Jackets

[JulietArnie]

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could please educate me on the Oakley jackets.

I had a look through the O-Review, but there are so many variations that it was a bit hard to make sense of. Could someone give me a brief summary of what the Jacket line is all about, which models are considered the most prestigious or collectible, and what to look out for?

I also saw a Jacket for sale with flames on it and was curious whether the flame design was a limited edition or special release, and whether it makes the pair more valuable.

Any other knowledge, insights, or buying advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[MicahS]

So, this is a complicated question. The first thing we need to do is clarify a few things.

a) What your asking for will differ from person to person. Prestige will be based on what that particular collector resonates with and will probably be more related to what they remember from their youth. These people are now old men.

b) "Jacket" is a fairly nebulous term. O-Review did create a language on how most of us refer to some of the models and sku's but in the end, its still a fan sight. Dann was categorizing things as best he could and you can tell "Jackets" were classified by two features. First, heavy wrap, tight fitting frames that were almost organic in nature. And second, nearly anything that has "Jacket" in the name. So either one or the other, or both.

c) Some of those models dont truly fit the "jacket" design language as far as I'm concerned. IMO the "Jacket" era stretches from Mid to late 1990's to the Early to mid 2000's. The models I would consider to exist within that space are as follows. Eye Jackets, Originals, NEJ, 2.0 and 3's (kind of borderline). Original Half Jacket (still borderline). Minutes, all versions (borderline on 2.0's). Moons. Plates. Racing Jackets, all original versions including Water Jackets. Scars. Splice. Straight Jackets, all types (borderline on SJ2's). Topcoats. Trenchcoat's. Valves.

So now to talk about model collectability.
EJ and NEJ - IMO, fanboy pairs now. Everyone wants them, nearly all on the market are fake. Everyone's seen the Jordan poster. Nearly all the originals (EJ's) are broken or will be broken by an idiot. Lots of cool colorways that are impossible to get.

Minutes Gen 1's and Gen 2's (not 2.0's) - Poor mans eye jackets. Meant for tiny heads. Most fanboy collectors haven't figured out the vast array of cool colorways yet so they are still reasonable to collect. You never reach the end because there are a million colorways. All kinds of fakes. Probably good for the low key collector who has good taste.

Moon - Only real collectors understand the aura. These will break by breathing on them too hard. Cost is super high due to pre 99' o-matter self destructing. Mars cosplay. For the love of Jupiter don't wear them.

Plate - The last true "Jacket". Again, nearly all available on the market are fake. Great for Cosplaying Kerry King. Expensive as hell. Slowly becoming the most requested O matter pair in the LTB threads with no responses. collecting these is not for the faint of heart.

Racing jacket, gen 1, gen 2, pro water jacket, yada yada - Probably holds the record for the most nearly identical variants. Every one of these is lopsided. Will stay on your head through a hurricane. Can be found for decent prices because they are everywhere. Almost no fakes, but when they do they are hilariously found with hinged temples.

Scar - Underrated style. Collected by true connoisseurs of early 2000's Oakley. Still reasonably priced due to the outlandish look keeping fanboys away. Can be used as a self defense weapon. Some of the cooler colorways of this era.

Splice - A fallen king. Used to be highly sought after, now found kind of meh by the fickle masses. Will likely have no FMJ left. Fakes so good you'll need to phone a friend for an authenticity check. Irreplaceable ear socks and nose bombs. Most are reasonably priced but some models are unicorns.

Topcoat - Universally disliked. Look like someone out of a bad sci-fi movie while wearing them. Kinda rare, but no one cares. FMJ pairs, unsurprisingly, prone to peal and discolor. Normally overpriced because people believe scarcity=value.

Original SJ - Really only collected by old men. Paint quality so bad you'd thing they are fake. First model private labeled for another company (torch wear). Colorways that will randomly disintegrate in your hands. Seude covered frame model for those really tender individuals.

NSJ - Fanboy model 2.0. Everyone's heard of them. Everyone has them. Fakes everywhere. Tons of cool colorways but fanboy demand has raised the prices. Everyone seems to love flames.

Trenchcoat - A forgotten gem. Casuals don't know they exist. EJ/NEJ's fat sister. You can look like a bug while wearing them, but that will break them. Will also randomly break without touching them. First ever "camo" paint scheme on a frame from Oakley.

Valve - The Scar's less wild sister. Small face friendly. Can be worn in public but you might as well wear a nametag that says "Hi, I'm Gen X". Going up in value because of us old dudes. Finding replacement nose pads is like finding a gold nugget.