My reply (also copied below)

Posted by Patterson from gw.wizards.com on January 26, 2000 at 13:27:16:

In Reply to: My thanks for your compliment. Now back to Patterson's answer (grins) (nm) posted by Michaelson on January 26, 2000 at 12:13:29:

I need to confirm some of this - namely the timeline around which US Wings picked up the Cooper line. As I understand it, Cooper was experiencing some financial distress from the late 80's until US Wings took over their operations. Up until their most recent offering, Disney carried Cooper manufactured/licensed jackets on one form/label or another at their theme parks. Those same jackets made it into some mainstream retailer's inventories, especially from the time of the release of LC and fading out around '94 and '95. I want to be clear; the Disney just carried the Cooper jackets as did other retailers. An acquaintance found the same jacket at the Nordstrom Rack in '96 on clearance for $75.

Anyway, the most recent place you would have found these jackets would have been Disney theme parks. They were pulled off the shelf on February 14th, 1999, being replaced by Disney's commissioned Indy jacket under arrangement with LFL. I'm sure there are those who would argue with me about the new Disney jacket, but DON'T BOTHER WITH IT. I had owned one for a brief time, and managed to exchange it with the nice people at Disneyland for one of the Coopers which was gathering dust in back stock. I got the last one!

Back to the Cooper on ebay, and whether it would be the same as a new one from US Wings. Sorry to say it would not be the same. The current jacket sold by US Wings is somewhat a victim of fashion. It is cut "oversized"; i.e. it is a baggy cut. The older jacket is more fitted. I'd jump on that jacket on ebay if it were a XL or XXL. As for distressing, I like the look of the ebay jacket. The new US Wings jackets do age nicely and fairly rapidly.

I've rambled on a bit over this - sorry. Hope it helps.

Cheers!

Patterson

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: I need to confirm some of this - namely the timeline around which US Wings picked up the Cooper line. As I understand it, Cooper was experiencing some financial distress from the late 80's until US Wings took over their operations. Up until their most recent offering, Disney carried Cooper manufactured/licensed jackets on one form/label or another at their theme parks. Those same jackets made it into some mainstream retailer's inventories, especially from the time of the release of LC and fading out around '94 and '95. I want to be clear; the Disney just carried the Cooper jackets as did other retailers. An acquaintance found the same jacket at the Nordstrom Rack in '96 on clearance for $75.

: Anyway, the most recent place you would have found these jackets would have been Disney theme parks. They were pulled off the shelf on February 14th, 1999, being replaced by Disney's commissioned Indy jacket under arrangement with LFL. I'm sure there are those who would argue with me about the new Disney jacket, but DON'T BOTHER WITH IT. I had owned one for a brief time, and managed to exchange it with the nice people at Disneyland for one of the Coopers which was gathering dust in back stock. I got the last one!

: Back to the Cooper on ebay, and whether it would be the same as a new one from US Wings. Sorry to say it would not be the same. The current jacket sold by US Wings is somewhat a victim of fashion. It is cut "oversized"; i.e. it is a baggy cut. The older jacket is more fitted. I'd jump on that jacket on ebay if it were a XL or XXL. As for distressing, I like the look of the ebay jacket. The new US Wings jackets do age nicely and fairly rapidly.

: I've rambled on a bit over this - sorry. Hope it helps.

: Cheers!

: Patterson

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