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

[zetwal]

That's an Aberecrobie & Fitch moderator ...

 

[fmw]

I think the hat, ribbon and cigar coordinate really well.

 

[alanfgag]

I'd love to hear more about this hat. My father sent me one for my birthday this year... he's an enthusiastic thrift shopper - he found it at one of his haunts. Hard to tell from these auction pics, but it looks like the same animal. I also have no idea what to do with mine... and I can wear a lot of different hats.

Which of A&F's nine lives is this from? Mine doesn't appear old enough to have come from the iconic NYC store that closed in 1977. I fondly remember walking around this store as a kid. It was the place to outfit safaris, buy a gun to shoot at elephants or a handmade cedar canoe. The contemporary A&F stores have quite a different style and fragrance... no relation to the original other than the purchased name.

??

 

[hatophile]

I'd love to hear more about this hat. My father sent me one for my birthday this year... he's an enthusiastic thrift shopper - he found it at one of his haunts. Hard to tell from these auction pics, but it looks like the same animal. I also have no idea what to do with mine... and I can wear a lot of different hats.

Which of A&F's nine lives is this from? Mine doesn't appear old enough to have come from the iconic NYC store that closed in 1977. I fondly remember walking around this store as a kid. It was the place to outfit safaris, buy a gun to shoot at elephants or a handmade cedar canoe. The contemporary A&F stores have quite a different style and fragrance... no relation to the original other than the purchased name.

??

It appears the contemporary A and F caters to the young and restless crowd and has little or nothing to do with adventure, other than scouring the beach for scantily clad members of the opposite sex.
My wife's father bought a number of those straw pith helmets years ago to wear with kilts when attending or playing pipes at Scottish Highland Games. I have one of those I have used for yard work, etc. I am not sure what make it is, or even where it is right now.
I think the hats are great for summer wear, and Alan, the way you wear other hats, I think you could pull it off quite nicely. Just my 2c worth.
By the way, mine is not anywhere near as nice as this one looks.

 

[fmw]

Bull Moose, I feel just like you do and that's why I quit buying on Ebay. Truthfully, I'm not interested in wearing used hats unless they get completely cleaned and restored, making them more expensive than new hats which I prefer anyway. My advice is to leave Ebay alone, buy fewer and better hats. There are some custom hatters that do wondrous work and some are as affordable as factory hats. You get the size you want, the color you want, the style you want. What's not to love?

 

[HatsEnough]

There are some custom hatters that do wondrous work and some are as affordable as factory hats. You get the size you want, the color you want, the style you want. What's not to love?

... conversely, I can buy 10 hats on ebay for the price of a custom. I simply can't afford high-end customs. And I have to disagree with the claim that factory made hats from today are just as good as vintage. I find modern factory made fedoras to pale in comparison to just about any vintage hat. Newer made fedoras just don't have "it." I know many feel they are fine, but to my mind they just aren't.

As to worrying about wearing someone else's hat... I don't worry about it at all. Nearly every vintage hat on ebay has gone unworn for decades, so if you're worried about previous owner kooties, I wouldn't worry overmuch about it. Chances are, the kooties and the original owner are long dead at this point.

Of course, there are two things that tend to make this stance easier on me compared to others. My size is a 7 or 7-1/8. So, there are a ton of vintage hats in my size to get. Most of them never worn, too. I know it's harder and more expensive to buy larger sized vintage. I think I might tend toward brand new ones if a vintage hat was going to cost just as much as an Art Fawcet or an Optimo! The second thing is that I just like antiques, so I think I'm predisposed to think older is better.

As they say, other's mileage may vary.

 

[T Rick]

Bull Moose, I feel just like you do and that's why I quit buying on Ebay. Truthfully, I'm not interested in wearing used hats unless they get completely cleaned and restored, making them more expensive than new hats which I prefer anyway. My advice is to leave Ebay alone, buy fewer and better hats. There are some custom hatters that do wondrous work and some are as affordable as factory hats. You get the size you want, the color you want, the style you want. What's not to love?

That's a very valid argument for Custom (and other newly manufactured hats, including the repro/retro styles that continue to trickle out of places like Garland). And I think it is EXCELLENT advice, particularly for those in or near the size of 7 1/8 D).

Seriously, I like the looks of your new Whippet, and hope to get one in the not too distant future (if I ever slow down on the vintage buys which I will be doing soon...).

OTOH, I do love the classic/vintage hats, and have no problems wearing them. The majority I buy I doubt have even been worn for a decade or two, or more. Then again, I shave with antique razors every day, many of which are over 100 years old (all properly cleaned/sterilized and of course, NEW blades).

In the mean time, I sure do hope this one fits! Nice vintage Stratoliner I just snagged in the 'Bay, wasn't properly advertised but obviously I wasn't the only bidder to read the fine print or examine the pics (both of which revealed the Stratoliner Moniker). Actually, spotted this one the other day, and TBH I set my bid (yes, snipe service) far higher than I should have, but was intent on bringing this one home. I did end up watching it go off live, and could have bid manually, so the service is a non-issue in this case.

It's a 7 1/8 Long Oval. I normally wear a standard 7 1/8, but the part that is tightest (if at all) is usually the front and back, so I am hopeful this one will work out (if not, I'll pass it on, something I won't do is stockpile a bunch of hats I won't wear!).

