No e-bay hats for big heads

[Marc Chevalier]

... it's a positive economic phenomenon...

Recycling is positive, too.

.

 

[donnc]

Recycling is positive, too.

Not significantly - it may be good in various ways, but whether it's positive in the sense implied by the context is arguable, and anyway there's a difference between recycling and collecting.

I get a sense here that people would like to see hats come back, right? More people wearing them, every day out on the street. To the extent that happens, those people are not going to get their hats on EBay. The hats you see on the street are going to have been bought new. If new hats out there to be bought new are junk, then hats on the street are going to be junk. If there are hats that are not junk out there, it will be because people who know the difference are buying them, so the people who care about the difference can keep making them. That's the kind of positive I'm talking about, the economic multiplication of a good thing.

EBay is a dead end. That's fine if you're a collector or antiquarian of some kind, but if you just need a hat, why not look around for a new one?

 

[Lefty]

I get a sense here that people would like to see hats come back, right?

EBay is a dead end. That's fine if you're a collector or antiquarian of some kind, but if you just need a hat, why not look around for a new one?

Man, that's a lot of fail for an 8th post.
No, I don't want hats to come back and ebay is great because it gives me access to an international market and the chance to buy something for market, rather than retail price.

 

[donnc]

Entirely my fault, as inexperienced as I am I perhaps could be forgiven for not realizing that when discussing the paucity of large hat sizes on ebay, we would be talking about ebay as an international marketplace, which is a wonderful thing indeed. In this case, perhaps it's a situation that could be addressed.

For example, let's say we are disappointed to find that it's hard to find a Tunisian fez in a large size. I understand that there are only about 50 fez makers still in business there, and I'm sure if they've taken the initiative to market their product on Ebay, they'd be interested to know how big people's heads have gotten over here.

 

[Lefty]

the paucity of large hat sizes on ebay

also a fallacy

 

[Sam Craig]

I was hunting for "old hats" long before the Internet or Ebay, either, and the patern is always the same

It's a market, like any other, and so it gets frustrating

For instance, those of us who like western hats before the Urban Cowboy fame experienced the frustration of seeing the quality drop and the prices go through the roof

Of, if you liked vintage fedoras BEFORE The Sting, or Indiana Jones ... whatever ... you saw the market change at antique stores and other markets after the movies came out.

Ebay ... the Net in general ... just provide wider markets

I have collected vintage hats since the mid-1970s and I have rarely seen someone else wearing my favorite old hats

I have seen some world class hats on this terrific web site, but I can honestly say, I don't see copies of the hats that I wear everyday

Anytime you're dealing with a "one of a kind" object it is easy to get frustrated in the hunt ... no matter what the venue

 

[ScottF]

It's kind of funny to think of all the ladies and gentlemen here, clearly inspired by the taste and style of generations long past ... sitting by their computers checking Ebay every day for some hat deal.

There are hats of all kinds and sizes, newly made and ready for someone to buy them, if you need a hat. The more we buy, the more there will be for everyone, since it's a positive economic phenomenon, unlike vintage collectorism.

Interesting. Normally the way that works, is producers will supply enough product to meet demand - thus, the hats you describe as 'ready for someone to buy them' are there to meet existing demand, not due to 'hatter hope' that current non-hat people will begin demanding existing stock. I would also like to see more people wearing new hats on the street, but hats that look decent....not those new crossbreed alpine fedoras. In the meantime, a few new stylish fedoras, and a few vintage ones are what we have. As you know, not many of either in Seattle.

If people like those of us you are referring to, continue to wear vintage hats in public, perhaps more people who see us doing so will think they are cool (our vintage hats, not those alpine fedoras ), and will buy new, cool-looking hats at hat stores...I mean 'hat store' (Byrnie Utz'). Then perhaps that will expand to people who have enough money to demand more vintage-look higher-end hats (many moons into the future), and we'll end up with another hat shop in Seattle. Supply and demand can be very tricky, especially with a product like 'hat', which had its day (and the benefit of economies of scale and cheap labor that existed then and no longer do) - the good 'ol hat days can't reoccur overnight, for reasons discussed in many other threads - but by wearing cool vintage hats publicly, we might help it someday happen.

Any idea how many hat stores there were in Seattle in 1940?

 

[donnc]

Any idea how many hat stores there were in Seattle in 1940?

No idea, but might add there are still a couple hat makers here. One of them lives around the corner, haven't really talked to her about it but I've seen a very nice looking fedora of hers on another neighbor. I personally have too little money coming in and have left too many hats on the bus, etc., to think seriously about dropping big money on a hat at this time (but just occurred to me writing this that it might be a nice birthday present for a the lady of the house!)

Anyway, you're right about wearing a vintage hat.

 

[Sam Craig]

We are certainly expecting a lot if we are waiting for there to be the sort of hat wearing that was popular up through the 1950s, however, look at the huge changes in the industry ... for the better ... just in the last 20 years or so.

We can have an impact and you're right, where there is a legitimate market, someone out there will fill it.

Still, we are also doing a service when we find, preserve, even retore, old classic hats that can be passed on to future collectors ... at least that is what I hope happens to my collection someday ... hopefully a long time from now!

 

[ScottF]

No idea, but might add there are still a couple hat makers here. One of them lives around the corner, haven't really talked to her about it but I've seen a very nice looking fedora of hers on another neighbor. I personally have too little money coming in and have left too many hats on the bus, etc., to think seriously about dropping big money on a hat at this time (but just occurred to me writing this that it might be a nice birthday present for a the lady of the house!)

Anyway, you're right about wearing a vintage hat.

Are you talking about the woman in West Seattle? She offers hat-making classes, but not sure what they entail.

 

[donnc]

Are you talking about the woman in West Seattle? She offers hat-making classes, but not sure what they entail.

No, don't think so - she teaches ballet, though. We're in Wallingford; didn't know about the one in West Seattle, have seen references to a Henrietta in Madison or thereabouts. And Conley, presumably others of the male gender, so I guess there are more than a couple hat makers around here.

Also happened to notice that David Morgan's retail location is in Bothell, and might mention a Goorin outlet where you can get those alpine thingies, in the University District, so for greater Seattle we do have three hat stores. To be sure, the other two aren't really comparable to Byrnie Utz, but maybe it says something that Goorin would open a retail outlet here in 2009. And, just a desperate lunge to the thread topic, I notice one of the Akubras on sale at David Morgan comes in an "8", which I reckon would fit a fairly large head.

 

[Max]

...David Morgan's retail location is in Bothell, and might mention a Goorin outlet where you can get those alpine thingies, in the University District, so for greater Seattle we do have three hat stores. To be sure, the other two aren't really comparable to Byrnie Utz, but maybe it says something that Goorin would open a retail outlet here in 2009. And, just a desperate lunge to the thread topic, I notice one of the Akubras on sale at David Morgan comes in an "8", which I reckon would fit a fairly large head.

A buddy of mine bought a fine looking fedora at David Morgan's. I like Byrnie Utz hats, but find it hard to find one in my size (my mellon is a tad under a size 8) that I like. John Helmer Haberdasher in Portland has a great selection, including a few "larger" sizes. I bought a hat stretcher to keep my band from shrinking. I bought my two hats in Germany almost 30 years ago, and I had to have both of them stretched a bit over the years.

 

[Wojo]

Do you ever see any on Ebay in a 8"?

 

[Fastuni]

XXL vintage fur felts are seldom... but at least one of you gentlemen's quest may have found an end:

Grey Wegener snapbrim with 63 cm interior circumference.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/63-cm-xxl-vtg-german-wegener-grey-fedora-hat.86154/