Disposition of my hats when I die

[stinker]

My collection of hats number around 100 and I need to figger out what happens to them once I die. All are size 7 3/4 with some 7 5/8 - traditional fedoras and western hats - felt and straw. Nice collection acquired over the past thirty years and in good condition. Any ideas on how to handle disposal of them after I die? I'm 78 years old and nephews agreed to handle my estate and they are not hat people - no other relatives. Thought about creating an eBay ad for the entire collection to be posted after I die. - Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to dispose of them after I (ahem) don't need them any longer? TIA

 

[belfastboy]

My collection of hats number around 100 and I need to figger out what happens to them once I die. All are size 7 3/4 with some 7 5/8 - traditional fedoras and western hats - felt and straw. Nice collection acquired over the past thirty years and in good condition. Any ideas on how to handle disposal of them after I die? I'm 78 years old and nephews agreed to handle my estate and they are not hat people - no other relatives. Thought about creating an eBay ad for the entire collection to be posted after I die. - Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to dispose of them after I (ahem) don't need them any longer? TIA

I am close to you in age and have pondered similar events. My collection numbers about 80. If my wife is still around after I go I would hate to stick her with the problem of disposing of my collection. However she won't be short of money so the easiest method would be donation to Sally Ann or somesuch.. Next idea is I too have considered cataloguing the collection but then my wife or nephew would still be tasked with Ebaying them and not sure I want to stick either of them with the chore. I guess in a perfect world while I am still semi competent I will take it upon myself to pare down the collection, take the money and buy good whisky.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My collection of hats number around 100 and I need to figger out what happens to them once I die. All are size 7 3/4 with some 7 5/8 - traditional fedoras and western hats - felt and straw. Nice collection acquired over the past thirty years and in good condition. Any ideas on how to handle disposal of them after I die? I'm 78 years old and nephews agreed to handle my estate and they are not hat people - no other relatives. Thought about creating an eBay ad for the entire collection to be posted after I die. - Does anyone have any ideas on a better way to dispose of them after I (ahem) don't need them any longer? TIA

I’d bet your estate would realize a lot more if the hats were sold individually; although, it’s a lot of work.

As I’m your size, I’m very curious as to what you have in your collection, but I’m not in a hurry for them to become available…if you know what I mean.

You might think of keeping a smaller number and disposing of the bulk of your collection yourself in the near term. I know my wife and/or kids wouldn’t have any idea on how the describe or price my hats.

Brent

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I plan on instructing my estate to put my hats up for sale at low prices using my account here at the Lounge. At least they will go to someone who appreciates them.

 

[Rmccamey]

Sage wisdom, indeed, Robert!

I guess in a perfect world while I am still semi competent I will take it upon myself to pare down the collection, take the money and buy good whisky.

 

[belfastboy]

Sage wisdom, indeed, Robert!


View attachment 556284

I have learnt that whatever the question a correct answer is always buy good whisky.

 

[hatsRme]

I have also pondered this issue, and certainly appreciate all the perspective we can muster.

Now, what will you, @drmaxtejeda, do?

 

[hatsRme]

And, BTW, @stinker, if you were the one who won the EBay auction of the NOS size 7-3/4 MacLachlan back around 2012, may I have right of 1st refusal, helping thin the herd?

I still loose sleep over that one.

 

[GHT]

Disposal of my hats, that's not even on the radar, they can go to whoever enjoys them, 99% percent of them are bespoke, just like my shoes, Aloha shirts, suits, blazers et al.

It would please me if someone would buy my vintage jukebox and the old records that go with it, that someone being a collector. Just as my old MG car, I do hope that someone with a love of the marque enjoys it as much as me.

 

[stinker]

Looking for ideas for the disposition of my hat collection when I die. I’m 78 years old and have been collecting hats for over thirty years. My health is good however my time is coming, I know. With no immediate relatives, my nephews will administer my estate. They have no interest in my hats… that’s over 100 mostly C-crown fedoras and wide-brim Gus crease cowboy hats plus some work/utility hats - sizes mostly 7 3/4 with some 7 ⅝ - felts and straws. From Borsalino, Resistol, Stetson, Scala and a variety of others. Because I rotate them daily, they are properly kept on thirteen modified hat trees (hey… I’m single!) with off-season hats stored in hat boxes. Wondering if anyone else is faced with this dilemma and how you planned ahead for your hats’ disposition.

I’m an active eBay seller and considered creating ads for each which could be posted by a relative when I’m gone.They are too good to be trashed by a liquidator. I plan to keep on wearing them until dispatched beyond so I want to enjoy them til the bitter end.

I’d appreciate knowing how others have planned ahead... Thanks

 

[Zombie_61]

"Disposition of my hats when I die." That's an interesting sentence. After I'm dead, I'm pretty sure I won't care about my hats any longer, so I'm not going to concern myself with the notion. I'd wager one or two people I know might want to at least take a look at what's available, but other than that I'd guess they'll end up in a local landfill with the trash. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Rmccamey]

Brent @deadlyhandsome has suggested having a bonfire for his. I'm sure I have a few hats I could contribute to such a magnanimous event

"Disposition of my hats when I die." That's an interesting sentence. After I'm dead, I'm pretty sure I won't care about my hats any longer, so I'm not going to concern myself with the notion. I'd wager one or two people I know might want to at least take a look at what's available, but other than that I'd guess they'll end up in a local landfill with the trash. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[jchance]

how about auctioning off the entire collection? Christie's can probably handle it if its entire value would exceed $5k.