We've all got our own preferences. This one was a must for me. Apologies if I outbid any Members here, but rest assured, it would have cost you MUCH more than a few extra bucks in your bid to wrap it up and take it home. Pics along with my application to the Stratoliner Society when it arrives .

 

[Jedwbpm]

Bull Moose, I feel just like you do and that's why I quit buying on Ebay. Truthfully, I'm not interested in wearing used hats unless they get completely cleaned and restored, making them more expensive than new hats which I prefer anyway. My advice is to leave Ebay alone, buy fewer and better hats. There are some custom hatters that do wondrous work and some are as affordable as factory hats. You get the size you want, the color you want, the style you want. What's not to love?

I tend to agree with you most of the time. However on this one if you are buying a Western Hat every idiot that goes to Texas or the southwest on vacation ends up buying a western hat then never wearing it back at home. Kind of like my Mouse Ears from Walt Disney World. So you can get new are almost as close as new for great prices.

Jeff

 

[Lefty]

... conversely, I can buy 10 hats on ebay for the price of a custom. I simply can't afford high-end customs. And I have to disagree with the claim that factory made hats from today are just as good as vintage. I find modern factory made fedoras to pale in comparison to just about any vintage hat. Newer made fedoras just don't have "it." I know many feel they are fine, but to my mind they just aren't.

As to worrying about wearing someone else's hat... I don't worry about it at all. Nearly every vintage hat on ebay has gone unworn for decades, so if you're worried about previous owner kooties, I wouldn't worry overmuch about it. Chances are, the kooties and the original owner are long dead at this point.

Of course, there are two things that tend to make this stance easier on me compared to others. My size is a 7 or 7-1/8. So, there are a ton of vintage hats in my size to get. Most of them never worn, too. I know it's harder and more expensive to buy larger sized vintage. I think I might tend toward brand new ones if a vintage hat was going to cost just as much as an Art Fawcet or an Optimo! The second thing is that I just like antiques, so I think I'm predisposed to think older is better.

As they say, other's mileage may vary.

Even in larger sizes, the ebay hunt can yield great results to a patient buyer. I've only paid over $100 for five of the (edit to add "vintage") hats I've owned, and have purchased a Stetson 100 ($125 with case, shipped), 7xCB (around $200 with case, shipped), and 25 (around $175 with box, shipped) for less than the cost of a new Optimo. I'll never find great deals with the frequency of HatsEnough, but I know they're out there.

 

[mayserwegener]

I buy the occasional modern production hat. Sure they don't match top quality vintage production hats (some of them were dogs too) but there are still some nice ones at a lower price point than custom. I am not much into the custom world because I prefer felts + finishes that are either no longer available or if available pale in comparison to top quality vintage. The custom hatters are sourcing their felt from a limitted number of suppliers. Top quality Bowlers are a lost art so vintage is the only opition IMO. I tend to feel the same about Homburgs although I haven't held one made by Optimo (not sure of other custom high end Homburg makers). To me a pre 1940s top quality NOS hat (of any type / style) is the tops if you can find one.

 

[gtdean48]

:arated:

... I find modern factory made fedoras to pale in comparison to just about any vintage hat....

They don't make 7X Clear Beaver models anymore or anything equivalent....

 

[Iyor]

I've bought from a few of the custom hatters that are on the forum and they are all nice hats, but the felt is just not as nice as on the older ones.

 

[Lefty]

These are wild.

 

[T Rick]

Switching back to eBay, I neglected to mention this one I snagged the other day too (did't want to draw another bidder to possibly see the Strat I was stalking!). Picked up a gray Open Road in 7, should be here in a few days to a week. If it's not big for it's size, it may take a slight stretch for fit my 7 1/8 noggin, if it is under it's stated size, I may just have to do a catch and release. Looks to be in really nice shape, and my first "true vintage" Open Road. Should compliment the brown Strat I won today nicely.

I've now got a boat load of hats here (started buying in December, both new and vintage). I have two hat racks that hold 8 each, and I still have hats without hooks. I need to focus my efforts to specific hats (still need a Whippet for example), and concentrate even more on specific types/styles'colors that I want (can't really justify the word "need" at this point ).

 

[hatophile]

That looks like a nice OR, Rick, I was tempted to bid on that, but was out of town when it ended. Hope it turns out nice for you.

 

[hatophile]

These are wild.

For leprachauns maybe?

 

[HatsEnough]

These are wild.

OK, what I don't get is an American hat company in Ohio importing a tradition Cornish-styled ethnic hat and then pasting their own logo on the original maker's mark. Who the heck in Ohio was running around dressing like someone from 1800s Cornwall?? It's all very odd, to say the least.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I need to focus my efforts to specific hats (still need a Whippet for example), and concentrate even more on specific types/styles'colors that I want (can't really justify the word "need" at this point ).

That's the way to go concentrate on what interest's you or what you like.

 

[hatophile]

OK, what I don't get is an American hat company in Ohio importing a tradition Cornish-styled ethnic hat and then pasting their own logo on the original maker's mark. Who the heck in Ohio was running around dressing like someone from 1800s Cornwall?? It's all very odd, to say the least.

Corny, isn't it? By the way, HatsEnough, don't you need these for your collection?

 

[HatsEnough]

By the way, HatsEnough, don't you need these for your collection?

Ha, ha. That almost would seem to be the sort of off track thing I'd go for, wouldn't it? Still, I am a Scot, not a Corn... Conish..der... Cornishian... Corn.. uh... one of them.