In Support of Brick and Mortar Hat Shops

[tortswon]

While roaming through the threads tonight, I read a post to a new member that disturbed me a bit. A new member had a question about purchasing a hat. He was advised to go to a brick and mortar shop to see what was available and ask questions. He was advised to do this even if he decided to buy the hat online

I am a great believer in supporting the brick and mortar hat stores out there. There is a store a short distance from my home and I try to support it whenever I can. That does not mean I only buy my hats from them. Hat shops are not exclusively about retail selling of hats. If we as a community do not support brick and mortar stores, they will soon be gone, as most are.

I say this because if you are going to go into a store to pick the proprietor's brain, I think you have a certain obligation to pay them for their time and the knowledge they have imparted to you based upon years of experience. You may be able to get a hat for a few bucks less online but you are trading those few bucks for the future of brick and mortar hat shops.

We hold the future of hat shops in our pockets. If we use the proprietors for knowledge and then save $5.00 buying on the internet, what do we think is going to happen to these stores and the people who have devoted their lives to our hobby. There are hardly any stores left. Are we as a community going to watch as these stores go the way of the dodo, and the families who have operated them, many for generations go into other businesses taking with them the knowledge they have developed over many years?

I would never tell any of my fellow Loungers how to spend your money (you wouldn't listen, and probably for good reason), but I think we have to reflect upon the consequences of our conduct. The sermon is now concluded. Best, Sam

 

[jimmy the lid]

Amen, brother!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[billysmom]

Amen. :eusa_clap

 

[Garrett]

Well said, sir. Though I am tempted by ebay almost constantly I do make sure to frequent my local "brick and mortar" hatter and we both end up grateful for the experience.

There's nothing like chatting with an old hatter is there?

 

[Ztex]

I agree with your sentiments. These people are putting their way of life on the line by opening a retail store. Support them whenever possible. I have bought special order items from folks that had to have bought the item from an online retailer, and I was happy to pay them a bit extra because of the time and effort they put into me and my needs when I entered the shop. It's about service. If they are willing to find me what I need then they deserve my money.


And on this subject of Hat shops...I live in Fort Worth Texas and the only hat stores that I have found only have western hats on the shelf...it goes with the territory...but where are the DFW hat stores? any ideas?

Zane the new guy.

 

[Goose.]

While roaming through the threads tonight, I read a post to a new member that disturbed me a bit. A new member had a question about purchasing a hat. He was advised to go to a brick and mortar shop to see what was available and ask questions. He was advised to do this even if he decided to buy the hat online...Best, Sam

Hi Sam...
You may be referring to my post about the guy looking for his first Panama. http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=845173&postcount=10

My thought was, that perhaps, the store didn't have exactly what he was looking for. Example being; you could try on a stingy felt to see how the brim works for you. But you really want a Panama. At least you will know how the brim size works for you.
That's all I meant.

I agree with you COMPLETELY. Feel free to point me out directly. I can handle it and will own up accordingly as appropriate.
Respect,
Goose.

 

[tortswon]

There's nothing like chatting with an old hatter is there?

Absolutely! Here in Philly we have Oscar who is an inexhaustable font of information.

I buy a lot of hats on eBay (every one of my allowable 100 saved searches is hat related) but I go to Oscar for an eight dollar clean and block once a week. Best, Sam

 

[Alucard73]

While I agree that we should support local shops, I also understand that quality and price are factors and may not always be purchased locally...thus the internet has fostered a "world market". I also value peoples opinions on what and where to find things on the world market as it is still a big world. I also trust the indiviual is intelligent enough to weigh this information and make the best decision for them. This is only my opinion.

 

[randooch]

Hat shops

Every hat shop I have entered on my recent travels only stocks --- ahem* how to say it . . . mass-produced crap. Scala comes to mind. This is why I stick with trolling vintage shops for the "real deal." I realize that I need to go to big cities for a quality hat shop, but if a fellow avoids the crush of humanity and travels to podunk places, he's bound to be disappointed. Ahhh, but then, Art does business out of Eagle Point (brick & mortar, though?), if I remember right, so my argument is flawed.

Interesting topic to consider, especially when you value small business, as I do.

 

[feltfan]

I also agree with the sentiment and wish there were a hat shop worth
a damn around here.

I wonder how many of us have actually purchased a hat at a brick
and mortar shop? That is, a hat we still like.

I can say I have- I purchased a Biltmore that I got a lot of use out of, from
Paul's Hat Works in SF. I will say I was grossly overcharged for the hat and
he backed out of his promise to clean and block the hat for free (he wouldn't
even do it for money), but I did get a lot of use out of the hat. I would not
wear it today, but...

I also purchased hats from Art when he had a shop and Jon Lundberg
as well.

Maybe this thread should have a poll to see what percentage have and
have not.

 

[Goose.]

...

I wonder how many of us have actually purchased a hat at a brick
and mortar shop? That is, a hat we still like.
...
Maybe this thread should have a poll to see what percentage have and
have not.

Three Brent Black Panama Finos, two Akubras, four Resistols, three Stetsons, and one Barmah off the top of my head.
Oh, and a Davey Crockett faux racoon tailed hat I bought and wore around Disneyland just to embarass the sheet out of my kids

 

[indycop]

Oh, and a Davey Crockett faux racoon tailed hat I bought and wore around Disneyland just to embarass the sheet out of my kids

The Tandy leather store near my house has real coonskin hats! lol

I have visited the panama hat store in St. Augustine (30 minutes from me) and found them horribly overpriced.
And have driven 12 hours to get a hat from Mike.

 

[Paul-ette]

Applause!

