Dating Vintage Stetsons by size tag

[Dinerman]

Hey, fellas, could you at least post an estimated century of your size tags?

I'd reckon we can bicker over the decades later...

I'm going to say post 1900, judging by the Grand Prize 1900 stamp on the derby rlk posted. Until I see more examples, no, I can't pin that one down exactly.

 

[Dinerman]

Stetson- style size tag, but in a late '50s Mallory.

a later Mallory. Very similar to what Stetson was using other than the color. Makes sense as Mallory was owned by Stetson at this point.

 

[Dinerman]

Canadian stetson tag '40s/'50s

Canadian Stetson tag 1960s

 

[Dinerman]

'60s Canadian Mallory

 

[Dinerman]

White Stetson tag
1950s

 

[Chinaski]

Would this also be 50's and just a different price point than the hat pictured above?

 

[carouselvic]

Yes it is 50's.

 

[T Rick]

Any idea what years they had a union label on the back of the size tag? This from an Open Road I picked up recently on eBay.
Need to get a better shot of the union label...

Also, around when did they begin adding metric sizes?

70's here? 80's? 90's?

 

[gpsoldhat]

I haven't seen an example like this - it's from a Whippet.

I have a Stetson similar to a whippet with a 1/4 Lon oval tag like that. What year do you think it is. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[carouselvic]

mid 50's+or-

 

[gpsoldhat]

mid 50's+or-

Thanks. I had been reading this thread and had thought mid fifties. Funny the could be as old as I am and is in pretty good shape.

 

[Rodkins]

Here's one on a Stetson Supper Club...

 

[Dinerman]

The tag is identical to what was found in Canadian made stetsons. Same as the American Stetson tags, but in gold.

But in a Canadian-made Disney. Which uses the same crappy sweatbands as were in some Biltmores of the period. I'm guessing Biltmore had the contract to do several different brands in Canada.

 

[Dinerman]

Although Biltmore also used white rectangular card tags

And a different, but similar, gold tag

 

[jimmy the lid]

Would this also be 50's and just a different price point than the hat pictured above?

The tag in your photo is present in early/mid 50's Royal Stetsons. The "hat pictured above" shows a $12.95 price -- which represents the price increase on a Royal Deluxe Stetson (up from the original price of $12.50) which occurred sometime around 1956-ish. (Perhaps Dinerman can verify that the hat is a Royal Deluxe).

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Dinerman]

one of Feltfan's with a different style size tag

 

[Chinaski]

Is that a panama, Dinerman? What's your guess on the age of the hat? 40's?

 

[feltfan]

Is that a panama, Dinerman? What's your guess on the age of the hat? 40's?

If it's mine you're talking about, you can read and see more here. It's certainly older than the 40s.

I wonder if size tags were uniformly supplied by the manufacturer? We can see a lot of variation in sweatbands and I suppose they
were often put on the hats in the hat store. I suppose this because the name of the hat store had to be embossed on the sweatband.
I guess they could have done that without removing it? Anyway, I am guessing the stores were supplied with size tags, but the stock
probably spanned a lot of years. Not to say size tags are of no use (I certainly go by them when assessing an online auction),
just that they aren't a sure thing.

 

[Chinaski]

Well Feltfan, I have to say I've seen your hat before as I've read the infamous Sharpetoys "panama of the century" thread. I didn't remember it, but, of course it's older than the 40's. Going back and seeing all the pictures, the "H" in the John in John B. Stetson is really cool, and it's such a stunning hat! I'm sure you still have it?

 

[feltfan]

Well Feltfan, I have to say I've seen your hat before as I've read the infamous Sharpetoys "panama of the century" thread. I didn't remember it, but, of course it's older than the 40's. Going back and seeing all the pictures, the "H" in the John in John B. Stetson is really cool, and it's such a stunning hat! I'm sure you still have it?

Absolutely. In fact, I just took it out and put it on my head while writing this response.
It was near the bottom of a stack of hat boxes, half of which tumbled onto my back while
I retrieved this panama. Hat boxes are harder than hats...

Probably I will need to put something on the sweatband soon. It's soft, but looking a touch dry.
Very soft, BTW, in that roan style. But what stands out from most of my other hats is that liner.
It really must be top quality silk satin- has a lustre unlike any other I can think of.