E-Bay Air Power

[MK]

There I was......salivating over my next vintage hat. I finally was going to have a NICE vintage fedora that was a great color that I could wear that didn't look like an Indy hat. This lid looked great. I had placed my bid and it was just a moment to go. This baby was mine. It is a done deal.........then WHAAAAAM!!!!!

With just five seconds to go and I was out bid. Some guy named formerblueangel blow me out of the water. Just like a fighter pilot he snuck up from behind, lured me into a false sense of security then blasted me with no time to react.

He got me good.......and won fair and square.

So.....who is this guy who keeps buying all the cool 7 3/8ths out there? Is he one of you? Since we are the same size and he is on a buying spree....maybe he will sell me his discards.

Here is the beautiful hat....that was almost mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2882566914&category=52369

 

[fedoralover]

I have a pretty good idea, but he'll have to come forward on his own. Some people like to remain anonymous.

fedoralover

 

[MK]

That scoundrel almost got me again!!......but not this time. How many fedoras does this guy need to buy in one day. He must be really hungry for hats. Who is this?

Here is the one that almost got away:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2882592511&category=52369

The crown looks tall enough to be be bashed into a great looking lid. I hope it is in good a shape as it looks.

 

[Imahomer]

Well, I don't know who he is, but he is based in Texas. He also sells some of his hats on Ebay.

 

[fedoralover]

Him and havershaw are trying to catch up to Andykev. Maybe then they'll slack off a little. Its a real cat fight for these babies anymore.

regards fedoralover

 

[Andykev]

You were the victim

OF SNIPING!! I have lost out on great deals and also bought some junk.

I saw both these hats and did not bid. MK I think you are lucky not to have won them (bought) . They are not pristine....remember to be patient on Ebay.

There is another hat on the site that is 7 3/8 which I am watching...but probably won't buy. Its an open road style.

Timing, luck, and experience on these hats..and PLEASE don't get caught in a bidding war where you over pay for a hat that isn't worth it. Let the other guy have it. I just set my price and if I don't win, too bad.

I also have to admit (yes it's true) that with my collection of Optimo hats and current vintage ** I AM MORE SELECTIVE **.. when new to Ebay..I PAID FOR MY EDUCATION if you know what I mean!!

 

[Fedora]

I am still paying for the education. But I am learning. That last hat went for quite a bit. I have learned one thing. If you find a hat that you really must have, bid as much as you can stand. If it goes for more than that, you didn't need it anyways. Before I assumed this attitude, my cable modem and the refresh button helped me out big time on a couple of hats when the "snipers" showed up. And always, always ask the color of the hat. I just received a purty pea soup green hat. It sure did not look green on ebay. A couple of days later, I saw a hat of questionable color and emailed the seller to ask the color. He seemed put off, and said that the color was as shown on his ad. I don't think I will bid on that one. Fedora

 

[MK]

I am willing to pay as much as I did....if the hat is what I think it is. I have paid too much for other hats......only because when they arrived they were not what they seemed. I would feel a lot better if I paid top dollar if I actually liked the hat and planned on wearing it.

I am very good at marketing and presentation though. So I can usually get what I paid for a hat....and often times more.

We have all seen lame photos and sketchy information (I don't know what size it is but...). I like to present a hat with the best photos and excellent copy. People are more opt to bid higher with confidence when they have more information.

We will see.

So....what do you think of the one I won?

 

[Art Fawcett]

MK, if the condition is good on this hat you didn't pay what it's worth!!! With it being a Dobbs 20, I don't believe it is 60s, but 30s, I don't think you overpaid for it.
I also know who formerblueangel is but will let him step forward as he feels time. Now that i know he snipes though ))) I won't feel too bad.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Fedora, just reread you post and I agree, always ask. For years i had a camera that no matter what i did only 1 of 5 picks came out the right color. Add to it that all monitors show color differently, it pays to ask. Just bought a Cannon G5 a few months ago for the new site and the pics are as accurate as possible on it. What a pleasure to know that the color that is on the screen is actually the color of the hat.

 

[Andykev]

Wanna try an experiment?

I will post a picture of one of the hats in my collection, and pretend it is an Ebay listing. You can tell me what you'd pay for it (bid) if it were on Ebay, and what you might guess it would sell for. You get to ask any questions about size, condition, etc.

