Wrangler Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Wrangler jeans were launched in 1947 by Blue Bell, a North Carolina workwear maker that had acquired the Wrangler name in 1943. Labels reading "Blue Bell" mark the older, more valuable era, before VF bought the company in 1986.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Wrangler's roots are in the Hudson Overalls Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, founded in 1904 and renamed Blue Bell in 1919 (some sources say 1908). Blue Bell made work clothing and wartime military clothing, and in 1943 bought the Casey Jones Company, acquiring the Wrangler brand name. In 1947 it hired rodeo tailor Ben Lichtenstein ("Rodeo Ben") to develop Wrangler jeans; the name spread to other denim for women and children. VF Corporation bought Blue Bell and Wrangler in 1986.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson Overalls / Blue Bell workwear | 1904 onward | Before the Wrangler line |
| Wrangler name owned by Blue Bell | From 1943 | Earliest possible Blue Bell Wrangler |
| Wrangler jeans by Rodeo Ben | From 1947 | Start of Wrangler jeans |
| "Blue Bell" on the Wrangler label | Older era, mainly 1940s to 1970s in our values guide | The collectable era |
| VF ownership | From 1986 | Later production |
What it helps date
- Compare with Levi's and Lee for the other main American denim timelines.
- Care labels separate pre- and post-1972 production: care labels.
Values
Our vintage denim values guide (California Vintage Buyers) gives 1980s to 1990s Wrangler, including most 13MWZ, $15 to $50; 1960s to 1970s Wrangler with a Blue Bell label $75 to $300; Blue Bell era denim jackets $150 to $600; and 1940s to 1950s Blue Bell Wrangler 11MW jeans $300 to $1,000 worn, $1,000+ deadstock with paper tags. Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for wrangler vintage blue bell jeans on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Wrangler
- Vintage Denim Values: What Old Levi's, Lee and Wrangler Sell ForReal 2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Levi's 501s, Type 1 to Type 3 jackets, Lee and Wrangler, plus the details that move a pair from $40 to $2,500.
- Vintage Workwear Values: Carhartt, Filson, Stifel and More2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Carhartt, Filson, Stifel, Sweet-Orr, Big Mac, Pendleton, Woolrich and WWII Navy denim, and what moves each.
Related
- Lee Labels: History and How to Date ThemLee jeans and workwear history from H.D. Lee in Salina, Kansas: the 1913 Union-All, 1920s cowboy pants and 101Z zip fly, Lee Riders, and 2026 values.
- Levi's Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate vintage Levi's from the red tab, patch, rivets, selvedge and button stamp: the 1936 tab, Big E before 1971, redline to the mid-1980s, and values.
- Dating Vintage Clothing by the Care LabelHow US, Canadian and European care labels date a garment: the 1971 FTC rule, the 1983 rewrite, 1997 symbols, and the clues that fool people.
- Vintage Denim Values: What Old Levi's, Lee and Wrangler Sell ForReal 2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Levi's 501s, Type 1 to Type 3 jackets, Lee and Wrangler, plus the details that move a pair from $40 to $2,500.