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Green For Jeans

Is any of that junk in your attic worth some money? How do you sort the trash from the treasure? CBS News Saturday Morning continues its series with collectibles expert Tony Hyman.



"One of those places to look for valuables is right in your own clothes closet," says collectibles expert Tony Hyman.

Vintage Levi's, Lees and Wrangler jean pants and jackets can put extra bucks in your pocket.

If you have an old pair of Levi's jeans, Hyman says you should look for a red tag with a capital "E" on it. A single pair of these pants could be worth $100 to a collector. Three years ago, one buyer paid $300 for a "belt-in-the-back" 1950s jean jacket. He would have paid $1,500 if it had been in new condition.

However, Hyman warns that Levi's collectibles are "a good example of things not always going up in value." Their value to collectors dropped 50 percent in the past 18 months after kids in Japan stopped buying them. Hyman notes that's a classic example of "low demand equals low prices."

Whether you call them "vintage" or "classic" or simply "used," you can check your close for old jeans and find many sites on the Internet where they are bought and sold.

And, go to Tony Hyman's Web site for more information on collectibles.

Previous CBS News Saturday Morning segments with collectibles expert Tony Hyman are available in the collectibles archive.



If you think you have a collectible worth a lot of cash, send an email to: sat@cbsnews.com. Put "What's it Worth?" in the subject line, or write to: "What's it Worth?" CBS News Saturday Morning, 514 West 57th Street, 6th floor, New York, New York 10019.

Please note that because of the volume of mail received, Saturday Morning can't respond to all requests, but some will be selected and featured on the show in the near future.

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