This hat won't be for sale, and it is just for fun to see how things can be on these auctions. From what has been posted, I am not alone in either finding a real steal, a true as stated, or rooked on a piece of trash!

Does anyone wanna play? If so I'll post a photo in a new thread on Monday.

Well?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

It was me

I talked to MK about it and all is cool. I was worried I stepped on toes and didn't want to be thought of as a dirtbag. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to my newest hats and will post pics of them all after I shoot new photos of my now refined collection. Have a great day folks.
Dusty

 

[fedoralover]

Alls fair in love, war and auctions. I look forward to seeing some pics.

fedoralover

 

[havershaw]

Yeah...I was on sort of an eBay rampage. Sorry if I peed on anyone's parade. I think the worst is over, now. I'm the proud owner of twenty-five hats, and even with the second hat rack I just bought, I have run out of storage space for my hats, plus I have multiples in almost every color. I've moved into Fedora's camp in the past couple of weeks - I just bid the most I'd pay for a hat and if someone else outbids me, well, I wasn't really willing to pay more than that anyway. I'm a little more into fixer-uppers right now, anyway, having seen the joys of reblocking (there is no joy in replacing the ribbon or sweatband, though).

If I'm ever bidding on a hat, and someone here really had their heart set on a hat, please email or pm me, and I'll back off. I have a ton of hats now and one more isn't going to make me or break me. I've been watching a lot of hats recently, and they're getting kind of expensive. Some of the best hats I got last month went for less than $20. Now, most of the ones I'd consider buying are going for $40 and $50.

Plus...I'm trying hard to save for an Optimo. I figure I should have at least one of those suckers.

 

[Kentucky Blues]

I like your method of saving for an Optimo....spending your money on every other hat out there

 

[havershaw]

yeah...it's maybe not the best system.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

OK got my photo Album up

AS you folks can see, I got rid of a lot of hats from the last time I posted them. Enjoy: http://public.fotki.com/formerblueangel/
Dusty

 

[MK]

Originally posted by havershaw
Yeah...I was on sort of an eBay rampage. Sorry if I peed on anyone's parade. I think the worst is over, now. I'm the proud owner of twenty-five hats, and even with the second hat rack I just bought, I have run out of storage space for my hats, plus I have multiples in almost every color. I've moved into Fedora's camp in the past couple of weeks - I just bid the most I'd pay for a hat and if someone else outbids me, well, I wasn't really willing to pay more than that anyway. I'm a little more into fixer-uppers right now, anyway, having seen the joys of reblocking (there is no joy in replacing the ribbon or sweatband, though).

If I'm ever bidding on a hat, and someone here really had their heart set on a hat, please email or pm me, and I'll back off. I have a ton of hats now and one more isn't going to make me or break me. I've been watching a lot of hats recently, and they're getting kind of expensive. Some of the best hats I got last month went for less than $20. Now, most of the ones I'd consider buying are going for $40 and $50.

Plus...I'm trying hard to save for an Optimo. I figure I should have at least one of those suckers.

25!!! Wow! Nice. What size are you?

Dusty, you have some nice lids. I am envious. Let me know if you need to find homes for any of those.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

MK,
Thanks for the comliment and I do belive they are safe here for the time being
I'll get to 25 here eventually myself but I gotta slow down for a while!
Dusty

 

[havershaw]

MK,
I am a size 7. I have two or three that are 7-1/8 - that's about as big as I'm willing to go, as I have yet to muster the bravery necessary to shrink a hat down and reblock it.

I'm pretty proud of my recently-swollen collection. I'm trying to slow down too. (The prices of late haven't made it all that difficult.) I got my collection up to about where I'd hoped, so for me, it's got to be something unique to my collection (I have a lot of brown hats!), but something I'd still wear every day. If I won't wear it, I don't need it.

By the way, I think I'm going to that Casablanca screening. If any of you would be up for meeting maybe for dinner or something like that, I'd be happy to bring everything I've got. I know a lot fo you have some impressive vintage lids as well, and I'd love to see them. Anyone game?

I got six more hats since the last time I updated my hat gallery - some are real beauties, and some...well, they were beauties...before the moths got ahold of them (a phenomenon which appears to elude the examination of a startling number of eBay sellers). But I'll try to get some photos up in the next week or so.