Is it worth it?

[Mossyrock]

here's the deal... I have a 20 year old Stetson, fur felt, "Indy" fedora. It has just about everything wrong with it it could: it shrunk, the crown tapers horribly, the color bled on the ribbon when it got wet and it is dirty. Given WHAT it is (and isn't) would it be worth boxing it up and sending it to Optimo for an overhaul? As it is now, I won't/can't wear it and it is just sitting there getting dirtier. Is the hat worth salvaging, or should I just pitch it? [huh]

 

[J.T.Marcus]

It sounds like you have one of the 1984 Temple of Doom models. The 100% wool hats are really plentiful. Fur felt is a bit harder to come by. Brown was the most common color. Grey and black are rarer. The general answer to your question is that your hat is probably worth less than the price of a rebuild. The most economical route would be to keep your eye open for an exact replacement. They come up on ebay fairly often.

Regardless of what you do, we would like to see pictures of the hat, as it is now. Please.

 

[Flitcraft]

I'd save the money for the rebuild and buy an Akubra-you'd be getting a brand new hat for the cost of trying to restore something thats probably not worth it- think of silk purse from a sow's ear, etc.

 

[Mossyrock]

Regardless of what you do, we would like to see pictures of the hat, as it is now. Please.

I'll have to snap some photos...

 

[Feraud]

If it looks anything like this, I would invest the money in a new lid.

 

[Mossyrock]

Not QUITE that bad, but not too far off.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Get something new. The hat isn't worth what Optimo (or anyone else) will charge to rebuild it. You could post it in the classified here and on COW, in case some one want's to pay shipping and play with it, but otherwise, that baby is toast.

If you want something Indy like, there's the Akubra, the Christy's Adventurer, and upwards from there. If you want something closer in style, Stetson and several others have styles along that line.

 

[Doh!]

If it looks anything like this, I would invest the money in a new lid.

That reminds me of Chico's: