OVERPAID

[TOM BLAINE]

HI GUYS,
I AM NEW TO THE HAT GAME AND HAVE JUST OVERPAID FOR A "VINTAGE" HOMBURG. IT'S IN FINE CONDITION BUT, A) IT IS THE WRONG SHAPE FOR MY NOGIN, AND B) I LOOK LIKE A DORK IN A HOMBURG. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HAVINE IT REBLOCKED INTO A FEDORA LIKE HAT? SECONDLY, IS THERE ANY GUIDE OTHER THAN PLANE OLD EXPERIENCE ABOUT VALUING HATS? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ROYAL STETSON AND A SOVEREIGN ETC? ARE THERE ANY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT?

REGARDS TO ALL
TOM

 

[Snrbfshn]

No need to SHOUT, we can hear fine...

There are precious few resource books on the subject of hats, and none that I'm aware of that has aggregated the info you seek. The best education I've found is the one you're reading now. Some folks like jamespowers have put together significant collections of hats, and even the old advertisements for them, which help in IDing acquisitions.

I had your same experience with a homburg. A black Imperial Stetson, it was one of the first vintage hats I acquired. I was disappointed in the look, and toyed with the idea of trimming off the rolled brim and fedoraizing it. My taste has now tempered. With the right attire (for me, a black double-breasted suit with faint pinstripes), it's a killer topper. Also, as you'll soon find out, the price and value of vintage hats is going up, and my sense is if you view the homburg as an investment, you can sell it down the road for a profit.

 

[havershaw]

It can be a little tricky to "un-homburg" a hat. I've had two hats that had it done, a Borsalino and a St. Regis like you have. The St. Regis brim had to be ironed, but it looked pretty good. The question is whether or not you have the patience to iron out a brim - and of course, you'll probably need some kind of brim flange after you've ironed it to put in the right amount of curl. You could probably send it to one of the custom hatters to make this modification for you, but I think I'm with Snrbfshn in that you should probably just hang onto it. Or sell it and get something you really want. There are plenty of folks who are into the old homburgs, so might as well pass it on to someone who'll appreciate it. Then use that dough to get yourself something that suits you better.

 

[besdor]

To redo a homburg into a regular fedora is a lot of work . I don't think it's worth it unless you paid a lot of money for it . I would relist it on Ebay and cut your losses .
Sorry!:cool2:

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I AM NEW TO THE HAT GAME AND HAVE JUST OVERPAID FOR A "VINTAGE" HOMBURG. IT'S IN FINE CONDITION BUT, A) IT IS THE WRONG SHAPE FOR MY NOGIN, AND B) I LOOK LIKE A DORK IN A HOMBURG.

If the hat is the wrong shape for your head it's probably best to sell it, or hold on to it and sell it later as someone else suggested. But, i think you'll get used to how it looks. I did. Mine looked really wierd on me until i'd worn it a few times. Now i love it. It's my favourite hat. I found the same thing with my first vintage suits. The look was so different that it took a lot of getting used to. Stick with it. It might just be worth persevering.

Obviously it needs to be worn with the complete outfit - three piece suit, for example. Homburg and jeans/Tshirt etc. just ain't gonna work.

To redo a homburg into a regular fedora is a lot of work .

And sacrilegious :rage:

bk

 

[Solid Citizen]

Welcome to the Lounge Tom!

Tom, I would recommend the Stetson Hats book by Jeffrey Synder its available at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...103-2403383-0061440?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Cost is $39.95 good reference on Stetsons. Your intial post didn't indicate the type of hat you may like to acquire or a particular "look" you may be trying to put together. If you could elaborate I'm sure any number of Lounge members will give you further suggestions. I would suggest you search some of the prior postings here on the Lounge under "show us your hats"/"show us your suits" to get some ideas. Peter

PS I concur with Baron Kurtz the Homburg is a full dress period 30's/40'sl suit hat for an upscale look!

 

[Sardou]

NoNoNoNo!

Keep it or sell it, but don't destroy what it is in hopes of making it what it's not. A vintage hat deserves better. (Can you tell I'm married to a historic preservationist?)

As others have suggested, it may just be a question of getting used to the hat.

Personally, I think Homburgs are especially fascinating because very small changes in dimensions completely alter the look of the hat -- from timid bank clerk to Mafia kingpin to Ambassador Plenipotiary. Far more so than with a fedora. For ten points, DISCUSS.

Provocatively (I hope),

Sardou

 

[Siirous]

Homburgs are neat looking hats, unfortunately I've never had to opportunity to hold one; there are no hat stores around and I don't want to buy one without seeing how it looks. If it's in good condition and a popular size then try taking some photo's and posting it in the "Classifieds" Section, someone might take it off your hands there and it'd be sure to go to a good home.

Fedora's can also change your look very quickly too. The way you bash your hats tell a lot about your personality. Take the Open Road for instance, you can bash that with a pinch in the front, or the western hat style. Totally different look either way.

Sardou - Not only do I want the 10 points, but I demand a gold star on my paper for my efforts

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Bah, Homburg!

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
I was surprised by my first Homburg experience. I figured I'd look goofy in one, but I found a cheap one in Burlington Coat Factory and tried it. As long as the brim isn't too narrow, nor the crown taper too sharp, they seem to work on me. I have a very round face. I did discover, that same day, that a stingy brim bowler is not a good choice for me! :cry:
Siirous, I can't believe I'm saying this, but... Homburgs can be very nice. I think it would be worth buying a cheappie on Ebay to see how it looks on you. And TOM, I agree with everyone so far. Don't try altering the hat. Just sell it if you don't like it.

 

[photobyalan]

Dear God! Don't destroy that Homburg!

