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

[HatsEnough]

Vita-Felt Playboy, 7 1/8, for a song

I am mad at myself for that, too. I was going to bid on that and got busy with a job and forgot all about the auction.

 

[randooch]

I've said it before: Bowlerman, you crack me up! It's "yarmulke" by the way. (Scrabble fanatic, sorry.)

 

[bowlerman]

Well now you all know I'm not Jewish, because normally I'm a really good speller, honest!

I only wish I knew this hat was a convertible when I bid on "A victorian area mens Aristrocrat Hat, Black in Great Condition. So COOL! "
I think I can work with it, though.

 

[HatsEnough]

An interesting no name hat... interesting because the leather sweatband says "Renovated by John B. Stetson"! Almost $50. A little more than I'd put into it just for the novelty. It looks otherwise unremarkable.

 

[barrowjh]

I interpret this differently, I see "this is a renovated John B Stetson hat" on the sweatband, and not having any reason to presume otherwise, I would say this is a Stetson, and likely renovated by a Stetson dealer, as any other shop would not carry sweatbands embossed that way. We don't know whether or not it was sent back to the factory for rennovation, not sure about that, but if the factory included a rennovation service, it is reasonably likely the hat was rennovated at the factory - the most likely source for a suppy of pre-embossed sweatbands such as this.

 

[suitedcboy]

Wouldn't a genuine Stetson renovation use a sweatband of like quality as original? That looks like a very low grade non-reeded sweat to me.
Since the liner is not Stetson I would assume the hat shop embossed it just to note it was a stetson and not their own product.

 

[HatsEnough]

I interpret this differently, I see "this is a renovated John B Stetson hat" on the sweatband, and not having any reason to presume otherwise, I would say this is a Stetson, and likely renovated by a Stetson dealer, as any other shop would not carry sweatbands embossed that way. We don't know whether or not it was sent back to the factory for rennovation, not sure about that, but if the factory included a rennovation service, it is reasonably likely the hat was rennovated at the factory - the most likely source for a suppy of pre-embossed sweatbands such as this.

The liner shot in the auction shows the hat is not a Stetson, but some other maker (one I don't recognize). I assume it was a hat taken to a Stetson store and rehabed by Stetson. They replaced the sweatband and probably cleaned and reblocked it at that time.

In any case, it went for more than I was willing to pay for it just to have the novelty of a "renovated by Stetson" marking on the sweatband.

 

[HatsEnough]

Wouldn't a genuine Stetson renovation use a sweatband of like quality as original? That looks like a very low grade non-reeded sweat to me.
Since the liner is not Stetson I would assume the hat shop embossed it just to note it was a stetson and not their own product.

Firstly, how would you know what the "like quality" of the original sweatband even was from the info available?

Secondly, why would you assume Stetson would not replace a sweatband with a non-reeded sweat?

Thirdly, your last bit I can't make sense of. A regular old hat shop would not likely be stamping "this is a Stetson" in hats that aren't Stetsons!

I hope some of the more knowledgable Loungers chime in here, but it looks to me that this hat was a house brand hat owned by someone who took it to a Stetson store and had it cleaned, blocked and the sweatband replaced by a Stetson outlet (or at least a Stetson dealer).

 

[HatsEnough]

I can't believe I forgot about this one a wooden Cavanagh hat case went for less than $50. Once again, I got involved in something and totally forgot about the auction. I kinda wanted that one!!

 

[barrowjh]

HatsEnough, I stand by my earlier observation - the sweatband states the hat was a rennovated John B. Stetson, not rennovated by John B. Stetson. So, it could have been rennovated by a custom hatter (source of the liner) and the sweatband was embossed to reflect the source of the hat - so I agree with suitedcboy on this - probably rennovated by a local hatter. However, your third point is also interesting - embossing a sweatband is added cost and trouble, and why would a custom hatter go to that trouble? So, I think suitedcboy's explanation is the most logical, but no matter which way we think, there is still some aspects of the explanation that do not make good sense.

 

[HatsEnough]

HatsEnough, I stand by my earlier observation...

Alright. But I stand by mine. I don't see any logic in a local hatter making a special imprint stamp that says "renovated, John B. Stetson" etc. Further, I don't see Stetson allowing ANYONE to use its name without explicit approval. Stetson has always been very zealous about protecting its name.

It seems to me only a Stetson dealer or an actual corporate Stetson outlet would be allowed to use such a stamp.

But, work is work, so I don't see any logical inconsistency with the idea that some guy brought a house brand hat that is NOT a Stetson to a Stetson corporate store for a renovation. I see no reason to assume that a Stetson corporate store would turn away a customer on a rehab just because the customer was brining in a non-Stetson lid.

To me that is why we have a liner with a no name house brand yet sporting a Stetson marked, renovation sweatband.

Hoooooowever.... I suppose it is equally possible that it IS a Stetson hat that was brought to a local store later where the local guy cleaned it, blocked it, and replaced the original Stetson liner with his own no-name liner.

I guess the only way to be sure is if we could see under the sweatband to see if there are Stetson re-order stickers glued to the felt. That would be the only way to answer if that hat was actually a Stetson or not.

Still, my impression is that it is a house brand that was taken to a Stetson dealer and renovated by Stetson (and is not a Stetson hat).

I guess there is no real way to answer this question unless a lounger bought that hat.

It's fun guessing, tho.

 

[mattface]

This one went kinda under the radar, I have no idea what it is, but I like the shape, kinda Stratolineresque, and the price was right so I snagged it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360403439500

 

[bowlerman]

never had to do this before...

Ok, so I kind of feel like a bit of a heel for contacting the seller of my most recently posted "ragtop" or "disappearing" derby in this thread. I haven't had to do that before.

Not that I sold my soul or anything, but I don't think I would have bid nearly as high, if at all, had I known what appeared to me as some kind of auxiliary hatband seam was actually a 360 degree cut that separated the crown completely from the brim. I asked for a partial refund. Do you fellows think that's reasonable?

The problem is I kinda like it, in a comic type way, but not in a "what I paid for it" type of way...

 

[HatsEnough]

I asked for a partial refund. Do you fellows think that's reasonable?

I would have raised Cain if I had bought a hat and found out that it was cut in half! I think you are showing amazing restraint.

 

[Omne]

Do you fellows think that's reasonable?

Absolutely, there's no way it should have been listed without that information.

 

[mattface]

I asked for a partial refund. Do you fellows think that's reasonable?

More than reasonable. Failure to disclose a major flaw like that is grounds for a full refund. If you really want to keep it and are OK with a partial refund more power too you, but the seller will be required by ebay to issue a full refund if you choose to pursue it.

 

[Rabbit]

Brent 5X Beaver 5.5 x 2 1/2" cav edge, dove, black 22 L ribbon & windcord

Got this one from joshbru3. Thanks Josh, this hat is among my favorites now!
The color is just awesome. It's a little darker than Art's VS Dove, but otherwise similar: a light grey with lavender undertones.

 

[Rabbit]

Disney Homburg 2 1/4" brim, dark brown w/ brown 19 L ribbon

 

[Rabbit]

Mallory 2 1/2" brim, dark brown w/ brown 19 L ribbon

 

[Rabbit]

Resistol Kitten Finish Beaver Fifteen 2 3/8" cav edge, unlined, thin felt, dark brown