Prices Gone Crazy !!!!!!!!!!

[jimmy the lid]

NOW I get it! Why didn't y'all say that in the first place?

johnnyphi -- here's what it looks like close up...

Cheers,
JtL

 

[AlanC]

That Borsalino looks just like mine, interior and all, although mine is a more traditional silverbelly gray color. And I didn't pay anywhere near that much for mine. Mine also has that corrugation effect in the front, too. (Edit: yeah, just like that!)

I had my, er, hat handed to me last night in the Royal De Luxe Stetson black homburg (7 3/8) auction. I thought my bid was solid, except that by the time my snipe software tried to bid it was already way past my bid amount. It ended up at around $180. Great looking hat, though. Congratulations to the winner. I can't say it wasn't worth it, just that I wasn't prepared to go that high then. The big name hats command a premium.

 

[Dinerman]

I could be wrong, but the "Made in Italy" on the sweat band always make me think newer ??

No, that just means it was an american import model. It looks like the hat is a '50s model to me.

 

[HamletJSD]

To address the original question, though, haven't we noticed prices are higher right now on eBay? It may be due to limited supply, high demand, and noticable bidding wars on specific hats, but it's true nonetheless. The hat prices have been rising since six months ago.

 

[Stoney]

Like Dinerman said , Sometimes bidding wars are tough.
I got into one over one of Dinerman's hats and probably paid a bit too much
for it, but the hat was worth it to me. A vintage Borsalino very nice grey
in near mint shape. Now that I have the hat, I know I will never sell it.

That said I've still been able to pick up a few on the cheap. The last one for $9.99, an tan Italian (Capelli) stingy with a wind cord justs a few days ago.

 

[NonEntity]

Ebay Auction = Huge Risk

I've both bought and sold things on Ebay. Although I've not purchased a hat there, I've closely followed the ups and downs of FL members since I joined, and the usual risks of buying online appear to be magnified when it comes to vintage hats.

The most common problem is insufficient information to assess just what the hat is, its condition, and therefore assign a value to it. Either the item's description is sketchy; the photos are blurry, too few, or shot from the wrong angles; or both. At a minimum, bidders need three sharp, relatively close-up pics of a hat: one of the front, taken from a bit above to show the top of the crown as well as brim width and shape; another dead-on from the side to display the curve of the brim, the hat band, and the height, taper, and front-to-back rake of the crown; and one upside-down that shows the underside of the brim and inside, including the sweat band, liner, and some of the writing.

The second most common problem is incorrect information, most often the age of the hat, then its condition. While I believe few intentionally misrepresent how old a hat is, the effect is the same as ignorance. When it comes to assessing the condition, sellers of hats are like sellers of anything pre-owned: they invariably think it's in better shape than it really is.

The kicker is that when a seller puts up a thorough description and several good pics, that runs the price up, sometimes way up, while the sketchy listings are generally put up by those who don't know what they have. In that case, the winning bidder might get a great hat for a steal or a piece of junk.

In general, buying anything from an online auction is a crap-shoot. I've learned a lot about vintage hats since coming here, but I still don't know enough to throw the dice on Ebay.

Thank you reading a post that states the obvious!

 

[Lon Goval]

I took a look at the Homburg mentioned by AlanC in the final closing minutes. Completely out of my range, but I looked and it was $130, then $156, and finally $182.

Since I'm broke, I was trying to get a Fedora (Beaver Hats) for my wife, in my range (cheap-under $30), but lost it. At least a fellow Fedora Lounge member got it.

Looks like the "boycott" is over.

Ralph

 

[Tango Yankee]

I was watching that one myself; I've been keeping an eye on end prices for Borsalinos in the 7 1/2 range to determine what would be a fair price for my black 7 1/2. I certainly never thought that one would go so high! I was thinking in the $200-$250 range. I guess there's just no way to predict these things.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Lon Goval]

Merchandise conditions vary depending on whether you're selling or buying. If selling, it's always much better than it really is, and if you're buying, you're picking it apart. It also seems to be "Vintage" if it's not available currently at retail markets. At least that's what I noticed in the bicycle parts listings. I don't have much knowledge regarding hats, but thanks to this forum I'm learning more every day.

 

[Fredthecat]

If you must ebay

It ain’t just you Tinmanzzz,

ebay has been the doom of several "collecting" hobbies.

Supply vs Demand?

…..Toss in a dash of Ego and stir with a bit of Gotta Have It Auction "Winning” Frenzy…results = overpriced “Vintage Hats”. Enjoy!

I’ve been seeing ebay hat prices get STUPID for almost a year now. I just said NO and started collecting “vintage” 21J Rail Road pocket watches instead.

If you’re going to ebay…..and I strongly suggest staying away from it all together, there's only one way to make it work out:

Bid once, Bid high, Bid late!

 

[feltfan]

For some reason that particular style became the
"IT" model for Borsalino. Lots of other Borsalinos go
by for much less, as we know. But that tall crown,
wide brim, smooth felt is what people want. I like it, too,
but there are other styles. Yeah, that green is rare, but...

I personally thought that Stetson was nothing special.
50s or maybe even 60s, and in a small size. Someone must
have wanted one right away. I know the feeling. I hope
it works out.

