New to hats, came across this for a bargain after deciding to pursue a collection

[deserioso]

I've been searching on this site and elsewhere to try and determine exactly what kind of Stetson this is. I've been planning on buying my first few hats, but have been trying to hone my taste before I embark on the journey. Came across this for a bargain, can someone tell me exactly what type of Beaver-fur Stetson this is?

 

[barrowjh]

7X Clear Beaver Quality was never a bad choice. Clear plastic tip says it is not older than 1953, and I am thinking late 1950s or maybe into the 1960s but not sure about that. Was the size tag square black?

 

[DJH]

Yep - nice hat and it looks to be in good condition.

There are a bunch of threads covering the 7XCB hats, this one has a lot of examples

 

[barrowjh]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?32679-Dating-Vintage-Stetsons-by-Liner-A-Field-Guide

This is a better answer - this thread is active and reading through the first few pages will help you figure it out.

excuse me DJH, your post was not there when I was typing this. I mean this is better than my first answer, not better than directing to the 7XCB thread, which is a great answer.

 

[deserioso]

Unreal, didn't think to count the X's on the emblem til now! Such a rookie. Yes, the size is 7 1/4 and the tag is black. Here's a photo.

 

[barrowjh]

With a black square tag it is post-1960, and that squares up with the liner crest (I think).

 

[jlee562]

Yeah that liner looks a lot like my 1963 Stetson 100...

 

[deserioso]

Beautiful. Thank you gentlemen, those threads are filled with the knowledge I'm looking for. Thanks for the warm welcome as well. All this being said, is there a price range for this hat? I have no plans to sell it, but I'm having a hard time judging a reasonable price for a hat just like this one in case I find another I'm interested in.

 

[deserioso]

Beautiful. Thank you gentlemen, those threads are filled with the knowledge I'm looking for. Thanks for the warm welcome as well. All this being said, is there a price range for this hat? I have no plans to sell it, but I'm having a hard time judging a reasonable price for a hat just like this one in case I find another I'm interested in.

Also, I paid $40 cash to a friend for the hat.

 

[barrowjh]

You stole it. 7XCB's in great condition like yours should fetch more than $100 for size 7 1/4 on ebay, and that is on a bad day.

 

[DJH]

excuse me DJH, your post was not there when I was typing this. I mean this is better than my first answer, not better than directing to the 7XCB thread, which is a great answer.

No worries, John. I think we were typing our replys in unison.

Yeah - $40 is a great deal, Deser!

 

[fedoracentric]

So, I am going to disagree just a tiny bit with the other fellas on a few things. I have read a lot here and been watching ebay very closely for over a year at this point, so what I am about to say is based on that.

What you have there is a 7X Stetson from between 1960 and 1965 or so, not likely after 1970 (just as the other fellas said--we agree there).

But it is a western/cowboy hat, not a fedora. This fact, in my opinion, makes it less desirable as it stands.

I have seen 7 Xers go for very good money, but not when they were westerns. I have even see a few Stetson 100s go for cheap because they were westerns and not fedoras.

I would expect a 7X western at 7-1/4 not to get up to $100 on ebay. I would not be surprised if it wouldn't get more than $70 these days.

If it was a fedora, it would easily get to $100 even maybe $200! But it isn't a fedora.

Still $40 is a good price. You did well there.

So, what I see with Stetson westerns on ebay is that they have date limitations.

If it is a Stetson western made between the 1800s and 1940, collectors will pay the premium. Especially if it is any time before 1930. (And sometimes 1950s era Stetson westerns do OK, but not always)

But then ebay sales screech to a halt. Stetson westerns from after 1960 are a dime a dozen and nobody wants them but for cheap, cheap, cheap. Even the modern Stetson El Presidente won't sell on ebay if it gets too much over $200 and new that is a $900 hat!

So, if it is a western made after 1955 or so, expect that it will be hard to sell even if it is a 7X or a 100.

To wrap up, yes, $40 is a good price, but from what I've seen on ebay these days a Stetson western from the 1960s won't sell well, 7X or no. There just isn't anything special enough about post 1955 Stetson westerns to garner the interest of collectors. There's a billion of 'em out there. And as everyone here has said a million times over, Stetsons made after 1960 just don't have "it." Even the 1960s 100s are a far cry from the 1950s era 100s and are less desirable. So, most people ignore any Stetson made after 1960--especially westerns.

That is just my experience. I may be wrong.

 

[Florida_Marlin]

I agree, 1960's era Stetson western Clear Beavers and 100's are pretty much worthless. If you have any of those old dirty rags laying around, put them in a box and send them to me. I promise to dispose of them in a responsible manner!

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I have seen 7 Xers go for very good money, but not when they were westerns. I have even see a few Stetson 100s go for cheap because they were westerns and not fedoras.

I would expect a 7X western at 7-1/4 not to get up to $100 on ebay. I would not be surprised if it wouldn't get more than $70 these days.

Why can't I ever find such price on a 7x?
I see them going over my budget. Maybe because I have to race "with worldwide" as "USA only" sellers end cheaper.

 

[gtdean48]

7X Clear Beaver is way above a 7X even in the western line by Stetson.
The 7X CBs of the late 60s/early 70s before Stetson quit making hats weren't quite what the earlier ones were.
The Westerns had a lot more shellac in them to hold up for the western market.
The fedora market had dried up well before that.
Any 7X CB in my size is worth well north of $150 any time, western or fedora.

 

[barrowjh]

It's possible that a mid 1960s 7X CB western would go for less than $100 in 7 1/4. I may have been high with that estimate; the telescope crown and horsehair band make it definitely a western and a more limited market. It pre-date the silk-screened last drop liner era, and felt from that Stevens/Stetson time frame was still good felt, just not as good as pre-1960s. So I would guess it to be a step better than the Stevens/Stetson era felts that came with the silk-screen liners. Should be fairly nice felt, though maybe a bit thick for most of us.

BTW, Fedoras.com is running a 15% off right now and the El Patron is listed at $502.

 

[fedoracentric]

Good point about "clear beaver." Still, I think westerns after 1950 are less interesting to collectors. And regardless that $40 is a great buy.

But this brings up another question I have.

I saw on another thread (don't remember which) where a member here said that clear beaver is an "undyed" felt.

Is that really true? I find that idea a bit odd. How would they keep the hat a uniform color if they didn't dye it at least a little?

I am not knowledgeable on this issue. Hoping someone can set me straight.

Thanks

 

[barrowjh]

I saw that discussion also, and the conclusion (I think) was that the definition of 'clear beaver' was about as ambiguous as the 'X' grading system for beaver content. My best guess is that it just sounds better than 'pure beaver' but it probably means that it was an all-beaver hat. In the Stetson hat names, there was no 'pure beaver' between a 3X and a 7X clear beaver. 4X beaver and 5X beaver were advertized as a 'fine beaver felt' but that really does not tell you whether it is pure beaver (all beaver) or not. I think Stetson's use of 'clear' was a substitute for saying 'pure' or '100%'.

 

[alanfgag]

5X Clear Beaver Quality

With regard to pricing for newer hats, the highest priced completed Stetson auctions on Collectors Weekly are often newer western style hats. There are far fewer who are interested in older cowboy hats. When two bid on the same auction, the winning price can suggest more interest than you might infer from the number of watchers or bidders. I would agree that there is more interest in open road styled 7X hats than in wider brimmed, taller crowned western styles despite the latter showing up much less frequently in finer felt designations.