Most vintage leather jackets sell for about $40-150 as of October 2026. The brand and the label era decide the rest: a 1980s or 1990s Schott Perfecto typically brings roughly $200-600, older Schott and US-made Langlitz or Vanson jackets can bring more, and an original WWII Army Air Forces A-2 flight jacket with its contract label sells in the low thousands, with painted, documented ones far higher.
So the first question is not "is it leather" but "who made it, and when." The label inside the collar, the zipper and a few construction details answer both, usually in a few minutes with the jacket on a table.
Quick answer
- Unbranded and mall-brand leather jackets from the 1980s and 1990s usually sell for about $40-150.
- Schott Perfecto 618 and 118 jackets from the 1980s and 1990s sell for roughly $200-600, depending on size and wear.
- Earlier Schott jackets, the 613 One Star, and US-made Langlitz and Vanson jackets can bring more; sales are thin, so check each one.
- An original WWII A-2 has a neck label reading Type A-2 with drawing number 30-1415 and a contract number. Painted examples have sold or been appraised at about $2,000-3,000, and documented, named jackets can bring far more.
- Size matters: large sizes in classic cuts sell faster and higher than small ones.
How do you identify and value a vintage leather jacket, step by step?
Read the labels first, then confirm the age with the hardware and construction. Most of the value is decided by the time you finish step four.
- Read the main label. Look inside the collar or on the inside front panel for the maker's name. Write down every word, including city names, model numbers and any union or trademark marks.
- Look for a model number. Schott model numbers such as 613, 618 and 118 often appear on a pocket ticket or the care label in newer jackets. On military jackets, the neck label names the type, such as Type A-2, and gives a drawing and contract number.
- Check the care label and RN number. The FTC care labeling rule took effect in 1972, so a jacket with no care label and no sign that one was cut out is usually earlier. An RN number gives the earliest date the company registered; our guide to dating vintage clothing by tags has the full RN table.
- Read the zipper. Talon, Conmar and Crown are mid-century American zipper brands found on older jackets. YKK shows up on US garments from the 1970s and is everywhere by the 1990s. A replaced zipper should be disclosed; it lowers collector value but not wearability.
- Identify the leather. Horsehide is stiff, dense and develops a distinctive shine and rolling creases; steerhide and cowhide are heavier and more even; goatskin has a visible pebbled grain and is common on Navy and later Air Force jackets; lambskin is thin and soft and is typical of fashion jackets. Collectors pay most for horsehide and steerhide in good shape.
- Check the cut and details. Asymmetric zipper, snap-down lapels, belt and epaulets mean a motorcycle jacket, such as a Perfecto. A shirt-style collar with hidden snaps at the points, two flapped patch pockets, shoulder straps and knit cuffs and waist mean an A-2 pattern. A fur or mouton collar on a goatskin jacket points to the Navy's M-422A or its postwar successor, the G-1.
- Measure it. Note the chest from armpit to armpit, the sleeve and the back length. Labeled sizes on vintage jackets often run small compared with modern ones, and buyers search by measurement.
- Grade the condition. Check for cracking at the elbows and shoulders, dry leather, torn lining, broken zippers and odors. Lining replacement is common and acceptable if disclosed.
- Price it from sold results for the same maker, model and era in a similar size.
What are vintage leather jackets worth as of October 2026?
Most sell for under $150; named makers and military issue are where the money is. Ranges below are hedged where sales are thin.
