A Good Time for a Custom Hat?

[tropicalbob]

I've just put through a request for a new custom job with Mikael at Hufvud, but, although I'm currently in pretty good financial shape, I can't help feeling a bit prodigal about it, considering the dire situation in which we all find ourselves. I was wondering if any of you other members were experiencing the same doubts and would like to hear your thoughts.

 

[belfastboy]

I've just put through a request for a new custom job with Mikael at Hufvud, but, although I'm currently in pretty good financial shape, I can't help feeling a bit prodigal about it. I was wondering if any of you other members were experiencing the same doubts and would like to hear your thoughts.

My retirement funds took one hell of a hit when the stock market tanked so feeling less flush these days. I shant need any tag days to get us through but the future is less rosy than it was a few months back. Out of this I am pausing but it is hard to discern how much is financial and how much is just having reached the end (ish) of my hat collecting. Having said this if Hufvud gets any beaver felt colours that appeal I will probably jump back into a queue.

 

[tropicalbob]

My retirement funds took one hell of a hit when the stock market tanked so feeling less flush these days. I shant need any tag days to get us through but the future is less rosy than it was a few months back. Out of this I am pausing but it is hard to discern how much is financial and how much is just having reached the end (ish) of my hat collecting. Having said this if Hufvud gets any beaver felt colours that appeal I will probably jump back into a queue.

One dark and rainy evening many years ago, right when I first started working on Wall Street, I was walking down Broad Street with an old fellow from my office, and, just as we were passing the Exchange from the far side of the street, he put his hand on my arm and asked me if I'd ever really looked at the pediment at the top of the neoclassical facade. As we did, he pointed out that the two figures at the extreme left corner were "shooting craps." He then said, "No matter what anybody tells you, always remember that: it's a crap shoot." Over the years the truth of that statement has been proven to me over and over again and is the reason I've always put my money, when I had any, elsewhere.

 

[belfastboy]

One dark and rainy evening many years ago, right when I first started working on Wall Street, I was walking down Broad Street with an old fellow from my office, and, just as we were passing the Exchange from the far side of the street, he put his hand on my arm and asked me if I'd ever really looked at the pediment at the top of the neoclassical facade. As we did, he pointed out that the two figures at the extreme left corner were "shooting craps." He then said, "No matter what anybody tells you, always remember that: it's a crap shoot." Over the years the truth of that statement has been proven to me over and over again and is the reason I've always put my money, when I had any, elsewhere.

Being the vintage that I am have lived through many many downturns and resurgences....the down side of getting old is that the time line for any resurgence is now severely limited. Even still, over the 50 years of being in the 'market' I am much further ahead than if I had placed the money under my mattress or placed it in a bank even.

 

[jlee562]

It's a good time to support independent makers and businesses if one is in the financial situation to do so. For those of us who are self-employed, we are caught between a rock and a hard place. Everybody is scrambling to create new business models out of thin air in the midst of implementing all sorts of new safety protocols. Hatters are probably buffered a little bit from those kinds of concerns;but, custom hats being a fairly luxury purchase, I'm sure hatmakers might see a dip in orders.

 

[Frunobulax]

^^^What he said. If you are doing OK, patronize the hell out anybody you can.

 

[itsallgood]

"No matter what anybody tells you, always remember that: it's a crap shoot."

My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate
Upon the fortune of this present year;
Therefore, my merchandise makes me not sad.

Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (Act I, Scene I)

 

[deadlyhandsome]

So far, the market has always come back and long term investments have been safe. I have a “guaranteed” pension, but there really aren’t any true guarantees in life. I work for the government and in our 90+ years of existence my department has never laid anyone off or cut salaries. Still, I do feel the unease and some added ambient stress. Civilization is all a house of cards and can tumble around our ears at any time.

I also feel that by buying custom hats I’m supporting small businesses. We all need to support each other. ...And I really like custom hats.

 

[jonesy86]

I retired recently with a pretty modest income, have a fairly modest lifestyle, and recently had to quit a part time job in order to safeguard my health. However, I have the basics, and the bills are getting paid. I feel fortunate, and continue to buy hats, in some ways as an affirmation of hope and faith in the future.

 

[tropicalbob]

I retired recently with a pretty modest income, have a fairly modest lifestyle, and recently had to quit a part time job in order to safeguard my health. However, I have the basics, and the bills are getting paid. I feel fortunate, and continue to buy hats, in some ways as an affirmation of hope and faith in the future.

That's largely the way I feel. When Mikael of Hufvud said yesterday on that thread that the best part of getting a custom hat is in the planning and design I agreed with him completely, though it's nice to hold the finished product in your hands and admire the workmanship. I guess I also like the anticipation and the idea of having something to look forward to.
And yet, I can't help worrying about the future, and I think the sculptor who carved the figures of the gamblers on the pediment of the Exchange knew something basic about human enterprises. Whenever I've heard people express the idea that with good research, reason, and prudence one can usually profit in the marketplace I have to wonder: no one ever sees the big events coming - not WW I or II, not the crash of 1987 (a computer error that wiped out almost all of the investors of my firm, and then the firm itself), not the World Trade Center, and certainly not the coronavirus (well, some did, but no one wanted to listen). Burns was right: "But mousie, thou art no thy-lane in proving foresight may be vain, the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley, and leave us nought but grief an' pain," Still, I want that friggin' hat.

 

[hatsRme]

So timely, from the Wall Street Journal this week...

