501 LEXICON

THE PEOPLE WHO BUY AND SELL USED LEVI'S HAVE DEVELOPED A LANGUAGE OF THEIR OWN FOR IDENTIFYING USED 501S. IT IS A LANGUAGE THAT IS DISTINCT FROM EVEN THAT OF LEVI STRAUSS & CO., WHICH MAINLY MONITORS THE USED MARKET FOR COUNTERFEITS. HERE ARE SOME KEY 501 PHRASES:

ARE JEANS MADE PRIOR TO 1986. THE EDGE OF THE CLOTH IS WHITE WITH A FAINT RED LINE THAT RUNS THROUGH ITS MIDDLE. THE ACTUAL RED LINE CAN BE SEEN RUNNING UP THE INSEAM. THE INSEAM IN POST 1986 501S IS BLUE. LEVI STRAUSS & CO. REFERS TO RED LINES AS RED-SELVAGE. IN MOST PLACES IN THE WORLD, A PAIR OF RED LINES CAN BE WORTH AS MUCH AS $200.

ARE 501S USUALLY BIG E'S, THAT ARE MADE WITH AN OLDER FABRIC THAT KEEPS A GRAINY, DARK BLUE COLOR EVEN AFTER IT FADES. LEVI STRAUSS DOWNPLAYS THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A 501 DISTINCTION, BUT DEALERS SAY THAT JAPANESE JEANS-BUYERS PREFER INDIGO JEANS. OTHER TERMS THAT DEFINE 501S INCLUDE BACK BUCKLE (PROPERLY CALLED CINCH WAISTS) AND CROTCH RIVETS.

ARE 501S THAT WERE MADE PRIOR TO 1971, AND HAVE A CAPITAL E IN THE WORD LEVI'S PRINTED ON THE RED POCKET TAB, WHICH WAS FIRST PUT ON 501'S IN 1936. THE COMPANY BEGAN USING A LOWERCASE E TO MARK A CHANGE IN PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE THAT FEW USED-JEANS DEALERS CAN DESCRIBE. LEVI STRAUSS OFFICIALS REFER TO BIG E'S AS CAPITAL E'S. IN JAPAN THE PRICE OF A PAIR OF BIG E IN GOOD CONDITION CAN START AT $400.

ARE ALSO GRADED BY OVERALL CONDITION AND THE QUALITY OF THE FADE. A PAIR OF GRADE A USED 501S (SOMETIMES CALLED GRADE #1 501S) HAS NO STAINS OR HOLES OR SIGNS OF WEAR OTHER THAN AN OVERALL FADE. A GRADE B PAIR MAY HAVE A SMALL STAIN OR TEAR. DEALERS OFTEN TALK ABOUT RAISING GRADES, AS IN THE STATEMENT "WITH A LITTLE WORK WE CAN MAKE THAT B INTO AN A."

NONE OF THESE 501 TERMS IS STEADFAST; SOME OF THE DEALERS AREN'T CERTAIN OF THEM THEMSELVES. NOW THAT CUSTOMS OFFICIALS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE BECOME INTERESTED IN USED-JEANS SHIPMENTS, THERE IS A GREATER INTEREST IN DEFINITION, BUT EVEN GOVERNMENTS ARE CONFUSED. A USED-LEVI'S DEALER I KNOW IN ROME RECENTLY HAD TO EXPLAIN RED LINES TO CUSTOMS OFFICIALS, WHO HAD RAIDED HIS STORE FOR CONTERFEITS (UNSUCCESSFULLY). I ALSO KNOW OF AT LEAST ONE LEVI'S OFFICIAL WHO TESTS USED-LEVI'S DEALERS' HISTORICAL 501 KNOWLEDGE ALMOST FOR SPORT. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE THREE DOZEN OR SO CORE USED-JEANS DEALERS IN THE COUNTRY TELEPHONE THE LEVI STRAUSS HISTORIAN SO FREQUENTLY WITH QUESTIONS THAT THEY ARE SAID TO BE DRIVING HER NUTS.-R.S.

REFERS TO THE 501S PRODUCED AFTER 1937, THE YEAR WHEN THE RIVETS THAT HAD FORMERLY BEEN ON THE BACK POCKETS OF LEVI'S WERE HIDDEN ON THE INSIDE OF THE POCKET. THIS WAS DONE FOR THE SAKE OF TEACHERS WHO COMPLAINED THAT THE RIVETS ON THE BACK POCKETS OF CHILDREN'S LEVI'S WERE SCRATCHING UP SCHOOL CHAIRS. LEVI STRAUSS & CO. ORIGINALLY REFERRED TO THESE RIVETS AS "CONCEALED COPPER RIVETS." BY THE SIXTIES, DOUBLE STICHING HAD REPLACED THE HIDDEN RIVETS. TODAY, A PAIR OF HIDDEN RIVETS IN GOOD CONDITION COULD SELL FOR $2000 IN TOKYO.

MR BIG E . COM