Is this a good price for a Resistol on the Bay?

[bond]

Just wanted to offer my opinion as a frequent buyer and seller like most people here. I just paid alot more than i would normally spend For a beautiful 7 3/8 50s vintage Resistol kitten finish with brim binding in mint condition although not a stingy brim, but as I wanted it for my self I thought the price fair , of course there are deals to be found but sometimes if a hat speaks to you then price really doesn't matter if you really need to own it.
And this particular vintage Resistol I believe is better quality than many others of similar vintage, really outstanding quality I would say.

 

[newturnofphrase]

I sold it because I'm downsizing my collection a little in anticipation of a move. It's a real gem of a hat. I'm sorry to see it go, but glad it's going to a lounger.

 

[bond]

Thanks mike, look forward to getting it!

 

[danofarlington]

Depends on how much waiting you like to do. Similar hats not demanding a fixed price are bound to roll around. That hat is probably priced at the high end of its ilk for E Bay, but not out of line. The shipping charge is what's out of line.

 

[KC Capellor]

In my experience, vintage Resistol hats are a very good value in general as they often sell for less than similar Stetsons. The market rightly values Stetson's long, rich history among American hat makers. Resistol San Antonios and similar Open Road clones often sell for far less than their Stetson equivalents. The Kitten Finish fedoras with their Cav type edges cited here are some very fine felt for their typical price range. The older, wider brimmed fedoras tend to sell for more due to their relative age and rarity.
Also, size is an important factor that makes a particular hat especially valuable to a buyer who really wants to wear it not just collect it. I tend to buy all the hats I can afford in the styles I like that are near my size and keep the few that really fit well. Just my 2 cents, as here I go just invested in another OR project a couple of hours ago in 7 1/8 because the 7 LO I got last week was a bit snug...

Cheers from KC!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I wonder how many kittens it took to make this one?:eeek:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RES...ultDomain_0&hash=item4168307f6b#ht_7988wt_845

 

[SHOWSOMECLASS]

Not sure if you have a real affection for stingy's but w/ your head size you can easily wear a larger than normal brim and still look good. Just food for thought.

 

[davers]

No...I don't have an opinion yet one way or another on stingy brims. This hat just jumped at me when I saw it...so I jumped back! I've just started buying 'fedoras' even though I've wanted to wear them for quite a few years now. I've been "afraid" of what other people would think...which is pretty sad. I've been wearing caps for a few years now, and finally decided I should be spending my money on what I really want to wear and not worry about other peoples opinions. Or, I should say, the opinions of people who don't wear hats! I still feel self conscious when wearing my Bailey, even though it's very comfortable and I like how I look in it. I'm waiting for some cooler weather so I can wear my Stetson Firenze and now my new Resistol!!!

Dave

Not sure if you have a real affection for stingy's but w/ your head size you can easily wear a larger than normal brim and still look good. Just food for thought.

 

[fedoracentric]

It ia Matter of taste in many ways, too. Me, I wouldn't pay 2 cents for any fedora with a brim under 2-3/8 inches and even that is too small for me. I have also decided that I'll never buy another hat made after 1960. Since hanging around here I've bought a few new fedoras and a few older ones and the new ones just seem "less" to me. They just don't have "it." I guess it is quality, but whatever it is the new ones just don't approach even the cheapest of vintage. A $10 fedora from 1950 tops any production hat from 2012.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I wonder how many kittens it took to make this one?:eeek:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RES...ultDomain_0&hash=item4168307f6b#ht_7988wt_845

Purebred Persian kittens, no doubt.

 

[gdc]

I am a 7 1/2 and like the bigger brims. A 2" brim on a size 7 is proportionally larger than it is on a 7 1/2 and I think that is surely part of it for me. The crowns on the stingier brims look too high and just don't look as good on me. I recently started wearing a Panama with a 3" brim and found a vintage Open Road (2 3/4") and it looks great on me as well.
I still have a few stingy brims which my wife likes on me and they have their place but wider brims are my preference. There were two nice stingies in my favorite thrift store, one a Knox velour in mint condition priced at $20 and I passed on both. Wouldn't have done that a year ago.

 

[davers]

EEK!!:eeek:

Purebred Persian kittens, no doubt.

 

[Benzadmiral]

EEK!!:eeek:

When I bought my first Resistol Kitten Finish on eBay about a year ago, I had the hardest time convincing my animal-adoring lady friend, Miss Linda, that the hats did NOT have any kitten fur: "No actual kittens were harmed during the production of this hat."

Kind of shows you the difference between our sane society back then, when a company could use such a trademark without any goofballs believing kittens were really being slaughtered for their fur, and today!

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Unless they're pristine, I rarely see Reistol fedoras go for more than $65-$75. Maybe that's just me? I wear a 7 1/4. Was this a common size for Resistol? Why does the Resistol brand carry a lower status than Stetson, Knox, Dobbs, etc.? I've held a Kitten Finish felt before and it is a very fine quality. But it puzzles me that Resistol isn't as highly valued as the other big brands. Seems like a vintage hat would fetch more.

