Are Hats Your Main Interest?

[rrog]

From a hobby-related point of view (i.e. what you're into, what you spend your time on, where your money goes, etc.) are hats your main interests? Or do you see hats as simply something to wear and look good - and man, there are some really good looking hats out there.

The reason I ask is that I'm reading posts about and looking at pictures of lots of hats. New hats, vintage hats, personalized hats and made-to-order hats. I'm not asking for specific dollar amounts, but what percentage of your hobbies does you interest in hats cost you?

I'm into shooting sports, hunting and reloading (anyone who tells you they really save money by making their own ammo is not truly into shooting/reloading. all it really means is that you can shoot more for the same amount of money!). I'm also into ham radio. None of these hobbies are cheap. I got my first fedora last January and have found there are many more I'd love to have. But I gotta ask, how do you pull it off, buying so many hats?

And don't forget our lovely wives - how do we get them to get on board and buy into all this buying of hats? My wife always cringes when I add a component to any of my hobbies: a new set of reloading dies, new scope/gun, another radio. There'a always the "what do you need another one for?!?" remark. I don't know, maybe I ought to just take up the frisbee or something like that.

But I am curious if you have any other things that compete for your hat purchasing.

Just curious,
rrog

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

For me, hats are something to wear but more interesting than, say, a t-shirt. If you had told me a year ago that I would own a hat that I paid more than $100 US for, I'd of laughed you off the porch...but I do. Unlike some others here, I am basically full up on hats at 6. I may add a couple over time but not at the rapid pace I acquired the first ones. My hobbies are woodworking, fly-fishing and blowing a blues harp; all of which require (my term, not my wife's) substantial amounts of money if I'm going to do them right. And that's how I value them...hats are wardrobe to be updated occasionally, my hobbies bring vast amounts of enjoyment to me personally, irregardless of how well I do them, and I try to invest any $ in them with an eye towards a long term return...Hoss

 

[Viper Man]

From a hobby-related point of view (i.e. what you're into, what you spend your time on, where your money goes, etc.) are hats your main interests? I am curious if you have any other things that compete for your hat purchasing.

All my money is spent on Jazz and whiskey.

 

[Akubra Man]

I collect watches along with hats. Hats are nothing cost wise compared to how much I have spent on watches in my lifetime. I have also become interested in leather craft and want to reach a skill level where I can make my own jackets and the like. Still this cost will never come close to what my watches have cost. I am at the point where I am satisfied with my watch collection so the itch to sell and buy is gone for now but who knows what will happen down the road. Cheers

Here are a few of my watches. The second watch down is a photo of a vanity project I undertook a few years ago where I had my own line of Chronograph watches made. I put together the design cues and features that I admired in other watches and created my own chronograph with an Asian automatic movement. I purposely left off a date function because I can never read them with my middle age eyes. I am working on another watch right now but that is for down the road after I finish selling the chronos I have on hand. I call it a vanity project because I named it after myself (Lyndon) and because there is not much of a profit in this kind of project. The love of watches and the exercise is the real return on investment much like self publishing. The volumes I can purchase (small) do not lend for discounts from the OEM producers who make the parts and assemble the watches and the prices an unknown brand made in China can sell for are low. So profit is small but the exercise is fun and I get to pretend that I am a watch producer.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Well, I think I can say that more money goes to my hat hobby than I'd like to admit. Currently my life is almost strictly devoted to work and school, so I seldom spend money on a night out with friends at a restaurant or to go see a movie, and because I'm so busy, I don't have time to play video games these days, so I don't buy them anymore.

I'd say that my recreational spending goes to hats, fiction and non-fiction books about crime, the occasional music cd off of Amazon, and the occasional miscellaneous item to support my antique addiction (another watch, radio, fan, etc).

