Advice needed for flight jackets

[Tr250]

Since asking for advise on prices for my jackets I've started to have a look on the net to see if I can find anything for sale . I found a site yesterday selling original stuff for massive money 2k-4K for a2 with art work on them survivors sort of speak . Trouble is I can't remember the site but anyway . I do know some original jackets with art work survived . But I did have to laugh to myself . Back in the 80s I new someone who was very good at art and used find original a2 s paint them up age them and move them on . And there out there somewhere. Anyway one time he did get caught out . He found a very rare picture of a jacket and artwork trouble was it was in black and white so had to guess the back ground colour on the chest patch . He guessed a blue if I remember rightly . Anyway put it up for sale as original . Along came a chap who new his onions loved the jacket which was war time but said the patch is fake should be purple background . He obviously had a colour photo from somewhere new his stuff though . I wonder how much fake stuff is out there . Bit like the fine art world . Then I came across the Eastman site classifieds there are second hand jackets advertised as reissues lol (repros) what they used to be known as for 7-8-900 pounds .years ago if it wasn't original war time it was classed as second best . The only reason you bought an Eastman was because it was very difficult to find anything over a size 40 so you had to go Eastman for a big jacket . But I Rember my mates saying yeah he's got a nice jacket but it's repro eastman . How times have changed . And the price is eye watering for a repro . But good look to who ever is selling them we all want as much as we can get at the end of the day . Just my ten penuth.

 

[Brettafett]

There are a couple of sites and auction-sites out there selling original A-2s and other bits at top prices.
Original A-2 jackets with history are still very popular.

But original cloth/ nylon jackets (B-10s/ B-15s) and USN jacket don't usually fetch as much or sell as quick. If one is patient you can pick up an original G-1 in near mint condition for a couple hundred dollars...
M-422as also. If you check in on Ebay for example, as many here do, you can see the same jackets day after day... USN jackets simply dont sell very quickly.
There may be a number of reasons why this is, but original (and high end repro) A-2s seem to fetch more.
Of course there will always be chancers.

And now with the likes of 5* and AVI LTHR coming on the scene, one can pick up a good-as jacket for chips

 

[917_k]

Ultimately, the value of these things comes down to what someone is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept. That’s true of many things, such as works of art or classic cars, but in the old jacket world we don’t have index’s to go on (maybe that’s a job for someone?).

Ebay sold prices can provide a useful guide, but it’s not always accurate. You have prices skewed by sellers selling jackets for obviously below market prices, because they don’t know what they are (I bought an original B-10 earlier in the year for $200). You also have higher sale prices for some things where bidder(s) push each other much higher than would perhaps be the case if they were paying a fixed price for the item. Auctions are the best example of buyers paying whatever they’re willing to pay, where the decision might be driven more by the excitement of it than any rational assessment of value.

When selling something your reach and audience will have a big impact as well. If you’re reaching a massive audience of potential buyers, you’ll probably achieve higher prices because that audience will include more diverse buyers. When I’m selling jackets the audience I’m least interested in are fellow jacket enthusiasts and collectors. I want to be reaching people who are willing to spend top dollar because they don’t know where to find the stuff themselves. They might be clothing designers or people who appreciate unique well made clothing. They might be wealthy business people who like to collect unique and interesting items. You hopefully get the gist.

There’s a group on Facebook which is quite interesting, where people list US military collectibles and potential buyers offer a price, which the seller can accept or reject. It’s not an auction because potential buyers can’t outbid each other, instead the seller has to reject an offer before a new offer can be made.

 

[Micawber]

Ultimately, the value of these things comes down to what someone is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to accept. That’s true of many things, such as works of art or classic cars, but in the old jacket world we don’t have index’s to go on (maybe that’s a job for someone?).

Ebay sold prices can provide a useful guide, but it’s not always accurate. You have prices skewed by sellers selling jackets for obviously below market prices, because they don’t know what they are (I bought an original B-10 earlier in the year for $200). You also have higher sale prices for some things where bidder(s) push each other much higher than would perhaps be the case if they were paying a fixed price for the item. Auctions are the best example of buyers paying whatever they’re willing to pay, where the decision might be driven more by the excitement of it than any rational assessment of value.

When selling something your reach and audience will have a big impact as well. If you’re reaching a massive audience of potential buyers, you’ll probably achieve higher prices because that audience will include more diverse buyers. When I’m selling jackets the audience I’m least interested in are fellow jacket enthusiasts and collectors. I want to be reaching people who are willing to spend top dollar because they don’t know where to find the stuff themselves. They might be clothing designers or people who appreciate unique well made clothing. They might be wealthy business people who like to collect unique and interesting items. You hopefully get the gist.

There’s a group on Facebook which is quite interesting, where people list US military collectibles and potential buyers offer a price, which the seller can accept or reject. It’s not an auction because potential buyers can’t outbid each other, instead the seller has to reject an offer before a new offer can be made.

That's Carl's domain...

 

[Micawber]

Since asking for advise on prices for my jackets I've started to have a look on the net to see if I can find anything for sale . I found a site yesterday selling original stuff for massive money 2k-4K for a2 with art work on them survivors sort of speak . Trouble is I can't remember the site but anyway . I do know some original jackets with art work survived . But I did have to laugh to myself . Back in the 80s I new someone who was very good at art and used find original a2 s paint them up age them and move them on . And there out there somewhere. Anyway one time he did get caught out . He found a very rare picture of a jacket and artwork trouble was it was in black and white so had to guess the back ground colour on the chest patch . He guessed a blue if I remember rightly . Anyway put it up for sale as original . Along came a chap who new his onions loved the jacket which was war time but said the patch is fake should be purple background . He obviously had a colour photo from somewhere new his stuff though . I wonder how much fake stuff is out there . Bit like the fine art world . Then I came across the Eastman site classifieds there are second hand jackets advertised as reissues lol (repros) what they used to be known as for 7-8-900 pounds .years ago if it wasn't original war time it was classed as second best . The only reason you bought an Eastman was because it was very difficult to find anything over a size 40 so you had to go Eastman for a big jacket . But I Rember my mates saying yeah he's got a nice jacket but it's repro eastman . How times have changed . And the price is eye watering for a repro . But good look to who ever is selling them we all want as much as we can get at the end of the day . Just my ten penuth.

You are obviously have the same memories as me but time passes, the internet happened, loads more people are interested and interconnected, original stuff in large sizes are even rarer, prices rise and things move on.

Eastman's prices are the subject of much debate on here - take a look - but you will doubtless remember how much new Sefton repro A2's were back in the day.

The market will determine current prices, the bigger the audience the better but beware as there are a lot of vultures about. Take a look at completed auctions on eBay. Make sure you go back and take note of the high priced stuff that doesn't sell.

You need to determine what these jackets are worth to you personally and then stick up some prices then everyone will know where they stand and you won't potentially be inundated with personal messages - if you can receive them yet.

 

[Dany McDonald]

You need to determine what these jackets are worth to you personally and then stick up some prices then everyone will know where they stand and you won't potentially be inundated with personal messages - if you can receive them yet.

I'd say that's the sharpest advice!

Tr250, you seem to know your stuff and are a bit aware of the market flux. Fix a floor price, stick around and post your kits. I am eyeing your B-15 and waiting for your thread...

Dany