Perhaps this is like anything else of "value"? It's only valueable to the wearer? My point is, most of us would expect a Stetson / Knox / Dobbs TWENTY (as an example) to hike over $100 easily. But if a Resistol TWENTY were on the next listing where would it stack up?

 

[Alive'n'Amplified]

Let me add.. I saw a dark green Resistol Kitten Finish beaver fedora at a local antique market. It was 7 1/2 so it was too big for me. I was tempted to buy it at $40 as an investment to clean it up and sell it for more. The felt was really nice, but it needed a new sweatband and a new liner. I figured that I would push my costs too high and that it wouldn't be worth it. BUT, it would be a different story if it were a vintage Stetson Sovereign.

On the other hand, if the hat was my size and I liked the color then it would have been a good buy. Any other costs would be worth it, because I would have gotten the enjoyment of wearing it. Did I just answer my own questions? Any other thoughts on Resistol vs. The Big Brands?

 

[jlee562]

Pure speculation on my part, but I think most people nowadays associated Resistol with their western hats. So seekers of vintage gats might not necessarily be aware that Resistol made some fine fedoras back in the day.

But hey, don't let the secret out! I'll take all the vintage Resistols!

I have an OR clone, a Kitten Finish stingy, and Resistol Milan and they are all great hats, each of them under $40.

 

[KC Capellor]

Good points all around. Stetson made dress and western hats since the late 1800's and by the late 1930's when Resistol began, Stetson had been the leading American hatmaker for 50 years. The heyday of the fedora 1920's - 1950's saw all major hatmakers flourish and then poof - disappear during the 1960's. Resistol emerged from the industry shakeup owning Stetson and several other leading brands and their Texas and Midwest/Southwest customers kept western hat sales strong while fedora sales nearly ceased. So, Stetson has a long rich history and there are a lot of Stetson hats out there, even fairly old ones. Resistols are and were a little less known and were distributed more regionally in the earlier days. In particular, the Resistol Kitten Finish fedoras were always top notch felt with Cavanagh type edges, but the earlier wide brimmed fedoras are less common, most are stingy brims from the 50's and 60's. Also, by the 60's Churchill Ltd. became part of Resistol's upper line with Cav' edges and fine grades of felt, thus spreading their make through another brand name. This seems to help keep Resistol hats an excellent value alongside their Stetson cousins. The most important factor on the vintage market, after sheer quality/desireability is size. If it doesn't fit you how much is it worth to you? My $0.02: Stetson vs. Resistol = Win/Win! Cheers!
Resistol KF 5X, Royal Stetson, Resistol San Antonio 3X, Stetson Open Road 4X, Resistol San Antonio 35

 

[JessieJames]

Hi, an old thread but I was hoping to get some insight in Resistol hats. Been learning about Stetsons, know nothing of this brand.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/233232738297

Was looking for a nice vintage hat in a cool toned silverbelly, 3" flat brim, and this seems to fit the bill. So I'm wondering

• is this a good deal?
• what era is this from
• could I reshape easily with steam (crown) and iron the brim out
• how nice is the fur felt on these whatever era it may be from (I like tight felt, nice hand of course, I can't imagine anything being nicer than my Stetson 7x but if it's as soft as a vintage 3x or the modern Stetsons I saw in the store I'll be nice and happy)

Thanks in advance!

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi, an old thread but I was hoping to get some insight in Resistol hats. Been learning about Stetsons, know nothing of this brand.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/233232738297

Was looking for a nice vintage hat in a cool toned silverbelly, 3" flat brim, and this seems to fit the bill. So I'm wondering

• is this a good deal?
• what era is this from
• could I reshape easily with steam (crown) and iron the brim out
• how nice is the fur felt on these whatever era it may be from (I like tight felt, nice hand of course, I can't imagine anything being nicer than my Stetson 7x but if it's as soft as a vintage 3x or the modern Stetsons I saw in the store I'll be nice and happy)

Thanks in advance!

I have two Resistol X Double X hats. The felt is firm, but it’s not overly stiff. I like mine. The price doesn’t seem to be unreasonable.

Resistol made some wonderful hats so don’t be afraid of the brand. The Stetson 3X has been all over the quality spectrum as far as felt so it’s impossible to say how it will compare to the Resistol. However, if I were a betting man I’d say the vintage Stetson 3X from Bowen would have much superior felt.


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[Hurricane Jack]

how nice is the fur felt on these whatever era it may be from (I like tight felt, nice hand of course, I can't imagine anything being nicer than my Stetson 7x but if it's as soft as a vintage 3x or the modern Stetsons I saw in the store I'll be nice and happy)

The Double X line was listed by Resistol as a blend of "beaver and imported fur", whatever that is. I personally don't think you would be happy with either the hand or overall softness of the hat.