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

[Brad Bowers]

I have noticed Dobbs in good condition with brims in the 2-1/2 to 3’ size have been bring good prices for ebay sellers as compared to say Knox. This is contrary to what I would expect base on the rating of Dobbs in the vintage hat makers thread where Dobbs was labled as the basic Chevy band in a line of hat bands produce by a single large hat manufacturing company Hat Corp. of America. I recently purchased a thin ribbon Dobbs twenty in pristine condition for about $230 with a 2-7/8 brim from ebay. I did mention in the Dobbs thread my Dobbs twenty could go toe to toe with any of my Stetson 7 clears and that each the hat bands in the band of hats manufactured by Hat Corp. of America, including Dobbs, Dunlap, Cavanagh, Knox, Crofut &Knapp have different quality lines with in their band like 15, 20, 40, 50. 100. My point is I do not consider Dobbs to be of inferior quality to the other hats in the HCOA group and recent sales price on ebay show other agreed.

You are right in that all of the HCA brands had various levels and prices of hats. I would put higher-end Dobbs hats up against anybody's higher-end hats anytime.

The comparison with GM and their similar brand positioning was made in late-1956 by Bernard Salesky, after the Salesky acquired control of Hat Corporation of America. It was the Salesky that wanted to position their brands thusly. I doubt John Cavanagh and his successors saw their brands positioned like GM brands, but there is some comparison that is valid. Dobbs was their number one selling brand, their mass-market brand, if you will, and had been since early in the century. Cavanagh was the top end brand by anyone's standards, with a built-in exclusivity and cachet to the name, so a comparison to Cadillac is fair. I'm not quite sure where Knox fit in, but in terms of marketable cachet it might have been in between Dobbs and Cavanagh. Dunlap was always a lower-priced brand, and remained so under HCA. I've never figured out where C&K fit into the HCA scheme after 1932, but it has seemed to me to be the "forgotten man" in the lineup.

Brad

 

[ScottF]

Funny, I was watching the same one, but refrained from hitting the "bid" button. Man that was tough, lol.

There were a lot of great 7 1/4 hats that ended on ebay yesterday - I had taken the Knox off my snipe list, simply because I was sure I would win 2-3 of the others and would be broke. But rlk took those others off my list, so I think the Knox was just a survivor of a hat war of attrition.

 

[ScottF]

I have noticed Dobbs in good condition with brims in the 2-1/2 to 3’ size have been bring good prices for ebay sellers as compared to say Knox. This is contrary to what I would expect base on the rating of Dobbs in the vintage hat makers thread where Dobbs was labled as the basic Chevy band in a line of hat bands produce by a single large hat manufacturing company Hat Corp. of America. I recently purchased a thin ribbon Dobbs twenty in pristine condition for about $230 with a 2-7/8 brim from ebay. I did mention in the Dobbs thread my Dobbs twenty could go toe to toe with any of my Stetson 7 clears and that each the hat bands in the band of hats manufactured by Hat Corp. of America, including Dobbs, Dunlap, Cavanagh, Knox, Crofut &Knapp have different quality lines with in their band like 15, 20, 40, 50. 100. My point is I do not consider Dobbs to be of inferior quality to the other hats in the HCOA group and recent sales price on ebay show other agreed.

Regarding that Dobbs Twenty and its "sort of high" price: it only takes two bidders who really want something badly. I think people miss this point. If two people bid what they are willing to pay, not what they would LIKE to pay, then things like this happen.

This was a minty high-quality hat with sort of unusual felt color. There are at least two collectors of minty, high-quality 7 3/8 vintage fedoras who put in "I win - go away" bids for such hats. I think the newcomer has gotten tired of losing, and is testing the ceiling.

I've seen this same thing happen with vintage high-quality pool cues, with pre-wwii photos by famous photographers - with something as esoteric as 1909-11 Ty Cobb baseball cards with a particular back advertisement...actually, with just about everything collectible that I've ever been involved with. At $450, these are no longer just 'old hats' - they are collectible, almost investments. But it's a very specific bubble that can disappear at any time. Basically, unless the few people who are temporarily setting the market can convince everyone else in that market that this is long-term, when they exit the market, it plunges back to normal. Tough for 2-3 people to keep this up over the long-term.

Having said that, the value is still there - when a new Borso of lesser quality goes for $450, who can argue about a basically-new fedora of better quality, with features that are no longer available (e.g-Cav edge), going for the same?

 

[Tango Yankee]

Well said, Scott!!!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Garrett]

Indeed, good form Scott :eusa_clap

 

[Tooch]

Stetson Flagship

Just landed a Stetson Flagship in what should be a wearable almost-7 1/8 size if the seller's measurements are accurate. Looks to be in good condition, too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350269077212

Nobody tell my wife, please!

 

[Mario]

With the measurements provided by the seller (7 1/2" by 6"), the circumference should be roughly around 21.22", which would place it between 6 3/4 and 6 7/8...

I thought about bidding on that one, but I didn't really trust the measurements and so I chickened out a few hours ago.

Anyway: $42 for a Flagship is a real steal. Good luck...!

 

[Mario]

Oops...I just now read the addendum: precisely 22"...yes, that'd shift it up into the 7 1/8 range. Well, what can I say? Congrats! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Tooch]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the second measurement is more accurate than the first.

 

[Mario]

I'm with you, bro!

 

[mayserwegener]

Peschel & Borsalino

I won this size 59cm gray Peschel for $1.48.

Also this size 59cm black Borsalino for $23.00.

They are a both a mystery at this point but the price was right.

 

[Dreispitz]

I won this size 59cm gray Peschel for $1.48.

Also this size 59cm black Borsalino for $23.00.

They are a both a mystery at this point but the price was right.

I am curious about the Borsalino! I did bid 15 EURO

Congratulations :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Mario]

I won this size 59cm gray Peschel for $1.48.

Another Peschel - I can't believe it!!

Congrats! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Please post some more photos as soon as it has arrived!

 

[mayserwegener]

I am curious about the Borsalino! I did bid 15 EURO

Congratulations :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

I am too. Sorry but payback for the black Mayser.

Another Peschel - I can't believe it!!

Congrats! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Please post some more photos as soon as it has arrived!

I am not sure what to make of it from the picture but the price was right.

I will post better pics when they arrive.

 

[Garrett]

Was hoping to win this but it went a little high for my current budget.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300359628948&_trkparms=tab=Watching

 

[4and1]

Was hoping to win this but it went a little high for my current budget.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300359628948&_trkparms=tab=Watching

I can't imagine the 'dumbest comments' you would have gotten wearing that around town!

 

[Garrett]

I can't imagine the 'dumbest comments' you would have gotten wearing that around town!

Wouldn't ever wear it but the comments would probably still be something like "hey indy" - people are that far gone.....especially in this town.

 

[colps]

great buy on that borsalino can't go wrong at that price!

 

[ScottF]

HAPPY PRE-HALLOWEEN!!!

Wouldn't ever wear it but the comments would probably still be something like "hey indy" - people are that far gone.....especially in this town.

Garrett, I know exactly what you mean. Today I wore what should have been trivially obvious, even to the most casual of observors, as a vintage Cavanagh derby, worn with a couple of tasteful barnacle shells, and I'm hearing such tripe as, "Hey, where's your bullwhip!", and "You sucked in Star Wars!"

Where is the justice?

(Don't mess with me - I WILL come at you like a spider monkey!)

 

[colps]

Sir i must say you look quite dapper this evening!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap