Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

[ccorsair]

Just a this one got grabbed up http://www.ebay.com/itm/251643514062?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT Nice color and style wish had the fund for that one to try for.. I know the seller . I think he was selling that for someone. hope some on here got it.

 

[hatsRme]

:thumb:

It's always better to be lucky than good. This is really good and lucky! Congrats, Rick!

 

[fedoracentric]

Just a this one get grabbed up http://www.ebay.com/itm/251643514062?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Love the felt. Not thrilled about the ribbon color. $60 is a fantastic price!

 

[Rick Blaine]

It's always better to be lucky than good. This is really good and lucky! Congrats, Rick!

Thanks, I am CHUFFED! We've got more 80+ degree days upcoming, I'm sure.

 

[RJR]

Very nice BB!

 

[gimebakmybulits]

:thumb:

Nice! I almost pulled the trigger on that one when it popped up in my email but it would have been one more thing to explain to the wife this week. Will you please post some pic's when you have it in your possession? Kind of kicking myself because 7 5/8's don't roll around that often.
John

 

[Guardian Enzo]

I'm sure this is a bit of a noob question (and I'm not even completely sure it's the right place for it) but to thine own noob be true... It seems to be a generally held truism that vintage fedoras are going to be of a higher quality than even very high-end and custom contemporary ones. But there likewise seems to be a broad agreement that the golden age ended with the 1960's, in which hat demand cratered. Yet many if not most of the "vintage" hats on Ebay - especially those that sell at a reasonable price and would fit those of us with big candy-apple heads - date from the 1960's.

There seems to be a bit of a dissonance there. If indeed one is looking mostly at hats from the 1960's, is that still "vintage" enough to be a worthwhile pursuit? If one likes the styling of the hat itself, how will a hat from Dobbs, Knox or Stetson et al compare in terms of quality - materials, workmanship etc.?

 

[alanfgag]

It's a very good question and one that has received a good bit of past discussion and will probably get new responses here.

The 1960s was the last decade for Stetson as a manufacturing company and near the end of an era for most hat companies and many hat retailers as well. Contemporary hat makers try very hard to replicate the best of what went before though the materials and equipment are harder or impossible to source. This is one of the reasons that many here are interested in vintage shopping.

After handling quite a few hats, my collection has come to focus on hats produced prior to WWII, with the exception of European makers which seem to have continued the traditions and aesthetics of earlier decades through the 1950s and into the 1960s. This is my personal preference, which gives a nod to my interest in history as well as to hats. I am also of an age where I still have and wear stuff I bought in the 1960s, so the earlier decades hold more mystery to me.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Thanks for that, Alan. Interesting. It sounds to me as if you feel as if quality in the objective sense - materials, finishing, construction - was not as good with American hatmakers in the 60's as it was earlier, which is consistent with what I've read.

Still, that does leave those of us who wear larger sizes and have limited budgets on the horns of a dilemma, because WW II and earlier hats that meet those criteria are not easy to find. And thus, having to decide if the product of the 60's is indeed worth pursuing at the expense of modern stock.

 

[alanfgag]

Quality is subjective, as some enjoy the stiffness and firmness that Stetson hats displayed in the mid 1950s and beyond. I prefer the qualities found in earlier decades of American hats. European hats made in the decade following the end of WWII are very much like their pre-war brothers. It is a challenge to find examples in larger sizes, though some of our members who wear 7 1/4 - 7 3/8 have amassed extraordinary collections. Larger than that, the stock thins considerably.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

What would be a particular recommendation for European hats of that period, besides the likes of Borsalino and Wormser? Panizza, Barbisio?

 

[gtdean48]

.... It is a challenge to find examples in larger sizes, though some of our members who wear 7 1/4 - 7 3/8 have amassed extraordinary collections. Larger than that, the stock thins considerably.

As Alan accurately states, amassing a deep vintage collection in the larger sizes is challenging but not impossible. I know 2 that have grown & pruned collections at 7 3/8 & 7 1/2, while mine is 7 5/8. Some others here in the Lounge benefited from pruning & narrowing of those collections. That is part of the fun. Having Akubras, Stetsons, Biltmores & Beaver Brands that were made recently to wear day-to-day plus customs that replicate on discontinued vintage style while hunting down those vintage ones is a big plus.

