Telling the truth, and chewing bubble gum, and I'm all out of gum.

[Lorne]

Hello all,

In the mode of "I'm here to tell the truth and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of bubble gum" I wrote a letter today. The letter was to the President of Hatco/Stetson, Mr. Paul La Voire.

I was not rude, but I told him what I've seen, and what so many of us here know. New Stetsons hats are not what we are buying, and we here buy a lot. I then told him why we are not buying Stetson's, namely price vrs. quality.

It is a shame to let a historic American Millner go down the tubes, and it only took me 5 minutes and the cost of the stationary. Anyone care to join me?


Lorne

 

[Matt Deckard]

I've sent letters to them before... sure why not...

Wrting another one up and it's going out tomorrow.

 

[mysterygal]

feedback is always good from the customers, I just hope they respond in a positive way by giving hat wearers what they want. It would for sure be the intelligent thing to do...they do like getting money in after all

 

[Feraud]

Can someone put together a standard form letter to send? A letter that is clear and concise to what the problem is with the current Stetson offerings?
I imagine this will facilitate Lounge members taking part in the campaign.

 

[BellyTank]

Get Mr. Paul La Voire's email address and we'll petition him!

B
T

 

[Lorne]

Letters...

I don't think a form letter or petition is the right way to go. A form letter gets opened and the reader says, "another one of those", and tosses it. A petition just allows the reader to throw away 100 people's letters with a single flick of the wrist.


Individual letters would tell me a bunch of folks are upset, and taking the time to write me a love-letter about why...


Lorne

 

[Matt Deckard]

I agree... individual letter. Patition paints us in a bad light and I don't want to take it to that level. This is not about forcing a change, it is about guiding them to their market and showing them how to get their name back into the places where it can compete with those that make lesser quality hats though have a higher price and carry unwarranted prestige (Borsalino).

Stetson needs to up their quality yes. though they need to bump out some of the ones that have even worse quality and a higher price.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Well, far be it from me to be a contrarian, but who cares what the quality of a new Stetson is?

We have so many wonderful hatters within reach to create anything we can dream up for ourselves. We have Steve Delk, Art Fawcett, Optimo and others. If you want an Open Road, have one made to vintage specs. Have a Stratoliner done; whatever.

Is it important to us what Stetson does? It's just a name. Maybe if they go out of business, one of our hatters can purchase the name... cheap.

 

[jamespowers]

I think I'll send them a few of their old ads with my letter and explain how the hats in those days were like sports cars. Everyone who could afford one wanted one.
The color didn't run, they didn't taper much in 50 years and they wore like iron. No that is a hat. I would almost be willing to send them an example.

Regards,

J

 

[Lorne]

Dear H. Jones

Dear H. Jones,

You're not wrong, Stetson is just a name. However, it is a name with a real history and it is a shame to see how tarnished that name has become.

If we here can write hundreds of words trashing Stetson, then we can spare a few trying to improve things. It's what Henry Fonda would do...


Lorne

 

[jamespowers]

You're not wrong, Stetson is just a name. However, it is a name with a real history and it is a shame to see how tarnished that name has become.

If we here can write hundreds of words trashing Stetson, then we can spare a few trying to improve things. It's what Henry Fonda would do...

My reason for doing it is in another tact. I worry about people thinking about buying a hat. They go into a store and buy a Stetson based on name recognition. They have no idea as to quality and the differences.
If their first experience is one where the hat is a piece of junk and the color runs down their face during the first rain then that is someone who is not likely going to get another hat. First impressions are important. I just don't want to taint the pool of hat wearers. An increase in Stetson's quality benefits everyone. A rising tide raises all ships and the like.

Regards,

J

 

[Feraud]

I agree and would not want to see a couple of hundred letters that all look exactly the same to flood Stetson. A generic letter is probably useless.
My idea for a standard letter is to give anyone who is interested in writing to a hat company the content necessary to state their case. The letter is more a guideline than a final version. I would take such a letter and add personal touches to it.
I think more people would get a letter out if they had a starting point.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Lorne,

I agree with you and I admire your good intentions.

I just think that companies live and die by their bottom-lines. Stetson must be doing fine with their current business model (I am pretty sure they are a private corporation, but if someone has a link to their financials, I would be happy to look at them. ). If competition or quality were a problem, they would change.

Discerning hat buyers have moved on from the names of the past: Borsalino and Stetson. I am not going to chastize Ford for making a junky car.

But, carry on with my full support. I'll even write a letter if it helps the cause of a fellow Fedora Lounger.

Didn't I read on here that Stetson is planning on making an upscale hat??? Or did I dream it?

 

[BellyTank]

Yes indeed- would the collective 'We' buy from Stetson if they improved their hats? Or are 'We' thinking for Joe Consumer.

B
T

 

[jamespowers]

Yes indeed- would the collective 'We' buy from Stetson if they improved their hats? Or are 'We' thinking for Joe Consumer.

Both. I would love to buy a Whippet from Stetson if they still made them. I would love to buy a wide brimmed hat made of decent felt that will not fade or taper from daily use as well. Alas they don't even do that much.
Joe Consumer needs a hand up in such a case. They probably aren't going to go custom but, even so, they should get a decent hat for the money. It doesn't have to be 100% beaver but it should stand up to daily use.

Regards,

J

 

[Lorne]

Dear H. Jones

Dear H. Jones,

You haven't read the script have you? This is supposed to be the part where I start the grass roots movement that saves the American Millnery. In scene 23 I get I get the girl (Jennifer Connelly), and in scene 29 I drive off with her into the sunset.

I am attempting to provide Stetson, Hatco, or whoever they are this week with the customer feedback they need to keep them vital. If this wasn't needed we would all be driving Hudsons to Howard Johnson's for lunch.


Lorne