Interesting Incident at a Hat-Shop

[Shangas]

About a year or two ago, I purchased a black Akubra Homburg from a thrift-shop in my neighbourhood for $20.

It was very dusty, but otherwise in excellent shape. I brushed it off and took it home.

I've very rarely worn it. If at all. My dad asked me if he could have it, since I don't use it that often. His hat-size is two or three up from mine. I said if he wanted it, he could have it.

He took it to our local hat-shop (City Hatters in Melbourne, under Flinders Street Station). The hat was left to be enlarged.

Today the shop told him that they couldn't enlarge it as big as he wanted. And because of that, they returned it free-of-charge.

...Not quite.

They said that because they had failed to enlarge the hat as requested, they would BUY IT from me, and GIVE ME a free replacement homburg! They offered $200 for it!

We decided not to take the offer, and took the hat home. It does fit better now and it's very comfortable. My temples no longer feel like they're going to be crushed!

But it did make me wonder why a vintage hat would be worth $200+...

 

[gtdean48]

For a hat I rarely wear, I think I'd take the $200 plus a replacement hat. Great return on $20 plus I'm not into keeping hats I don't wear...Could end up with a hat for Dad & one for me that fit...

 

[barrowjh]

Interesting that they would offer $200 for it, makes you worry (or it would make me worry) what was the real reason. Maybe they want to go over the top from a service perspective and earn your loyalty, but maybe they are feeling guilty - are you certain there is no damage to the hat from their attempts to stretch it? If there is no damage then maybe they are really interested in earning a positive reputation for service, nothing wrong with that.

 

[viclip]

Makes me wonder whether your Akubra Homburg might be some sort of collector's item. You might consider posting photos esp. of the interior & advising of any markings therein. Someone here might be able to shed some more light.

 

[Hercule]

Interesting indeed. If they offered you $200 for it, imagine what it's really worth! Sounds like fun little mystery you have on your hands there. Please do keep us informed should you fine out more.

 

[jhe888]

I don't know much about the market for vintage hats, and absolutely nothing about the market for vintage Akubras. But vintage American hats can sell for that much, and do fairly regularly. Peruse eBay - maybe you'll get some idea of the market.

And I'm sure we'd all love to see a photo of the hat.

 

[Rogera]

And I'm sure we'd all love to see a photo of the hat.

+1

 

[Blackthorn]

They know something about that hat, that you don't know, and it's worth way more than $200. My father in law was in the army in the fifties when one of his buddies (a heavy drinker) offered to sell him a fiddle for $10. My father in law, being a fiddler, bought it and used it a lot. In the seventies he took it to a pawn shop to see if he could get $50 for it. The shop owner offered him $500, which made all the warning sirens sound off in his mind, and he kept the "fiddle" which turned out to be worth astronomically more than $500.

 

[fedoracentric]

They offered $200 because it is worth double that. That is how collectors work, you know? Offer the rube what they may think is a high price for some old item but offering knowing it is worth two times or more. Do some research and find out why they offered so much.

Akubra homburg, though? I wasn't aware they even made such a style. I thought all they did was cowboy-like outback hats.

 

[Banky]

I can tell you it's rare that we offer to purchase a hat off a customer at the shop. However, the occasions that we do it's because we know we can flip it at a profit. Research what you've got for sure.

 

[ManofKent]

Akubra homburg, though? I wasn't aware they even made such a style. I thought all they did was cowboy-like outback hats.

They still make Homburgs - I had one arrive last month. Very pronounced dip in the brim. They make a large range of Fedoras as well as bowlers and even top-hats.

 

[Shangas]

At your request, here are the photographs. I've looked the hat all-over and apart from some punched-in initials, and "HENRY BUCKS" (a local high-quality menswear shop which has been around since god knows when) stamped on one side of the lining...there's nothing in here that would tell me why this hat would be worth $200. Or $3-400, as one member suggested.








I'm sure it's not worth $200+ because of the dent in the crown.


As you can see, the interior is perfectly clean. I don't think this hat has ever been worn.








"L. G. W."

 

[fedoracentric]

Come on Akubra fans, is that one as old as the late 40s or 50s?

 

[Shangas]

Modern Akubras are marked in centimeters (I'm a 56cm head). This one is marked by size ("7"). A friend of mine on here (MikeBravo) said that they made the change from sizes to centimeters in the 1970s. So it's at least as old as the 1960s. Possibly further back. I dunno what to make of that, or how it would effect the price/value.

City Hatters in the 1920s/30s.

City Hatters has been Melbourne's primary hat-dealer since 1910. So for 104 years now, it's been making its trade. I assume they know what they're doing when they offer $200 for a second-hand hat that I found at a thrift-shop.

City Hatters today. Same location. Under Flinders Street Station.

Flinders Street Station in 1927.

What I want to know is, why would they? What would make it be worth that much? And what might it really be worth?

The hat has "HENRY BUCKS. MELBOURNE" on it.

Henry Bucks is the name of a high-end menswear chain that we have here in Australia. Its flagship store in Melbourne is on Collins Street. I've been there many times. It's two huge floors of suits, hats, ties, braces, bowties, tie-clips, shoes, jackets, trousers...

From what I can see, H.B. used to sell everything. I've even come across white tie dinner-outfits with the Henry Bucks label on them.

 

[-30-]

The question/answer might be: Who was LGW?

Regards,
J T

 

[Geldoc]

I was in City Hatters at Christmas time, and don't recall seeing any hats for sale approaching $200 (US).

 

[milliedog]

They are very friendly in there, you should just ask them why they offered so much.

 

[Shangas]

Perhaps. But I don't want to lead them on or anything. And I have no intention of selling, anyway.

 

[Blackthorn]

The question/answer might be: Who was LGW?

Regards,
J T

That will be the key. C'mon Shangas, what would Sherlock do?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Surprised you didn't ask them. Looks like a pretty ordinary hat. The two people who run the place (on behalf of a big company) these days are pretty cool. They do sometimes supply movies and TV shows with hats. Maybe they desperately needed a hat like yours for some terrible period crime show. When deliveries are behind you sometimes need to take desperate measures.

Just looked again - Henry Bucks (the hat brand) owns the shop. Maybe they were trying to purchase items for historical reasons.