The Dobbs Diner...

[Brad Bowers]

Looking forward to the photos. I'm thinking you're right that it was meant to be a travel hat, hence the unreeded sweatband. The Gay Prince started out life as a lightweight felt - my '42 is the lightest hat I own, and the felt is paper thin on the crown. It has a reeded sweatband because of the Tru-Size feature, though, so it's not quite a packable hat. That might be a variant, with other early-'40s standard GPs coming with unreeded sweats.

I didn't realize the felt got heavier on the '50s models.

The label underneath the sweat sounds like the standard '40s label. The gold size tag doesn't help us much, as it was in use from the '30s through the '60s, with a few variants along the way.

We may never know for sure, but I'm comfortable saying it's early-to-mid'40s.

Brad

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks Brad... the hotel store venue also encouraged me to lean towards a hat meant to be purchased during travels.

The two fifties Gay Princes that I own are both firm and substantial hats with a felt that molds readily... much like the better Stetson westerns of the era, though with a very different finish. In fact, I could imagine a bad auction description describing them as suede hats.

 

[Rats Riley]

Unfortunately the only Dobbs I have aside from a ratty old stingy brim is this boater.

 

[monbla256]

Unfortunately the only Dobbs I have aside from a ratty old stingy brim is this boater.

]

Not a bad example of a Dobbs to have I love the ribbon

 

[Joshbru3]

1920s Dobbs Vented Derby

I just received this Derby last week and its my oldest Dobbs to date. The pictures do this hat no justice, its absolutely MINT. The felt is as well finished as the day it left the factory. The sweatband is subtle and all the materials are top notch. When I bought it, I didn’t know it was a vented derby, so I was surprised and delighted when I took it out of the box and saw light shinning through the crown. I love this hat!

 

[Joshbru3]

1920s Dobbs Vented Derby (cont...)

 

[mayserwegener]

Josh, Great find! I really like the bow treatment. I enjoy seeing these old Derbies (Bowlers, Melones, ect)!

 

[Alex]

Saweeet find Josh!

 

[Brad Bowers]

Beautiful! Vented ones are hard to find, and having the original size tag is quite the bonus!

Brad

 

[Joshbru3]

Josh, Great find! I really like the bow treatment. I enjoy seeing these old Derbies (Bowlers, Melones, ect)!

Saweeet find Josh!

Beautiful! Vented ones are hard to find, and having the original size tag is quite the bonus!
Brad

Thanks very much, Everyone!! I was really shocked when I opened the box. I absolutely love this hat.
Brad, was I correct in my dating? I figured because of the 244 & 620 addresses on the label, that the Derby was a fairly early 20's example. I could be totally off though.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Thanks very much, Everyone!! I was really shocked when I opened the box. I absolutely love this hat.
Brad, was I correct in my dating? I figured because of the 244 & 620 addresses on the label, that the Derby was a fairly early 20's example. I could be totally off though.

No, you're absolutely correct. 620 Fifth Avenue was open from May 1, 1917, to the autumn of 1928. So, 1920s is very reasonable.

Brad

 

[alanfgag]

Wow Josh. I want to know who "I. I." is.

 

[alanfgag]

Gaylight

Here are some photos of my unconventional Gay Prince. It is marked with the imprint of the Sport Shop/ Davenport Hotel - Spokane WA... from ads, a resort shopping destination for seven decades. Guessing this was a packable variation of the heavier GP. It replaces the suede finish felt with a soft heather and uses a light 3/4 felt ribbon without the signature GP overstitch. Marked at $12.50 behind the size tag, it seems expensive for the construction and presumed 1940's vintage. As with many travel hats, it compromises features and qualities for lightness and packability. Perhaps it was a short lived experiment. This hat appears to have been seldom, if ever worn.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Fantastic GP, Alan! The shade and color of that heather felt makes me wish Dobbs had made more of them like that. Instead, gray seems to be the more popular color.
I wonder if the nature of the heather felt precludes the typical GP glove-suede/velour finish?

Brad

 

[Lefty]

Fantastic GP, Alan! The shade and color of that heather felt makes me wish I had one.

^^^
now I agree

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks! The heather felt looks nicer than it feels... a little chunky to my hand. I wonder why the the suede finish felt wasn't used for this model? If it is early forties, the price was certainly high enough.

 

[carouselvic]

Looks to be a queer Gay Prince. Nice.

 

[Joshbru3]

No, you're absolutely correct. 620 Fifth Avenue was open from May 1, 1917, to the autumn of 1928. So, 1920s is very reasonable.

Brad

Awesome! Thanks very much for the information, Brad!

 

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Super find! I really like the heather felt on this GP. Also a big fan of felt bands in general.

 

[Joshbru3]

Absolutely stunning, Alan! I'm a sucker for heather felts, especially light gray ones. I have a couple of early 50's Dobbs with that same style gold foil tag, but they could have also used it in the late 40's as well. I actually like that version of the Gay Prince much better than the "Standard" version. I would most definitely wear the "Gaylight." It looks extremely lightweight. The dimensions are beautiful with that tall straight crown. Chances are if this hat was from a sports shop, it must have been some sort of packable hat. Possibly even roll-able? It could very well be a late 40's, early 50's vintage. I'm reminded of that Lee Bon Voyage that I had. It was a late 40's hat but had an un-readed sweatband because it allowed the hat to be folded. If this hat was a packable hat, it would appear that it hasn't been folded in many years. This is really quite a find. Even if it wasn't a Gay Prince variety, it would still be an incredible lightweight heather felt hat. Great find! Now I kind of wish I had bid on it.
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