NEWS BOY CAPS

[Marc Chevalier]

Here's a vintage one of mine (now). From the 1920s:

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[Marc Chevalier]

Another vintage one, but from the 1930s. Excellent, never-worn condition. Picked it up for under $15.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Don't want to give too much away, but it might behoove some of you gents to check out eBay right now. There are *several* genuine 1920s cotton/linen newsboy caps buried in there. Excellent condition, and from a famous U.S. hat maker that we're all familiar with. One of the caps is a good medium size. Beauties both! Happy hunting...


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[HarpPlayerGene]

The ones you posted are beautiful, Marc.

 

[High Pockets]

Like Gene said, they certainly are,......but now you've got me digging like a maniac through listings by people who don't know the difference between an Ivy and a Newsboy,.....oughta be a law!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Thanks, Gene! And would you believe that there were a bunch more that sold on eBay last week ... with only 1 bidder? (Not me; didn't even know about them.)


Case in point: a vintage 1920s cream wool flannel cap in a size 7 1/4, sold at 'Abercrombie & Fitch'. Leather sweatband and satin silk lining. A great cap to wear with a blue blazer and white flannels. An eBay BIN sale for $50. Not cheap, but not expensive either for something like this. Check it out:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Like Gene said, they certainly are,......but now you've got me digging like a maniac through listings by people who don't know the difference between an Ivy and a Newsboy,.....oughta be a law!

Here's a hint for you: Lou Dobbs would appreciate these caps.


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[HarpPlayerGene]

Hopefully Lou wouldn't get any of his hair dye on them.

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Last time I was in Memphis I visited a retail hat store and the modern wool caps they were selling were priced at $75.00! Nothing special about them at all. To ask $50 - $80 for any of these vintage treasures, with their superior materials and workmanship, is reasonable to my way of thinking.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Below is yet another eBay auction that recently ended as a BIN: an unusual, late 1920s linen 'ventilated' model. The size? 7 1/2. Great condition. It went for $70.


(It's almost impossible to find vintage linen caps from the '20s: they just didn't last. Vintage wool caps are much more common.)

 

[High Pockets]

Hahahaha!!!

You two are killing me!!lol

 

[Marc Chevalier]

By now y'all should have figured out the hint.


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[Marc Chevalier]

Did a quick check. No one's bought 'em yet. They're still waiting for a BIN buyer.



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[Garrett]

Well, its not a Dobbs but I got it for cheap!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220464370899&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Well, its not a Dobbs but I got it for cheap!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220464370899&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap Well done, Garrett! That's a genuine '30s cap, and it does look to be in excellent condition. Can't beat the price, eh? You're going to love it -- the old ones really do look better and flatter the wearer.


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[Marc Chevalier]

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And by the way...


I'm about to give away a secret. Gather 'round, gents. Here it is:


Vintage 1920s-'30s wool caps can be made larger VERY EASILY and without harming the caps' structural integrity. How much larger? A full 2 to 3 sizes. You read that right. Note that most wool caps from the '20s and '30s have partial leather sweatbands: those caps are the easiest ones to stretch. Caps with a full leather sweatband may need to have the sweatband's back seam opened before stretching. (Cotton/linen caps are another story. They don't stretch out nearly as well as the wool ones.)


I wear a small 7 3/8 these days and have stretched out a half dozen size 7 caps to my size, with no discernible ill effects. The caps look perfectly normal after stretching; even their proportions look fine. The threads haven't unraveled; the seams haven't popped. Hard to believe, but true. Best of all, the caps don't tend to shrink back down with time.


Obviously, you'll need a hat stretcher and a lot of steam to do it. It's not that hard.


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[Garrett]

That sounds interesting, Marc. Can you show us a before/after photo?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I'll take pics of the black & white cap when it arrives. It's a size 7, so I'll have to stretch it.


The before/after photos will end up looking nearly identical. Only the circumference of the cap's opening will appear (and will be, of course) a bit bigger.


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[Lefty]

different brand, same idea

1924

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Don't want to give too much away, but it might behoove some of you gents to check out eBay right now. There are *several* genuine 1920s cotton/linen newsboy caps buried in there. Excellent condition, and from a famous U.S. hat maker that we're all familiar with. One of the caps is a good medium size. Beauties both! Happy hunting...

Aha! Someone just won one of the caps. Was it a Lounger? Hope so... http://cgi.ebay.com/B2168-VINTAGE-2...ries?hash=item518c11417f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14


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[Marc Chevalier]

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And the 2nd (and last) cap has just sold as well. Did a Lounger get it? http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-early-2...ries?hash=item1c0c075c8a&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14


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