19th-century Levi's jeans found in mine shaft sell for more than $87,000

[sl8]

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/19th-century-levis-jeans-intl-scli/index.html

19th-century Levi's jeans found in mine shaft sell for more than $87,000

Written by Christian Edwards, CNN
Published 13th October 2022



Credit: @denimdoctors/@ziphtc

A pair of Levi's jeans from the 1880s has sold at an auction in a small town in New Mexico for more than $87,000.

The jeans -- found in an abandoned mine by a "denim archaeologist" -- were bought by 23-year-old Kyle Hautner and Zip Stevenson, a veteran of the vintage denim market.

"We didn't have any plans to buy the jeans together until the auction started, which is kind of insane looking back on it," Stevenson told CNN.

The jeans were sold for $87,400 -- one of the highest prices ever paid for a pair of denims -- including a 15% buyer's premium. Hautner paid 90%, while Stevenson contributed the remaining 10%.


[...]

[multigraincracker]

1. I can see that price.

Look broke in just right.

[Chainfire]

2. The big question in my mind is why old blue jeans are found in mined often enough

to have people searching for them?

[LiberalArkie]

5. In a lot of the mines they took them off as it was too hot down there.

[Chainfire]

3. I want some of the old Seafarer, button fly, bellbottoms from the 70s.

It is what well dressed sailors wore at the time as part of the work uniform.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. How does a 23 year-old have $75,000 to buy at auction?