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

[Mr E Train]

@spellflower. That really is a shame. That looked like a nice hat. I think you do deserve a refund, but I really doubt you will get it.

Ebay has Buyer Protection. If the item was listed inaccurately and the buyer isn't satisfied, eBay will (or at least should) protect the buyer. They'll make you return it, but you should get your money back. I would be sure to ship it with delivery confirmation so the seller can't claim they didn't receive it, and insure it for what you paid for it. Good luck.

 

[CRH]

Wow. That's an amazing derby.

Yah, and only $80 in 7 3/8!

 

[Chinaski]

[/IMG]

That sweat - WOW! Has anyone seen one like that before?

 

[Michaelshane]

He didn't estimate size, he stated it with certainty. Dispute it.

I agree this hat was misrepresented.

 

[DOUGLAS]

I love the sweat on this Stetson bowler. It's just a great hat all around.

Beautiful!!
Interestingly enough I have a fedora with the same "The Avenue". I wonder what it indicates? The model or the quality? Mine is Extra Quality

 

[ScottF]

Last week I posted regarding a hat that was listed as a 7 3/8 but turned out to be a 7 1/4:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...431696&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_485wt_1089

I asked the seller to accept a return and refund my money since the hat was not accurately described. He is refusing to do so, stating that his auction clearly stated that he doesn't take returns.

He suggested that I take the hat to to J.J. Hat Center and ask them to stretch it to fit me. My problem with that is that I know from experience that all sweatbands shrink down when worn, and that a hat that's already a size small is going to get tight doubly fast. If the hat were a true 7 3/8 that had shrunk, I'd be comfortable stretching it back to 7 3/8, since that's what the leather was originally cut for. But going up a size is always a..... stretch. Besides, I didn't buy this as a project. I paid good money for a 7 3/8, and would NEVER have paid so much if I'd known it was a 7 1/4.

He also offered an alternative solution: he said he would relist it on ebay for me, but wouldn't pay the difference if it sold for less. The problem with that is that 7 1/4 generally sell for less than 7 3/8. Not to mention the fact that the hat is almost certainly not a 1930's beaver felt (which I knew when I bought it). I also think I could do much better in terms of pictures.

I know that I should have been more patient and asked more questions, and that if I had I wouldn't be dealing with this. Nonetheless, he stated that the hat was a 7 3/8, and it is undeniably not.

What say you, Loungers? Should I just take my knocks for my impulsivity or do I deserve a refund?

Dispute it. The auction stated: "When I first obtained this hat, there was a haberdashery tag behind the sweatband that read Brooklyn N.Y. Oct' 1934 S/B/B. ".

If he turned the sweatband up, he knows what size the hat is. Regardless, the hat has a size tag that says 7 1/4 and you paid good money for a 7 3/8, and as you say, 7 3/8 hats sell for more.

 

[ScottF]

Beautiful!!
Interestingly enough I have a fedora with the same "The Avenue". I wonder what it indicates? The model or the quality?

Douglas, that's interesting. I have two 'The Avenue' models - one is an overwelt "Royal" fedora, and the other is a "Vita Felt" bound-brim fedora. Now we see an "Excellent Quality" bowler. The earliest mention I've found of 'The Avenue' was in a 1933 ad - this label seems to be from about that period.

"The Avenue" must be the model, but it has no consistency in its use! :eusa_doh:

 

[DOUGLAS]

Mine is Extra Quality and is "The Royal Stetson".

 

[ScottF]

Mine is Extra Quality and is "The Royal Stetson".

So that's the one with the 'Royal' liner similar to the sweatband logo on the bowler. That is really strange - is the liner stitched in? If not, the only explanation for two quality designations would be if the liner were added. Since your liner is also mid-30's, maybe it came without a liner and the original owner pulled one from another hat. Earliest mention of 'Royal' I've found is '36 and latest mention of 'Extra' is '38, so some overlap. Interestingly, in '37 and '38 each was mentioned in ads, both at $10.

 

[DOUGLAS]

This is the liner. It is sewn in place. Do yours have the same type of sweat stitching?

 

[CRH]

Why pay for gas and drive to a museum when you can have this?



:eusa_clap

Please carry on, Gentlemen!

 

[rlk]

So that's the one with the 'Royal' liner similar to the sweatband logo on the bowler. That is really strange - is the liner stitched in? If not, the only explanation for two quality designations would be if the liner were added. Since your liner is also mid-30's, maybe it came without a liner and the original owner pulled one from another hat. Earliest mention of 'Royal' I've found is '36 and latest mention of 'Extra' is '38, so some overlap. Interestingly, in '37 and '38 each was mentioned in ads, both at $10.

The Derby also has the later size tag as well as the sweatband logo like the later 30's liner logos.

 

[Charlie Huang]

Just won this beauty yesterday:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230461005508&autorefresh=true

A bidding war a few hours prior caused it to hike up in price! But I'm never going to get such a good topper in future at that price as they have risen this year so I'm looking at it as a good investment. I have two toppers now which is all that I ever need for life.

Can't wait to get it and polish it!

 

[Maguire]

I won two hats on ebay last month that looked pretty nice for cheap too. I haven't seen them yet unfortunately, as they are waiting for me in NYC.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170466775519&_trksid=p2759.l1259

a scala.

and:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160419023338&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
a stingy brim.

I only bought them because i saw furfelt and my size, but i'm not sure if these are good or not. if not, they were cheap enough, but i was hoping for some feedback on Scala anyway.

 

[Chasseur]

Very nice high silk Charlie!:eusa_clap

 

[Charlie Huang]

Very nice high silk Charlie!:eusa_clap

Indeed! It has a 6 1/4" crown to boot! More or less perfect in every other way.

 

[DOUGLAS]

This one has the golden tag.

 

[ScottF]

This one has the golden tag.

Douglas, could you please post a picture of the outside of the hat? I saved all of your pics pics a while back, and figured I had accidentally included the wrong liner pic, but I never saw a picture of the outside of the hat.

It's curious that the 'Royal' liner is in a hat with an 'Extra' sweatband logo, but given that when the two existed at the same time, their prices were identical, perhaps the 'Royal' designation started off as something other than an indication of quality? We've seen 'Sovereign' used to indicate a model, at the same time that 'Sovereign' was used to indicate quality, so Stetson was very free with use of their identifiers. But to have 'The Avenue' stamped on it as well?

Very odd. I have no further ideas regarding this hat....or the use of 'The Avenue' designation. [huh]

Robert - bail us out!

 

[DOUGLAS]

This is the bow.

This is also embossed on the sweat.

My other "Royal" has a Mode edge, is a Zephyr weight but the sweat is folded over at the felt. It also has the same liner (different color though) and sweat adjustable ribbon as well. It was sold for $10 at the time. I think that the name "Royal" was the hat model.

 

[Boodles]

I agree with ScottF.

I cannot imagine how the guy could see one tag under the sweat and not another. This seller does not deserve his 100% rating and he apparently does not care much about protecting that rating.

Dispute it. The auction stated: "When I first obtained this hat, there was a haberdashery tag behind the sweatband that read Brooklyn N.Y. Oct' 1934 S/B/B. ".

If he turned the sweatband up, he knows what size the hat is. Regardless, the hat has a size tag that says 7 1/4 and you paid good money for a 7 3/8, and as you say, 7 3/8 hats sell for more.