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

[Lotsahats]

Thanks, JG--that was my impression.

You're amassing quite the collection of hatter's tools! That's a really handsome hat ruler.

 

[John Galt]

Thanks, JG--that was my impression.

You're amassing quite the collection of hatter's tools! That's a really handsome hat ruler.

Thanks! I'm focusing on tools because I'm making more hats. I've also started making some hat tools. I am now selling puller downers & pusher downers at reasonable prices, with others in the works.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

Regarding the Champ featherweights, note that the Spaceweight is also marketed & marked as a Champ "feather weight" hat, but is much heavier than the actual featherweight that you bought.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[John Galt]

Picked this blue fedora up last night at a very good BIN price. I know nothing about the maker, and have fingers crossed. Auction photos."

Follow-up. Received this today & am pleased. It is unreeded and a unique blue color. The felt is very good. I'm not familiar with the maker, but recognize the slogan as one Stetson used to use.

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[ManofKent]

Looks good John.

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Quick question for the guys, do hats from the 20s and 30s fetch a higher price than hats from later periods? The reason why I ask is because this is true of hats for women so I was just curious if the same was true for the fellows.

 

[bowlerman]

Not necessarily. I suppose it depends on condition, or more importantly on eBay, the quality of the photos. Also there are specific makes and models that tend to seem more coveted, such as the wider brimmed felted edged hats of the 40s, or the venerable Stetson Stratoliner, etc. Many here do prefer the earlier ones, but I don't believe the prices ran higher. You might find auction price info maybe?) if you look up posts by splintercellsz, though he isn't currently posting because of his enlistment.

 

[Joshbru3]

Quick question for the guys, do hats from the 20s and 30s fetch a higher price than hats from later periods? The reason why I ask is because this is true of hats for women so I was just curious if the same was true for the fellows.

Like Jeff said, it really depends. Usually anything Stetson from the 20's and 30's brings a premium and anything pre-1940's in bigger sizes always bring big premiums. However, I have seen size 7 and 7 1/8 whippets sell for some good money, but I have offered up very rare 20's stuff and at times doesn't even break $100. It just depends.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Brent black monti optimo



I know ya'll have seen a seller who's shop is called "half price paulys" who only recently popped up on my radar. He has some Christy's fur felts & some Biltmores.
But he had this up there (briefly ) as a BIN or make offer, I pitched him a reasonable offer & he accepted. And Boy HOWDY did it pay off!
This is as light as a butterfly's wing, as thin as a wafer, as fine as I have seen. Seller claimed a 1k retail, I dunno ships from shinola 'bout Panamas, but this one is a winner!
I'll post a good photo next week when I get back in town, with the 105mm f/2.8 1:1 macro & a ruler.

His shipping is swift as can be and seems a nice guy, judging from our correspondence.
Just a heads up. And he says he has a boatload of hats to sell!

 

[Geldoc]

Brent Black makes great hats. You really got a good one here.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Brent Black makes great hats. You really got a good one here.

Thanks, my impression too, now I have six months to contemplate actually wearing it.
Unless... I head to the tropics!

 

[John Galt]

Don't know how you ID'd this as a Brent Black, based on what I see in the post, but maybe I missed something. The picture is not good, but it still looks like a very high quality Ecuadorian "Panama." Brent Black negotiates directly with the weavers and pays them well, so he gets first choice for hat blanks from the best weavers. I would say you did very well indeed. He just doesn't make any bad hats. If this is as tight a weave as it appears to be, $1,000.00 retail is probably right, but "retail" doesn't really describe BB accurately. He is to Panama hats what Art Fawcett & a few others are to felts.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[ManofKent]

Looks a great find Rick

 

[fedoracentric]

Not necessarily.

I guess. Sort of. But there is an exception. If it is a Stetson, a 1920s/30s piece will always bring better money than a 50s/60s piece.

Granted if it is a small size, that always affects price--and negatively, too.

But earlier Stetsons bring better prices, for sure.

As to other manufacturers, it depends on who wants it. Only Stetsons seem to automatically bring the good prices. Other manufacturers are hit or miss without any rhyme or reason.

With another caveat, here: if the seller knows it is an earlier Stetson and sells it right it will sell well. I have personally bought a few 20s/30s Stetsons for cheap only because the seller had no clue what he had and took a cheap buy it now price.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A rather interesting Borsalino, apparently linked to the Rome Summer Olympics of 1960. Italian team hat or a souvenir?

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261302198798&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:it

 

[carouselvic]

Nice hat...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-50s-ROY...fgDzBtBIek%2FHGNJ0iNo%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

[Lotsahats]

That one took off in its last hours.

 

[fedoracentric]

That one took off in its last hours.

Wow, just wow! I did see a 7-1/4 Whippet go for $230 a few days ago, but over $500! Sheese.

I have noticed, though that no Whippet under size 7-1/4 is bringing much coin these days.

 

[barrowjh]

I was 'helping' a co-worker to watch that Whippett as a learning experience; I thought it might go as high as $350. I was more than a little surprized by the final bid at $520. I gave the co-worker hyperlinks to two of Art's hats, Honeyboy was one and Largo the other, and pointed out he could have either hat in beaver for less than the Whippett, or both in rabbit (Joey) for approximately the same as the Whippett. I doubt he will do either and I tire of trying to help others try out a 1st hat, so I will leave it alone now. It gets to be a strain, and if you keep trying then I think the newbie starts believing maybe you are trying to get a commission or something, so you can only push a little ways.

I would not have bid very much for a dark charcoal color hat. It may seem to be a universal color to someone trying to buy just one hat to fit every situation, but I think the lighter colors (silver belly and lt tan) are the universal colors.

 

[John Galt]

Bailey Parabuntal cowboy hat, $25.00 plus S&H. I was the only bidder. More (auction) photos in the "Parbuntal straw hats" thread. Maybe that spelling error ought to be fixed?

"Faint hat never won fair lady."