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Toppers Unite

Matt o

New in Town
Messages
18
I have good news and bad news…the good news is that this hat, box, swagger stick, etc is really neat! The hat does not appear to have ever been worn, and to my eye is in mint condition. It appears that it was purchased, and left in the box with the original tissue paper at the bottom for however many decades! The bad news is that it doesn’t fit my head! Can’t win em all I suppose!

What do you guys think about all this?

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The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,713
Location
Southeast Asia
I have good news and bad news…the good news is that this hat, box, swagger stick, etc is really neat! The hat does not appear to have ever been worn, and to my eye is in mint condition. It appears that it was purchased, and left in the box with the original tissue paper at the bottom for however many decades! The bad news is that it doesn’t fit my head! Can’t win em all I suppose!

What do you guys think about all this?

View attachment 618582 View attachment 618592 View attachment 618593 View attachment 618594 View attachment 618598 View attachment 618599 View attachment 618600

That is very cool. So what size do you reckon it is and are you planning to keep it or move it on? Personally this is the first top hat I have ever thought I might like for my collection - it seems to be very nice and in great shape.
 

Matt o

New in Town
Messages
18
That is very cool. So what size do you reckon it is and are you planning to keep it or move it on? Personally this is the first top hat I have ever thought I might like for my collection - it seems to be very nice and in great shape.
Hi Cowboy! I would guess a tight 7 3/8. I haven’t really thought about moving it along, and I couldn’t even find much information about the Chicago Company where it was made.
 

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,713
Location
Southeast Asia
Hi Cowboy! I would guess a tight 7 3/8. I haven’t really thought about moving it along, and I couldn’t even find much information about the Chicago Company where it was made.

TFL has a number of topper collectors who might be interested if you do decide to pass it on. I’m certainly not suggesting you should (especially since I know now that it’s too big for me! :D)

Great looking lid and appears to be a worthy addition to any collection, though those who know these things will be able to say for sure.
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,927
Location
Denmark
I have good news and bad news…the good news is that this hat, box, swagger stick, etc is really neat! The hat does not appear to have ever been worn, and to my eye is in mint condition. It appears that it was purchased, and left in the box with the original tissue paper at the bottom for however many decades! The bad news is that it doesn’t fit my head! Can’t win em all I suppose!

What do you guys think about all this?

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Super Top Hat, Box, and cushion, Matt. Usually the cushion matches the name inside the hat, so maybe it isn't original to the Topper. However, it might be something Bergdorf Goodman added.

Shame it's not your size. It's sadly not mine either. If it had turned up for sale in Denmark though, I'd have been all over it.
 

batankyu

New in Town
Messages
24
Location
France
Hello, I purchased a vintage brown top hat for 7 euros at a garage sale in Gavray, Normandie, France on Thu 8 Aug 2024. No inner lining, no sweatband, so origin is unknown, plus the inside had newspaper sheets glued to it for an unknown reason. I had to scrub them away. I also presume the inner mesh glued inside comes from a restoration. It comes with its hatbox in poor shape now, no inscription, lid is missing. Any idea for a date range, country, maker ?

Top view:
MumWH8O.jpeg


Front view:
SVU3un4.jpeg


Left side view:
JxVwfO1.jpeg


Rear view:
TicWioz.jpeg


Right side view:
x4PovmE.jpeg


Bottom view after purchase: no inner lining, no sweat band, with newspaper pages glued for unknown reason:
ETFcE0X.jpeg


Bottom view, after most of glued newspaper pages got scrubbed away, showing inscription "4 1/2 U" and "ML":
Dfmcv1I.jpeg


Bottom views of hat and its damaged box whose lid is also missing:
96ysaC8.jpeg


Top hat on new owner:
qyI7oH2.jpeg

SYjPwCG.jpeg

0ukCOWY.jpeg

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batankyu

New in Town
Messages
24
Location
France
View of the hat box in a separate post becuse it seems there's a limit of 20 photos per post...

Hat box upside down, top view:
7FDIOBs.jpeg

Hat box upside down, less damaged side view:
BTac4Bi.jpeg

Hat box upside down, most damaged side view:
kbfS2Zk.jpeg

Hat box upside down, most damaged strap view:
ruiD12V.jpeg

Hat box upside down, less damaged strap view:
XFhXp27.jpeg

Hat box, bottom view:
2tlsDY8.jpeg

Hat box, most damaged strap view:
AbplgPa.jpeg

Hat box, less damaged strap view:
oWhLE3I.jpeg

Hat box, less damaged side view:
svh3bnL.jpeg

Hat box, most damaged side view:
ctn4fB4.jpeg
 
Messages
15,089
Location
Buffalo, NY
Hello, I purchased a vintage brown top hat for 7 euros at a garage sale in Gavray, Normandie, France on Thu 8 Aug 2024. No inner lining, no sweatband, so origin is unknown, plus the inside had newspaper sheets glued to it for an unknown reason. I had to scrub them away. I also presume the inner mesh glued inside comes from a restoration. It comes with its hatbox in poor shape now, no inscription, lid is missing. Any idea for a date range, country, maker ?

Top view:
MumWH8O.jpeg


Front view:
SVU3un4.jpeg


Left side view:

Rear view:


Right side view:


Bottom view after purchase: no inner lining, no sweat band, with newspaper pages glued for unknown reason:


Bottom view, after most of glued newspaper pages got scrubbed away, showing inscription "4 1/2 U" and "ML":


Bottom views of hat and its damaged box whose lid is also missing:


Top hat on new owner:
Nice find and quite old I would guess. The height of the crown appears tall and the brim (flat originally) suggests nineteenth century and perhaps mid nineteenth century. 4 1/2 would be the size (56 in centimeters). It might have been black silk plush originally, faded over time to appear brown. The mesh is the original structure of the hat I think to which the silk plush is attached. It likely would have had an oiled fabric sweatband rather than leather. Thanks for sharing it.
 

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