How To Identify Vintage Levi's 505s

[@bigrogy]

Thank you for this my 505 orange tabs were made November of 93’ very cool!

[@GlennWhitelake]

orange tag are still being made on some new 517s

[@LoStevens]

Thank you SO much!! Care tag is gone from a pair of mine, but it has non branded zipper, inside pocket stamp, silver button, and mixed yellow/orange thread with no tab. Thinking they might be between ‘73 and ‘80?!

[@LootFam]

If they have a stamp on the pocket bag you're probably looking more like 72-75.

[@LoStevens]

@@LootFam thank you!!! 🩷🩷🩷

[@matterof_fact]

Man your range of knowledge is amazing! I have a pair of Orange tab need to check em out

[@LootFam]

Thanks!

[@theStarker]

Great niche content as always! Thank you for all your help-I can’t believe Levi’s has hired someone to work with them to produce a book or interactive website with this kind of information.

[@LootFam]

Great point! I think partly they don't want to feed the secondary used market too much because it takes away from their current sales, but with their second hand program that could change.

[@allthingswavy6420]

When did 505 black jeans arrive, and are the back labels for the black version the same as those attached to the blue denim?

[@LootFam]

It appears that black washes in general didn't appears until the late 80s. I believe the 505 would be around that same time.

[@allthingswavy6420]

@@LootFam Thanks!

[@creampuffs66]

hey im an amateur in identifying denim but have a pair of levis 505 black wash. It doesnt have a care tag, has a levis branded zipper, no fabric code, no pocket stamp, 5 belt loops, a red tab with lower e, has an overlock outseam not orange + yellow thread, the levis button is imprinted "650" and double chain stitching on the inside of the back pockets. From ur video im guessing that theyre from the late 80's or earlier 90's? If you would be able to help me out, it would be greatly appreciated.

[@LootFam]

Sounds late 80s early 90s to me. Sweet pair!

[@reaganwierenga]

I have 17505’s that I love so much and fit me perfect! I think they’re probably late 80’s - early 90’s. The number date in the care tag is 078 ? Not sure what that means.

[@LootFam]

1988. Great pair!

[@reaganwierenga]

@@LootFam thank you!

[@GourmetFood4u]

As always, great information. However, I believe you reversed the symbols in your graphic. Single stitch < 1978, chain stitch 1978 > . Just let you know in case you can easy edit for future views.

[@LootFam]

Thanks for the heads up!

[@kimchiyumm10]

so my jeans are red tab, and have yellow and orange stitching, and the individual stitching not chain, but they have a silver button to open the pants and a levi’s zipper. so i have no clue wether my 505s are before the 80s vintage or if they are from the 80s-90s and 2000s

[@LootFam]

Could you send some photos to lootfam1Gmail.com? I can take a look for you. Thanks!

[@micahjohnson6312]

@@LootFam​​⁠could you look at mine? I got some that the tag is too faded to read but they go against the things he said - they are 505s but silver button (not copper) and zipper is YKK (not Levi’s). I’ve been researching for 2 hours and nothing is making sense with these

[@LootFam]

@@micahjohnson6312 sure! Shoot me some photos to [e-mail]

[@pinikpikantv3555]

Did somebody notice the interchanged used of before and after or the greater and lesser than symbol already. Nevertheless it is very clear and very interesting video. I love contents like these. Just got a big E and 501xx and you helped me identify the age. There not that very vintage but are interestingly great to have as addition to my wardrobe.

[@zmitzmitovich4957]

Just the inscription 505 on the leather patch and Every Garment Guaranteed inscription and aldo inside on the white pocket the inscription - this is red tab levis - what year is it approximately? Thanks!

[@LootFam]

Sounds like a pair from the mid to late 90s. Thanks!

[@zmitzmitovich4957]

@@LootFam thanks!

[@vintagesince96]

Interesting you posted this vid today. I got a pair of orange tab 505s a couple weeks ago. When I got them I noticed they were produced in 1994. However, I JUST got them listed today, and being from 1994 I assumed they'd be traditionally Made In USA. However, I noticed the tag read Made In Puerto Rico (USA). I had never seen that before.

[@LootFam]

Yeah, there is a story there. Apparently, they were only produced there for a brief period. I’ll look into it.

[@vintagesince96]

@@LootFam cool would love to know what u found

[@QuartzCrisis]

I have 1997 orange tab 505 "assembled in Guatemala" thats what it says

[@comel1216]

Great content, learned a lot since subscribing. Found a Levi’s Big E Sawtooth Shorthorn denim shirt recently. Any thoughts on how to date?

[@LootFam]

Sure, I can help! Email me some photos to [e-mail] Thanks!

[@scruffy381]

Wow. So I just bought 2 pairs of vintage 505. Any ideas how much they go for?

[@LootFam]

The 60’s and 70s 505s anywhere from 200-1200. 80s to 90s are more like 30-80.

[@amitchell8014]

Would a pair of 505s with a red tab but just 505 on the back patch (no other numbers) also be late 80s to late 90s?