Thank you for starting this thread!
As many of you may know at this point, myself and three ladies have taken over Paul's Hat Works, and though we have not been in the biz for very long, we are accumulating and learning so much so quickly, that though we may look like young women, in talking to us you may feel you are talking to an old gent who has been in the business for ages.

It's been very risky and intimidating to decide to take over a retail store and risk all of our resources to do so, especially the midst of a recession. However, the support we have from our community is amazing, between our neighbors, friends, family, and clients, we are very happy that we made this decision.

I have noticed that a lot of people have complained about the price point of hats they have bought at Paul's under the old owner. Though I understand where you are coming from, as I personally have never spent that much money on a hat, the more I'm learning about the quality of our hats and the specific albeit secret things we do to the hats, the more I can appreciate how much they are. However, our business lady, Miss Wendy Hawkins, is evaluating the components of our price points, to see where we can adjust.

Also, as a disclaimer, what has always applied previously does not necessarily apply to us. We plan on having regular business hours, and if we say we are going to do something, we will keep our word.

Thanks again for this post and come support us in San Francisco!

~ Paulette

 

[Paul-ette]

Applause!

Thank you for starting this thread!
As many of you may know at this point, myself and three ladies have taken over Paul's Hat Works, and though we have not been in the biz for very long, we are accumulating and learning so much so quickly, that though we may look like young women, in talking to us you may feel you are talking to an old gent whose been in the business for ages.

It's been very risky and intimidating to decide to take over a retail store and risk all of our resources to do so, especially the midst of a recession. However, the support we have from our community is amazing, between our neighbors, friends, family, and clients, we are very happy that we made this decision.

I have noticed that a lot of people have complained about the price point of hats they have bought at Paul's under the old owner. Though I understand where you are coming from, as I personally have never spent that much money on a hat, the more I'm learning about the quality of our hats and the specific albeit secret things we do to the hats, the more I can appreciate how much they are. However, our business lady, Miss Wendy Hawkins, is evaluating the components of our price points, to see where we can adjust.

Also, as a disclaimer, what has always applied previously does not necessarily apply to us. We plan on having regular business hours, and if we say we are going to do something, we will keep our word.

Also to answer a question asked a bunch: We are making all of our hats, we won't be carrying any other brands, we won't be carrying vintage hats.

Thanks again for this post and come support us in San Francisco!

~ Paulette

 

[daizawaguy]

Love to support them...but I think they should meet half way and offer great web services too. So few answer e-mails. I`m not asking for a full web shop site, just responses to a few questions from　someone from afar wanting to purchase one of their hats. On this topic, the real web sellers win hands down...now who is to blame here!?

 

[Doctor Strange]

voted No

Although I live an hour from NYC, I haven't bought a hat in an actual store since the late 80s. Perhaps if I still worked in Manhattan (not since '96) and got down there more than three or four times a year, it would be different...

And I have to say, I greatly appreciate the convenience and economy of buying via the Web. I've bought Akubras, Stetsons, and B!Wears over the last eight years, and they represent very close to what I wanted at some very reasonable prices. Web purchasing is a remarkable thing!

Not that I wish any ill will to the few hat stores still out there - it's just that they simply don't factor into my lifestyle at this point...

 

[feltfan]

I have noticed that a lot of people have complained about the price point of hats they have bought at Paul's under the old owner. Though I understand where you are coming from, as I personally have never spent that much money on a hat, the more I'm learning about the quality of our hats and the specific albeit secret things we do to the hats, the more I can appreciate how much they are.

Since this is, at least in part, a response to my post, let me clarify a
few points.

The hat I bought from Michael at Paul's Hat Works was a Biltmore, not
a hat he made himself. So it is possible to say (now that I know better)
that the same hat was available for far less elsewhere.

I have spent more on a hat and am glad to pay for real quality.
Art Fawcett's hats cost more than I paid for that Biltmore, but are
worth it.

I don't hold any of the policies of the previous management against
the current management of Paul's Hat Works, and look forward to
dropping by when life gets a little less hectic. But I do pause when
I hear, "secret things we do to the hats"- now that sounds like Michael,
who used to talk a lot about finding out the secrets of old hat makers.
I'm sure there are techniques to learn, but I, like many people on this
forum, have spent years reading about hats, taking hats apart, talking
to hat makers, and wearing hats. I suspect the real secret was to make
a lot of hats and with practice, perfect.

None of my negative comments about Paul's Hat Works apply to
the folks who run it now. I'm looking forward to their new management
of this historic store. I know price point, especially in this economy, is
going to be a challenge.

 

[M6Classic]

While I have never been in his brick and mortar shop in Buffalo, I am a regular Gary White customer. I have purchased four or five panamas from Milton Johnson at his shop in Santa Fe. Gary and Milton both have my size and preferences on file, so shopping with them via telephone is simple and reliable. Years ago, I was a regular customer at the Herbert Johnson shop in New Bond Street, London, but that was way back...perhaps as late as 1986...when Herbert Johnson actually made good hats.

Buzz

 

[Mr Zablosky]

A recent visit to a real hat factory and outlet saved me some money by letting me see what's what. I've bought some real garbage by relying on the interent image, not just hats but other things. The shop and chat are part of the whole experience. I've mentioned more what I didn't buy than what I did get.

Its also a real treat to walk out wearing something rather than just getting a confirmation note from Paypal.

 

[John in Covina]

The concept of using the brick & motor shop's stock and the information gleaned from the salespeople and then buying online for the price is in fact a type of theft of services. By using those things that make for a higher cost of operation, paying for a location, operating expenses, and sales persons you use those expenses for yourself fully for your benefit but the effort and expense is all incurred by the store.