Newbie: Lucky or Sucker, you decide...

[thunderw21]

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii79/johnnyphi/DressHats-05.jpg

What an utterly amazing hat that is. So tall!
Congrats on your find. Most of us would kill for such a dream.
Welcome to the lounge!

 

[johnnyphi]

Death Threats are Bad...

Y'all seem like nice folks! I hope nobody would kill for these hats because my security detail isn't very experienced!

I should let everyone know that the big move has been postponed until Friday.

In the meantime, who can tell me about Adam hats? I need as much information as I can get.

Please note... in this photo, the boxes on the right side are mens and boys shirts, and the boxes on the left are mostly Adam hats.

 

[Alon]

Welcome to the forum, Johnny. I'm new here, too, and as you can probably tell, all of these louts just want to get their hands on your precious open crown hats. Well, sir, not me. Nope. No siree. I appreciate people for who they are deep down, not their material possessions... I just appreciate them more if they have 7-1/2's!

On a serious note, I'm sure you can notice by your warm reception here that you've made a good investment and will likely find plenty of customers on this forum alone to get a good return. Good luck with the move.

 

[kschurch]

Hey Johnny,

It's really great when someone finds opportunity and then has the courage to act upon it.

Please keep us all posted as to what your inventory becomes.

Good Job!!

Church

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Johnny -

You are one very lucky sonumgun! Treasures like that, and that's truly what you have come upon, are the stuff dreams are made of (yes, thanks Dash)! The opening of each box would be like Christmas morning over and over and over again for many of us here! Enjoy and relish. And keep an eye out for 7&5/8's.

Yrs. In Envy,

The FORMER Mr. Lucky

 

[duggap]

Permit me to add my congratulations. I haven't read every post in this thread so I don't know how much size has been discussed. But the box of beautiful Stetsons had a size chart on the side of the box which indicated about three of those hats should have been in the size 7+ range. I hope that is the case as having your haul in common sizes would certainly inhance the value of the find. Again, congratulations.:eusa_clap

 

[Bassman]

... I don't know how much size has been discussed.

I guess size DOES matter!

 

[Mr. Lucky]

I guess size DOES matter!

Oh, yeah! Thank you, thank you ladies and gentlemen! I'll be hear all week. And don't forget to try the veal! Goooodnight!

 

[Mid-fogey]

Wow...

...I didn't think things like this really happened anymore.

 

[mingoslim]

Welcome to the lounge . . .

nah. He can't get PM's yet. I myself am going to resort to a typical public maudlin display of sycophantic kissing-up!

God, I'm pathetic. :eusa_doh:

As you can see, you have everyone's attention. But pay no heed to those who say the best place to store these lovelies is in Germany, or California. They best place for the ones you like best is on your head or in your closet.

Mingo

PS: The best place for those that you are not keeping for yourself is Southern Ohio

 

[mingoslim]

On Adam Hats . . .

Y'all seem like nice folks! I hope nobody would kill for these hats because my security detail isn't very experienced!

I should let everyone know that the big move has been postponed until Friday.

In the meantime, who can tell me about Adam hats? I need as much information as I can get.

Please note... in this photo, the boxes on the right side are mens and boys shirts, and the boxes on the left are mostly Adam hats.

Here is what little I can offer about Adam . . .
Adam was a New York haberdashery . . . In the classic hey-days of the 30s and 40s, Adam was considered a bit of a "budget" brand, but Adam none-the-less made a dependable hat, (many far superior to anything being sold today) and they made sure that they copied the styles of the most popular hat makers . . . I have a number of excellent Adams . . .

 

[Boris K]

.

...
In the meantime, who can tell me about Adam hats? I need as much information as I can get.

Welcome, johnnyphi. Some basic info on Adams Hats for you:

Info on Adam Hats here at the Fedora Lounge

A 1955 advertisement for Adams Hats on the Go Antiques website

 

[johnnyphi]

This place is cool!

I REALLY appreciate the feedback from all of you. The thoughtful comments and advice are soaking in, and the flattery is beginning to butter me up!