 

[steur]

This thread gave me food for thought since it appeared. It’s an interesting question to pose and it tells us several things about us and how we look at hats. First one is that it’s apparently something that’s on the minds of several of our esteemed members, which in turn tells you something about the demographic that is active here. A group of predominantly (let’s be generous here) middle aged mostly white guys with varying degrees of disposable income to spend on hats. Considering that in some circles this group is held responsable for everything that’s wrong with the world, this lounge is a safe space!

The second observation is that we do not look at hats as just an item of clothing. Hats are not like socks to us. Although it would be interesting to see a thread pop up called “what socks are you wearing today?” chances are pretty slim that we’re going to see that happen. Hats are an artform to us, worthy to be discussed and collected and preserved and preferably in pristine original condition. Altering a hat to suit ones own needs can seriously ruffle some feathers here; it’s sacrilege (to some)!
Most of us consider ourselves to be just caretakers of the hats we own, especially the vintage ones and that automatically means we think about who the next caretaker is going to be.
Most of us are also keenly aware that our viewpoint on hats is somewhat irregular (trying to avoid the word “abnormal” here). You wouldn’t see a thread “disposition of my Rembrandts and Picassos when I die” posing the same question. But breaking up a collection, no matter what it is, is something no collector likes to see.

So what to do with a collection that you know nobody of the next of kin sees any value in? “Yeah, dad went downhill pretty quickly after he started collecting hats! To the landfill with them!”

There are several options here. First option is to sell them off or give them away while you’re still among the living. Unless the grim reaper is more or less standing in the doorway, we collectors find that very hard to do. It’s an option though and an attractive one at that: you get to pick the next caretaker (in the giving them away scenario that is) for each individual hat and you get the appreciation while you’re still around. How nice is that?

Second option is making provisions that they are sold off individually after you’re gone. Chances are pretty slim I think that that will then actually happen, given the amount of work it involves, unless it’s in a garage sale or you have a dozen of Napoleon’s bicorn hats lying around.

Third option is to make sure they are all sent to someone with the same affliction as yourself to be the next caretaker after you’re gone. Depending on the size of the collection that can be compared to be gifted a white elefant though. The prospect of being sent a few hundred hats, no matter how well intended, can cause some serious anxiety let alone marital problems for the recipient.

Selling them all to a wholeseller will result in receiving a few cents to the dollar and the likelyhood for the hats to pop up on Ebay as part of “dad’s collection”. The horror!

Finally: you can actually take them with you and, provided your final resting place is a mausoleum of some sort, they will have actual historical value once they haul you out of there after a hundred years or so.

I wonder if a hat collector should be embalmed with shellac; steam you right back to life
Wew, that's a lot of text.

 

[Who?]

I have learnt that whatever the question a correct answer is always buy good whisky.

Either Laphroiag or Lagavulin for me

 

[belfastboy]

Either Laphroiag or Lagavulin for me

Lagavulin 16 is always in my whisky cabinet.

 

[Rmccamey]

Very well stated, Stefan.

This thread gave me food for thought since it appeared. It’s an interesting question to pose and it tells us several things about us and how we look at hats. First one is that it’s apparently something that’s on the minds of several of our esteemed members, which in turn tells you something about the demographic that is active here. A group of predominantly (let’s be generous here) middle aged mostly white guys with varying degrees of disposable income to spend on hats. Considering that in some circles this group is held responsable for everything that’s wrong with the world, this lounge is a safe space!

The second observation is that we do not look at hats as just an item of clothing. Hats are not like socks to us. Although it would be interesting to see a thread pop up called “what socks are you wearing today?” chances are pretty slim that we’re going to see that happen. Hats are an artform to us, worthy to be discussed and collected and preserved and preferably in pristine original condition. Altering a hat to suit ones own needs can seriously ruffle some feathers here; it’s sacrilege (to some)!
Most of us consider ourselves to be just caretakers of the hats we own, especially the vintage ones and that automatically means we think about who the next caretaker is going to be.
Most of us are also keenly aware that our viewpoint on hats is somewhat irregular (trying to avoid the word “abnormal” here). You wouldn’t see a thread “disposition of my Rembrandts and Picassos when I die” posing the same question. But breaking up a collection, no matter what it is, is something no collector likes to see.

So what to do with a collection that you know nobody of the next of kin sees any value in? “Yeah, dad went downhill pretty quickly after he started collecting hats! To the landfill with them!”

There are several options here. First option is to sell them off or give them away while you’re still among the living. Unless the grim reaper is more or less standing in the doorway, we collectors find that very hard to do. It’s an option though and an attractive one at that: you get to pick the next caretaker (in the giving them away scenario that is) for each individual hat and you get the appreciation while you’re still around. How nice is that?

Second option is making provisions that they are sold off individually after you’re gone. Chances are pretty slim I think that that will then actually happen, given the amount of work it involves, unless it’s in a garage sale or you have a dozen of Napoleon’s bicorn hats lying around.

Third option is to make sure they are all sent to someone with the same affliction as yourself to be the next caretaker after you’re gone. Depending on the size of the collection that can be compared to be gifted a white elefant though. The prospect of being sent a few hundred hats, no matter how well intended, can cause some serious anxiety let alone marital problems for the recipient.

Selling them all to a wholeseller will result in receiving a few cents to the dollar and the likelyhood for the hats to pop up on Ebay as part of “dad’s collection”. The horror!

Finally: you can actually take them with you and, provided your final resting place is a mausoleum of some sort, they will have actual historical value once they haul you out of there after a hundred years or so.

I wonder if a hat collector should be embalmed with shellac; steam you right back to life
Wew, that's a lot of text.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

“Grandma, what did you do with the money from selling Grandpa’s hats?”