the R (no TM)

_the outer seams are split, but it's hard to tell if they're single- or non-selvage

_the very thin (lightweight) denim

_zipper closure (brand not known)

_scratchless rivets (with mirrored capital LEE)

[lenn]

you might want to pm Paul T, he's an expert, and knows his lee's

[giottito]

Hi, see this, can help you:

[fardin]

i think they must be 70s

here is a site with lee jackets but you can see the change in the lee logo

http://www.vintagemotorcyclejackets.com/lee1.htm

[coleslawyum]

^^Yea, I agree but I ain't an expert. The label looks like nothing from the 60's or before. All of my repros have the label with the red and white lettering not the yellow.

[cheep]

id like to see some pics of the zipper, the selvage, and see if they have one or two rivets on the coin pocket. my best guess would be mid to late 60s

[Paul T]

The labels go through a fairly specific evolution, this is identical to the label in my jacket, and I happen to remember it's 1970-1972.

it's red-framed logos up to around 1950; then you get the black and yellow label. 1965 you get the 'r'... in 1970 you have the 'm.r.' Then around the 1972, you lose the 'Union Made in the USA'

Edit: I just found a good summary here, which I think is accurate:

http://www.redcloud.co.jp/detail/lee.htm

[Duconos los Grecos]

So that would make these '70-'72... A little less aged than I suspected. Do you guys think paying $180 US (postage paid, $150 originally) for these is a fair price? Considering the scarcity of the size (actual 35x35), but also the paint stains issue?

Also, any ideas on how to remove boiled-in paint stains??

[cheep]

that seems kinda pricy, but still cheaper than getting a distressed repro of them.

id offer 100 and see if they take it...

[Duconos los Grecos]

that seems kinda pricy, but still cheaper than getting a distressed repro of them.

id offer 100 and see if they take it...

Actually, the price is already set. I still have the possibility to opt out, because the inseam is a little shorter than advertized. I'm mostly trying to figure out if it's worth taking the chance of these being too short. If they're worth the price, I sell if they don't fit; if not but I still buy, I'm stuck with a pair of unwearable jeans I'll never get my money back for.

[Paul T]

VERY pricey to me. Cheep's $100 is on the money. These are very faded, poor condition. Personally I wouldn't buy them for a hundred, they're not a particularly nice cut either.

VIntage is cool, but you could buy a pair of Edwin-made replicas for roughly that much, and they simply would look much better.

Edit: i didn't notice about the sizing, though, altho you can get the Edwin-made Lee form Rakuten etc for good prices, my link for the page is out of date, so I don't know what inseam is available.

[cheep]

yeah, pass on them.

reminds me, i still need to take some good pics of the late 60s ones i have... i almost made this same type of thread to find out the age, but a certian denim demi-god gave me some info on them... thrift pick up.

[cheep]

here's a good pair, same size, and will be cheaper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-60s-70s-sanforized-Lee-Riders-Jeans-red-line_W0QQitemZ140274788244QQihZ004QQcategoryZ52401QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Duconos los Grecos]

Thanks for your input, guys.

I'll actually try to haggle because I do like these (and there's so few available in my size), but I'll pass if no adjustment is possible.

BTW, I already have the '44 Edwin-made replicas, which I adore (beautiful fade, nice manufacturing), but I'm more fond of the real thing when it comes to more affordable (more recent) models..

Cheep, I just checked out the Riders you sent a link to. Unfortunately, 35.5x30 would fit like bermuda shorts on me. I really actually need the 35 inseam.

[cheep]

too bad you cant fit a 33 waist... i have some 33x 34 that i hardly wear.

[Duconos los Grecos]

Yeah, I know, I'm usually right above the most common W / L measurements. There's plenty of 35x30s around; sometimes I see 30x35, but seldom my size. 34 waist can do, but 33x34 would be the kind of tight that makes me look gay or poor... or like I need to give them back to my baby brother... lol