Vintage Dickies went from job-site uniform to global streetwear staple without changing the product – which is exactly why the old stuff matters. The 874 work pant has been made to the same recipe since 1967, skate and workwear culture adopted it decades ago, and USA-made vintage pairs now sell for several times what the modern imports cost. Here is how to spot the valuable ones on a thrift rack, get the fit right, and flip the rest.
Why Dickies is a thrift staple
Dickies made work clothes in enormous volumes for decades, so thrift supply is constant and cheap. Meanwhile demand comes from three directions at once: skaters (who never left), the workwear/streetwear wave that also drives Carhartt, and vintage collectors chasing USA-made pieces from the Williamson-Dickie era. Durable poly-cotton twill means even 30-year-old pairs are fully wearable.
Know the pieces
| Piece | What it is |
|---|---|
| 874 work pant | The icon since 1967 – flat front, straight leg, permanent crease |
| Double-knee work pant | Reinforced knees, skate favourite |
| Eisenhower jacket | Cropped zip work jacket, big vintage demand |
| Coveralls & overalls | Workwear one-pieces, strong with vintage buyers |
Spotting valuable vintage Dickies
Made in USA
The main fork in the road: Dickies moved production to Mexico and Asia through the 1990s. A “Made in USA” tag – often alongside the full “Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co.” company name – marks a genuinely vintage pair and doubles-to-triples the price.
Label eras
Older labels show the horseshoe logo with more ornate text and fabric details; modern tags are minimal. A Scovill or Gripper zipper, thicker twill hand, and single-needle details all skew older. Deadstock with paper tags is the jackpot – old work stores still surrender unsold stock to thrifts.
Colours that sell
Original khaki and black move fastest; browns, olives and greys do well; unusual vintage colours find collectors. The permanent-crease front should still be visible on good pairs.
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Fit: how Dickies should sit
The 874 is a straight, slightly loose cut with a mid rise that sits naturally at the waist – skate culture wears them a size up, cuffed or stacked over shoes. As with all vintage workwear, measure the actual waist and inseam; work pants were often hemmed by their owners, and tag sizes drift. The twill barely stretches, so do not gamble on a tight waist.
What are vintage Dickies worth?
| Type | Typical resale |
|---|---|
| USA-made vintage 874s / double-knees | $50 to $120 |
| Vintage Eisenhower jackets, coveralls (USA) | $60 to $150 |
| Deadstock vintage with tags | $80 to $200 |
| Modern used 874s, good shape | $20 to $40 |
Work stains and repairs are more acceptable on Dickies than almost any other resale garment – honest wear is part of the look – but disclose everything.
Styling and care
Dickies + plain tee + band tee + sneakers is the eternal skate uniform; swap in a Carhartt jacket for full workwear. Wash cold to preserve the colour (hot washes fade the twill fast – though some buyers chase that faded look), and skip the iron: the 874’s crease is heat-set at the factory and survives normal washing.
Selling Dickies
Photograph the inner tag (USA-made is your headline), the horseshoe logo, the crease and any wear. Title with model, era and size (“Vintage USA-made Dickies 874, 34×30”). List free on WishThrift and keep 100% of the sale – and see how to sell used clothes online for the full playbook.
Where to find vintage Dickies
Workwear surfaces where work happens: thrift stores in industrial towns, rural charity shops, and stores near military bases and factories are consistently the best Dickies sources. Check the work-clothes rack AND ordinary trousers – stores split them unpredictably – and ask about back-room stock, because durable workwear gets donated in volume and rotated slowly. Estate sales and farm auctions produce the deadstock: unworn 70s-90s work pants still in packets. Online, search “Dickies 874” plus “made in USA”, and scan bundle listings from workwear clear-outs – sellers move ten pairs at once for less than two vintage pairs are worth. Skate-shop notice boards and swap groups also move used Dickies at friendly prices.
Mistakes to avoid
Not flipping the tag – the USA/import check takes two seconds and is the whole price difference; never list or buy without it. Ironing out the crease – the 874’s heat-set centre crease is part of the garment; killing it with careless pressing lowers the value. Hot-washing dark pairs – the twill fades fast in hot water, and while some buyers like fade, un-asked-for fade is just damage. Overpaying for modern pairs – used import-era 874s are $20-40 items no matter how clean; the premium is in the tag, not the condition. And hiding work stains – photograph honest wear openly; workwear buyers accept it, but only when disclosed.
When to buy and when to sell
Dickies demand is steadier than most vintage – skate and workwear buyers shop year-round – but there are still edges to play. Supply spikes with spring clear-outs and workplace turnover (January and June), which is when bundles and deadstock surface cheapest. Back-to-school season lifts prices on clean 874s in common sizes, and autumn lifts jackets and coveralls with the rest of outerwear. USA-made vintage ignores seasonality entirely: list it when you find it, priced to the tag, and it will find its collector. The volume play is buying multi-pair workwear lots in the quiet months, checking every tag for the USA fork, and drip-listing pairs individually – the spread between a $60 bundle and five separate $30-90 listings is the whole margin.
Got workwear you no longer need sitting in your closet? List it free on WishThrift and keep 100% of the sale – no listing fees, no commission, buyers worldwide.
The other half of the vintage-label economy is tailoring: while workwear brands get the hype, career-wear names like Evan-Picone deliver union-era quality at generic-blazer prices — our Evan-Picone vintage guide covers the secretary-aesthetic revival driving it.
FAQ
How do I know if Dickies are vintage?
Check the inner tag: ‘Made in USA’ and the full ‘Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co.’ name mark genuinely vintage pairs (production moved abroad through the 1990s). Older horseshoe-logo labels, Scovill/Gripper zippers and thicker twill also indicate age.
What are vintage USA-made Dickies worth?
USA-made vintage 874s and double-knees typically sell for $50-120, Eisenhower jackets and coveralls $60-150, and deadstock with paper tags $80-200. Modern used 874s in good shape bring $20-40.
How should Dickies 874s fit?
Straight and slightly loose with a mid rise at the natural waist – skaters typically size up and cuff or stack them. Measure the real waist and inseam because work pants were often re-hemmed and the twill has no stretch.
Do stains and repairs ruin the value of vintage Dickies?
Less than on almost any other garment – honest work wear and period repairs are part of the workwear look. Disclose every flaw with photos, price accordingly, and clean presentable pairs still sell quickly.
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Maya Chen is Senior Editor at WishThrift, where she writes about the global secondhand market, sustainable shopping, and the resale economy. Her work focuses on practical buyer guides — designer authentication, online thrift tactics, used-book hunting, and what to look for on every listing before you pay. She edits the WishThrift seller knowledge base and reviews every guide published on the site.