My grandfather's hats

[Pete M]

Hi Guys - I've been lurking for a couple of weeks trying to learn about hats. I recently came into possession of a couple of my grandfather's hats. Is it OK to ask the forum a few questions?

Like - how much might they be worth, and how to properly sell them. If on eBay - I understand a proper listing in necessary - however, I'm not really an eBay guy, but I digress.

If it's ok, I'll list the specifics - I think they might be kinda nice.

Cheers

pete

 

[Yohanes]

Hello Pete, welcome to the Lounge.

If it's difficult to use Ebay you can offer items you want to sell in the Classified forum here

 

[fatwoul]

Pete, based on my few short weeks here, I can testify that you will be hard pressed to find a dishonest person amongst the fine people of The Lounge. I doubt very much that anybody here is likely to rip you off.

I say this because if you are not really into the eBay thing, you could try selling the hats through the classified section of this site.

First, post some pictures, including as much detail as you can of any labels on the headband or the liners of the hats. Let everybody here go to town on what you show us, and once you've determined what the hats are, and how much they might be worth, you will be in a much better position to try to sell them through the site.

However, are you really sure you want to sell them? Being your grandfathers, you might regret doing so later on, since they might have sentimental value that you might come to miss in a few years time.

Have you tried them on? Do they fit? If so, do they suit you?

Forgive my trying to discourage you from selling - I'm just making sure it's really what you want to do.

Welcome to The Lounge.

 

[RBH]

Welcome to the Lounge Pete, if the hats fit you may want to keep them.
I remember my grand dads hats, but I have none of them.
As far as E-Bay if you have a good hat the market will set the price, you will need to start at a price that will suit you.
Good luck!

 

[deanglen]

Welcome to the Lounge Pete, if the hats fit you may want to keep them.
I remember my grand dads hats, but I have none of them.
As far as E-Bay if you have a good hat the market will set the price, you will need to start at a price that will suit you.
Good luck!

Uh, yeah,...what he said.

dean

 

[Pete M]

Hi Fellas - I have thought about keeping one of them - but i don't need two.
they do fit me - which makes the decision harder, but still - perhaps one of you guys wants one.

I don't know how to post pics - i think I read there is a new guy restriction on posting pics - but perhaps I can post a link to photo bucket or something. I'll get to it in a few.

they are nearly identical brown on brown, size 7 5/8th

2 inch ribbon, and 2 1/2 inch brim - not sure how to measure the crown

one is a Knox in a Knox box with the original delivery label from Delano hats Boston.

The Knox has been shaped and shows slight signs of having been warn, but is still nearly new. The Knox also says 'long oval" on the tag

The Cavanagh is brand new, in a brown unmarked box, still in the tissue and has never been shaped (round crown).

In the interest of full disclosure the knox's ribbon bow is folded a tiny bit after 50 years in a box

I figure they are from the early - mid '50's, as my grandfather was an Oil executive and was in Boston in the early '50s then was xfered to Honolulu in '56 - I don't reckon they wore much in the way of felt hats there in the islands - and by the time he came back to the mainland - hats were out of favor.


---

A hat story about my grandfather back in the day- I was told that if someone came for an interview with him, and he was wearing a bad hat - or worse no hat - that was it, interview over

 

[RBH]

you will need to start at a price that will suit you.
Good luck!

I guess I need to explain myself, as for a price thats suits you...
$5 or $50, you could start off at either one. If the hat is a Steston Stratoliner
it will go over $50 very soon. [if it is size 7 1\2 REALLY SOON!]
Some hats bring high prices some dont.
From what you have said the hats you have will bring a high price, the unshaped one should fetch a very nice price.

That said IF you can wear them and they fit you and you like the style...
I would suggest you keep them. At least till this time next year and you learn a little more about hats.
This is just my opinion, Please ask any of us here a question, we will be glad to help you.
Also as a side note after around 20 post you can attach a photo so then you could showm your grand dads hats.

 

[dostacos]

welcome to the group, I see that you are from So Cal, there is a backyard party next month. You might drop by [info in the events section] bring the hats and get some feedback regarding the hats, we could take some pictures and post them up for you.

remember that if both the buyer and seller are happy with the price, it was a good deal [as long as one of them doesn't think he REALLY got a deal ]

the bad news is there may well be several people that wear a 7 5/8s that will be at the party

Dan

 

[HamletJSD]

And 7 5/8 Long Oval at that ... someone might give an eye up for one of those hats

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

And 7 5/8 Long Oval at that ... someone might give an eye up for one of those hats

I might give up my tail for one.

