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[RJR]

I agree 100%. If someone is buying hats purely for their collector's value I can understand why they would want to keep them as original as possible. Me, I buy them because I want to wear them, and if I ever bought a vintage hat with a "dodgy" sweatband I would certainly have it replaced so I could wear the hat. Resale value never even enters my mind. I'm sure that would be heresy to some of the members here, but once it becomes my hat I can do whatever I want with it.

+1

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I agree 100%. If someone is buying hats purely for their collector's value I can understand why they would want to keep them as original as possible. Me, I buy them because I want to wear them, and if I ever bought a vintage hat with a "dodgy" sweatband I would certainly have it replaced so I could wear the hat. Resale value never even enters my mind. I'm sure that would be heresy to some of the members here, but once it becomes my hat I can do whatever I want with it.

I completely agree. Once it's yours you can modify it however you want. It's not like it's a Michelangelo where your really only the temporary custodian before it is passed on to the next generation.

 

[Frunobulax]

I completely agree. Once it's yours you can modify it however you want. It's not like it's a Michelangelo where your really only the temporary custodian before it is passed on to the next generation.

Well, some of us look upon it that way, to a certain extent. While resale value isn't much of a concern for many of my hats, I do realize that - for my vintage hats - nobody is making them quite like that anymore. Most of us are in this for the history too, and feel we have a duty to protect that history. While I do wear my hats, I'd like to keep them up so that I can pass them along to somebody in 20 years or so. Nobody is making these old Stetson, Knox, C&K, etc. hats anymore and preserving them is high on my list of things to do.

 

[moontheloon]

Well, some of us look upon it that way, to a certain extent. While resale value isn't much of a concern for many of my hats, I do realize that - for my vintage hats - nobody is making them quite like that anymore. Most of us are in this for the history too, and feel we have a duty to protect that history. While I do wear my hats, I'd like to keep them up so that I can pass them along to somebody in 20 years or so. Nobody is making these old Stetson, Knox, C&K, etc. hats anymore and preserving them is high on my list of things to do.

agreed

I like mine to be all original

I look at my hat room as sort of a bank vault ...

my hats pay bills all the time ... and they could one day possible pay for a semester of college or buy my kids a car

I also take pride in preserving history ... hoarding as many hats in my size for all those 7 1/4 and 7 3/8 wearers and collectors in the future who will have trouble finding great quality unaltered vintage hats ... I feel good that I will be able to provide the public with hundreds of them and their boxes

I am against altering my hats in any way simply for preservation purposes ... there are only so many left available to us ... why cause that number to decrease ?

 

[Hurricane Jack]

The differences in opinions as stated remind me of a great quote attributed to the singer/songwriter Roger Miller:

“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”— Roger Miller.

 

[carouselvic]

I don't think of my hats as an investment, for that I'm sticking with tulip bulbs. I do purchase a lot of music and have always considered it to be a sound investment.

 

[Bamaboots]

Never bought my hats as an investment or for collectibility either. I've bought a few that I turned over for a little extra. I bought them all to wear and was disappointed in a few that I had to do a sweat replacement on but that thought passes as soon as they're wearable again.

 

[RJR]

Never bought my hats as an investment or for collectibility either. I've bought a few that I turned over for a little extra. I bought them all to wear and was disappointed in a few that I had to do a sweat replacement on but that thought passes as soon as they're wearable again.

+1

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hey, I'm all for keeping them original, but if the choice is between an original hat that is not wearable and an altered hat (new sweat) that you can wear....easy choice for me.

As for the argument that they aren't making them like that anymore, what isn't that true of? Should I not replace the upholstery on my 1970 pickup because it won't be original? Now when buying I like it to be original, but I don't own museum pieces, these are my daily drivers. Maybe the hats I own just aren't as nice as others.

Good to see @moontheloon posting again.