Boris, I checked out the discussion on Adam hats, and the comments on that string really fit the mold of the store. This was a family owned men's store, catering to a small town. These people weren't into high fashion... they were into practicallity. A good had was a good hat.

According the the owner, the only reason he stopped selling these hats, was because... people stopped buying hats.

Regarding sizes... I don't there is a rhyme or reason to what ended up in the storage room. The discussion of pricing really caught my eye because many of the boxes still have the orignal prices marked on the side. If we could date the prices, then we could date the hats.

For instance, many of the vintage pants still sport price tags marked with a "ceiling price." Being a young guy, I asked what it meant, and the owner explained that slacks couldn't be sold above the ceiling price during WWII.

Beyond being incredibly interesting history, those price tags are great clues into the age of each item. In fact... It's much better than style or product details because they are cyclical.

Thoughts?

By the way, I'm currently working long hours at my day job, so don't be alarmed or upset if I don't respond for a few hours. Keep the comments coming!:eusa_clap

 

[luvthatlulu]

I REALLY appreciate the feedback from all of you. The thoughtful comments and advice are soaking in, and the flattery is beginning to butter me up!

Boris, I checked out the discussion on Adam hats, and the comments on that string really fit the mold of the store. This was a family owned men's store, catering to a small town. These people weren't into high fashion... they were into practicallity. A good had was a good hat.

According the the owner, the only reason he stopped selling these hats, was because... people stopped buying hats.

Regarding sizes... I don't there is a rhyme or reason to what ended up in the storage room. The discussion of pricing really caught my eye because many of the boxes still have the orignal prices marked on the side. If we could date the prices, then we could date the hats.

For instance, many of the vintage pants still sport price tags marked with a "ceiling price." Being a young guy, I asked what it meant, and the owner explained that slacks couldn't be sold above the ceiling price during WWII.

Beyond being incredibly interesting history, those price tags are great clues into the age of each item. In fact... It's much better than style or product details because they are cyclical.

Thoughts?

By the way, I'm currently working long hours at my day job, so don't be alarmed or upset if I don't respond for a few hours. Keep the comments coming!:eusa_clap

Hmmmm. Exactly what hours are you working at your day job? And where exactly in DC did you say this treasure trove was located?

 

[kampkatz]

Congrats on your superb find. Please keep posting photos of individual hats.
Good luck as your new hobby develops.

 

[HamletJSD]

Holy cow, man! That's not lucky, it's an early Christmas present directly from the Almighty Himself!

Congratulations on a great find!!!

 

[J.B.]

Hmmmm. Exactly what hours are you working at your day job? And where exactly in DC did you say this treasure trove was located?

 

[J.B.]

Strictly from my memory -- For a period of time in the '50's, Adam Hats marketed their lids from their own storefronts... I can remember passing their Downtown Kansas City store on 12th Street at the southeast corner at Walnut -- just west of the walk-down into Miller's Snooker & Recreation. It was one block west of the pinball machine/skee-ball arcade at 12th Street & Grand.

One of the Loungers here has a black and white snap of an Adam Hat store for his avatar, but I forget who??

The 1955 Dallas location is now restored to these beautiful high-falutin lofts...

And finally, if you search on eBay for Adam Hat matchbook covers -- you will usually find one or two "hat giveaway" covers advertising a free hat drawing entry if you can identify the celebrity who was pictured wearing an Adam Hat...

 

[J.B.]

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Unbelievable. This is the kind of find we dream about. Well done!

Those shirts will net you a pretty penny, by the way. Used ones go for peanuts on eBay though they're generally insanely easy to clean and in very good condition. I've netted about 30 1930s shirts this way, and they are in constant rotation in my wardrobe with no signs of wear yet. But prices for boxed ones go into the stratosphere. Far higher than the average price for hats. If you wish, i can help you (for free) market the shirts successfully on eBay. It'll be quite easy, but to maximise profits, there are a few tips i can offer. Just PM me.

bk