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

[mayserwegener]

Justin, Great to see this old American Velour. Super find!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Greetings All:
Totally out of control with this one!
When i see prices like this it insures i will never buy from this shop!
Nice hat of course. Sure hope it’s not a lounger.
B

 

[TheOldFashioned]

I didn't need another black derby (have to figure out how I'm going to explain this one to the wife), but for $7 the shipping is going to cost more than the hat:

(Seller's pics)


Sweatband is partially detached but the body appears to be in perfect shape. Quick research on Hurd's history probably places this in the mid-late 1920s when they opened a second shop in East Lansing. This would surpass my early 30s Stetson derby and become my oldest piece.

 

[Just Daniel]

I think these are aimed directly at the Japanese market, where someone may be paying these prices. Some of the other guys have mentioned the same.

Daniel

View attachment 158328 Greetings All:
Totally out of control with this one!
When i see prices like this it insures i will never buy from this shop!
Nice hat of course. Sure hope it’s not a lounger.
B

 

[Steinbockhase]

I think these are aimed directly at the Japanese market, where someone may be paying these prices. Some of the other guys have mentioned the same.

Daniel

I have also noticed hat offers for ridiculous prices on eBay Japan (when you search world wide).
Very strange; why would a Japanese collector pay that kind of money, if he can buy a similar hat abroad for much less even including 100$ shipping!? Does Japan have extra, extra high customs duty on vintage hats?

 

[Just Daniel]

Do you remember the Japanese fad for used US Levi’s jeans in the 80-90s? It created and then inflated and exploded the market for vintage jeans.

Japanese hipsters may be looking at US hats. I know Justin has mentioned selling that way, among others.

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/22/...n-jeans-power-a-thriving-industry-abroad.html

I have also noticed hat offers for ridiculous prices on eBay Japan (when you search world wide).
Very strange; why would a Japanese collector pay that kind of money, if he can buy a similar hat abroad for much less even including 100$ shipping!? Does Japan have extra, extra high customs duty on vintage hats?

 

[Rmccamey]

Was just in Milan Italy. A pair of $40 Levi's was 120 Euros!!!

Do you remember the Japanese fad for used US Levi’s jeans in the 80-90s? It created and then inflated and exploded the market for vintage jeans.

Japanese hipsters may be looking at US hats. I know Justin has mentioned selling that way, among others.

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/22/...n-jeans-power-a-thriving-industry-abroad.html

 

[jlee562]

View attachment 158328 Greetings All:
Totally out of control with this one!
When i see prices like this it insures i will never buy from this shop!
Nice hat of course. Sure hope it’s not a lounger.
B

I have an identical looking playboy which I'm assuming must be of the same approximate vintage...and I gotta say the one I have is not nearly as fine as my (slightly) earlier Playboy. The felt is nice and soft, but this one is noticeably thicker than it's earlier iteration.

Do you remember the Japanese fad for used US Levi’s jeans in the 80-90s? It created and then inflated and exploded the market for vintage jeans.

Japanese hipsters may be looking at US hats. I know Justin has mentioned selling that way, among others.

https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/22/...n-jeans-power-a-thriving-industry-abroad.html

Here's some pages from the Stetson spread in Clutch Magazine from a few months ago....there certainly seems like there's a market there:

 

[Tukwila]

View attachment 158328 Greetings All:
Totally out of control with this one!
When i see prices like this it insures i will never buy from this shop!
Nice hat of course. Sure hope it’s not a lounger.
B

But... Fast n Free shipping!

IIRC, this one has been posted several times over the past many months.

 

[drmaxtejeda]

But... Fast n Free shipping!

IIRC, this one has been posted several times over the past many months.

What's IIRC?
Never mind. Found it on Google

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Totally out of control with this one!

If it's priced out of your league, then it's out of your league. I don't get all the brouhaha on pricing or pretending to know this sellers market.

Very strange; why would a Japanese collector pay that kind of money...

The same reason containers full of vintage bubbler jukeboxes were going out on ship to Germany after the Berlin Wall came down. And restored mega $$ 1957 Chevrolets. Those who grew up repressed (& depressed) under Communism in the 1950's & 1960's now had the freedom & economic means to make up for lost time.

 

[Bamaboots]

Here's some pages from the Stetson spread in Clutch Magazine from a few months
ago

Even shows an Alabama model.

 

[Steinbockhase]

Those who grew up repressed (& depressed) under Communism in the 1950's & 1960's now had the freedom & economic means to make up for lost time.

So this is your explanation why Japanese are willing to pay outrageous prices for vintage hats?
Thus the Japanese were some how "repressed" the last few decades? It surely wasn't Communism.
To my knowledge Japan has had freedom and economic strength for quite some time now. So what are they making up for?

 

[Bamaboots]

I think much of it has to do with the Japanese craving many things made here or repros of such and the willingness to unload piles of cash to have it. Similar to a time when many of us here craved high end electronics from Japan. If ever in Nashville, check out Gruhn guitars. One of the finest purveyors of vintage string instruments in the country. In the early 2000's, appraisers there told me just about any high end Strat they came across was headed to Japan as well as other electrics and acoustics. Don't know if the market is still as strong. I know of a retired Army Sgt. that was stationed there for years and every time he returned to the states he returned to Japan with a load of used cowboy boots. He made a lot of money at that. What the market will bear.

 

[alanfgag]

So this is your explanation why Japanese are willing to pay outrageous prices for vintage hats?

Starting or BIN seller prices do not a market indicate. Sold listing links would be more useful when illustrating the outrageous inflation in vintage hat prices.

 

[alanfgag]

Here is a link to some of last week's completed vintage hat auction.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

To my knowledge Japan has had freedom and economic strength for quite some time now.

Specific to the Japanese you made my point. And I haven’t looked in a while but they usually have the advantage in the exchange rate over the US dollar. The $900.00 hat doesn’t cost them $900.00. They like to buy fine vintage things of significance from the Western world, fine art, etc. And they can afford it.

More to the point, it’s no concern of mine what a seller asks or buyer pays for something. Why should it be?

 

[Tukwila]

I think much of it has to do with the Japanese craving many things made here or repros of such and the willingness to unload piles of cash to have it. Similar to a time when many of us here craved high end electronics from Japan. If ever in Nashville, check out Gruhn guitars. One of the finest purveyors of vintage string instruments in the country. In the early 2000's, appraisers there told me just about any high end Strat they came across was headed to Japan as well as other electrics and acoustics. Don't know if the market is still as strong. I know of a retired Army Sgt. that was stationed there for years and every time he returned to the states he returned to Japan with a load of used cowboy boots. He made a lot of money at that. What the market will bear.

Same thing happened with high end saxophones. The Selmer Mark VI alto, made in Paris, France, is a worldwide favorite and it's not made anymore. Supply and demand has crazy expensive sales prices connected to these horns, and others, as they head to Japan.

Stupidest move I ever made was selling my early 60s Mark VI with the optional high F# key. It was a screaming horn and rare to begin with...

 

[Frunobulax]

Pie-in-the-sky prices drive up the expectations of sellers with little to no knowledge of the market. This skews the market for those looking to participate in it. This affects all of us who collect and enjoy collecting anything.

On the flip side, I've had Japanese buyers pay too bloody much for hats I've listed, and have happily taken their money. (shrug)

Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Pie-in-the-sky prices drive up the expectations of sellers with little to no knowledge of the market. This skews the market for those looking to participate in it. This affects all of us who collect and enjoy collecting anything.

On the flip side, I've had Japanese buyers pay too bloody much for hats I've listed, and have happily taken their money. (shrug)

Sent directly from my mind to yours.

Exactly!!