Who on Earth was it?

[fatwoul]

Who on earth was the cheeky monkey who outbid me on that brown whippet just now, over on eBay?

If you're out there reading this, sir, my hat is quite literally off to you. That's the most I've seen one go for in a while. I mean, I've seen Borsalinos going for less than that recently. Heck, you can buy yourself a custom made hat for that money.

Anyway, whoever you are, you really wanted that hat, and I congratulate you heartily.

 

[handlebar bart]

Who on earth was the cheeky monkey who outbid me on that brown whippet just now, over on eBay?

If you're out there reading this, sir, my hat is quite literally off to you. That's the most I've seen one go for in a while. I mean, I've seen Borsalinos going for less than that recently. Heck, you can buy yourself a custom made hat for that money.

Anyway, whoever you are, you really wanted that hat, and I congratulate you heartily.

Okay, I'm dying to hear the details of the hat. Size, price condition, Etc.?

 

[GWD]

Must have been this one! Here


Maybe the box is a collectors item too?

Maybe I should sell mine?

 

[fatwoul]

Okay, I'm dying to hear the details of the hat. Size, price condition, Etc.?

I don't want to link directly because it seems unfair to do so, since I'm not the winning bidder. Condition looked fair. Definitely not top notch or anything - felt seemed OK, although all the pictures avoided one particular direction (which always makes me a little suspicious), and the leather band looked a little crinkled. The satin liner also has handwritten stuff on it, presumably by a previous owner. It did have its original box, but neither the hat nor box could be considered mint condition.

It was marked as a 7 1/4, so quite a popular size, but as one of the questions indicated, it looked like it may have been stretched at some point, so the size might not be bang on.

I should point out that none of these things bothered me, and the hat still did look like a nice one.

I won't say how much it went for, because again, that seems a little discourteous. However, I will say that it went for over four times the price I paid for my grey whippet last year, which I would say is in roughly equal condition.

I thought I bid too high myself, but obviously someone else disagrees.

 

[jec]

Newbie here. I've been lurking on the Lounge for awhile now, and I've been learning loads about the hats I have been wearing - and look to wear in the future. Thanks to all of you for sharing so much of what you know and love.

As for the Stetson whippet that just went on EBay, I did try to snipe a bid on that hat, too. But I am not the winner. In fact, I was blown away to see the going price jump by a factor of 5X in a matter of seconds.

Clearly THAT one was not intended for me.

Amazing.

 

[AlanC]

No problem about linking ended auctions. We have an entire thread dedicated to just that.

If the one linked above is it, I'm really a little surprised that one in that size and in that condition went for that much. It may be part of an Indy movie spike. And apparently foreign buyers are also going after such items due to our third world currency.

Y'all need to keep your eyes on the Johnnyphi auctions. Pristine hats from the same period going for a third to a half of that price here.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

The buyer of that one might be as surprised as the rest of us. Seems like one of those situations where someone sets up a high threshhold on a Snipe program expecting that it won't get tested up to the limit. Many times, someone who puts in a mile high Max Bid still nabs the item for a fraction of that since most folks don't compete up to those levels for something like this. So, imagine the happy hat owner gulping a bit when he/she sees the final tab. And if it's a married 'he', imagine the wife...

 

[Sefton]

The winning bidder's "name" could be a clue. Certainly there is a long tradition of individuals from the east spending what to us might seem like outrageously inflated prices for vintage items produced in the U.S.

 

[DrSpeed]

Googling the buyer, it's someone in Kobe who has paid huge amounts for vintage stuff (eyeglass frames, old household stuff, etc.) on local eBays all over the world, Singapore, Italy, and others.

I hope a certain new-old-stock seller doesn't read this thread ... he may have a heart attack. The "concentrated niche market" may be "niche," but it's not so "concentrated."

No need for heart attacks I'd say. You can have a lucky strike of course, but in the long run a knowledgeable clientele will pay what your goods are worth, not floating with the tide.

 

[fatwoul]

No problem about linking ended auctions. We have an entire thread dedicated to just that.

If the one linked above is it, I'm really a little surprised that one in that size and in that condition went for that much. It may be part of an Indy movie spike. And apparently foreign buyers are also going after such items due to our third world currency.

Y'all need to keep your eyes on the Johnnyphi auctions. Pristine hats from the same period going for a third to a half of that price here.

Thanks for the reassurance, Alan. Actually, I was comfortable with discussing the auction, and would have been comfortable linking to it if the winner hadn't paid so much. I didn't want to link to it, then have people saying he'd bought a turkey, for the poor chap to have been an FL member all along!

The buyer of that one might be as surprised as the rest of us. Seems like one of those situations where someone sets up a high threshhold on a Snipe program expecting that it won't get tested up to the limit. Many times, someone who puts in a mile high Max Bid still nabs the item for a fraction of that since most folks don't compete up to those levels for something like this. So, imagine the happy hat owner gulping a bit when he/she sees the final tab. And if it's a married 'he', imagine the wife...

