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

[Just Daniel]

Sweet hat!

40s, but probably earlier than 46. About that time Stetson switched the word order from Royal Stetson DeLuxe to Royal DeLuxe Stetson.

I finally found a brown vintage Stetson bowler! Stars in sweatband and liner. When from, you think? View attachment 346718 View attachment 346719 View attachment 346720 View attachment 346721 View attachment 346722 View attachment 346723 View attachment 346724 View attachment 346725

 

[Rmccamey]

Nice one, Max. We don't see many brown bowlers.

I finally found a brown vintage Stetson bowler! Stars in sweatband and liner. When from, you think? View attachment 346718 View attachment 346719 View attachment 346720 View attachment 346721 View attachment 346722 View attachment 346723 View attachment 346724 View attachment 346725

 

[steur]

I finally found a brown vintage Stetson bowler! Stars in sweatband and liner. When from, you think? View attachment 346718 View attachment 346719 View attachment 346720 View attachment 346721 View attachment 346722 View attachment 346723 View attachment 346724 View attachment 346725

Erm, don't want to be a spoilsport, Max, but I have some doubts this is actually a brown bowler. If I look at all the inside and underside pics the felt looks quite black to me. Wouldn't be the first time a seller's pics are way off. Was it actually listed as a brown bowler?

 

[Rmccamey]

You are correct, Stefan, those underside pics do look more black.

Erm, don't want to be a spoilsport, Max, but I have some doubts this is actually a brown bowler. If I look at all the inside and underside pics the felt looks quite black to me. Wouldn't be the first time a seller's pics are way off. Was it actually listed as a brown bowler?

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Erm, don't want to be a spoilsport, Max, but I have some doubts this is actually a brown bowler. If I look at all the inside and underside pics the felt looks quite black to me. Wouldn't be the first time a seller's pics are way off. Was it actually listed as a brown bowler?

Dang! It looked so obviously brown... if it isn't, I will make it so!

 

[BobHufford]

Dang! It looked so obviously brown... if it iwn't, I will make it so!

Please don't paint it Max!

 

[drmaxtejeda]

Please don't paint it Max!

Please don't paint it Max!

LOL! I was thinking of covering it in brown papier maché

 

[Randall Renshaw]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164952395254
I found this one tonight for my big headed nephew.
I built him a custom, then got him a super nice 50s Mallory thin ribbon a year ago, but this one is out of this world!
He paid for this fedora. Seriously low price. Can’t believe it only got one other bid. should’ve went through the roof!
Do believe I’ve ruined him. With the addition of this Borsalino he’ll be buying vintage hats the rest of his life.
He’s a great guy. Glad he got it.

I’ve never seen a Borsa with a tan paper size tag. All I’ve seen are the red paper ones, and the white cloth ones. Is there some significant reason for the different color here?

 

[steur]

You are correct, Stefan, those underside pics do look more black.

Dang! It looked so obviously brown... if it isn't, I will make it so!

I found out the hard way! Collected a few "blue" hats that way...

 

[steur]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164952395254
I found this one tonight for my big headed nephew.
I built him a custom, then got him a super nice 50s Mallory thin ribbon a year ago, but this one is out of this world!
He paid for this fedora. Seriously low price. Can’t believe it only got one other bid. should’ve went through the roof!
Do believe I’ve ruined him. With the addition of this Borsalino he’ll be buying vintage hats the rest of his life.
He’s a great guy. Glad he got it.

I’ve never seen a Borsa with a tan paper size tag. All I’ve seen are the red paper ones, and the white cloth ones. Is there some significant reason for the different color here?

Great hat, Randall. Saw that one and considered bidding, but the seller won't ship overseas. And the extra costs for shipping and customs fees make it less interesting to ship US hats this way. You'll find the size tag is a European one. Not tan, but red in colour. Like these.

You rarely see them on American market Borsalinos. So the question is if it's a French size 7 or an American size 7. The liner is an American market liner, which makes me think it is an American size 7.

