Levi Strauss Koveralls Advertising Piece, ca. 1925
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GUEST:
My mom passed in 2003, and only maybe a year before that, we were aware that she had th, these Levi's in her closet.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
And she tells the story of how she saw them out in the street being discarded by her uncle, who lived next door...
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
...who was a salesman. So we've always kind of assumed that he may have worn these. I think these are mostly children's coveralls.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
I'm not sure. Yet my mom saw them, I think, as a great costume. She was, loved to perform.
APPRAISER:
Ah.
GUEST:
Full of antics, and she'd be thrilled today to be here with me, this is a lot of fun.
APPRAISER:
Yeah. Well, they are made by Levi Strauss, California company. It is a large adult-sized version...
GUEST:
It is adult-sized!
APPRAISER:
...of a child's romper, so you're correct in that it really would have been for a child. And let me see if I can show you the label, which is back here. It says "Levi Strauss and Company, San Francisco, California." There would have been a lot number here and an age if we were looking at the ones that were actually made for children. It buttons down the back, and then it has the buttons across for the drop seat, like a little child's outfit would have.
GUEST:
That's right.
APPRAISER:
It's styled like a woman's garment, with the square neckline and the shorter sleeves and the one breast pocket. Your jumpsuit, because it's obviously Levi Strauss, is made from denim, blue denim, and then accented with a red trim, in denim, on the waistline, the pocket, the neckline, and on the end of the sleeves and it probably started out as a very dark blue denim and faded as...
GUEST:
And Faded.
APPRAISER:
... like people's jeans tend to do and it's in great condition.
GUEST:
It is in good condition.
APPRAISER:
Yea, which is really nice. It's a piece I've never seen. So it's a really fantastic piece. Very rare. And I would put a retail value on this between $4,500 and $5,500.
GUEST:
That is terrific, that's great, yeah! (laughs)
APPRAISER:
It, it really is a terrific price.
GUEST:
Yeah, that's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
I have a lot of people in my family...
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
...who will thank me for not throwing them away, which I tend to do.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, no, they're terrific.
GUEST:
That's great.
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