Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

[Lefty]

This is my first hat purchase in quite a long time. I'm going to have to put something behind the sweat, but for $50, I wasn't about to pass this up.

Any help on dating? Did vita-felt make it past the 40s?

 

[carouselvic]

Near perfect Stetson Sovereign 20 goes for big bucks, considering the 7 1/4 size.

When I saw your post Lefty, I got out my OR 25 and pondered letting it go....I put back in the box...it is still a better piece of felt than I can buy off the rack.

 

[carouselvic]

Lefty you made a fine purchase. I believe a 40's date, certainly not latter.

 

[Rick Blaine]

NICE!

This is my first hat purchase in quite a long time. I'm going to have to put something behind the sweat, but for $50, I wasn't about to pass this up.

Any help on dating? Did vita-felt make it past the 40s?

Well done Lefty!
How'd the heck did I miss THAT one! Lemme know if it doesn't work out or if you'd wanna trade for something somewhat smaller.

 

[carter]

Lefty, Bernie Utz in Seattle is still in business. They may be able to help with dating your Royal Stetson Deluxe.

 

[Wil Tam]

I didn't bid ... but it was exciting to watch

okie dokie who won the borso & portis combo in the knox box?

 

[Lefty]

Thanks guys.
I didn't bother asking the seller, but any guesses on the true color?
From the photos, I'm not sure if it's over-exposed black, gray, or blue.

 

[Lefty]

I'm sure that quite a few of this were watching this great Cavanagh (with $40 shipping for my address! ) climb all week. It's 7 3/8 and went for $235.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

Thanks guys.
I didn't bother asking the seller, but any guesses on the true color?
From the photos, I'm not sure if it's over-exposed black, gray, or blue.

Most of the time, the shot that shows the sweatband and liner will be close to the true color of the felt.

 

[Viper Man]

I'm sure that quite a few of this were watching this great Cavanagh (with $40 shipping for my address! ) climb all week. It's 7 3/8 and went for $235.

Crazy. I lost out and I thought that was too much but I am sucker for a good Cav. I hope someone here got it!

 

[Inusuit]

On a lighter note. I took a chance on a lot of 4 hats for just $50.00. I didn't come up with any treasures but here's one.

This an old Resistol "Plains" with wrap-around Wildfowl. There was another fairly nice Western Hat in the box, A Dobbs Fedora and a Stephen Stetson Open Road Clone. This was the only one that nearly fits. The other 3 will soon be on ebay again(maybe this one too). Hideously Ugly or Strangely Beautiful?

How fast do you think he was going when he hit the duck?

 

[MattJH]

I found this via eBay's Buy It Now! and just pulled the trigger. An antique hat stand:

​

I've never seen one like it before. Have you? Either way, I figure it'd be a good way to store my hat while I'm at work -- just affix it to the side of my desk.

 

[Tango Yankee]

I found this via eBay's Buy It Now! and just pulled the trigger. An antique hat stand:

I've never seen one like it before. Have you? Either way, I figure it'd be a good way to store my hat while I'm at work -- just affix it to the side of my desk.

I've got a similar one, Matt.

I thought it would be handy as well. I found instead that unlike a hook, which hooks the side of the crown, this one tends to push the crown up if you're not careful.

In retrospect I decided that it was likely meant for ladies' hat displays.

Still, if your hat's crown is rather set in it's ways, or if you're careful when you drop it onto the stand, or if you simply like redoing your crease each time you pick it off the stand, it'll work.

I hope this doesn't come off as being too negative. It's just that I was kind of excited about mine when I bought it and was disappointed at my results.

I hope it works out better for you!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Woodfluter]

Near perfect Stetson Sovereign 20 goes for big bucks, considering the 7 1/4 size.

Egad!!!
That's $100 more than I paid for my 7-1/2 Stetson 25 OR! And I thought I was bidding sort of high at the time. (I've learned more since.)

Well, it's a fine hat in any case, but it makes me wonder whether there's some inflation, temporary or not, going on.

- Bill

 

[Feraud]

very nice size 7 Wormser

This Wormser is a fine looking hat.
I wonder if it is white as stated in the auction or a pearly gray? Seems like the latter.

 

[jimmy the lid]

Any help on dating? Did vita-felt make it past the 40s?

I'd say that the liner, plus the absence of a reeded sweat, put this one in the 1940-ish zone. [Note how the sweatband treatment matches up with johnnyphi lids from that same time frame...] Nice lid!

Cheers,
JtL

 

[rlk]

Blurry Cavanagh arrives

blurry, but possibly great Cavanagh

Just pulled it out of the box(crumbling original hat box). What a dirty,crusty hat. It actually says Size 7-1/4 in 3 places. Not very brown but a greenish gray taupe. Brim is 2-9/16" 4-1/2" Crown in Front 5" peak at side. Sweatband is pretty crispy and has a brown bow tie at seam. The seller measured width and length correctly. Its rather shrunken for 7-1/4" It sure wasn't hard to find the size. I think there's some nice felt to be discovered after excavation. The crumbling box says John Cavanagh, Ltd. With the brown sweatband bow and Ltd box I suspect its older than the one sold earlier today which may well be the same color.

And it has the much favored front pinch and and creasing with squarish crown associated with a nameless movie character(Sorry)

 

[Brad Bowers]

It should clean up nicely. Nice score! I've noticed that Cavanagh sweats do tend to crumble. If you want to wear it, have a new sweat installed, but save the old one.

Is there a Union label inside anywhere?

Brad

 

[jimmy the lid]

Brad -- what would the union label signify?

Cheers,
JtL

 

[Brad Bowers]

Brad -- what would the union label signify?

Cheers,
JtL

That it was made 1946 or later. That's when Hat Corp. became a union shop with the United Hatters, Cap, and Millinery Workers International. Prior to that, they had local union representation, but not national.

Just another useful tool for dating hats.

Brad