Woo-Hoo! My foot's in the door

[Citizen Ed]

After being shut out and beat down on every single auction to the point that I was considering giving up the dream and resignedly going back to my worn and steady newsboy forever more, I won! Yes I'm soon to be the proud owner of this baby, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=8284239386&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Okay it's not the classic vintage era of my Dad and uncles I had longed for. And it doesn't have as wide a brim as I've always wanted. And yeah I probably should have been a tad more dilligent and questioned the seller about the "few very small pits in the felt". But hey, I figure it's a good starter hat, 2 1/4" is bigger than most Dobbs I've been able to find on e-bay and as long as the "small pits" aren't on the order of silver dollar size holes it's worth the ten bucks. I'm giddy in anticipation.

 

[funneman]

The price is right!

Looks like with shipping you probably paid around $20.00.
Congratulations, looks like a good start.

Most little "Pits" that don't go all the way through can be
disguised with some steam and brushing. I always ask the seller
about "rips, holes, stains, tears or odors" before bidding. Having
assurances about what you're buying, helps you make sound
bidding choices.

And you're right, there are plenty of hats to be had without
bites in the felt, especially in your size.

Just stay away from all of the 7-1/8s and you'll be fine. LOL!

 

[adamgottschalk]

Great Dobbs!

Dobbs is one of the great American hat makers. James Cagney wore one of their styles called The Daily. I've been looking to get myself a Dobbs for a while. I did get one on eBay, perfect fit, but it was in bad shape, no chance for repair

That's a nice hat you got yourself. And as far as the wider brims, it is my not-so-humble-opinion that many people go for wider brims because of some affinity for an era rather than what actually looks good on them. Unless you have a very large head and face, or prominent facial features, it is not unlikely than a narrower brim will look best on you. I can't tell you how many times I've seen folks wearing wide-brimmed hats and thought, "Gee, nice hat. Too bad it looks like their head is swimming in deep water underneath it," or, "Too bad you can only see the hat and their face and head look a thimble underneath." YMMV

 

[Pilgrim]

OH MAN, you stole that one!

I think that's one that closed when I was called out of town, or I'd have been competing with you. Congrats on getting a great buy!

If the hat is proportioned well, the 2 25" brim may work nicely for you. It's surprising how much difference 1/4 inch makes in the way a brim looks. I think you did great! Enjoy.

 

[ledsled]

highway robbery!

That's a great hat and I can't believe you didn't have anybody bidding against you. You lucked out, for sure! And it's nice to know that you got it from the original owner. Kinda neat to have been purchased in New Orleans.

 

[RedPop4]

Bought in New Orleans? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Wonder if he bought it from Meyer the Hatter?

 

[TommySalieri]

Nice lid! Congrats.


I've invested cash into a couple of Dobbs hats, too. I'm a wide-brim fan and I was lucky enough to find a Dobbs that fit my criteria. It's my first "black" fedora...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8419115833&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

I'm hoping it'll at least look black from a distance. lol

This one is brown..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8414368693&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

Like I said before, that's a very nice hat. Take good care of it and wear it with pride.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Nice hat

Great dimensions on that one. If you want it to look more "golden age" you could have the leather band replaced by a nice crossgrain ribbon and bow. At the price you paid, if the hat is in good shape, it might be worth the expense. I hope it's great hat.
NB

 

[IndianaGuybrush]

Nice hat! I know how hard it can be to break into vintage hats, especially recently now that hats on sites like eBay routinely go for hundreds! Time was if you were patient you could get a vintage dobbs, adam, stetson, or even borsalino for around what you paid. Now, good luck finding a vintage Borsi for less than $100 (one worth buying anyway). Patience is the watchword though, and remember, you can always throw a hat back on eBay if it doesn't fit or if you're not happy with it.

PS - NB13 i wonder, did you mean grosgrain ribbon or is there another kind? I know I had some confusion with the pronounciation of grosgrain. I always used to say gros (rhymes with cross) grain, when it's actually grow-grain. Apparently it's from the French gros grain, meaning coarse texture.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Oops.

IndianaGuybrush; There's a brainfart for you! :eusa_doh: Yes, I meant grosgrain. I don't know where my head was.
By the way, great avatar hat! Looks like an Aventurebilt Indy with an extra wide brim...
NB

 

[Citizen Ed]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Got an e-mail from the seller saying he shipped it Monday morning. I await with baited breath. The S/H ended up costing less than originaly listed so I ended up only spending $14.95 in all.
I was quite surprised to be the only bidder also. When the deadline got down to one day left and still no other bidders I got a little panicky. I started looking to see what red flags I had missed. I half expected to see something to the effect of "Only cash payment accepted". Looks like everything worked out ducky tho'.