 

[D.W. Suratt]

I am more a hat collector then a wearer (compared to some on The Lounge) I do wear my hats, but it's not a "hats always on my head sort of thing". I enjoy collecting things where you can compare different qualities and styles. I bought my first fedora because I always enjoyed the old noir crime novels(Mike Hammer being my favorite). As a police officer I enjoy collecting things that pertain to my career such as guns. I shoot pretty regular not only as a hobby, but to help me stay alive if the need arises. I will say though I probably would not have gotten this into hats had I not found The Fedora Lounge. It makes collecting a lot more enjoyable when you have communication with others that have the same interest.

 

[Edward]

I can count the number of occasions during the past two and a half years I have left the house without a hat on one hand, I believe. (If you don't count costumed events, I don't even need the one hand... ). My hats are purely a functional item to me, though as I acquire more (different colours, types, shapes for different occasions and colour co-ordination) I suppose the line begins to blur between wardrobe and collection, bearing in mind that I already have far more than I, strictly speaking, need. As to proportion of money spent on hobbies.... I probably spend about equivalent amounts between hats and other clothing, costumes, music and theatre tickets, so I'm sure it all balances out in a given year.

Just me and the cats at home; as long as those girls are fed and fussed over regularly, and the litter tray kept nice, they don't seem to mind a new hat coming into the house.

 

[suitedcboy]

I wish hats were the only thing I found to blow money on! In order of expenditure: Horses and their upkeep and transport, hats, western boots.
Hats and boots swap places on the list at times.

I might add: "if you have cheap feet then wear cheap shoes" which could be edited, "if you have a cheap head then wear a cheap hat or no hat".

I do think that, of late, my boot and hat collecting has out paced the stock market in value retained.........

 

[celtic]

most of my money goes to motorcycling gear.

i do own many hats that i've picked up over the years, but hats are not my main interest.

 

[John in Covina]

Posessions and posession by posessions.

In the realm of what I do for fun and enjoyment or entertainment, I'd say that I spend more money on beer and wine than hats. Dining out: (not fast food) more than hats. Clothes: more than hats. The last year or so, shooting sports- less than hats. Fountain pens- more than hats. Travel- more than hats.

I have the start of a good hat collection, 5 good ones and two to be sent in for reconditioning. I see myself getting a number of hats in the future but I am not in a rush at the moment.

As it goes, I am enamored with vintage styles in many items and have a concept of what I'd like to emulate as to vintage fashion, but there is a budget. At the same time there is disgressionary spending as in, "this is a fantastic deal and if I don't take advantage of it now, I'll be kicking myself in the future!" So sometimes you need to take the plunge.

In the mean time, it is looking to the future, picking what to act on and trying to stay happy. One thing I have found is to judge a life's worth by posessions is to be posessed by them. As a youngster it was easy to have an outlook of "man if I just had (insert item of lust here) I'd have it made or things would be great." However nothing was and is further from the truth. if you are nothing without the item, you'll be nothing with it. What makes a person a worth while person to know is on the inside not on the outside. Service to others and sharing tend to bring far more happiness than most items in my posession. Still, I am still making plans of acquisition but none of it is in the be-all to end-all type of category...

 

[Lon Goval]

Hats are number one!

Right now hats take most of my time and money (lots of time, little money). Usually auction hats when they are cheap or from thrift/resale stores. The good ones (Whippets, Stratoliner, etc.) are out of my range being a 7 1/2 LO, so you don't have to worry about me bidding very high. The wife tolerates it because I do buy hats for her since she has a "normal" size that's affordable. I could use some "cranial liposuction" to get down about 2-3 sizes. Then I'd have lots of hats.

Music tends to be my other weakness. Old musical books (songbooks, folios and sheetmusic) and some instruments. I went looking for a particular thumbpick a little over a year ago and at the third store I bought another Taylor Guitar. Finally paid it off! Never found the picks locally and had to go the the source online to get them.

Getting ready to take books to the bookstore to sell so I can get some more hats. I'm finding that some books become quite valuable. A billiard book I have is for sale up from 75 - 185 dollars. Maybe I'll be able to get my own "bespoke" hat.

