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

[gtdean48]

... When you compare new to old side by side you appreciate what causes the fever and drives the bidding.
....

For true Alan. My "new" is mid-1980's Alessandria & compared to my "old", early-1950's, it is like they are from 2 different companies, which technically they are.
What they could do with rabbit fur felt back then is amazing, dense but lite, soft but hold a shape...remarkable!

 

[alanfgag]

So true... like a magician pulling a hat out of a rabbit!

 

[Lefty]

Very nice. It reminds me of this Johnnyphi hat, so it might be a Vita-Felt as well.

I've got one four engine - actual Stratoliner - pin left. PM if interested.

No worries, T Rick, If it hadn't been you it would have been someone else. It's an early Strat and it had a lot of watchers. I didn't plan to bid so high, but raised my budget at the end. It looks to be a similar vintage to my early Playboy which I love. Here's hoping the color is good and it comes in as clean as the seller describes... and that Lefty has a couple more airplanes up his sleeve.

 

[gtdean48]

So true... like a magician pulling a hat out of a rabbit!

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[HatsEnough]

Oops... I think I just cost one of our Members a bit of coin on this nice looking 1940's Stratoliner. I may be mistaken, but I think that's Alan who came in one second after me, and at least a couple of bucks higher. Ah well, the silver lining is, at least I didn't pay that much for a hat! Worth it IMO, but still a lot to pay for it.

I had emailed the seller with a question and got an email back with a tone I did not appreciate. So, since I have a vita felt Strat, I decided not to bid on that one. Otherwise I would have been in the hunt with that.

 

[alanfgag]

Very nice. It reminds me of this Johnnyphi hat, so it might be a Vita-Felt as well.

I've got one four engine - actual Stratoliner - pin left. PM if interested.

Thanks for sharing that link!... that's a tiny inside label - wouldn't have guessed that.

Do you think the four engine pin will make my legs look fat?

8^o

 

[Lefty]

Those extra engines will take the focus off your legs. These four engine pins are like the Spanx of hat pins.

 

[alanfgag]

Just what I needed to hear...

Here's hoping the hat is in grate shape as described and pin worthy!

 

[HatsEnough]

Yes, true -- but was this completely over the top, or about normal for a vintage Borsalino?

In the middle of 2010 I bought a Borso made sometime in the 1970s. Paid $67 for it. A month ago I sold it for almost $200 and it was a small size. It was a great hat (just had too many brown hats so I sold it). I guess the Borsos are just hot right now for whatever reason.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

In the middle of 2010 I bought a Borso made sometime in the 1970s. Paid $67 for it. A month ago I sold it for almost $200 and it was a small size. It was a great hat (just had too many brown hats so I sold it). I guess the Borsos are just hot right now for whatever reason.

There are a few nice ones right now on eBay....geez, like I need more eBay hats...(lol!)!

 

[HatsEnough]

Just got a steel gray Whippet with a black ribbon in the mail today. It was 6-7/8 and I paid less than $50 for it, so I figured I'd stretch it a bit to my size 7 head. But when it came in the sweatband was cracked at the stitching to the hat. So, I just yanked out the whole thing as it was rougher than the seller told me.

I'll have to take it to a hatter and have a new sweat sewn in, but that gives me the opportunity to make it bigger legitimately, I guess.

 

[Dinerman]

I'm interested to see how the felt is on this beat up custom I won. Looks like 100x from these guys goes for about a grand these days. Found this one for $22. May get it converted and have a high quality beater.

 

[Marshall]

After desiring a nice vintage lid, but feeling very frustrated by how expensive they are in my size (7 3/8 - 7 1/2) on Ebay, I decided to do something bold.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350485867759
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Mens-Brown-ROYAL-STETSON-FEDORA-HAT-Beaver-7-1-4-/260843345873?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbb7997d1

I won these two 1/4 fedoras, both of which are pretty nice, for a great price (the Stetson is actually much nicer than it appears in the photos). I plan to send them in to a hatter for a professional stretching and to have the liners replaced, though I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Stetson was actually a pretty close fit. I'll post some pictures in the new hat thread and let you guys know how it goes.

