GUEST: This is a denim jacket that was owned by my dad when he was a kid.

He was born in 1936, so it likely would've been his parents that would've gotten it for him.

He was probably seven or eight-ish, and, uh, I think it just got put in a closet.

I know my grandmother held onto it for a long time, and then my mom had it for a number of years, and, uh, I've had it for a few years since then.

APPRAISER: So this is what we call a Type 1 Levi's denim jacket.

And the years that you were giving seem about in line with what I was thinking, which is likely late '30s, early '40s.

And there's a couple things which indicate that for me.

So, firstly... this cinch on the back right here is in silver.

APPRAISER: In silver means that it wasn't during World War II... APPRAISER: ...when they started making these more of a kind of a bronze color.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: As well as during World War II, they eliminated the pocket flap.

GUEST: Mm.

APPRAISER: So just kind of rationing as much as they could.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: The buttons would've also been different if it was a World War II version.

They changed the buttons to be kind of donut buttons that you would've seen on military uniforms.

Another thing which helps me pinpoint the date is the Levi's tab here, the red tab, which is very iconic.

The fact that it only has Levi's written on one side.

Also, it's Levi's with a capital E here, which people in denim and vintage world refer to as a big E tag.

GUEST: Mm.

APPRAISER: So all sources indicate that it is late '30s, early '40s.

So Levi's originally was making what they call the 506XX blouse, and that was kind of the first shirt jacket that they were making.

APPRAISER: The next iteration, the Type 2s, which were introduced in 1953, have two pockets, but the same silhouette overall.

Kind of boxy and cropped.

APPRAISER: And then afterwards, in 1962, they introduced the Type 3 jacket, which is kind of the modern trucker denim jacket that we see today... GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: ...with the two pockets, has the slanted seams running down, and also it's a little bit longer length.

There are a couple features of the Type 1 as well.

You can see these pleats here, which are actually stitched shut.

That allowed for some size adjustability... GUEST: Oh, okay APPRAISER: ....as did the cinch on the back.

There's a couple of really strong points about this jacket.

Firstly, both here and in Japan especially, Levi's is the pinnacle for people who collect denim... GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: ...as they more or less invented riveted denim clothing.

It's not necessarily the rarest, but it's the most collectible brand, other than the kind of 1905 506 blouses and ones from that era, these early Type 1s are kind of the most sought-after kinds of jackets.

It's also a great color.

It still has this deep indigo wash.

There's a little bit of fading at points you'd expect, like on the elbows and around the collar.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But overall, this is a strong kind of dark wash color.

The last thing I'd say is very strong about it is the fact that the pleats haven't been cut here.

The downside is, it's a smaller size.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: These days, there's fewer people that can wear what might've been a normal medium or large or something in the 1940s.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: So, taking everything into consideration here, I would think at an auction, an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000 would be about right.

GUEST: Wow, that's awesome.

That's really cool.

I think my dad would be proud to know that, and I know my family would be proud to know that.

We'll certainly take care of it.