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[Zombie_61]

Just to be clear, I'm all for preserving an individual hat's history. I wouldn't replace the entire ribbon or sweatband just because they were a bit wrinkled or a few stitches had popped. But if that hat had been improperly stored and the sweatband was so dehydrated and deteriorated that the dry-as-a-bone leather is literally falling apart, it's time to make a decision and you pretty much have three options--put it on a pedestal under glass in a museum, pass it on to another hat wearer who would likely replace the sweatband themselves, or replace it and enjoy the hat.

That being said, the closest thing to a vintage hat that I own is a Winston fedora of undetermined age that was made in Israel. The others are Akubras and one custom that were all purchased new within the last 10 years. Will any of them be "desirable vintage hats" in the future? Time will tell. Until then, I'm wearing them and will care for them as best I can.

 

[crawlinkingsnake]

Only hat I own I consider "vintage" would be my great-great grandfathers Dobbs probably purchased around 1960. Do I take great care of it? YES. Do I wear it occasionally? YES. Have I done anything (improvements, replacements, etc) to it? Only removing an old frayed feather and adding the DOBBS hat pin. I don't think that hurt it in the least.

 

[scottyrocks]

I don't think of my hats as an investment, for that I'm sticking with tulip bulbs. I do purchase a lot of music and have always considered it to be a it to be a sound investment.

 

[cozy d]

Does reshaping them count as altering? I like to keep all the bits and pieces vintage as much as possible but I won't hesitate to shape them however I feel will make them look best on me.

Oh and I haven't felt duty bound to "preserve" any hat made after 1960, no good reason why, I suppose I just don't have the same appreciation for their rarity, but that might change in another 20 years

 

[cozy d]

I've recently bought a few vintage western hats lately, they are all lightly colored, tan, light grey, silverbelly, etc. and they all seem to have some kind of fine white powder on them. When I go to brush them the stuff gets everywhere, at first I thought it was dust but nope, it's definitely some kind of white powder. Pardon my ignorance, any of you care to guess what that stuff is and why was it put there? Thanks, D

 

[carouselvic]

Scout felt hat cleaner for light colors only. It leaves a light power on the felt. I don't use it any more. Scout for dark colors is all I use, no matter what color the felt. It is a foam.

 

[Zombie_61]

Does reshaping them count as altering? I like to keep all the bits and pieces vintage as much as possible but I won't hesitate to shape them however I feel will make them look best on me...

No, we all shape and reshape our hats as we see fit. "Altering", in this context, would refer to things like replacing the ribbon or sweatband.

 

[scottyrocks]

Does reshaping them count as altering? I like to keep all the bits and pieces vintage as much as possible but I won't hesitate to shape them however I feel will make them look best on me.

Oh and I haven't felt duty bound to "preserve" any hat made after 1960, no good reason why, I suppose I just don't have the same appreciation for their rarity, but that might change in another 20 years

Hats are reshaped quite often and always have been, and it doesn't involve replacement of parts, so that shouldn't be any sort of issue in regard to preserving their genuine-ness.

 

[cozy d]

Scout felt hat cleaner for light colors only. It leaves a light power on the felt. I don't use it any more. Scout for dark colors is all I use, no matter what color the felt. It is a foam.

Possibly, so one would leave the powdery residue on the hat? The hats were lightly used and there aren't any evidence of stains though, so seems a bit odd. Whatever the powder is, appears to me like it was used as more of a preventative thing. I've come across this three completely seperate times now with vintage western fur hats...

 

[belfastboy]

Possibly, so one would leave the powdery residue on the hat? The hats were lightly used and there aren't any evidence of stains though, so seems a bit odd. Whatever the powder is, appears to me like it was used as more of a preventative thing. I've come across this three completely seperate times now with vintage western fur hats...

I had friends that used powdered DDT in their beds against crabs waaay back in the hippie days. Perhaps it is a similar product used to prevent mothing??

 

[Ken David]

Appreciate the feedback on "originality" of vintage hats. I respect and understand both sides of the spectrum. For my situation I like to wear my hats and in the process of obtaining the hats in my rotation I want to be able to at least flip any vintage hats I have just in case I need to make room for "different" hats so that probably means to try to keep them original but may require a new sweat on occasion for "wear ability"