We need help with a jacket we found!

[tuckmom]

We found this jacket in an old trunk. The trunk was lined with 1949 newspaper, but we have no idea as to the year of the jacket. It has a tag that says "Northeastern Flying Togs Genuine Horsehide Beck" . It was in the trunk with what appears to be old bikers pants, skull caps and back support belts. This leads us to believe that the jacket is a motorcycle jacket. We would like to know what year the coat may be from, and whether it may be worth selling. Sorry for extra copies. Thank you.

 

[Steve27752]

Hi,
Welcome to VLJ. I am sure that someone will be able to help you, in the meantime why not post a bit about yourself here.
http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/forums/member-bios.21/

 

[Roughwear]

Welcome to the forum. The jacket was actually made by Northeaster Flying Togs. It is an exceptionally well preserved original jacket from the late 1940s. This design of Talon zips date to the mid 1940s.
Northeaster Flying Togs were made in Everett, Mass. Northeaster Flying Togs were made in good quantities and of exceptional leather and workmanship.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Beck was a motorcycle clothing and parts supplier from NYC, dating from 1920s to 1970s.
Schott claim to have made their jackets but I'd say that's their usual "post truth" bullsh*t........pardon my Eurospeak :>)
Over the years, especially at The Thrift Shop, many Beck / Northeaster jackets passed through our hands,. but never one marked Schott or even resembling Schott, whose little nuances that are fairly easy to spot if one is aware what to look for.
Great find

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

..........should have added, Northeaster Flying Togs were contracters and often included the name of the customer/store on their own basic label. I can't recall any other names/brands right now but I found this one on google images

http://www.kingsroadvintage.co.uk/e...-spf-lambs-skin-flight-biker-jacket-krv6000--[2]-1551-p.jpg

I'd say I've handled maybe half a dozen dual labelled with the name of other companies although it would appear that the vast majority were made for Beck

Aero have done the same over the years with the likes of Paul Smith, Dr Martens, etc and a few I regret on reflection!!

 

[asiamiles]

Good find! Appears to a women's jacket, judging by the zip.

 

[Steve27752]

I told you someone would come along;-)

 

[Bluebottle]

I can recommend this tumblr feed if you are interested in vintage American bike gear.

http://harleydavidsonfactoryphotos.tumblr.com/

 

[PADDY_M]

Fine looking jacket!

 

[dmar836]

It does look small on a standard sized couch. If a 42-46 men's it would be snapped up but then again a lot of women are riding nowadays. Of course my observation is that most prefer an overpriced HD-labeled import jacket to match their new image.

 

[tuckmom]

It looks like something got dribbled on the inside. Does that affect the value? If so, should I try and get it cleaned? This jacket was also found with a couple of pairs of cloth riding pants, skull caps and leather back support belts. We are looking to sell the items. If If I need advice on pricing, does anyone have an idea where to start? Or, if you guys can help, I can put pictures on of the other items. Thanks.

 

[dmar836]

It's not uncommon for one to join this forum simply for valuation of an item. Ebay is your best bet IMO. That will let the market decide what it's worth. Prices of moto stuff is all over the place - more so than military jackets which tends to be the focus here. Understand that often military jackets bring larger amounts due to their famous owners or having belonged to an owner in a famous squadron. Rarely so with moto jackets. Rarity of a certain military jacket variant, as well as condition, plays a role and would in the civilian market as well. I have several Schott and Brooks riding jackets and some books I'll have to look at for this jacket but frankly the very small size and no particular provenance gives it minimal appeal to a guy like me and I presume most collectors. My wife would wear it only if I nagged her. She just donated to Salvation Army a cafe jacket I bought her. I would be unlikely to bid $50 but that's just me.
Certain brands of riding jackets have a cult following and any collector knows the Beck name but this is a small size and a women's cut. That greatly decreases potential IMO. What it's worth is what one is willing to spend. Ebay, as much as I hate it, is the best place for that IMO. If not. Maybe a local consignment shop? The Japanese market is also hotter for smaller sizes and they love vintage Americana. Just depends how much an extra buck is worth to you.
Sorry for the long post but an evaluation appears to be what you are after. I'll check the books I have.
JMO,
Dave
P.S. I would NOT have it cleaned. That will turn even more knowledgeable people off of a vintage item.

 

[Roughwear]

Joining the forum for a free valuation is frowned upon. Put it on Ebay and let the market decide.

 

[tuckmom]

I didn't mean to offend anybody. I just thought that this was a forum of knowledgeable people that know more about this type of stuff than we do. I have appreciated those that have responded with some wonderful info. Having never done this before, I am sorry if this over steps the etiquette Vintage Leather Jacket Forum requires. I will not seek assistance in the future. Sorry.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

................and here was me thinking VLJ would be glad to have more (posting) members :>)

 

[Roughwear]

Yes of course Ken. Please encourage your friends to join and post. Sadly people simply join seeking information about their jacket and a valuation from members prior to selling it. They do not contribute any thing further to VLJ.

 

[one terrific hog]

I agree with Ken. Even if folks are using VLJ for research and I think they should, how often do any of us get a chance to see a choice vintage jacket like the one she just put up. Especially a women's leather jacket like that one. I don't think it will sell for high dollars but give her the truth about the jacket and move on. Who knows maybe she will even start wearing it! Then we would have another convert!

 

[Roughwear]

The post is interesting for sure and it is such a shame that more members do not post. Should VLJ be allowing people to join to get a free valuation which they can profit by? The issue of people joining simply to advertise a jacket here has aroused heated discussion in the past and most members were against this practice.

 

[one terrific hog]

Well you are correct in that I don't post a lot, however I usually start my day with a check on VLJ and FL. I have to say when I saw that Northeaster I thought it was pretty cool. I would add that when the posts were put up about the Flying Togs brand and its history I picked up a little more info about the company. So over all it has been a pretty good day so far. Not to mention that DHL is bringing in a little something from Scotland today. Thanks Ken for the info and the jacket!

 

[dmar836]

I responded more than I normally would have. I typically would let this type of inquiry die but thought my help would show "tolerance"(I hate that term) of something I found a little inappropriate. This should not be taken personally by the OP. Few forums we belong to allow such a first post. In this digital age that should be obvious.
I'm far from knowledgeable about this jacket but did find some info in Tanaka's books - not THIS jacket but some similar. However, history has shown that any more info would likely have encouraged someone who may not be as detail oriented as many of the members here to assume their item is "close enough" and is therefore of great value. IMO, in the collector world, we all loose when this happens. Look at all the eBay and Etsy items that quote Wikipedia or copy and paste some other vendor's website and suggest rarity based on "similar" items. We've even seen VLJ comments quoted by one-post members seeking similar valuation! The overall result with this "only part of the story" valuation is an abnormally high starting bid or price and an item that never moves. Others see these items and the problem perpetuates. This spreads false values and hurts all of us who collect.
JMO,
Dave