 

[indycop]

7 5/8 you say! hmmnn

 

[cookie]

You Grandad's Hat

Can I just say that there is not a lot from your forebears that you can wear and treasure and these hats might be something if they fit IMHO...[huh] [huh]

 

[Doh!]

Well, if you don't "need" two of them, I'd say wear one... and save the other for later. Or for your son/grandson, etc.

I don't think you can put a price tag on sentimental value. For example, my wristwatch once belonged to my great uncle. And it still keeps perfect time!

 

[Vintage Betty]

My Uncle died and my brothers got nothing NOTHING from the estate. I didn't find this out until many years later. I was given two cheap Timex travelling clocks that belonged to my Uncle, and had the pleasure of giving these to my brothers as a surprise.

If you don't want the hat, may I please suggest that you put it somewhere dry and safe (not an attic or basement please) as one of your other relatives might cherish it like my brothers cherish their Timex clocks.

It is a treasure beyond value.

Vintage Betty

 

[carter]

Pete,

Welcome to the Lounge.

With both a a Knox and a Mallory in 7 5/8 Long Oval, you have two desirable vintage hats. Especially if they are still in the original boxes and virtually unworn

My advice is to keep them both for now and do some research. Ebay is the best place to determine market value.

As several people have advised, don't be too hasty. The memories those hats may evoke will last a lifetime and can be passed on. The money you get from a sale will be gone considerably sooner.

Sight unseen, if you decide eventually to only keep one, my advice is to keep the Mallory. They're a lot harder to come by. However, that's a personal decision.

Can't wait to see your photos. :fedora:

 

[John in Covina]

What to list for a hat on EBAY

Version 3

Men’s Dress Hats, Questions for the Seller & Buyer!

There are a variety of styles of hats that fall under the category of Men’s Dress hats. The most famous is the FEDORA, which has wide latitudes and parameters for dimensions yet still falls under the description. Your best bet is to do some research visiting online stores to get a good description and look at pictures to match up with the hat you’re selling. Still, “Fedora” is a much misused term with sellers calling all sorts of men’s hats, a ‘fedora’ that are not. HOMBURGS are also in the mix and are similar to a fedora but the especially the brim and sometimes the crown are shaped differently. BOWLERS, DERBIES, TOP HATS, PORK PIES, ALPINE and STINGY BRIMS are the usual suspects that round out those normally found in men’s dress hats.

First off, the best of these hats are made of fur felt: beaver, rabbit or nutria or even blend. Occasionally, you may find an exotic fur used in the felt. If you are positive of the content, please list it, exotic fur felt can be quite desirable. Also, there are some well made hats that contain synthetic materials that were blended with real fur to make the felt. The dress hat has a relative in Western hats, both using fur felt bodies to make the hat. Western hats often have different beaver contents are noted as X’s, with the idea that more X’s are better felts. Although wool felt hats can be well made and serviceable, fur felt is generally noted as a better quality.

The quality of the felt may allow for cleaning and re-blocking plus re-sizing sometimes but these are moderate to expensive restorations when done by professionals. The cleaning and restoration of hats were once available in most towns and cities. Now there are only a small number of hatters and shops prepared to do this work. Amateurs should consider many repairs in the realm of pros only, unless they have many hats to practice on to get the experience. Some defects are not repairable or extremely difficult to do such as holes or divots in the felt. Holes can come from too much improper handling and the dreaded “moth bites.” Moth larva may munch on the felt creating small holes and divot like tracks along the surface of the felt. Moth balls or flakes or even cedar blocks should be utilized in the storage area to keep these destructive pests away from your quality hats. Any holes or divots need to be described and shown in photos if possible. Dirt, dust, stains, smudges, or damages to the surface again must be described and shown in photos. Dust and dirt may be cleaned by a knowledgeable person, but should not be done by the untrained as the felt can be quickly and irreversibly damaged. Spots and stains are not always removable and again should be noted and photographed.

Smells or odors should be noted, most can be removed by cleaning, although just a good an airing out may work. Failing that the hat may be placed in a big plastic bag with a box of baking soda like the refrigerator odor removal type for about a week. Don’t get that baking soda on the hat though!

Always try to show pictures of the details of the imprints on the sweatband and the liner. Careful checking under the sweatband may reveal tags with codes that are of interest to the collector. The style of crests and such can often be used to find the era of manufacture. Occasionally an actual date may be revealed and that is good detective work to the delight of the collector. Be sure to include all of the liner, sweatband imprints and tag information in your written description! Be as accurate and complete in your description as you can. If you can do “macro” or close up pictures of these details that clearly show them all the better, it will help sell the hat.

