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

[TheDane]

Really it give people a bad name who are selling true Vintage hats.

His buyers give true vintage hat buyers a bad reputation!

It's obvious to anyone, that eBay is filled with quite understandable errors. Sellers can not be expected to be experts. On the other hands, buyers can expected to not buy a hat as a Stetson, if it's not marked "Stetson". Buyers can also be expected to know, that Tom Mix didn't start filming before 1909, so the hat can not be from 1901. A genuine Tom Mix hat is not something you buy without any kind of knowledge.

It's fine, we want to protect us eBuyers - but please don't let's portray the average eBuyer as a dumb sheep. Several of us actually do think, and in that case a seller like that shouldn't pose a problem

 

[TheDane]

The Lounge is not the repository of perfect and correct hat knowledge...

A statement worth repeating more than once! We probably tend to put our lack of knowledge in the shadow of our acquired knowledge. "Academic modesty (and doubt)" is a virtue, that is often forgotten, when dealing with "barefoot science"

 

[Lotsahats]

The Lounge is not the repository of perfect and correct hat knowledge... let's extend the courtesy to eBay sellers who are also learning their history.

So true. As well, when imperfect knowledge leads to a bargain on a great hat, I'm willing to bet the winner doesn't go out of his way to correct the seller on the deficient listing.

A

 

[ccorsair]

I do remember that Ebay does let member with good standing write up buying seller guides. i know that i hit a few to go over some of the items i have questions on. the guides go over what to look for on an item and what is new to what isn't. Some go into what is fake and what to avoid. I wonder if someone could write up and make one of these guides?
See there guidelines to follow could curve some of those over priced hats. IT did help when one person did one to combat items coming in from china. Prices are better still have some people still list fakes or re-sell what sold to them. Another ideal is could we build a data base if Know good sellers ? knowing who go to and who has the best pricing and all would be better than dealer with tons of crazy pricing and people selling hats data wrong and all. Just a thought I'm still new here.. lol

 

[alanfgag]

One Stetson on ebay from the early 1900s has a 5X marking and a clear beaver imprint. First time I ever saw an early 5X for sale. Unfortunately it is a tiny, tiny size--like a 6-3/4. Still neat to see the markings.
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I don't believe it is early 1900s and it is not tiny, tiny but it appears to be sold. Not mine.

 

[mayserwegener]

Hello everyone, my name is Dan and I wear a hat.

Well, hats actually, and usually some sort of cap. But a few years ago I started wearing a fuzzy fedora I won on ebay for about $30 including a replacement liner. Last week I found two Stetsons in a thrift shop; a Bullet colored 4x "Open Road" and a Brown 4x "Range" (I think) each with a few moth divots and a total cost of $6.

The green fuzzy fedora works really well with a green Filson Double Mackinaw Cruiser I wear in the winter and now the Bullet Open Road will go well with an old grey Filson Mac I also wear occasionally.

Now to the point of this post:

I have googled and poked around and I still do not know much about the quality or value of my fuzzy green fedora. Please, what can you tell me? Thanks in advance.

Dan, Nice to meet you. This is a very nice Trachten style hat made by K&R Lembert Hutfabrik, Augsburg, Germany (they are still in business). Based on the 100 Year label it's from the early 1960s. It has a really nice mix of colors with a unique natural finish (not precisely clipped). I had a similar looking one in a mixed gray. You can see it and more (I visited the factory a few years ago) on Lembert at this link.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/13-kr-lembert-hutfabrik/

Also please post it here when you get a chance.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?32103-German-amp-Austrian-Hutmachers

 

[Mystic]

I don't believe it is early 1900s and it is not tiny, tiny but it appears to be sold. Not mine.

Hey Alan,

It is listed as being sold. It would be interesting and informative to get your thoughts and reasoning on the hat. Why you came to the conclusion about it's age.

 

[alanfgag]

Hey Alan,

It is listed as being sold. It would be interesting and informative to get your thoughts and reasoning on the hat. Why you came to the conclusion about it's age.

I'm hoping it was purchased by a Lounge member.

The seller's measurements didn't seem to indicate a small size - when asked, he looked for the manufacturing tag and confirmed a 7 1/4. I was tempted to buy it, but it would't fit me and I would need to resell it.