 

[Blare]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164952395254
I found this one tonight for my big headed nephew.
I built him a custom, then got him a super nice 50s Mallory thin ribbon a year ago, but this one is out of this world!
He paid for this fedora. Seriously low price. Can’t believe it only got one other bid. should’ve went through the roof!
Do believe I’ve ruined him. With the addition of this Borsalino he’ll be buying vintage hats the rest of his life.
He’s a great guy. Glad he got it.

I’ve never seen a Borsa with a tan paper size tag. All I’ve seen are the red paper ones, and the white cloth ones. Is there some significant reason for the different color here?

Pretty sweet indeed

 

[Randall Renshaw]

That won’t be good. My nephew has a 7 1/2 head. I asked the seller for interior head opening measurements and carefully told how to take the measurements, but that still isn’t a guarantee with some sellers.
They said it was 8x6 1/2, which I hoped meant that there was considerable shrinkage—that could easily be stretched out to
8 1/16 x 6 5/8.
I’ve bought many Borsalinos and other hats that have shrunk a few sizes.
Was also under the impression that the paper tags were always punti.
Guess that’s not always the case?
If it is a US 7 I will just return it to the buyer who needs to learn how to measure.
What’s the tell tell difference in liners?

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Just checked all my Borsalinos. Looks like the difference is the words that say, Reg. US Patent Office.
Wonder why they have to put that annotation there if built in Italy?

Yeah, this one may be going to be going back to the seller for a refund.
As they say, “When it’s to good to be true, it usually is.”
I’ll let y’all know how it works out.

 

[carouselvic]

[QUOTE="Randall Renshaw I’ve never seen a Borsa with a tan paper size tag. All I’ve seen are the red paper ones, and the white cloth ones. Is there some significant reason for the different color here?[/QUOTE]









The brown or tan colored size tags are as right as rain.

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

That won’t be good. My nephew has a 7 1/2 head. I asked the seller for interior head opening measurements and carefully told how to take the measurements, but that still isn’t a guarantee with some sellers.
They said it was 8x6 1/2, which I hoped meant that there was considerable shrinkage—that could easily be stretched out to
8 1/16 x 6 5/8.
I’ve bought many Borsalinos and other hats that have shrunk a few sizes.
Was also under the impression that the paper tags were always punti.
Guess that’s not always the case?
If it is a US 7 I will just return it to the buyer who needs to learn how to measure.
What’s the tell tell difference in liners?

On the other hand, I was under the impression that Borso made hats for export to the USA and used USA sizes on tags. I hope someone who has more knowledge will chime in.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

On the other hand, I was under the impression that Borso made hats for export to the USA and used USA sizes on tags. I hope someone who has more knowledge will chime in.

This was my understanding/experience too. When in doubt, I’ve asked for help and between @steur and @Daniele Tanto I’ve always got the right sizing.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

I think that the size 7 posted by Randall is a 7 american size, so a 57 cm. or a 5 for the Borsalino French system. Hope this helps

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Here’s a screen shot of her answer to me about the head opening size. But like I’ve said, sellers either don’t know how to measure or fudge what they measure.
After reading all y’all have posted and scrutinizing the pics closely I feel like it’s a US 7, too.
Well, she hasn’t sent the hat yet so I told Jacob to ask her send pics of her holding a ruler over the head opening then ask for a refund if the hat won’t fit him.

 

[Blare]

Here’s a screen shot of her answer to me about the head opening size. But like I’ve said, sellers either don’t know how to measure or fudge what they measure.
After reading all y’all have posted and scrutinizing the pics closely I feel like it’s a US 7, too.
Well, she hasn’t sent the hat yet so I told Jacob to ask her send pics of her holding a ruler over the head opening then ask for a refund if the hat won’t fit him. View attachment 347465

Interesting though cause wouldn’t those dimensions put it about 7 1/4? May work out for Randall yet

 

[Louis Mountbatten]

I so agree that people have no idea how to measure a hat.

Here is how I always say it to them and usually I get a useful reply.... "Hi, we need to know the size of the hat to bid on it. If there is no tag, use a flat ruler and measure in two places for us. First, measure the hole the head goes in straight across from ear to ear. Then measure where the forehead sits to where the back of the head would be. We can take those two measurements and get a circumference which then tells us the hat size."

I have used that structure for several years and 90% of the time I get a cogent answer and a more or less proper measurement.