AdventureBilt Hats Waiting List Concern

[kaosharper1]

Frankly, with demand like that he should raise his prices and hire a part-time assistant to answer his mail and keep track of his orders for him so he can focus on making hats which I'm sure is what he likes doing anyway. But I guess he feels he doesn't have to, and it is his business so we'll just have to put up with the ideosyncratic way he does business.

 

[bendingoak]

Again, it's easy to say that but that person you suggest would have to work with him about his orders. be in the little shop asking questions to answer question from e-mails , pm's ,post and phone calls.


It's very easy to say " he should do this" he should do that" Your not in his shoes. It's not that simple a problem to deal with. If he had have any idea that a little hobby of his would blow up as fast as it did. I'm sure he would have done things differently.

He did have someone helping him but that some stole from him. Makes for you not to trust anyone. That someone was family, by the way.

What would a Auto mailer do. Every month he would send out "I am now a month closer to making your hat?" What does that do?

My suggestion would be if you want a AB from Steve ( and I understand that completely because his work is simply amazing). Place your order, when payment is excepted you know your order is in his hands and just wait the year and a half. He does send out e-mail to those when the hat is on it's way. If he goes over that time frame then contact him not before.

I myself placed an order for a hat from him in October for a CS. I know I have a heck of a long wait in front of me. I also know I won't be one dropping him a line from time to time asking " any updates."
I know sometime next year I have a very nice gift from myself.

Steve and Marc from Adventurebilt is the only other label I will wear besides my own. I have 3 from Steve and 1 from Marc. There worth the wait.

 

[Viper Man]

Here is a suggestion and an easy solution. Order from Art Fawcett.

 

[bendingoak]

he really doesn't make an Indy hat.

 

[Viper Man]

Bah! That's a joke, right? Having seen many of his creations and owning two, I'd say Mr. Fawcett could handle an "Indy" hat.

If you're reading this, Art, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[DBLIII]

I think there are a couple of other issues with Steve that we need to keep in mind.

First, the demand for his hats shot up very quickly, at a time when there was NO real competition for that level of Indy hat. What started as a personal project exploded into a business. By the time Oak came along, and indeed several other hatters finally coming close to what AB offered, Steve had already involved with the latest Indy film. Then; order surge - price hike - order slow down.

Then you have his intensions to semi-retire in a few years. Why should he take a loss updating his business and extend already long wait-times, when he could just plow on toward the light at the end of the tunnel?

I don't like a vendor who doesn't communicate. But from experience, I can tell you that when it actually is important, Steve is there. He's aware of his shortcomings, but in all fairness - customer (i.e. US) can be a pain in the petooty!

I dropped off the earth for a few years. Before that, when it was a vague rumor that there might be another Indy film (and few cared anyway) - I did always like that hat. Since Steve was the recommended guy, I emailed him and got a response in about 20 minutes. We shot about a dozen emails back and forth and then I said "go." My hat showed up less than two weeks later.
This current situation is really unbelievable. Kind of a - look what happens when a good craftsman instantly gets famous.
Good luck to you all who are patiently waiting so long. It is a great hat.

 

[bendingoak]

Bah! That's a joke, right? Having seen many of his creations and owning two, I'd say Mr. Fawcett could handle an "Indy" hat.

If you're reading this, Art, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I like to see one.

 

[Viper Man]

Well, I won't be ordering one from him, you, or Steve. So I guess it's a moot point. [huh]

 

[kaosharper1]

Bah! That's a joke, right? Having seen many of his creations and owning two, I'd say Mr. Fawcett could handle an "Indy" hat.

If you're reading this, Art, please correct me if I'm wrong.

I believe that Art Fawcett specifically decided not to compete with Mr. Delk in the Indy hat area.

This is starting to get a little too personal. If people are willing to wait for an Adventurebilt then that's their business. I have never heard negative things about any Adventurebilt hats. Its just a matter of whether you want to do business with him. That's a personal preference and I think we should just leave it at that.

 

[Dewhurst]

If he had have any idea that a little hobby of his would blow up as fast as it did. I'm sure he would have done things differently.

I don't know about this. Once they got involved with the Indiana Jones film, they had to know things could explode.

He did have someone helping him but that some stole from him. Makes for you not to trust anyone. That someone was family, by the way.

Hopefully, he reported this person to the police. Even family can be crooks, unfortunately.

What would a Auto mailer do. Every month he would send out "I am now a month closer to making your hat?" What does that do?

I suppose a little imagination is in order. The person can just talk about a topic for 3 paragraphs in a News Letter format. Anything to keep the customer happy, interested, and aware of the fact that you are not, in fact, deceased. They will not feel forgotten if they receive a little message in their mailbox once a month from the bespoke folk, or whoever, talking about some little thing he/she ran in to lately and how much he/she is enjoying making hats, a new cheese dip he/she found at the grocery store they love, etc.

