23-year-old buys Levi’s jeans from 1880s for $76,000

At a recent auction held in New Mexico, a pair of Levi’s jeans, which is from 1880s, was sold for $76,000.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, 23-year-old vintage clothing dealer Kyle Haupert placed the winning bid. The jeans was excavated from an abandoned mineshaft in the American West.

In fact, the jeans was sold for $87,400—Haupert paid 90 per cent of the winning bid, while the remaining 10 per cent was paid by another person, Zip Stevenson, who runs a vintage market.

The pants legs of the jeans has wax marks from the candles which were used by miners. According to Haupert, the cloth patch along the beltline, suspender buttons, and a buckleback adjuster prove that the jeans is from the 1880s.

A Levi’s spokesperson said the tagline "The only kind made by white labor” that was found on the jeans dates back to 1882.

Haupert said he also trusts Stevenson's expertise as he has "seen everything under the sun. I trust him to confirm that they are an authentic pair from the 1880s.”

Haupert expects Stevenson to find a buyer for the jeans eventually. He finds it a reasonable investment because of its rarity.

The purchase also reportedly increased his social media engagement as Haupert gained thousands of followers after he purchased the vintage jeans.