I'm not familiar enough with that Stetson clear beaver mark to use this for dating. There are two Stetson 5X clear beaver hats posted to the lounge that I know of... you can see them both here. Feltfan's hat is dated 1942. I think the small Stetson XXXXX imprint shown in my hat is slightly earlier than the larger imprint, which continued through the 1940s into the 1950s. The sweatband (appears rolled) and frayed ribbon on the eBay hat give the impression of a 1920s hat, but the Stetson XXXXX imprint leaves me thinking late 1930s to early 1940s. The manufacturing tag and sweatband LOTXXXX number would help to clarify. I hope we get to see them. It's a great hat.

 

[fedoracentric]

Does anyone have a link to the auction now that it is over? I thought I was going by the date the seller had on it.

 

[alanfgag]

Here it is.

 

[fedoracentric]

Ah, I was relying on the seller's description. I thought that was what I remembered. It's from a guy selling all sorts of stuff as early 1900s when they aren't, then.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Not only is the seller's hat info faulty, so is his history! Height of the cattle drives in 1890? They were long over by then!

I ignore most of the information provided by sellers, relying instead on my own knowledge, and sometimes a hunch.

Brad

 

[alanfgag]

This seller operates a website that has featured many of the hats now for sale on eBay.

Much of his hat information we know to be incorrect, thanks to the extensive library of examples and knowledge that is archived on the Fedora Lounge.

 

[Brad Bowers]

This seller operates a website that has featured many of the hats now for sale on eBay.

Much of his hat information we know to be incorrect, thanks to the extensive library of examples and knowledge that is archived on the Fedora Lounge.

Ouch, a Stetson Derby listed $2600, but sale-priced at $1400?

I still think we've helped create the over-priced market by sellers convincing themselves that all hats are worth more than they are and are older than they are, just from a few well-known models going for high prices in auction. This is our monster.

Brad

 

[fedoracentric]

I still think we've helped create the over-priced market by sellers convincing themselves that all hats are worth more than they are and are older than they are, just from a few well-known models going for high prices in auction. This is our monster.

I think you are right that Fedora Lounge contributed to it.

 

[gtdean48]

Here it is.

I like the write up = "crown measures 5 inches high and the brim is 3 inches wide" but just below in measurements = 3 1/2" brim / 4 1/2" crown...
Not sure I could trust the guy to measure anything close to accurately...[huh]

 

[fedoracentric]

LOL. As the crow flies, more or less, kinda sortta.

 

[alanfgag]

I like the write up = "crown measures 5 inches high and the brim is 3 inches wide" but just below in measurements = 3 1/2" brim / 4 1/2" crown...
Not sure I could trust the guy to measure anything close to accurately...[huh]

Yes, the listing is a hodgepodge of contradictory numbers. When I asked hime to check, he seemed to have no idea that labels behind the sweatband show the size. Had he listed the hat as 7 1/4 I expect it would have sold very quickly.

 

[Mystic]

I'm hoping it was purchased by a Lounge member.

The seller's measurements didn't seem to indicate a small size - when asked, he looked for the manufacturing tag and confirmed a 7 1/4. I was tempted to buy it, but it would't fit me and I would need to resell it.

I'm not familiar enough with that Stetson clear beaver mark to use this for dating. There are two Stetson 5X clear beaver hats posted to the lounge that I know of... you can see them both here. Feltfan's hat is dated 1942. I think the small Stetson XXXXX imprint shown in my hat is slightly earlier than the larger imprint, which continued through the 1940s into the 1950s. The sweatband (appears rolled) and frayed ribbon on the eBay hat give the impression of a 1920s hat, but the Stetson XXXXX imprint leaves me thinking late 1930s to early 1940s. The manufacturing tag and sweatband LOTXXXX number would help to clarify. I hope we get to see them. It's a great hat.

Thanks Alan, interesting.

I thought the hat band and bow seemed to be "different". I don't recall seeing a mid ribbon long bow with the frayed end before. Maybe because these older hats are out of my hat budget I just haven't seen enough of them. Do you think the ribbon is original to the hat.

 

[T Jones]

Ouch, a Stetson Derby listed $2600, but sale-priced at $1400?

I still think we've helped create the over-priced market by sellers convincing themselves that all hats are worth more than they are and are older than they are, just from a few well-known models going for high prices in auction. This is our monster.

Brad

A lot of those over-priced hats sit on the bay forever too. Informed collectors won't bother looking at them. There's a couple ebay sellers I won't even bother with, and a lot of their stuff has been sitting on the bay for at least the last of couple years.