Ralph

 

[Slim Portly]

For me it's the entire wardrobe. Two years ago I had no hats other than a few baseball caps, one suit that was ten-years-old, and a few old ties that I never wore. I worked outdoors and I wore clothes that could get dirty and take abuse. When I found myself in a situation where I could change all of that I sought information and a community of like-minded individuals. The Fedora Lounge was the best match for my personality. The men and women here have been a great source of information and camaraderie, and although hats are the one thing that brought us here, I feel that our wish to re-establish an appropriately dressed society is our true commonality.

Now that I have a comfortable base to work with (eight suits, a dozen pair of shoes, two-dozen waistcoats, thirty shirts, eighty or so ties, and various accoutrements), I can begin to slowly and deliberately build my collection of quality and vintage hats. I currently have eight hats but fully half of them need to be replaced with better quality specimens. I have actually spent less on my hats than on all other aspects of my wardrobe, but this was out of necessity since I was starting from scratch and the hats by needs came last.

All of my other hobbies are very inexpensive so a portion of each paycheck can now go towards turning me into the properly hatted man that I wish to be. I am now at the beginning of a journey that many of you are already well along, and I look forward with great anticipation.

 

[Fatdutchman]

I'm into shooting sports, hunting and reloading (anyone who tells you they really save money by making their own ammo is not truly into shooting/reloading. all it really means is that you can shoot more for the same amount of money!). rrog

Reloading is alright, if you can find primers right now!


Smith and Wesson revolvers. 18th century Flintlock guns and various 18th century stuff/PA German stuff. www.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Fatdutchman/Flintlocks

Hats aren't my hobby....hats are just part of my style.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I spend half of each month's income on wine, women and song.

The rest I spend foolishly.

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

I spend half of each month's income on wine, women and song.

The rest I spend foolishly.

Spoken like a true bluesman :eusa_clap

 

[kaosharper1]

Harps, Hats, and Art

I have been spending more on hats the last year. My other interest, the harp (the kind with strings) also takes a lot of my hobby time. This explains the "harper" in my handle. Finally, I collect art (not Fawcett, though I have one coming now) which is where I really spend my spare dollars. And books. Too many books.

I have a feeling that the urge to collect usually takes more than one form.

 

[Stoney]

I spend half of each month's income on wine, women and song.

The rest I spend foolishly.

Exactamundo!

I think we all know where the majority of disposable income goes, in one way or another.

 

[warbird]

Hats are not my hobby. I like to have many hats for many occasions, plus I collect them because there are only so many vintage hats to be had. But, in the end they serve a purpose for me. I have dress, casual and outdoor hats. I have always worn hats of some sort anytime I am outside. I have worn fedora style hats for 20+ years.

I certainly have more hats now than I did before coming to TFL. I used to buy maybe one a year, but after seeing all of you raving hat nuts, fear made me buy more before yous guys scarf them all up. In the end though very little of my discretionary dollars go to hats.

My hobbies include shooting and hunting, cigars, beer, books and activities with the family.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Well, most of my other interests are either inconvenient or inexpensive. For example, I enjoy target shooting but there are no ranges nearby. Thus, I haven't fired a shot in almost three years.

Hats have become my main collection interest, now. They are both fun and practical, which means I'm willing to spend more on them then on something that doesn't get everyday use. A bulk of my "fun cash" goes to hats. I simply don't have much else to spend it on right now. (good thing, too.)

 

[Winsor]

Hats Main Hobby?

Harp Player stole my line:
I spent half my money on booze and broads, the rest I wasted!

Wasted too much money on sailing for 30 years and smartened up, sold the sailboat and started motorcycling at age 50, 7 years ago. Have ridden in 17 states and 3 provinces, about 80,000 miles. I take a Christy's rollable hat on my motorcycle trips.

I had ONE Worth & Worth black fedora for 20 years then caught the fedora bug bigtime a couple of years ago. I've toned it down now, but I enjoy the heck out of wearing them. I get lots of looks in Boston.

All things in moderation......HA!