This was exactly my thinking, HPG. I did the same thing myself, by putting my own maximum of $300 on, I was hoping to brow-beat the competition. The last three bids were $60-something, $300 (me) and then $305. I was expecting someone to maybe take it to $100 or so last minute, but I really didn't expect to be sniped on such a "regular" item as a whippet.

I am, of course, relieved that I'm not the one with a $300+ bill (don't get me wrong, I never bid more than I can afford, but I too would have gulped a little!). My compensation for losing was thinking "heh heh that guy has some explaining to do with his mrs.". But now kabuto is shattering this fantasy of mine with talk of him being a dealer. lol

 

[Tango Yankee]

But now kabuto is shattering this fantasy of mine with talk of him being a dealer.

Ya gotta wonder how much a customer of that (possible) dealer will be spending to buy it from him to make the cost + shipping + effort worthwhile!

Regards,
Tom

 

[David Conwill]

Funny this thread coming up just now. I happened to search "Stetson Whippet" on eBay last night (I normally don't torture myself) and saw this drama unfold. The hat was at $61.00 when I glanced at the auction and saw it wasn't my size. I was discussing the value and quality of vintage hats with my wife (she thinks new ones ought to be better than used and doesn't trust anything off eBay) when I saw the auction had ended. I told her "I bet this one went for over a hundred" and clicked on it.

Thank you Mr. Deep Pockets for proving me right! I about swallowed my teeth.

At that price, why not just have a custom hatter build you one?

-Dave

 

[AlanC]

Well compared to this one it was a steal.

 

[Woodfluter]

So here's the deal...

Well compared to this one it was a steal.

...suppose I can find a way to run into Harrison Ford somewhere, and pay him to just try on a dozen fedoras in his size, and I photograph him doing that. Look, if I can just sell them at three grand apiece, I'll be satisfied. I ain't greedy!

Like you said, seller wins big time!

- Bill

 

[fatwoul]

...Thank you Mr. Deep Pockets for proving me right! I about swallowed my teeth.

At that price, why not just have a custom hatter build you one?

-Dave

My thoughts exactly; about the custom hatter comment, not the Mr Deep Pockets comment. Sure enough, I just received a message from the seller regarding this hat:

The winning bidder had an unconfirmed address and refused to explain 4 negative feedbacks he received in his last 50 transactions. I contacted paypal and they told me to cancel the transaction and refund his money. You are the next high bidder and I am offering this to you now as is the correct procedure.

As kabuto and HPG hinted, this bidder seems to be something of a sleazy operator. I suspect his tactic is to use a snipe programme, set to bid very high, and if his snipe goes too high for his liking, he just wusses out of the auction.

Very bad behaviour.

Anyway, I have told the seller I am no longer interested in the hat. I told him that, while I would have been happy to pay $300 if the auction had been taken that high legitimately, I would always feel very cheated if I was forced to pay that much simply because the auction was driven that high by some disreputable swine.

In fact, I take issue with the fact that my bid is even considered to be $300. If the highest bidder is not a legitimate one, then my final bid should be considered as that which outbid the previous highest bidder - in this case, sixty bucks.

I'm not paying $240 extra just because somebody else lied. :rage:

So anyway, you should all keep your eyes peeled for this hat when it gets relisted, and I hope one of you snags it for a more sensible price.

 

[AlanC]

The way ebay's second chance offer is set up I think that the only price the seller can offer it to you via that system is at the highest amount you bid. However, the seller could agree to sell it as a BIN to you in a new separate listing at whatever price you mutually agreed to.

 

[univibe88]

I agree that if a bidder is tossed out, all of his bids should be tossed out - not just his last bid.

 

[fatwoul]

The way ebay's second chance offer is set up I think that the only price the seller can offer it to you via that system is at the highest amount you bid. However, the seller could agree to sell it as a BIN to you in a new separate listing at whatever price you mutually agreed to.

Yes, Alan. However, IMHO that system of deferring to the highest bid the second person placed seems unfair (against the bidder, at least). As univibe88 said, if someone's winning an auction is disqualified, their participation in it at all should be removed.

Of course, in this case the winning bid was rejected by the seller following their dissatisfaction over the winner's dodgey feedback history, which I guess also makes things a little different. The winner may have still been willing to pay, but the seller was unwilling to enter into any arrangement with them.

I should reiterate that the seller seems like a good guy, and I don't want any of you to think any less of him following this unfortunate series of events.

 

[AlanC]

However, IMHO that system of deferring to the highest bid the second person placed seems unfair (against the bidder, at least).

It is advantageous to ebay and its fees, though, which are tied to how much the item sells for. You're certainly correct that there is no motivation for the buyer in a two bidder auction and the high bidder is eliminated.

Have you made a counter offer for a BIN to him? You have your foot in door already.

 

[RBH]

So anyway, you should all keep your eyes peeled for this hat when it gets relisted, and I hope one of you snags it for a more sensible price.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap