Man's hat collection sold at auction

[squid]

I just stumbled across this story.

6/13/2005 10:18 AM
By: Associated Press

Half of what may have been the largest private collection of hats anywhere was auctioned in Hillsborough.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. -- Bid by bid, half of what may have been the largest private collection of hats anywhere was auctioned, signaling an end to the owner's dream of one day starting the National Hat Museum.

Continued at:
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/Default.asp?ArID=95439&addvid=62311

 

[epic610]

i am surprised...

no one on this forum was aware of this.

 

[Aaron Hats]

It's a shame the guys who bought it seem to not know anything about hats. Must be nice to have so much money you just collect things for the sake of collecting.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Sort of leaves the community of real hat wearers empty handed. Just think the prices they might have garnered if it was known about in the hat wearing community.

 

[feltfan]

ouch

After spending thousands of dollars during five hours of bidding, Chris Long said, "I have no idea what we bought."

 

[besdor]

WOW!!!!!

Who wants to go to Virginia to check this out .



Steven
Bencraft Hats

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Sort of leaves the community of real hat wearers empty handed. Just think the prices they might have garnered if it was known about in the hat wearing community.

I doubt the sellers even knew there was such a thing as a "hat wearing community."

 

[ledsled]

Another piece of heritage gone

Reading that article is upsetting, indeed. I can only hope that the hats are stored properly..... like run a dehumidifier in the storage building please! Fill it will mothballs. Oh... I can see the mice and moths now.

What is wrong with this whole scenario? Why should I give two hoots if some guys throw a ton of money at an auction and win the bulk of a collection that they know NOTHING about? I don't know. It's like a piece of history can be sold to the highest bidder. Then that bidder controls that piece of history. If the collection rots, then it is lost. If it is sold to some royalty in a foreign country, then we will never see it again.

This exact chain of events has happened over the last few years with people who collect bicycles. There's a LOT of history in bicycles (especially with early New England manufacturing) and much of the original historical objects have been spread all over the world, sold to some royalty, never to be seen again.

I believe history should be shared. It is our heritage. If one person spent their life and money trying to build a collection of hats to share in the form of a museum, that is a wonderful thing. To hear that most of the collection was purchased by people who don't even know what they were buying, shows a total lack of respect for the history inherent in those hats.

Very unsettling.

 

[astaire]

I believe history should be shared. It is our heritage. If one person spent their life and money trying to build a collection of hats to share in the form of a museum, that is a wonderful thing. To hear that most of the collection was purchased by people who don't even know what they were buying, shows a total lack of respect for the history inherent in those hats.

Very unsettling.

As unsettling as it may sound, i do hope the people who bought those hats find them valuable enough to store those hats properly. Sometimes the press can play with the readers' minds by manipulating words that were said.

Perhaps one day people like us in the lounge may start our own museum where each one of us would donate a hat into the museum's inventory. I know it's a real long-shot, but there are good people in here who would agree with me and act for a good cause.

I know it's difficult to donate a hat that is valuable to me, but for the cause of sharing our history and heritage, i think i would.

Perhaps......

 

[TommySalieri]

You know, I completely know where you all are coming from on this.

I recently lost a fine vintage Pilgrim on EBay to a guy named "Sk8terPunk". Since I've been on a budget for the last month, I had to place a maximum bid of 20.00. Now, normally, I wouldn't mind losing a hat to someone else. But losing a beautiful, vintage hat to a guy named "Sk8terPunk" is painful because, unlike me, he is not going to wear it forever. He isn't going to cherish it, take proper care of it, or wear it with pride. And chances are, he's only going to wear it for a short time and then he's going to throw it away; along with his Vans and other used up Volcom-trash.

Tragic to no end.

 

[Michaelson]

I noticed of late that most folks who buy collections like this are close followers of ebay, and KNOW the trends of the market. I've seen more watch collections purchased then scattered about on ebay, watches in whole OR parted out :rage: just to make the bucks. Of course it's their property now, and they can do what they like with it....but that doesn't make it right.

Oh, I love your new avatar, Matt....but get that other eye open! You want to aim with both eyes wide open, allowing your dominant eye to line the barrel up for the shot.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[havershaw]

My suspicion is that some (if not all) of those hats will end up on eBay.

 

[BigSleep]

My suspicion is that some (if not all) of those hats will end up on eBay.

Which may be good for us!

Flood the market!

Supply and demand baby!

The American way!

 

[DanielJones]

Sad indeed. Hopefully they will now do some research and discover the history they now possess. And if they don't, and the hats end up on e-bay so much the better for us. Little treasures to be had and shared by this community.
Oh, and Michaelson's right, aim with both eyes open. you never want to create a blind spot.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[ideaguy]

hat collection

The quote to remember: "We do now..." Makes one's stomach clench. Best hatter I've known, now AWOL from us New Englanders, had well over 5,000 hats
and at least 4,000 blocks, men's and women's, signed Chanel, Lily Dache,
Schiapparelli-they designed the blocks, and then signed them-guy had storage
buildings, and was a REAL historian-worked with Fashion Institute, Smithsonian,
and others. May still have some left, I know he sold lots to get family debt erased and other matters, but out there somewhere is a master who cares about hats from cave-dwellers to today, and knows the values too- hope he's still around...Bill-if you're watching-call Michael & Karen, please...

 

[besdor]

HAT AUCTION

I'm not sure if this is the same one , but here is a link to a hat auction by the same company that is mentioned in this thread :
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/2339


It's mostly military caps but there are some dress hats that made me look twice . The price that the hats went for weren't bad either .


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com