WTB Stratoliner Hat Pin

[tortswon]

I thought I had found one of these a couple of months ago but things did not work out. I am searching for the most authentic Stratoliner hat pin out there in the best condition. Authenticity is the key. I am not concerned about the direction the pin faces as I cannot see it when I walk and, therefore, it will not impact my direction. Please PM me with photos and details including price. Best, Sam

 

[zetwal]

I don't know how you plan to guage authenticity. But here's a great place to get high quality replicas. I have a couple that are much older but they're not as nice as Joe's.

http://www.1903.com/productView.asp?productID=406

 

[tortswon]

Gauging Authenticity

Good point! My view of authenticity is a pin that looks like a Stratoliner. That means it would have two engines on each side for a start. It would be either a Pan Am or a TWA (I could hope against hope it would be a Hughes but that is beyond realistic).

It would not be a DC-3 which is a beautiful plane in its own right but not a Stratoliner.

Thanks for the great question! Best, Sam

 

[zetwal]

OK now I know better what you want to find. For those of you interested in the distinction Sam makes - here's a good article.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?displaypage=output.cfm&file_id=3598

 

[Boodles]

I think the Stratoliner, Boeing 307, has 4 engines

I thought I had found one of these a couple of months ago but things did not work out. I am searching for the most authentic Stratoliner hat pin out there in the best condition. Authenticity is the key. I am not concerned about the direction the pin faces as I cannot see it when I walk and, therefore, it will not impact my direction. Please PM me with photos and details including price. Best, Sam

Sir: Many of us think the Stratoliner is the swoopy looking flying machine often pictured in my avatar. The DC-3 mentioned in another post is, I think, an example of a twin engine aircraft.

 

[tortswon]

DC-3 v. Stratoliner

Greetings Boodles. I am in complete agreement with you. Here is a DC-3 image.




It is certainly a twin engine aircraft. The Stratoliner depicted in your avatar is what I am looking for (forgive my ending the sentence with a preposition). Best, Sam

 

[RBH]

Not to start this argument again, because we can put whatever pins we want on our hats. But to be authentic the pin that belongs on a Stetson Stratoliner is below.

Here is a shot from the 1943 film "Shadow of a Doubt".

and a photo from the Stetson book.

And it resembles the DC-3.

As far a Stratoliner pin, a new one can be found here.

http://www.1903.com/productView.asp?productID=405

Good luck!

 

[gtdean48]

Not to start this argument again, because we can put whatever pins we want on our hats. But to be authentic the pin that belongs on a Stetson Stratoliner is below.
And it resembles the DC-3.
Good luck!

I can only see 1 engine per wing when I magnify that ad.

 

[Lefty]

Exactly. What seems to have come of the debate is that the DC-3 was the pin on the Stratoliner hat. However, there is also a Stratoliner pin that pops up on ebay now and then. So, if you want a Stratoliner hat with a Stratoliner pin, rather than the Stratoliner hat with a DC-3 pin, it's easy to do.

Here's the Stratoliner pin - the one that didn't come with the Stratoliner hat.

 

[RBH]

Exactly. What seems to have come of the debate is that the DC-3 was the pin on the Stratoliner hat. However, there is also a Stratoliner pin that pops up on ebay now and then. So, if you want a Stratoliner hat with a Stratoliner pin, rather than the Stratoliner hat with a DC-3 pin, it's easy to do.

Here's the Stratoliner pin - the one that didn't come with the Stratoliner hat.

Thats correct, Lefty. Thats why I put the link for the Stratoliner pin at the end of the post.
My experience is the DC-3 is fairly common but a vintage Stratoliner pin is few and far between. At least in my E-Bay searches.
Here is the link again.

http://www.1903.com/productView.asp?productID=405

 

[Zemke Fan]

I am both...

... one of the country's leading collectors of Stratoliner memorabilia AND the original source of the pins that Sam mentions... Yep, I'm the donkey who kept him on a string for two months while I dealt with one client crisis after another while racking my brain to figure out where I stashed the damn pins! (Never did find them.)

ALSO, I am the source of the original pins that Joe Weingarten has recast and made available for sale at www.1903.com -- Although I borrowed the Stratoliner pin from another guy here. I can vouch for Joe's quality, although I think that the Strat and DC-3 pins in .925 sterling look better than his gold-plated ones.

Good luck boys. I need to update my Strat memorabilia page. Have bought quite a few things in the last six months.

 

[Zemke Fan]

One more thing...

The PROBLEM with the Stratoliner pins is that the way that the pin is on the back and the orientation, you have them flying DOWN and towards your BACK. The DC-3 pins are DOWN and towards the FRONT of the hat.

Sam's point about not being able to see them when he's wearing the hat aside, the Strat pins just look a little weird. Plain and simple.

 

[RBH]

the Strat pins just look a little weird. Plain and simple.

Zemke, I got the Stratoliner pin from you way back... the flying to the back was what got me on the 'case' of what pin went on the hat.
Both pins are cool, but the DC-3 just looks the best and that may be why Stetson used them instead of the Stratoliner pins.
Also the DC-3 pin I have on my Stratoliner has no TWA marking on it while the one I just put on my Miller milan thin ribbon has TWA on both wings.
Both are vintage pins. [huh]

 

[RBH]

...

Good luck boys. I need to update my Strat memorabilia page. Have bought quite a few things in the last six months.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[GWD]

I have both pins the box and the Hat! They are yours for absolutely no cash out of hand! All I ask for in exchange, is a Sage Green Whippet in Good Shape in size 7, 7 1/8 or 7 1/4.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Yes you did, Rusty...

Zemke, I got the Stratoliner pin from you way back... the flying to the back was what got me on the 'case' of what pin went on the hat.
Both pins are cool, but the DC-3 just looks the best and that may be why Stetson used them instead of the Stratoliner pins.
Also the DC-3 pin I have on my Stratoliner has no TWA marking on it while the one I just put on my Miller milan thin ribbon has TWA on both wings.
Both are vintage pins. [huh]

... And I got my FAVORITE hat from you! Strat in a 7-3/4. Will never part with this... If the house is on fire? Will rescue the wife, my WWII memorabilia container, and the chocolate brown Strat! Thank you, sir!

 

[Boodles]

GWD you can put yourself out of all this misery...

I have both pins the box and the Hat! They are yours for absolutely no cash out of hand! All I ask for in exchange, is a Sage Green Whippet in Good Shape in size 7, 7 1/8 or 7 1/4.

...if you go ahead and face the fact that you'll never work out the trade you want and instead sell me that moth eaten Strato. $50 bucks if you dust it and throw in the two pins to boot. I'm old and won't be embarrassed by wearing the silly looking thing. Will you take a check?

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I've been wearing the TWA Lockheed Electra on mine lately, just to shake 'em up. Built 1937, it flew with TWA from 1940-1945.

-dixon cannon

 

[GWD]

...if you go ahead and face the fact that you'll never work out the trade you want and instead sell me that moth eaten Strato. $50 bucks if you dust it and throw in the two pins to boot. I'm old and won't be embarrassed by wearing the silly looking thing. Will you take a check?

Tempting very tempting.

 

[MiG-19]

Hello all, my first post, and forgive me my ignorance if I'm asking in the wrong place or asking something that's been answered a hundred times before. I too need to buy a replacement pin for my favorite piece of headgear, my silverbelly Stratoliner. Man, I LOVE this hat, but unfortunately, the pin broke. I have ordered both the stratoliner and the Connie pins from Weingarten Gallery, don't know how those will match up, but I'd really like to get the Stetson pin. Any idea where to get one? Thanks!