The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[Bob Roberts]

Maybe I'll post it tomorrow! Stay tuned!

But, @besdor : What should I've paid for the hat?

Go online. "Bencraft Hats."

 

[hatguysz]

This did not happen overnight. Years of mismanagement and trying to be another big italian brand like Gucci and Prada is what started the problems. The current CEO of the company hurt a lot of people in the past year and a half by doing things his way. Lets hope that a new owner will change things for the better.

And lets hope he sells to EVERYONE!

 

[hatguysz]

View attachment 62853 So here's my new hat and first Borsalino! I love it!

That looks like a bellini

 

[hatguysz]

That looks like a bellini

please take a look inside hat label, you will see the code- 11- 4336

 

[hatguysz]

View attachment 62853 So here's my new hat and first Borsalino! I love it!

I sell that one for $270
I sell stye 49 0009 for $200 (looks very,very similar)

 

[Redfokker]

angora finish, triple stitched over-welt, likely prewar...

Mmmmm! Fuzzy and in my size also!

 

[DVNO]

I sell that one for $270
I sell stye 49 0009 for $200 (looks very,very similar)

I checked the common german hat shops before buying it. It was always about 369. One famous shop had it for 399 Euros - as you can see here: https://www.hutshopping.de/Borsalino_Hut_Klassik.html?fa_dd=2

But thank you. I'm very happy with it tho - even if I could have bought it for less than 369.

 

[Celia]

At the risk of being mocked here as well, cut Daniel some slack, guys! I don't know if any of you have been to hat shops in Europe, but what he paid for that hat really is the going price for a new Borsalino in that style in Germany, believe it or not. Remember prices here include VAT (tax) which tends to be very high in Europe as opposed to America. Were he to order that hat from the United States, it'd probably get delivered with a bill for import tax, so he wouldn't end up saving as much as it seems.

Also, most Germans I know still prefer buying hats (and other goods) in local shops rather than ordering online. They also tend to be very "environmentally conscious" so would rather not buy a European hat that's been shipped to America and then all the way back to where it came from for that reason. Not passing judgement on that, just my observations.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

DVNO you bought a nice hat Borsalino in the price, perhaps a bit 'high, which is normal in Europe. Enjoy it.
I mean to sellers American friends who "challenge" the high price charged by the Hamburg store that this is one of the reasons why Borsalino is in dire straits.
My speech should stretch, but suffice it to say that their prices, suitable for the product, in my opinion of Italian consumer, are the fruit of the greatness of America Western market than Europe.
We can then add to the Borsalino marketing mistakes over the past thirty years and we will see what will happen Monday was not entirely unexpected.
I repeat once again: in Europe there are no names for the Borsalino hats. Except those manufactured with special felts (beaver, vicuna, guanaco).
There have been rare, in the past. indications printed on the sweat band.
Only the the indications of hat quality are on the lining as Qualità Extra Superiore and so on.
The names and particulars of the felt quality have mainly been adopted for the American market.
It was the Borsalino marketing move to compete with American brands that gave names to their hats.
The Alessandria model does not exist in Europe, as no Bellini, Film, Anello and everything else.
It was the happy and succesfull interpretation of the Stratoliner according to Borsalino,
As I said the US market is much richer variations in the shapes, colors and finishes some are more accurate and less bold and the prices are lower for a product, personal opinion, better.
Besdor-Steven knows better than anyone write here the real problems of Borsalino and, maybe, but I do not believe, could talk about it from his point of view of one of the best sellers in USA of Borsalino and therefore in the world.
The prospect of Borsalino crisis, seen from Italy, is completely different because it applied to languishing European market.

@carouselvic What makes you think the gray Borsalino has been produced before the Second World War?

 

[carouselvic]

@carouselvic[/USER] What makes you think the gray Borsalino has been produced before the Second World War?

First off I said "likely". Both the label style and the price.

 

[Redfokker]

At the risk of being mocked here as well, cut Daniel some slack, guys! I don't know if any of you have been to hat shops in Europe, but what he paid for that hat really is the going price for a new Borsalino in that style in Germany, believe it or not. Remember prices here include VAT (tax) which tends to be very high in Europe as opposed to America. Were he to order that hat from the United States, it'd probably get delivered with a bill for import tax, so he wouldn't end up saving as much as it seems.

Also, most Germans I know still prefer buying hats (and other goods) in local shops rather than ordering online. They also tend to be very "environmentally conscious" so would rather not buy a European hat that's been shipped to America and then all the way back to where it came from for that reason. Not passing judgement on that, just my observations.

+1

 

[nickwellings]

Here's two Borsies I found second hand in Paris. The green one for €4 and the grey for €5. I think the grey one is some kind of 'export only'? It's a size too big for me, but the previous owner must have thought the same. He had stuffed the band with a German newspaper in 1982 it's very thin felt, lovely 'snap'. I wore it around and a guy in a clothes shop asked if it was Borsalino right out. Nice to have it noticed!

The green one also snaps nicely (and fits!)

 

[Frunobulax]

Very nice, Nick!

 

[Celia]

Great finds, they seem to be in really good condition as well! Why don't they have €4 borsalinos in the 2nd hand shops around here?

 

[belfastboy]

Here's two Borsies I found second hand in Paris. The green one for €4 and the grey for €5. I think the grey one is some kind of 'export only'? It's a size too big for me, but the previous owner must have thought the same. He had stuffed the band with a German newspaper in 1982 it's very thin felt, lovely 'snap'. I wore it around and a guy in a clothes shop asked if it was Borsalino right out. Nice to have it noticed!

The green one also snaps nicely (and fits!)

Geez, almost a good reason to visit Paris!

 

[Celia]

Geez, almost a good reason to visit Paris!

Not anymore, Nick got there before us

 

[nickwellings]

Geez, almost a good reason to visit Paris!

Not anymore, Nick got there before us

Not kidding but when I go to Paris, I hit the second hand/goodwill/charity shops hard. I came back last week after walking 27miles around the city, going to about 40shops. I was with a buddy who I had enthused about the stuff you can find. It takes looking but they are there. He was converted....This time however, no Borsies for cheap, about 35€ each. I did find a Lock and Co hat for 20 which works for me.

Those Borsies were piled under other hats, the green one smashed and squashed. A bit of steam brought it back to life. I enclose a before pic!

 

[Celia]

Not kidding but when I go to Paris, I hit the second hand/goodwill/charity shops hard. I came back last week after walking 27miles around the city, going to about 40shops. I was with a buddy who I had enthused about the stuff you can find. It takes looking but they are there. He was converted....This time however, no Borsies for cheap, about 35€ each. I did find a Lock and Co hat for 20 which works for me.

Those Borsies were piled under other hats, the green one smashed and squashed. A bit of steam brought it back to life. I enclose a before pic!

Great job getting it back in shape! Any chance of letting us know some good addresses in Paris for 2nd hand hats? I haven't been there in quite a few years, so maybe it's time I visited again...

 

[nickwellings]

Every vintage and second hand shop has hats, so its just a matter of looking...my favourite haunt had a waist level table really, with a grille on the sides, full of hats. Some were poor makes, but I found the green one there. Maybe no one likes green. Sadly that shop has since turned into a ladies wear only shop, but if you like real fur coats they're €30 and up a go, branded wool coats 5 and up. The second hand business big.

Some shops they have just what seem to be modern Mossants, and endless new wool hats. If you like German/Austrian hats too, you'll love Paris. Hundreds of green, alpine-y, hunter-y ones. Me, I prefer the ones I bought!

 

[hatguysz]

Feel free to stop by my shop in Lakewood NJ.
Ive got a nice selection of Borsalinos