I know it's unconventional (maybe even sacrilegious to some), but I'm hoping this will increase the range of hats available to me. If it does work out fine, I'm hoping to track down a nice Knox 20 or 40 for my collection.

 

[irfan.wayang]

So true... like a magician pulling a hat out of a rabbit!

Haha! That's quite funny. So much easier - and less productive - the other way around. By the way, I just had a look at your gallery of "bright objects". Beautiful! Even nicer than your hats!

 

[irfan.wayang]

For true Alan. My "new" is mid-1980's Alessandria & compared to my "old", early-1950's, it is like they are from 2 different companies, which technically they are.
What they could do with rabbit fur felt back then is amazing, dense but lite, soft but hold a shape...remarkable!

Okay, wrong thread for this, really, but how come? I have a bit of a thing for fountain pens, and everyone argues the same argument over there, too. You could get exactly the same comment as you just made about the vintage Parker 51 compared to the modern products. Some people say that it's economies of scale, when everyone used to use one they produced them in vastly greater numbers, so they could make a better product cheaper. Or is nostalgia just human nature? I think I enjoy the 1980s more now than I did when they were actually happening, so maybe there's something there, too.

I bet there's a thousand threads that have already discussed this. My apologies, it's just a newbie's small moment of epiphany ....

 

[gtdean48]

I'm interested to see how the felt is on this beat up custom I won. Looks like 100x from these guys goes for about a grand these days...

My first custom was from Shorty. She has gone up considerably since I bought my 100X = 100% beaver from Winchester. I paid about $350 back in the mid-1990s. That one has had a rougher life than mine for sure.

 

[gtdean48]

Okay, wrong thread for this, really, but how come?....

They closed the old factory...more info in the Borsalino threads....

 

[gtdean48]

... I decided to do something bold.
....

You're not blazing any new trail around here. I'm a 7 5/8 LO, so I watch sizes 7 3/4 to 7 1/2. 3 of the finest vintage hats I've owned are marked 7 1/2.
I only had to send 1 to a hatter. The others took little stretching with a hat jack. Good luck & good hunting.

 

[Rick Blaine]

After desiring a nice vintage lid, but feeling very frustrated by how expensive they are in my size (7 3/8 - 7 1/2) on Ebay, I decided to do something bold.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350485867759
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Mens-Brown-ROYAL-STETSON-FEDORA-HAT-Beaver-7-1-4-/260843345873?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbb7997d1

I won these two 1/4 fedoras, both of which are pretty nice, for a great price (the Stetson is actually much nicer than it appears in the photos). I plan to send them in to a hatter for a professional stretching and to have the liners replaced, though I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Stetson was actually a pretty close fit. I'll post some pictures in the new hat thread and let you guys know how it goes.

I know it's unconventional (maybe even sacrilegious to some), but I'm hoping this will increase the range of hats available to me. If it does work out fine, I'm hoping to track down a nice Knox 20 or 40 for my collection.

Not at all, IMO, tho' there are some here who will adamantly disagree. I too wear a 7 3/8, but if I see a 7 1/4 that looks good- no worries- I prep the hat, including treating the sweat w/ both lexol & "shoe stretch" leather stretcher, meant to loosen up the leather for stretching. I slap it on my stretcher, turn on the steam & loosen the felt to facilitate the stretch & crank it out- gradually- to my size. It works >75% of the time. And it has, indeed, expanded my purchase possibilities. It IS a viable DIY project.

Where are ya' in Georgia? I grew up in Clarke Co.

Best of luck- hope to see some pix & good to see another Cracker here!

RB

 

[Lefty]

No one is taking responsibility for this 7XCB, Beaver 50, size 7?