| Jacket | How to recognize it | Typical sold price, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Unbranded or mall-brand leather, 1980s-1990s | Generic label, lambskin or thin cowhide, often imported | About $40-150 |
| Harley-Davidson leather jacket | Harley label, often with bar-and-shield hardware | Roughly $100-300; older US-made ones more |
| Golden Bear | San Francisco maker's label; the company dates to 1922 | Roughly $100-300 |
| Schott Perfecto 618 or 118, 1980s-1990s | Black Perfecto label, model number on care tag | Roughly $200-600 |
| Schott, earlier labels, or 613 One Star | Older Schott Bros labels, stars on the epaulets on the 613 | Roughly $500-1,500; sales are thin |
| Langlitz Leathers | Portland, Oregon label, heavy cowhide, custom built | Roughly $500-1,500; sales are thin |
| Vanson Leathers | Fall River, Massachusetts label, heavy competition leather | Roughly $300-800; sales are thin |
| WWII Navy M-422A or postwar G-1 | Goatskin, fur collar, Navy contract label | Varies widely; issued examples with clear labels bring a few hundred dollars or more |
| WWII A-2, plain, with contract label | Type A-2 neck label, drawing 30-1415 | Low thousands at militaria dealers and auctions |
| WWII A-2, painted | Hand-painted squadron insignia, bomb tallies or nose art on the back | About $2,000-3,000 recorded; documented combat history much higher |
Real numbers behind the A-2 row: RR Auction sold a painted A-2 with a Perry Sportswear neck label and hand-painted insignia for $3,037 in April 2017. On Antiques Roadshow in 2018, an appraiser valued a painted A-2 made by the Dubow company under its fourth and final contract at $2,000-2,500 retail. Named jackets with documented combat history and strong paint sell well above that, but each is priced on its own records.
How do you date a Schott Perfecto?
By the label, the zipper and the care tag together; no one detail gives an exact year. Schott was founded in New York in 1913 as Schott Bros. by Irving and Jack Schott. Irving Schott designed the first Perfecto motorcycle jacket in 1928, naming it after his favorite cigar. The 613, nicknamed the One Star for the metal stars on its epaulets, came in the late 1940s, and the 618, without stars, in the early 1950s; Marlon Brando wore a 618 in The Wild One in 1953.
Collectors generally place jackets this way, with overlap at each change:
| Clue | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Older embroidered labels with a steer head and Schott Bros wording | 1950s to 1970s; check against documented examples |
| Talon or other older US zipper brands | 1970s or earlier |
| Black label with a diagonal yellow Perfecto script | Standard from the mid to late 1980s on |
| YKK zippers | Common from the 1980s |
| White care label with a barcode, model number and leather type | 1990s onward |
Current Schott information describes the 618 as steerhide and the 118 as naked cowhide; older jackets with similar numbers can differ, so describe what you have rather than assuming current specifications.
What makes an A-2 genuine WWII issue?
The neck label, the materials and the construction. The Army Air Corps adopted the A-2 on 9 May 1931 under specification 94-3040, drawing 30-1415. Early jackets were horsehide; cowhide was approved in July 1940 and goatskin in March 1941. Contractors included Rough Wear, J.A. Dubow, David D. Doniger, Werber, Goldsmith and Perry Sportswear, among others, and collectors group jackets by contract. The A-2 was made limited standard in 1943 when the AN-J-3 replaced it.
Reproductions are everywhere and many are excellent. The Air Force brought the A-2 back in 1987, and Cooper Sportswear delivered goatskin jackets from 1988 under a modern contract; Avirex and others also made reissues and civilian copies. These are good jackets, but they sell as used jackets, not as WWII pieces. A modern zipper, a polyester lining, a label without a contract number, or a "Made in" country on a jacket labeled as WWII are signs of a reproduction or a reissue.
A worked example
Say you find a black motorcycle jacket in a parent's closet. The collar label reads Schott Perfecto in yellow script on black, the care tag lists a model 618 and steerhide, and the zippers are YKK. It is a size 42 with supple leather, some scuffs at the cuffs and an intact lining. That points to a 1980s or 1990s 618. A realistic sale is roughly $250-450. If the label were an older Schott Bros design with a Talon zipper and the jacket a 44 in strong condition, it would be worth taking to sold records for early Schott, where prices start higher.
How to sell a vintage leather jacket
Every leather jacket is its own listing; the question is where. A mall-brand or unbranded 1980s or 1990s jacket is a $40-150 item that sells on a general marketplace or locally, priced from sold results in the same size. A Schott Perfecto 618 or 118, a Harley-Davidson, a Golden Bear, a Vanson or a Langlitz is listed singly with its label and measurements. An older Schott Bros label or a 613 One Star is worth showing to a specialist vintage clothing dealer who knows the label variations first, since those sales are thin. An A-2 with a Type A-2 neck label and contract number, an M-422A or a G-1, and above all a painted jacket, goes to a militaria dealer or an auction house that holds military and aviation sales; keep any medals or papers from the same person with it.
