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

[ScottF]

4X Stetson Western

Just got the above hat cleaned up. The 4X felt is really nice - reminds me of higher-end Resistol and Dobbs westerns from the '50s. The brim felt is 'western stiff', but the crown can be bashed into anything you want. I like it a lot more than the 7X's I've had. You can bend the brim all you want and it doesn't wrinkle like the '60s Stetsons (of all qualities). The sweatband is superb quality also. Everything about this says mid-50's, but if I remember correctly, the full-size on the size-tag puts it in the 58-61 range. Do we have a thread on Stetson size-tag dating?

Alan, thanks for posting the following image and the 1956 sales receipt. As mentioned above, not sure when they went from your size tag to the one on my hat.

one with sales ticket:

 

[randooch]

I spent a minute trying to figure out this secret ebay romance, until I realized I was reading it wrong. Lovely box.

!!!! You'll get no further comment from me. Wink, wink.

 

[Lefty]

Do we have a thread on Stetson size-tag dating?

Yep. See sig.

This Mallory stretcher didn't fetch nearly what I expected.

 

[ScottF]

Yep. See sig.


This Mallory stretcher didn't fetch nearly what I expected.

DOH! Thanks Lefty.

 

[HatsEnough]

Stetson Premier went kinda cheep. I would have thought it would have gone higher.

 

[alanfgag]

Just got the above hat cleaned up. The 4X felt is really nice - reminds me of higher-end Resistol and Dobbs westerns from the '50s. The brim felt is 'western stiff', but the crown can be bashed into anything you want. I like it a lot more than the 7X's I've had. You can bend the brim all you want and it doesn't wrinkle like the '60s Stetsons (of all qualities). The sweatband is superb quality also. Everything about this says mid-50's, but if I remember correctly, the full-size on the size-tag puts it in the 58-61 range. Do we have a thread on Stetson size-tag dating?

Alan, thanks for posting the following image and the 1956 sales receipt. As mentioned above, not sure when they went from your size tag to the one on my hat.

one with sales ticket:

Interesting mixture of elements in that very nice 4X. The size tag and perforated sweatband would lead me to agree with your 1960ish guess. Have you posted other pictures that I've missed? Would love to see a close-up of the sweatband crest.

 

[ScottF]

Interesting mixture of elements in that very nice 4X. The size tag and perforated sweatband would lead me to agree with your 1960ish guess. Have you posted other pictures that I've missed? Would love to see a close-up of the sweatband crest.

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but the sweatband crest won't tell much - it's an exact match with mid-50s crests, except with '4X'. We had a discussion about this particular size tag over a year ago and I think the concensus was late '50s, but I think one person had an example that for some reason they were certain was 1960 or 1961 - maybe a receipt. The problem with that is that sometimes hats can sit on shelves for a very long time. I have a 3X western that based on our Stetson dating, is mid-50s - The felt quality is horrid compared to this hat. I've also had some early '60s 4X Stetsons with the rectangular sweat label that were almost as bad as some modern Stetson felt. It's hard to believe that this hat was made at approximately the same time, but I suppose there could have been a hard stop where the 4X just turned immediately to crap - possibly around 1962?

I would really like to get my hands on an old 5X.

 

[randooch]

Stetson Premier went kinda cheep. I would have thought it would have gone higher.

Despite the rather small size, I agree.

 

[HatsEnough]

Despite the rather small size, I agree.

Small size? 7-1/8? Still, I would have guessed it would have gone for upward to $150 or more if you'd have asked me before the auction ended. I had thought that the Premier quality level was one of Stetson's highest and with that brim I think that one is from the 1940s. This is another thing that makes me think prices are falling for now... unless its just that half the country is being destroyed by tornadoes and the rest are enjoying the early Summer air and no one is home to bid on ebay!?

 

[DJH]

I was expecting the Stetson Premier to sell for about $150 - more than I wanted to pay so I didn't give it much attention.

On the other hand, the Royal Deluxe was another very nice hat and was sold for a higher price. Still a nice deal for the buyer.

 

[HatsEnough]

On the other hand, the Royal Deluxe was another very nice hat and was sold for a higher price.

First time I ever heard of a Stetson "Vogue." Maybe it sold higher because of the interesting model name?

 

[rlk]

Premier is a lower priced designation.

 

[rlk]

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but the sweatband crest won't tell much - it's an exact match with mid-50s crests, except with '4X'. We had a discussion about this particular size tag over a year ago and I think the concensus was late '50s, but I think one person had an example that for some reason they were certain was 1960 or 1961 - maybe a receipt. The problem with that is that sometimes hats can sit on shelves for a very long time. I have a 3X western that based on our Stetson dating, is mid-50s - The felt quality is horrid compared to this hat. I've also had some early '60s 4X Stetsons with the rectangular sweat label that were almost as bad as some modern Stetson felt. It's hard to believe that this hat was made at approximately the same time, but I suppose there could have been a hard stop where the 4X just turned immediately to crap - possibly around 1962?

I would really like to get my hands on an old 5X.

As far as I know the first definitive rectangular black tag we've seen here was 1964 although that doesn't mean they didn't come a bit earlier. I have a 5X contemporary with your new 4X--pretty similar and sold for the same price in '56.

 

[ScottF]

Thanks Robert - I thought I remembered you picking up a 5X. I bet it has great felt.

 

[HatsEnough]

Premier is a lower priced designation.

I thought it was the opposite. Thanks for the clarification.

I had thought it was:

Royal
Royal De Luxe / Royal Stetson De Luxe
Medalist
Sovereign
Imperial
Premier

I thought Royal was lowest?

 

[Lefty]

beautiful Excellent Quality derby

 

[randooch]

Say, any of you folks have just the right pugaree to adorn this boater i'm about to win on ebay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...810272&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT#ht_500wt_963

 

[cookie]

Good luck never seen a boater in those dimensions.

 

[Alex]

So what is the Stetson quality in order from lowest to highest?

 

[carouselvic]

at what point in time?