 

[belfastboy]

It's a good time to support independent makers and businesses if one is in the financial situation to do so. For those of us who are self-employed, we are caught between a rock and a hard place. Everybody is scrambling to create new business models out of thin air in the midst of implementing all sorts of new safety protocols. Hatters are probably buffered a little bit from those kinds of concerns;but, custom hats being a fairly luxury purchase, I'm sure hatmakers might see a dip in orders.

And the upside for us collectors could be if business slows a bit maybe then the queue will shorten for a few of my hatters that have stupid long wait lists.

 

[1967Cougar390]

I understand exactly, I really thought long and hard when I purchased last hat. I felt a little bit of guilt. I considered purchasing a custom hat, but the wait times were over a year. With the current health and economic situation, my wife and I have been blessed. We both have essential careers and have continued to work.
When I decide to move forward with my last hat purchase, I choose a smaller vendor. While hats are a luxury, we only live once on this earth. We can’t take anything with us when the roll is called. Enjoy your hats and the pleasure or comfort they provide.

Steven

 

[Dm101]

My recent hat purchase was a Palm Leaf hat for my "Summer Hat" project.
No loss...only 30 dollars on ebay...and turned out great! Not large enough to be affected by the "Rona"...thankfully.
I originally said I'd be a "One Hat Guy"...but last summer I realized I spent a lot less time in the outdoors because I sweated so much in my beaver hat...and didn't want to ruin it. So this year...I'll be rocking Straw for the spring and summer.
God's been good to our family and placed us in a position of survivability....thankful every day.

 

[scottyrocks]

Before CV hit, I had decided that I wasn't going to be buying any more hats because I am now very happy with the modest assortment I have, and I have too many hats I don't and won't wear and made the decision to sell off.

Although everyone in the house is working, I have never been a big spender, and, in fact, have to experience the big bang of 'I must have that' before I will spend $$ on non-essentials. The 30 or so fedoras, plus other hats and caps, I do have have been acquired over the last 40 years, about half of the fedoras since becoming a member here in 2009. I have also sold a few.

The CV era has made me uneasy, in general, about a lot of things, based on my age and pre-existing conditions. When I am uneasy, I don't spend money.

All of this, combined, has me set, as of right now, to not be seriously considering buying a new hat soon, although I were to do so, it would be a Hufvud.

 

[Perry Underwood]

My idea is that if you received your stimulus check and it's not critical to your financial situation, use the funds to spend on whatever you want.

 

[GHT]

I've just put through a request for a new custom job with Mikael at Hufvud, but, although I'm currently in pretty good financial shape, I can't help feeling a bit prodigal about it, considering the dire situation in which we all find ourselves. I was wondering if any of you other members were experiencing the same doubts and would like to hear your thoughts.

Exactly so, my wife and I are now in our 70's, haven't had a mortgage in over thirty years, every thing is paid for at the time of purchase, live now, pay later is nothing more than a distant memory. But in our early years we struggled, financially I mean, always robbing Peter to pay Paul. We got through those years and we learned the meaning of thrift, a lesson that has always been a timely reminder.

Tina, my wife, as most of you know, has a talent for making our clothes, and very good at it she is too. One of her bucket list wishes was a bespoke workshop. She had always used a bedroom previously, there's only the two of us and we already have a guestroom so spending on a bespoke workshop was an extravagance, but she has worked as hard as anybody, and you only get one shot at life, so with the money available I had a carpenter build her a cabin. He constructed it like a small house, although in wood it still has insulated double walls, insulated floor and ceiling and it has double glazed windows. No more than she deserves. Tina calls it her cabin, others, myself included call it her She-Shed and of late it's been dubbed: Shed-Quarters.


Whenever possible I have given my/our custom to artisans, I have posted links to them here. To date I have traded with at least two Loungers, former Lounger simonc (Simon James Cathcart,) from whom I had these shoes hand made:


More recently, former Lounger (Esther Weis) made three hats for me, including this one

that I wanted to match a linen suit, which had been made to measure by: Rob Crossley at (Rocacha.) Rob has made me a number of fine suits, this one he put on his web.


Another artisan that I have given much custom to over the years is Colin Johnson, he it was who skilfully crafted these beauties:


Whether it's hat's or any other apparel, I prefer to give my custom to the skilled specialist who I know will appreciate my business, and go the extra mile to secure it. But like you Bob, although the money is there, I cannot help but feel a certain reticence about spending at the moment. That sense of insecurity doesn't bode well for those small, one person, self employed specialists, none more so than Richard. He has an expensive workshop to run, he it is who looks after Jessica:


The semaphore arms that are the cars indicators are not popping out, the electrical contacts are on the underside of the steering column. It's going to take Richard a number of hours to repair the problem, the cost I can well afford, but I just can't bring myself to book the car in.

 

[tropicalbob]

GHT, I've long thought you're the luckiest and sanest man on the planet. All the best to you and your lovely partner.

 

[tropicalbob]

I hope everyone will forgive me for my metaphysical ramblings above. I guess I'm just used to standing in front of people talking for hours at a stretch and am now going through some kind of withdrawal. My son informs me that I was lecturing the cat the other night about her social responsibility for finishing her Fancy Feast.

 

[itsallgood]

When I am uneasy, I don't spend money.

That aptly describes why deflation may become a worry today. The consumer is 70% of the US economy and until the consumer regains confidence, tough to do with 95% of the population under lockdown, things could get rocky.