A jacket buyer wants to read the labels and the tape, so show:
- The collar label and any neck label straight on, every line legible, with the model or contract number.
- The care tag and RN, or the absence of both.
- The zipper pulls, front and back, so the brand reads.
- The leather named as what it is: horsehide, steerhide, cowhide, goatskin or lambskin.
- Chest armpit to armpit, sleeve and back length, with the tag size as a footnote.
- Elbows, cuffs, collar edge, underarms and the lining, plus any replaced zipper or lining.
Do not list a 1988 Cooper, an Avirex or any civilian reproduction as WWII, do not add paint or patches to a period jacket, and do not oil the leather heavily before the photos.
Common mistakes
- Assuming any old leather is valuable. Most 1980s and 1990s leather jackets are worth $40-150.
- Calling a reissue A-2 original. Check the label for drawing 30-1415 and a WWII contract number, and look for period zippers and linings.
- Adding paint or patches. New art on a period jacket destroys its value as an original.
- Over-conditioning the leather. Heavy oil darkens leather and can soften horsehide past what collectors like. A light, appropriate conditioner is enough.
- Leaving out measurements. Buyers pass on vintage jackets listed only by tag size.
- Hiding a replaced zipper or lining. Disclose it; buyers check.
How WorthPic reads leather jacket photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From clear photos it reads the maker's label and any model or contract number, the care tag and RN, the zipper brand, and the cut and details that separate a Perfecto from a café racer, an A-2 from a reproduction, or a Navy G-1 from a fashion bomber. It then gives an honest US dollar value range with a most likely figure, explains whether maker, era or condition drives the price, and says which extra photo would settle it, often the neck label straight on or the zipper pull. What it cannot know from photos is the weight and feel of the leather, odors, or hidden cracking under the arms. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise, and it is not a marketplace.
What to photograph
- The collar label and any neck label, straight on and sharp enough to read every line.
- The care tag and RN number, if present.
- The zipper pulls, front and back, so the brand shows.
- The whole jacket front and back on a hanger in daylight, plus the lining.
- Wear points: elbows, cuffs, collar edge and the underarms.
- Measurements: chest armpit to armpit, sleeve and back length on a tape.
When to get it looked at in person
A mall-brand jacket or a recent Schott does not need an expert; sold listings for the same model are enough. Get an in-person opinion for any WWII A-2, M-422A or G-1 with a period label, and for painted jackets above all. Militaria dealers and auction houses that hold military and aviation sales handle these, and they will check the label, materials and paint against known contracts. For early Schott, Langlitz and other collector motorcycle jackets, specialist vintage clothing dealers know the label variations. If the jacket came with a family member's medals or papers, keep them together and see our guide to military medals; documented provenance is what lifts a painted A-2 far above an undocumented one. For other vintage outerwear, see our vintage denim jacket guide, and for the motorcycle shirts often found with a Harley jacket, the vintage Harley-Davidson shirt guide. The broader market for vintage clothing and sneakers, from labels to condition grades, is covered on our category page.
Sources
- Wikipedia: A-2 jacket: adoption on 9 May 1931 under specification 94-3040 and drawing 30-1415, leather approvals in 1940 and 1941, contractors, the 1943 replacement and the 1987-1988 reissue.
- Wikipedia: Schott NYC: founding in 1913 as Schott Bros., the 1928 Perfecto, the 613 One Star and the 618.
- RR Auction: World War II Type A-2 military jacket: painted A-2 with a Perry Sportswear contract label sold for $3,037 in April 2017.
- PBS Antiques Roadshow: World War II A-2 painted flight jacket: 2018 appraisal of $2,000-2,500 retail for a painted Dubow A-2.
- Langlitz Leathers: custom leather built in Portland, Oregon, since 1947.
- Vanson Leathers: in business since 1974, based in Fall River, Massachusetts.