As for adding a contact to your run of the mill mailing list, I can answer that with a question: How long does it take to type an address in to a box on a form? However long that is, is how long it takes to add a person to a mailing list. It can also be fully automatic (then you don't even need to type!). Capacity provided by the mail server is the big thing.

Bespoke folk could do other things as well. Start a blog. Have a latest news or News Letter page on their website. A basic ticker. They don't have to spend much time doing it. Just enough to keep people favorably inclined towards them, their personality, or their products.

I think what happens is this: People are used to purchasing items from efficient retailers such as Amazon and hats.com who are quick, prompt, very communicative, and provide dynamic status reports on their orders online. These same people then go and order a Legendary item from a bespoke bloke or gal, and are then kept in the dark until the week the package is shipped. They are two different systems, one stresses efficiency and information, the other is quirky by the best of summations.

kaosharper1 has it right though. Become aware of how the bespoke folk runs their biz, and then decide if you can handle that or not. That is really all there is to it, in the end.

 

[bendingoak]

I believe that Art Fawcett specifically decided not to compete with Mr. Delk in the Indy hat area.

This is starting to get a little too personal. If people are willing to wait for an Adventurebilt then that's their business. I have never heard negative things about any Adventurebilt hats. Its just a matter of whether you want to do business with him. That's a personal preference and I think we should just leave it at that.

Sounds like wisdom to me.

Just to be clear. I was not attacking Art. He does good work. I just have not seen him Do Indy hats and would like to see one. Just because I make hats doesn't mean I can't appreciate another's work.

As it goes for Indy hats. Steve and Marc beat out a bunch of hatters for the contract for Indy 4 and there's a reason. Those guys have put a lot of effect studding that hat ( Raiders) to get it SA as possible. I really think you need to be a fan to make a really SA Indy hat.

 

[avedwards]

If I asked Art for a hat with a dimensional brim 2 3/4 at the front and back, 2 1/2 at the sides with a 5 1/2" open crown and in a dark brown colour that would be a reasonably good Indy hat but not competition with Steve would it? It isn't being sold as an Indy hat, simply being made for one customer who likes Indy's style. So that would be a solution for Indy fans who do not have one and a half years patience and are not too worried if the hat isn't perfectly screen accurate.

 

[Viper Man]

My sentiments exactly.

 

[bendingoak]

I was trying to help out the guy who asked the ( and anyone else ) ??? of this thread about waiting times for Steve's Adventurebilt hats. [huh]

i would recomend if you can't wait for one of Steve's handmade hats. Get the Adventurebilt Henry.
http://www.adventurebiltdeluxe.com/

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I don't know about this. Once they got involved with the Indiana Jones film, they had to know things could explode.

Things "exploded" twice, actually. The first (and important) one was long before the film contract came along.

Technically, Art can make a hat that will do as an Indy hat. However, it doesn't seem to be something he likes to do. He can usually smell when things are getting close. I don't think he'd say no to making a hat with those specs, but in my experience artisans don't do their best work on things they have no passion for. It's just the nature of things.

Now, I'd rather have one of Art's hats on a bad day than anything coming out of a factory, but I would prefer to hand the right hat projects to the right hatters for each job. It works out better for everyone.

As far as dealing with Steve Delk, it has it's baggage. Well know, well publicized baggage. That's why one should always research a major purchase. Simple as that. [huh]

 

[Tomasso]

This is like a very, very, very, small scale Beanie Baby thing. lol




Seriously, there are a dozen guys who can do a reasonable facsimile.

 

[Andykev]

Steve Delk

Mr. Fedora has been a member of the Fedora Lounge since September, 2003. He was also very big on the Obi Wan (Indy Forum) well before.

He has been making hats as a hobby since those early days, with his focus on the Indiana Jones hat. His "quest" was to replicate that exact hat. His success in that endeavor has come to fruition: he made the hats for the last Indy film. That is quite an accomplishment.

Now, Steve used to be a "sole artist". And now he has an assistant, and maybe some help here at home. Any comments regarding some theft, regardless by whom, or how that has or has not affected his business is quite personal, and irrelevant.

I know how it is to be "swamped". I don't make hats, but I do spend a LOT of time as a "volunteer" Bartender here on the Lounge. No Bartender gets paid, but most devote a LOT of time. It is the same with Steve, making Indy hats. He surely has a lot on his plate. And to suggest "solutions" to how he runs his business, well...what would you say to a famous painter? "Hurry up! I want my masterpiece yesterday!! No, I think not.

So, you have received some good advice (some I said), and I don't want this thread to become something nasty. My policy has always been that a customer should understand the market, and the product...and be patient. No one has said they got stiffed, or cheated. I only hear disappointment in time delay and/or some lack of communication. But...I can imagine he has a lot, a LOT of emails and calls. Again, look at the artist, not AMAZON.COM of hats.

Thanks