Grapevinehill on ebay

[CasaBlancaChuck]

Way to Go Jeboat

Good for you for challenging these guys. I have "won" several pairs of their cowboy boots on eBay, and while they appeared to be "okay", the thought that they may be factory seconds because of little things was always there. I did ask and was told that they were first quality. I recently "won" two of their Stetson fedoras and, again, there were slight flaws such as a small distortion to the crease in the crown and snags in each of the hat liners...nothing big. The telltale sign, however, are the punch holes in the sweatband...a sure sign of factory seconds. I again asked and was told (again) that the fedoras were first quality. I also felt gouged by the shipping. Where have I heard "gouged" before??? Anyway, buyer (bidder) beware.

 

[photobyalan]

jeboat...You're lucky you didn't get me for a mediator.

eBay isn't really a crapshoot, unless you don't pay attention to seller ratings, item descriptions, and terms of sale (like shipping charges, for instance). After the auction ends is not the time to be asking questions, including about combining items for shipping.

As to your complaint, I would have ruled in the seller's favor very quickly. Your own statement in your earlier post "Not a bad price ($65.42, including shipping) for two name brand hats made in the USA" really puts the lie to your indignation.

FWIW, "not bad" is quite an understatement. A quick look at VHS' web site shows that the very cheapest Stetson felt hat they carry is $70, not including shipping. In fact, the cheapest new fur felt hat I could find anywhere was a Jaxon Iconoclast at $48.00, plus shipping. You got two hats delivered for less than what it would have cost for one name-brand hat bought retail, not including shipping.

You said the Stetson had a spot on the crown. For that you would have been justified in complaining. I'd wager that the seller, who seems reasonably honest to me (and I've done business with them in the past), would have been willing to refund the price of the hat and the shipping charges both ways if the merchandise was defective. Yet you didn't complain about that. Apparently $17 is not worth complaining about when it's the price of a hat, but when you're talking about a shipping charge, $15 is a fortune...

 

[jeboat]

Grapehill hats

Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but Jonathon Kuhlman, the owner made the offer, not the mediator. I merely quoted back to him his own policy of separate shipments being necessary when they were not. My Stetson hat also has a punched hole in the sweat band, a sure sign of a second. I guess that makes HIM a liar.

Whether or not the hats were worth the price is irrelevant to me. As I said to the mediator, don't say one thing and then do another.

jeboat :cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

 

[newhatguy]

Well when I started this thread I had reservations and questions regarding this e-bayer and the exact "grade" of merchandise they carried......I read some of the early comments on this thread and elected NOT to buy...many of the hats are(were) being sold at a higher price than I expected based on the possible suspect quality....in addition to paying $30 if you wanted 2 hats.....I forget who said it but it appears they were correct when the said ...why not by direct from the Stetson outlet store if you want a Stetson.

I on the other hand took the advice of many and bid on and won a vintage hat....paid less than these Stetson's...and perhaps got a better hat. I'll keep you posted on my experience.

Newhatguy

 

[varga49]

I know this is a late post but I've received two hats from grapevinehill for a couple of my customers. They came in Stetson boxes and were in excellent shape as expected.Delivery was way fast!! These were 1st hats for these guy's and they liked them. I had thought about them being old stock...might be true!...oh and the price was right!

 

[david]

I recieved my new purchase from Grapevinehill (ebay auction) today and I am extremely satisfied. I bought the Stetson Three Forks, sage green model. Yes the shipping is a little on the high side, but they are up front with the charges, so it was no suprise. All things considered, I saved a bundle with Grapevinehill as compared to prices for the same item from other online outlets -Google "Stetson Three Forks".

As for the hat, the inscription on the left side of the sweat band is --Royal Stetson, John B Stetson Company. The right side has the inscription --Cabela's Three Forks. The satin liner has the red & gold Stetson logo. The felt is uniform. All sewing is even throughout the lining, sweat band and hat band. No seconds here, just good quality and good craftsmanship.

I purchased a Stetson 3 Forks (in Tawny, an olive brown) from Grapevinehill. I am likewise satisfied. I did so somewhat reluctantly given the experience of some, but I knew a deal when I saw it.
Shipping was excellent; $15 but the cost wasn't a surprise. I bid taking shipping cost into account. No sign of the hat being a second, although it may be Cabela's overstock.
Mine is just a bit larger than the average 7 3/8. It'll fit better after it gets wet once. I notice that the top of the crown is much softer than the rest of the hat
I have a vintage Stetson fedora; and like many have stated, the vintage felt is nicer. I haven't been able to find the vintage hat I've been looking for for less than an arm and a leg, so I thought I'd give a modern hat a try. I've looked at Stratoliners and Open Roads, as well as some vintage Borsalinos; but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a hat that'd have to handle some drizzly weather. This 3 Forks is more outdoorsy casual, which is what I was looking for. At approx. $50 (shipped) it was a good ebay deal.
(I also recieved a 20% off coupon for a future purchase, but you can't use it for an ebay sale.)

I've had good luck getting a Stetson soaking wet and still have them look great. (However, I couldn't bring myself to buy an expensive vintage hat that might get dumped into the river.) My "beater" is a Stetson fedora style crown cowboy hat, and it's great at keeping the weather off. A fishing buddy gifted it to me when he pointed out that I couldn't be seen in certain cowboy pool halls in my disreputable generic u-roll-it. It's my fall salmon and steelhead fishing hat The hat also provides great protection against mis-cast fly hooks (both mine and others). It's been reshaped a couple of times, but it continues to look great. I've been told it's too nice and too valuable to fish in; but after 20 yrs. of preexisting abuse there's not much more that I could do to it. Besides, my buddy has passed on, and the hat reminds me of some fun times we had.

BTW, if you can tie a fly, or know someone who does, you can make a great hat band pin. Modify a safety pin by clipping off the "keeper", and then bending the wire so that it catches the point when the pin closes. (This shortens the pin so it'll be hidden behind the hook shank.) If you tie a streamer pattern (eg. I like to use a Royal Coachman Trude, in size 4), you can tie in the modified safety pin along the hook shank by wrapping the body material over both the pin and the hook.

 

[Jay]

I got a grey Stetson Chatham from them, as well as a high shipping cost, and my only complaint is the band is higher in the front than in the back. The rest of it is okay, I guess. I agree; there's something weird about all this. I'd rather see the hat before I buy it.