 

[alanfgag]

What would be a particular recommendation for European hats of that period, besides the likes of Borsalino and Wormser? Panizza, Barbisio?

Borsalino, Panizza and Barbisio, all Italian and all excellent into the 1950s and somewhat beyond. There are threads here dedicated to each. Wormser was an American brand. A look at the German/Austrian thread will also show many fine examples of postwar era hats to covet. And then there are the French hats and...

 

[tropicalbob]

With a 7 7/8 head, I've pretty much given up on vintage, as the very few that do show up on ebay, Etsy, or this forum usually either aren't exactly what I'm really looking for, or they're over-priced. Last summer I got my first VS, and I'm so happy with it that I've decided to stick with Art Fawcett and maybe check out Northwest Hats.

 

[hatsRme]

Good idea, Tropical B. I, too wear an impossible-to-fit 7-7/8 (although sometimes the next size down can be convinced to fit). Don't forget to check out the work of Bob Jessee, at Black Sheep. Over the years, Ebay has turned up only a couple in our size (that I would consider).

 

[fedoracentric]

Personally, I don't consider any fedora made after 1960 to be "vintage." The only hats I consider "vintage" made after 1960 are those that were very specific (such as the denim hat that JJ Walker wore in the TV show "Good Times." That would be "vintage" because it as quite specific to an era and purpose.) But regular fedoras and cowboy hats after 1960 I feel should be called contemporary.

As mentioned above, a hat made in the 60s and 70s is vastly different in feel and quality than hats made before the 60s.

Sadly, you are right to note that hats larger than 7-1/4 made before 1960 are a lot harder to come by. They are out there and patience and money is required to get them on ebay. But it is far easier to find size 6-7/8 to 7-1/8 than larger sizes.

To me, if I had a big head I'd likely be buying Art's hats or Optimo's or Mike Moore's or those of any modern speciality hatter. I would likely not have the patience to wait so long for the right ebay opportunity.

 

[Guardian Enzo]

Thanks again for that insight. One takeaway from all this is that if one had the choice of a hat from a "lesser" label like Lee or Mallory from the 50's or earlier and a hat from a higher-end company like Knox or Dobbs from the 60's, they'd be better served to rely on vintage rather than name...

 

[jlee562]

I'm sure this is a bit of a noob question (and I'm not even completely sure it's the right place for it) but to thine own noob be true... It seems to be a generally held truism that vintage fedoras are going to be of a higher quality than even very high-end and custom contemporary ones. But there likewise seems to be a broad agreement that the golden age ended with the 1960's, in which hat demand cratered. Yet many if not most of the "vintage" hats on Ebay - especially those that sell at a reasonable price and would fit those of us with big candy-apple heads - date from the 1960's.

There seems to be a bit of a dissonance there. If indeed one is looking mostly at hats from the 1960's, is that still "vintage" enough to be a worthwhile pursuit? If one likes the styling of the hat itself, how will a hat from Dobbs, Knox or Stetson et al compare in terms of quality - materials, workmanship etc.?

In a word, yes. Owing to their availability, much of my collection is from the 50's and 60's. They're quite nice hats. Of course, now that I have a 40's Stetson, I surely appreciate the difference; but, generally speaking, I would say go for the 60's hats.

Resistol is, IMHO an overlooked brand, possibly because they're associated purely with western styles now, but I have some 60's Resistol fedoras which are great hats.

 

[tropicalbob]

I've given up on sizing down because I always wind up with a hat that doesn't really fit. And as for the current makers, I got a Stetson "Milan" that I would swear is plastic, and a Borsolino that's supposed to be my size but is a trifle snug. The VS I got is a straw, but Art included some samples of his felt in the box, and the Borso felt couldn't hold a candle to it.

 

[tropicalbob]

Oh, and to HatsRme, thanks for the tip.