I have two of them and I get many compliments when I wear them. Keep in mind that a Homburg is a "dressy" hat, and probably isn't going to look quite right unless you are well dressed to match. While I will often wear a fedora with a leather bomber jacket, I would never wear a Homburg with one. I think my Homburgs look best with my camel topcoat or a suit, but I will occasionally wear one with a sportcoat.

If you don't want yours, put it in the Lounge classified section. Chances are you'll find someone who can give it a good home. Especially if it's a 7 1/2...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Why not try selling it here in the Classifieds section? Just post some photos, if you can. Include a pic of the inside of the hat. And what size is it, by the way? Good luck!

 

[Biltmore Bob]

If you are going to destroy it...

put it through a grinder and make Homburger out of it...

Yeah, I know...shadup...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I wonder if the homburg's teutonic-sounding name was ever changed during WWI or WWII. If frankfurters became hot dogs and sauerkraut became victory cabbage (and the Battenbergs became the Mountbattens, and the Hanovers became the Windsors!) ... then what did the homburg become? The hot hat? The victory lid?

 

[havershaw]

I have a Borsalino Nutria homburg I've been holding onto for a while which I was going to convert into a fedora, but I think I'll eventually just sell it. I think the brim will still be a little small and I hate modding hats in that way. I did it a few times and I've always regretted it.

 

[TOM BLAINE]

THANKS FOR THE ADVICE GUYS. SINCE IT IS A LOW END BEAVER BLEND I HAVE CHOSEN TO HAVE IT REBLOCKED BY A PROFESSIONAL. I CHOSE TO NOT RUIN IT MYSELF. IT IS AT WORTH & WORTH BEING REBORN INTO A TOTALLY NEW CREATURE. IF IT HAD BEEN A HIGH QUALITY LID I WOULD NEVER HAD CONSIDERED IT. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE INPUT.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, WHY HAS THIS REQUEST FOR FRIENDLY ADVICE TURNED INTO BICKERING BY A FEW PEOPLE? "CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?" RODNEY KING

 

[feltfan]

ON ANOTHER NOTE, WHY HAS THIS REQUEST FOR FRIENDLY ADVICE TURNED INTO BICKERING BY A FEW PEOPLE? "CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?" RODNEY KING

Okay, I just re-read the thread. There is bickering on this
site now and then, but none apparent here. You asked for
opinions and folks bent over backwards to give you their
carefully considered opinions, a reference photo, and even
a reference book (to say nothing of BB's pun). Tom, it doesn't
get a lot better here...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What bickering are you referring to Tom? I saw some joking around, s'all.

 

[tonyb]

Don't think you paid too much

Snrbfsn is right about escalating prices. Even if you never wear an old hat (if it doesn't fit quite right, or isn't really your style), if it's of decent or better quality and in reasonable condition, store it properly (in a box, and not under conditions that lead to mildew) and sell or swap it later.
About five years ago I bought three old stingy brims in very nice condition at a thrift store for something like two or three bucks apiece, as I recall. While they aren't quite my style, it was such a screaming deal that I couldn't pass them by. The weekend before last, I picked up, for 25 bucks, a nice vintage Open Road (more my style) at a junktique shop in a little tourist-trap town on the coast. I think I got a good deal. (I pointed out the rust-colored spots at the rear of the brim and crown to the woman running the shop and asked if she could move down from the $37.50 on the tag. She did, instantly. A little scratching with my thumbnail and a thorough brushing and the spots disappeared.)
The stingy brims are essentially as good as new, and they'll stay that way for as long as I own them. I look forward to one day selling them to someone who will not only take care of them, but actually wear 'em every now and then. I expect they'll fetch a whole lot more than I paid for them. And I don't expect I'll ever again find such a bargain.
Vintage clothing dealers keep an eye on the market, of course, and they recognize that more and more men (and women) are wearing fine hats. And even thrift stores are getting wise. While they are generally not-for-profit operations, they would obviously rather take in more money than less.
So, the days of the good five-dollar secondhand fedora are gone. But that's not all bad. Thirty or so years ago, when I took up hat wearing (it coincided with the onset of male pattern baldness), I could routinely find nice hats in thrift shops for a just a few bucks. Five dollars, tops. And I took lousy care of them. (I almost wanna cry when I think of what I did to some of the lids I used to own, like wear 'em when I was working on my car.) Now, with prices exceeding what a kid can make flipping burgers all weekend, we can expect that only people who really treasure this finite resource will remain in the market. So the old hats are much likelier to fall into the right hands.
Old hats are kind of like old cars (another fascination of mine) in that a person whose motivation for being in the "hobby" (there must be a better word) is profit will likely be disappointed. Sure, there are a few people who make a living at it, but for most of us, we do it just because we like it. Whatever I eventually get for those stingy brims, it likely won't equal the cost (even closet space costs money) of storing them for several years. But I'm OK with that. I've preserved them, and I take some satisfaction in that.

 

[Michaelson]

Worth and Worth is doing the work? Neat! I'll be interested in seeing the results, if you can post photos.

Oh, the bickering? Could have taken off when you posted both times in all caps, as that's 'shouting' in text talk, so the tone was set from the get go. Otherwise, folks do get antsy when there's talk of a vintage original being redone into something different. Never bothered me to much, but for many it's a mortal sin.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[MattC]

Worth and Worth

I hope this works out for you. I had them do a little restoration work on a Cervo I bought from them, and they did not do a good job. The ribbon came back with stitches loose, and not evenly placed on the hat, among other things. On the other hand, I think this particular Cervo is tough to work with (though Graham at Optimo did nicely by it). Anyway, everyone is entitled to a mistake. Let us know how it turns out.