Take clear and focused pictures from every conceivable angle: outside: top, bottom, front back and both sides. Inside: close-ups of any imprints and details. The box, if you have a box, can be a generic hat box or a box that is specific to your hat or in can be totally unrelated. Still, describe fully and accurately and photograph, list the box information and photos at the end of the ad. Try to describe the colors of the hat and the box, as color pictures doesn’t always render correctly on the computer monitor. Fuzzy pictures are a detriment and a headache, and buyers often feel it is a ploy to try to hide defects. Also do not clutter the picture with other items or try to be artsy. Try using a plain background such as a solid light colored blanket, table cloth or sheet. Sometimes you can prop up a hat to effectively show the curl of the brim. Try to refrain from cutesy posing like using the dog or your toddler with the hat, it distracts and detracts from the hat. By concentrating on the hat in your description and photos, you do the buyer a big favor.

Measurements and dimensions are critical to the style and size of a man’s hat so be prepared to measure! Inches with fractions works best but metric can be worked out for most buyers. Describe the Crown & give height front and rear. Describe the brim, as to the WIDTH. Does it curve up or down or both? Please measure width from the base of the crown, at or near where the bottom of the ribbon or band is, and out to the edge. Also note, some hats are wider at the front and the rear than the sides, you may wish to measure all of these sections to be sure.

Good pictures of the ribbon and the bow are essential too! Also the edge of the brim maybe worked in a variety of ways such as raw, bound, stitched, folded and pressed all of which are of interest to the collector or user. Sometimes you may find a button with a string or cord attached to the hat. This is referred to as a Wind Trolley, and by other names. It attached the hat to the man to keep it from being blown away and lost.

Even if you find a size tag, note that old and unworn hats tend to shrink, so you should double check and list the ACTUAL SIZE of a hat! Please, measure the CIRCUMFRENCE of the hat, INSIDE, all the way AROUND the SWEAT BAND in inches to nearest fraction of an inch. If you do not have a cloth tape measure, then use a piece of string. Or make a paper tape and read the measured string or paper tape against tape measure or yard stick. Here is a conversion chart for converting Inches to US sizes:

INCHES US Size Metric
21” = size 6-5/8 = 53 cm
21-1/2” = size 6-3/4 = 54 cm
21-3/4” = size 6-7/8 = 55 cm
22” = size 7 = 56 cm
22-1/2” = size 7-1/8 = 57 cm
22-3/4” = size 7-1/4 = 58 cm
23” = size 7-3/8 = 59 cm
23-1/2” = size 7-1/2 = 60 cm
24” = size 7-5/8 = 61 cm
24-3/8” = size 7-3/4 = 62 cm
24-7/8” = size 7-7/8 = 63 cm
25-1/8” = size 8 = 63 cm

Also the size tag may mention a shape type like LONG OVAL which is a specific shape to match a head shape. This is key information to be listed!

A good, complete, and accurate description, noting all the details, along with clear pictures will bring you a better chance for a good sale.

In the ITEM TITLE you should consider first listing the following:
STYLE, MAKER, MODEL, COLOR, SIZE and then some sales pitch.
These first five items will help more to sell the hat by allowing the collector find your treasure quickly and easily.

Example: Fedora Stetson Playboy Grey 7-7/8 Film Noir very clean!

Again, the more details in your write up you can accurately list the better the chance to sell. The more honestly and accurately you describe the hat including faults, the more likely you will NOT have an angry customer looking to return the hat as misrepresented in the listings. Collectors may be looking for certain specific details which are always good to publish in the Question and Answer area to help all the buyers. It is not privileged information, you as the seller, should use all information at your disposal to help collectors find and select your hat.

If you don’t know the actual age of the hat, don’t guess, unless you care to expound on why you think it is of a certain age. Many hats made in the 60’s and later are listed erroneously as much earlier manufacture, style does not always indicate age.

Damaged hats may be restorable, our hatters can do some remarkable and rather astonishing restorations but they are labors of love, time consuming and of great expense. That said, rare and desirable models may suggest a complete rebuild to revive a notable hat. Even a damaged or dirty hat can be worth listing.

Happy selling and good luck with your hat auction.

 

[Pete M]

thanks for the replies guys

and appoligies for the next 17 or so posts of short random blither as i try to get to the requsite 20 posts so i can post pics

cheers

 

[Pete M]

pic test - first the knox

[/IMG] Knox box - A P Hynes was my grandfather

knox inside

 

[Pete M]

pics seem to work from photobucket -

top of knox

side view of knox 1

side view of knox 2

 

[Mr. Lucky]

pics seem to work from photobucket -

side view of knox 2

I'll take it! I'm serious! How much, if you are willing?