[@LootFam]

Yes, and likely a women’s pair it sounds like.

[@amitchell8014]

@@LootFam Thanks!

[@hadisatriaganesa3349]

hey guys, di you know abou 505 A. it have a different back pocket and rather unusual little 5 pocket arrangement. have you heard about it? i haven't seen anything like that after many days of research in google. it also have a yellow possibly yellor and orange stich in seam and small e in the red tab. and also it made in japan. if you know anything about that i would really appreciate your information. thanks!

[@bogsquatch6782]

Nice content brother I noticed a new pair of 541 0404 going for $350 on ebay what makes them rare and so expensive

[@LootFam]

Hmm. I've seen a modern 541 that is a limited edition going for similar price, but not sure that is the pair you are referring to. Could you send me the link to [e-mail]?

[@GlennWhitelake]

a lot people are out to get rich any way they can .

[@_The_Worst_]

Yep...definitely a lot...🤯💯✔️

[@zmitzmitovich4957]

Hi gents,what mean PCL16B on the top of white levis service tag inside jeans?

[@alohallo2879]

I have a pair of 516 made in canada is there a way I can send you pic of the tag..cant figure the date!😊

[@troymcbain8091]

So only the 501 and 505 were produced with selvedge denim?

[@fancypants477]

502 as well

[@PinkandChic92]

I purchased a pair of Levis a few years ago and it has a Big E.... Is it possible newer Levi's are being made with the big E? They are Levi's Skinny jeans so definitely not vintage.

[@LootFam]

Yeah, unfortunately Levi's has started to reprint modern tabs with the Big E over the last few years.

[@marvin231]

Fire scruples tee 🔥 😮‍💨 I hear board game tees are super hype these days!

[@LootFam]

“All aboard(game) the hype train!”

[@marvin231]

🚂💨💨

[@gennaceleste3660]

My 505’s don’t have any patch on the Waite in back, do u know why this is

[@LootFam]

It’s likely just been removed. It’s possible that there was a short lived version produced without them but the most likely answer is that its been removed. Thanks!

[@gennaceleste3660]

Thank you so much for your reply is it possible it’s been removed even if there doesn’t appear to be any damage.. they are dark wash great condition v stitch gripper zipper salvage double X jeans with a silver botton no care tag or stamp on pockets what would u value them at ?

[@adolforangel1236]

i recently went thirft shopping and found an orange tab levis jeans but what caught my eyes on these specific pair was that it had two orange tab levis tabs. On the right and the left? Are these fake or real? And what does it mean to have two orange tabs? if anyone know please inform me thank you.

[@LootFam]

Hey! They aren’t fake just a somewhat rare error. Super cool!

[@fancypants477]

Some Red tabs in the 60’s that would be big E only had registered R trademark with no Levi spellout at all

[@faithreyes8797]

Thank u!

[@modeloman4568]

Pretty sure I got a pair of 505s orange tabs that were made in January 1993

[@jay2282]

Mine says on the inside “Levi made jeans that were made before public, in 1800’s” or whatever date and it says this is one of them! What does that mean

[@jay2282]

I can tell u what it says, they’re just in my laundry room. But it has Japanese letters as well

[@LootFam]

Could you send me some photos to [e-mail]?

[@Nataliya0907]

how to read numbers looking to understand if the jeans are mans or womens? which and where levis code this info?

[@kjelleriksson2793]

Well, I live in Sweden. I used 6xx series and 7xx series Levi's, pre-shrunk or Sanforized. Lots of styles were available, straight, boot-cut etc. etc. But, Levi's became evil and stopped selling these jeans (501s didn't fit me), so a whole generation or two who were used to unwashed Levi's had to start using black jeans with orange tabs for many decades. The last real Levi's I bought in 1976. Now, thanks to the Internet I can get 30 oz. japanese jeans if I so wish (not Levi's of course). You didn't address the problem with washed denim. My problem now is where to find genuine bleeding denim. I still remember how they look and I have a chinese Trucker III that's perfect. My indonesian 505s are the grey boring non.color. Oh, in the very early 70s I had a bright red thick striped corduroy Trucker III and a friend had a light blue thin striped corduroy Trucker III. Both of these corduroy jackets were probably bought in the 60s.

[@Jeremya74]

Confusing

[@GlennWhitelake]

l been wearing Levi's for 70 years l have jeans in my room 70 years old. Never the less you know a little loll..CHINA ...bought out Levi's machine all use for the last 100 years son.They make re poles yo cant even tell the different. all new jeans have single stitching in pockets ///there are so many jeans being sold that are not made by levies coming from machines out CHINA and INDONESIANS bought in 1989 and are mass production of jeans in the USA with no Levis proof lot numbers being made by Levis. on machine sold when moving to MEXICO being made in CHINA...tags some times read made in China and some read made in USA, THANK YOU YOUNG MAM ,,you get thumb down.

[@LootFam]

Haha

[@gerardoresendiz6731]

the other day I was washing my clothes n I discovered a pair of 505 live stranger things edition