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

[alanfgag]

... I WAS suspicious about the shipping fee being only $5. Hindsight being 20/20 I should have asked about it, but it never occurred to me that anyone would stuff 2 hats into a padded envelope. I would have been happy to pay more for shipping if the seller had asked rather than receive them in an envelope.

I've posted this suggestion previously... add a comment with your payment thanking the seller in advance for careful packaging and shipping. I find it helps.

cheers,
Alan

 

[Iyor]

I've posted this suggestion previously... add a comment with your payment thanking the seller in advance for careful packaging and shipping. I find it helps.

cheers,
Alan

Me too. Since I had an issue once I always ask the seller to please package securely and I always get a positive reply.

 

[alanfgag]

The only thing I would add is to make special note with very light color hats. I've twice had sellers use crumpled newspaper without wrapping the hat first in tissue or plastic. If the newspaper is the NY Times, it makes quite a mess.

 

[Lefty]

If anyone got this one from O'Neil's, please post it in the Ohio thread. I walk by the building 5 days a week.

 

[Lefty]

a 7 3/8 Borso in great condition is regularly one of the most expensive hats on the bay. This one was no exception.

 

[mattface]

I literally want to cry right now. Why would somebody DO something like this to a beautiful vintage Panama? It was a really lovely hat, now it's garbage, all because some guy wanted to save $2 on shipping. I am so furious I don't know what to do.

It's been a VERY bad week for stupidly packed crushed hats. THere is no steaming this one out.






http://www.ebay.com/itm/27084686238...NX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648#ht_500wt_1212
you can see what it originally looked like before he jammed a nice tall crown into a 3.5" tall box! The thing was beautiful too. Nice fine weave. finer than anything I've ever had anyway, and the sweat is pristine. looks like the hat was probably never even worn. What a tragic waste. OK now I cry

 

[4spurs]

Send it back and demand a full refund including your shipping, and if they give you any BS about it file a complaint with eBay and they will resolve it in your favor after taking a look at these photos, be certain to use the listing photos as "before" photos and your photos as the "after" photos.

 

[mattface]

Send it back and demand a full refund including your shipping, and if they give you any BS about it file a complaint with eBay and they will resolve it in your favor after taking a look at these photos, be certain to use the listing photos as "before" photos and your photos as the "after" photos.

I'm way ahead of you. first thing I did after pulling it out of the box was take those pictures. the second thing was to email the seller demanding a full refund. Even when I get my full refund though it won't take away the heartbreak of seeing what happened to this hat.

 

[bowlerman]

Oh good lord... Glad you were able to restore some of the felts, but that Panama is a travesty. You have my sympathy.

I think someone got a pretty sweet deal on these. I've spent more than I really should have lately, or would have jumped on them last weekend. Anyone here?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110759995035?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

[4spurs]

"Even when I get my full refund though it won't take away the heartbreak of seeing what happened to this hat."

I'm with you on that.

 

[mattface]

So the seller refunded my money, and did not ask for the hat back. I steamed it out, and I'm not sure if that doesn't just make me more sad. It fits perfectly, and it bounced back to shape pretty well. I just wish there was an undo button for those holes. I guess I'll try to repair them rather than throw it out. Does anyone have any recommendations for patching a hole like this so that it looks fairly good? I'm thinking maybe rubber cement along the tear, and some thin cotton glued on the back side to hold it together. Panama Bob says on his website that he can do a weave repair. It just seems such a horrible shame not to do something with it.

 

[alanfgag]

That is such a shame... sorry to see it.

My suggestion would be to get a roll of 2" clear PVC packing tape. I would suggest this type over the more common poly packing tape... stronger adhesive and more flexible when conforming to the shape of the repair. Form the weave back into place and apply a piece of tape on the inside of the hat, pressing firmly from both sides to get the adhesive bonded to the surface of the straw. It will hold well and if you align the broken ends of the weave carefully, can make an almost invisible repair. It's not a terrible thing to have a working straw hat for the hot sweaty days of summer.

If you are interested and have trouble sourcing the tape, send me a message. We use this at work and I should be able to find you a partial roll.

good luck!
Alan

 

[RBH]

Good advice Alan, I have also used surgical tape to do 'repairs' such as this.
Used on the inside it is not seen. I have also put it in the pinch of some of my straws to prevent a break.

 

[mattface]

That is such a shame... sorry to see it.

My suggestion would be to get a roll of 2" clear PVC packing tape. I would suggest this type over the more common poly packing tape... stronger adhesive and more flexible when conforming to the shape of the repair. Form the weave back into place and apply a piece of tape on the inside of the hat, pressing firmly from both sides to get the adhesive bonded to the surface of the straw. It will hold well and if you align the broken ends of the weave carefully, can make an almost invisible repair. It's not a terrible thing to have a working straw hat for the hot sweaty days of summer.

If you are interested and have trouble sourcing the tape, send me a message. We use this at work and I should be able to find you a partial roll.

good luck!
Alan

Thanks Alan, I think I'm going to try fabric rather than tape if I try to patch it. I might just salvage the pug and the sweat, and get rid of the body so it doesn't make me sad every time I look at it. Your suggestion did make me wonder about something though. I've got some old hat boxes in need of taping, and I'm wondering if the PVC tape would be a better choice than the more common stuff.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Acid free linen fine art mounting tape is your' best bet, however Doc, that one looks as though it was DOA. So sad.

 

[T Rick]

Someone outbid me on this potential Stratoliner pin, but this one came in the mail a few days ago. Anyone here get the other? (And does the one I got look like the same pin to you? Has no paint on it, but looks nice).

 

[T Rick]

Thanks Alan, I think I'm going to try fabric rather than tape if I try to patch it. I might just salvage the pug and the sweat, and get rid of the body so it doesn't make me sad every time I look at it. Your suggestion did make me wonder about something though. I've got some old hat boxes in need of taping, and I'm wondering if the PVC tape would be a better choice than the more common stuff.

Any glue you use on the cloth is liable to bleed through and show I think, and rubber cement on the outside will look horrible. I'd suggest contacting Bob and emailing him the pics. If he can do a weave repair, that's probably your best bet. Otherwise, I'd go with the tape of some sort (the linen which is a cloth product sounds promising if it has strong adhesion). If it doesn't work, the clear PVC tape Alan mentions sounds the ticket.

Whatever way you go, sorry it came in like that. I've only had a couple come in scrunched up so far, and they weren't straws. Still very saddening.

 

[rlk]

Fuzzy felt self-ribbon unlined Knox Superfine

some strange but low bidding. Looks like some under-band padding.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330638188163#ht_4675wt_1398

 

[alanfgag]

Early Stetson medallion crest homburg premier quality (1920s?), soiled, bashed and hiding in the shadows of the prettier green RDS size 7 that ended a few minutes before.

 

[Marshall]

Okay, I just have to lament this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170728538837

Beautiful Dobbs Fifteen 7 3/8 BIN for $87. It looked like there might be some minor stains on the outside, so I sent a message asking about that and the price of shipping. Twenty minutes later I check back and see that the seller has accepted an offer for $70. A real shame. :eusa_doh: