• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Levi's jeans from 1800s with original racist slogan sold for £67,500

Home> News

Updated 14:12 14 Oct 2022 GMT+1Published 14:13 14 Oct 2022 GMT+1

Levi's jeans from 1800s with original racist slogan sold for £67,500

Despite the message, the item has been hailed "the holy grail of vintage denim collecting"

Anna Verdon

Anna Verdon

A pair of Levi’s jeans with the brand’s original, racist slogan on the back have been bought for more than £67,500 and are thought to be one of the oldest known pairs.

Although well-worn, the trousers from the 1880s, were described as in good/wearable condition in the listing and are still “good enough to wear to a Starbucks”.

It was 23-year-old Kyle Haupert who won the bid during the Durango Vintage Festivus auction in New Mexico, in the US, on October 1.

The item has been hailed as “the holy grail of vintage denim collecting” and Kyle, who collected vintage clothing, purchased them as an investment piece.

Advert

The jeans were marked with candle wax.
@goldenstatevtg/Instagram

The listing for the antique jeans said that they are “one of the oldest known Levi’s jeans from the mining/Gold rush era”.

It said they are “the holy grail of vintage denim collecting” and had previously been in private collection since their discovery in an abandoned mine shaft.

This was the first time they were up for public sale and “most likely the oldest Levi’s that have ever sold at a live auction”.

In the listing they were described as the "Holy grail of vintage denim collecting".
@goldenstatevtg/Instagram

Advert

While the 38-inch waist and 32-inch long jeans are marked with candle wax, thought to be from gold prospectors hunting in narrow tunnels, they still have their suspender buttons and original racist label on the back.

The label, which details the year they were made, tells of the jeans’ origin, size and place of production. However, inside it also includes the slogan “The only kind made by White Labor”.

The wording was used by the brand during a time of heightened tensions between Chinese immigrants an US citizens. It highlights the discrimination against the migrant workers.

According to the WSJ, the logo was used after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese people working in the US for a decade.

The jeans included the brand's original racist slogan.
@goldenstatevtg/Instagram

Advert

A Levi’s spokesperson told the WSJ that the slogan was used to “improve sales and align with the views of consumers at the time”.

But after a decade it was dropped.

Kyle teamed up with Zip Stevenson – the owner of a vintage store in LA – to buy the jeans.

Zip helped him with the last 10 per cent of the $76,000 bid.

Kyle told the Journal: “I’m still kind of bewildered, just surprised in myself for even purchasing them.”

Advert

The item fetched £67,500 at auction.
@goldenstatevtg/Instagram

While Stevenson, noted their good condition saying: “You could wear them to a Starbucks.”

Kyle shared a picture of the post on his Instagram page and many couldn’t believe the price he’d paid – especially with the marks.

“Idk man price seems a little high with the stains and stuff,” commented one.

And another person raised a very good question: “I just wanna know why he took his pants off in the mine.”

Featured Image Credit: @goldenstatevtg/Instagram

Topics: World News, News, Fashion

Anna Verdon
Anna Verdon

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

11 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 11 hours ago

    Everything we know about Texas floods that have killed at least 121 as Trump arrives at disaster site

    The President and the First Lady have headed to the state one week after the horror floods wreaked havoc

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Scientists make surprising discovery at what lies under Antarctic ice sheet after its been covered in ice for 34 million years

    It could help scientists predict the future of the ice sheet

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Paedophile to be surgically castrated after raping girl, 6, in nation's shock new punishment tactic

    It comes a year after a law was passed in Madagascar permitting the controversial punishment

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Scientists think they've worked out what unknown interstellar object in our solar system is

    It came from outside our own solar system

    News
  • ‘Short king’ pays £36k on surgery to break legs and increase his height from 5ft 7in
  • Why Stephen King book will never be printed again and was pulled from all shelves
  • Woman who sold fake booze that killed six and left 37 fighting for life spoke out following incident
  • Grandmother of 6-year-old girl sold by mum to 'healer' for £800 made heartbreaking comment in court