I'm really sorry to read the posts from all the people here
who are either despairing of getting a vintage hat or had
bad experiences with eBay. I've been meaning to sell some
hats at reasonable prices here and hope to do so soon.

Meanwhile, remember that good deals still come up on eBay.
Look for poorly listed items. Look for excellent quality brands
that most people don't know about, like Portis, Disney, Adam,
Mallory, Mossant, Flechet, Barbisio, and Caxton. Remember that
the Borsalino hunters might not know about Knox or Dobbs,
many of which are at least the equal of Borsalino. The trick
is not to buy with the herd.

 

[DOUGLAS]

I must say that I have had all in all a good ebay experiance. Sure I have gotten some hats that I was less than happy about but usually it is my own fault.I have gotten some amazing hats for much less than I thought they would go for. Time and effort is all that is needed to find a great hat that is reasonable.

 

[surely]

I must say that I have had all in all a good ebay experiance. Sure I have gotten some hats that I was less than happy about but usually it is my own fault.I have gotten some amazing hats for much less than I thought they would go for. Time and effort is all that is needed to find a great hat that is reasonable.

That has been my experience as well.

This is a competitive market just passing through its early years. But amazing deals are still there for under $20. Fewer but still there. How do I know that: Because I am an expert on the ebay hat auction market! How did I do that: By consistent observation and analysis of the market eg bidding patterns, feltfan's advice, I came to "feel" that I understood it and felt confident enough to develop a bidding strategy and tactics.

Yeah, you're right, the expert thing is all in my head. But hey, it worked for me. . In other words, you gotta become an expert.

 

[Stoney]

Thats right Surely

The real trick is to scrounge through e-bay, find that vintage 40s Stetson listed as Brown Top Hat and hope you are the only one who finds it.


One time I took a gamble on a poorly photographed mens fedora and was slightly suprised when I received a womens hat. lol

 

[Spellflower]

I've bought several hats on ebay in the last year.

I started with some hats that I thought were great bargains initially, but now know to be merely fair prices, like my 1960's Knox with a 2" brim for $50.

I've also ended up with some duds, like the Wormser I bought last month. I wanted a cheap vintage hat to practice stretching. When it arrived and I tugged back the sweat to look underneath, and it cracked like an egg shell.

Fortunately, I've also been incredibly lucky on some, like my Dobbs Twenty, my favorite hat, which also went for $50.

Now I'm waiting on the Beaver Brand hat that Lon Goval lost to me. I paid about $30, so no big loss if it's another piece of junk. But you never know, it might be a great hat.

Ebay, like most technology, is a mixed blessing. Without it, there would be more hats on thrift store shelves, and they would be cheaper. But it would also be a lot harder to find what you are looking for.

And let's not forget that a big part of the reason for prices going up is all of us posting about fedoras here on the Lounge. If, like me, you didn't know the first thing about vintage hats before you found this place, then stop complaining about your inability to get a vintage Borsalino for under $100. Vintage Borsalinos are good hats, and the more people who know that, the more valuable they are. Sure, that stinks if you want one, but it's only fair.

 

[Viper Man]

...Ebay, like most technology, is a mixed blessing. Without it, there would be more hats on thrift store shelves, and they would be cheaper. But it would also be a lot harder to find what you are looking for.

And let's not forget that a big part of the reason for prices going up is all of us posting about fedoras here on the Lounge. If, like me, you didn't know the first thing about vintage hats before you found this place, then stop complaining about your inability to get a vintage Borsalino for under $100. Vintage Borsalinos are good hats, and the more people who know that, the more valuable they are. Sure, that stinks if you want one, but it's only fair.

All so true. Eloquently put, Spellflower.

 

[EricH]

Preparation, persistence and luck all play a role in winning on Ebay. There are still bargains, I agree, but they will be harder to find with more players (especially those bidding up lesser hats). There are still hats to be found in thrift shops and antique stores that are a good values or complete steals, if you know where to look and keep looking. I recently picked up a mint 40's Borsalino for $15 and regularly found other cachet names for less than $35. There are a lot of hours to finding them, but as always you have to enjoy the search. So to the new hat wearers, be patient and bid wise and don't even ask me where I go and how I find my bargains. That's a trade secret

Eric
Oh and Feltfan lets talk

 

[feltfan]

you gotta become an expert.

Or to put it another way, the more you know about
hats and hat history, the bigger the edge you have on
everyone else who is looking. Therefore, the best way
to get a good deal on hats on eBay is to take a lot of
time and read the old threads on this site.

Or shrink your head down a size or two, in some cases.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum

 

[Viper Man]

...Or shrink your head down a size or two, in some cases.

lol No doubt. If I were a size 7 or smaller I'd own 50 hats right now!

 

[HDRnR]

I avoid bidding wars first off. I have had some incredible deals on Ebay in the past year, I got an open crown Stetson Royal Deluxe that was mint for 50 bucks, looks like an OR and looks like it was never worn. Actually I got several like that which are very similar to OR's or Strats but only say Royal Deluxe inside. Most of these were just listed as "Stetson". So maybe prices are high on select hats but there are still deals.