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

[Joao Encarnado]

Maybe they need to ajust US-Canada service price

 

[Justdog]

Well! It used to be a seller had handling fees laid out and postage laid out. Some sellers gouged on postage and inflated it. The market demand and collector knowledge kept that in check. I think EBay, PayPal, now Pitney Bowes are monopolizing every aspect of the game. If EBay does not get a cut from the shipping process I am sure in the future they will own that to. You could pay by money order, sellers fees were reasonable. I, from a perspective of over 12 years of being a member on EBay, spending time reading the forums, see how greedy it has gotten. It is hard to ignore. You used to be able to make contacts with sellers and network but they rule that with an iron fist. You could email sellers. Now you cannot even enter your email in cryptic form without it being blocked from sending. I tried to put in name at dot com and it was rejected for email violation. But seriously when my seller from Pennsylvania can send me a shipment for seven dollars and they are trying to say it cost 25 dollars for a 14 dollar sale, something is way out of whack.
Like you we do not pay duty on certain items from the US. Customs does not even charge on items under 20 dollars. Most of the time antique items are let through. If it was reasonable it would be ok but it is absurd the percentages they skim off everything from the exchange rate, seller fees and now postage. A collector of any worth just cannot compete with that kind of greed. I would be more than happy to compete in an auction which is what it was founded on in the first place. Now you are easily looking in the 100 percent range with GSP in added cost to receive an item. You cant even compete in an auction now unless you pay by PayPal. I tried to auction for an item listed in Canada, because my PayPal was not linked I was red flagged out of the auction in the last seconds. Like I said I just have to adapt. Maybe someone less greedy can set up some alternative. In the forums EBay is buying up all the auction site competition, just wait till they own everything.

 

[Justdog]

What they need to do is let sellers and buyers have a choice. Although the good thing is I have to be scrupulous about wanting an item and being logical about its future value as a collector.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I understand and sometimes have the same "kind" of problem.
Some sellers have a shipping cost of $25 and some have $80 for a similar size box (if not the same!).
Don't know if the measures or weight are wrong but I say no to costs being more than $50.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

Unfortunately Ebay has a generous supply of greedy people. And so often these tin-pot "entrepreneurs" are selling things they've acquired for peanuts and not happy unless they've turned a twenty-fold profit. Then again it mirrors the general economic culture and folk keep on supporting it.

 

[Walter Neff1940]

Talk about high prices. This seller is asking outrageous prices on his hats. I just wonder how many he sells at these prices?
Here is one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ste...271251?hash=item3f4f4b3fd3:g:kz0AAOSw1XdUXTuj

Unfortunately Ebay has a generous supply of greedy people. And so often these tin-pot "entrepreneurs" are selling things they've acquired for peanuts and not happy unless they've turned a twenty-fold profit. Then again it mirrors the general economic culture and folk keep on supporting it.

 

[g.durand]

Lots of discussion on this thread in the past about this seller....he sells some hats, but I'm pretty sure that most of the time he doesn't get what he originally asks.

 

[moontheloon]

Talk about high prices. This seller is asking outrageous prices on his hats. I just wonder how many he sells at these prices?
Here is one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ste...271251?hash=item3f4f4b3fd3:g:kz0AAOSw1XdUXTuj

I've bought multiple hats from Tim
great guy actually ... we still text from time to time

he is really good about being fair when you make offers ... I've gotten some nice hats at some decent prices from him

 

[RJR]

I've had the same experience,Moon.

 

[g.durand]

I don't mean to sound like I was putting him down. I've bought from him, too. He will accept fair offers. I just wish he wouldn't post such high prices on his eBay listings. I believe it contributes to the much-lamented inflation of vintage hat prices.

 

[Walter Neff1940]

Well said! I did not want to imply he was not a nice person, just think his unrealistic prices do not reflex what they are worth. Maybe to some it may be, but certainly not for me.

 

[moontheloon]

he has an odd approach ... and his prices are absurd

but as many have said here ... if you offer him a price that you think is fair he usually works with you

although we unfortunately could not come to an agreement on a Playboy pretty recently

 

[tommyK]

Watch for sales with Tim. Yes his prices are crazy but I got this at one of his half price sales which made it very reasonable with the box. I've seen people ask $70 just for this box!

 

[LuvMyMan]

When it comes to a price on any hat, what one would pay may not be what someone else would pay. I know if I see a hat I want to purchase for my Husband badly enough, I will bid until I know I am going to win. However, I have avoided any listings that are in the "stratosphere" for the most part. I do not see any hat selling (average based) for more than 2 or 3 hundred bucks that I would buy. You can find a decent hat for less and you can always have TonyB or Art or any other custom hatter just make what you want.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Watch for sales with Tim. Yes his prices are crazy but I got this at one of his half price sales which made it very reasonable with the box. I've seen people ask $70 just for this box!

Really nice looker!

 

[LuvMyMan]

Talk about high prices. This seller is asking outrageous prices on his hats. I just wonder how many he sells at these prices?
Here is one example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ste...271251?hash=item3f4f4b3fd3:g:kz0AAOSw1XdUXTuj

This is so very typical of this eBayer....a few others do that same thing.

 

[Dirk Wainscotting]

[...] I do not see any hat selling (average based) for more than 2 or 3 hundred bucks that I would buy. You can find a decent hat for less and you can always have TonyB or Art or any other custom hatter just make what you want.

That's really the way to go when the price becomes foolishly high. I suppose a collector going after some rare item is an issue that goes beyond merely buying a hat. However, when buying to wear, if someone is willing to go past the 200-300 mark they might as well get a hat made and get exactly what they want....keeps the hat-makers working too.

 

[Lotsahats]

That's really the way to go when the price becomes foolishly high. I suppose a collector going after some rare item is an issue that goes beyond merely buying a hat. However, when buying to wear, if someone is willing to go past the 200-300 mark they might as well get a hat made and get exactly what they want....keeps the hat-makers working too.

I've been kicking this point around a lot in the last couple of days; my eBay (and other site) searches have been frustratingly low in good looking vintage hats, and I've been thinking about just having one made. Well, as a matter of fact, I'm in Bob Jessee's queue at Black Sheep, but I was thinking about another custom. I guess the tension for me lies in that as a 7 3/8 - 7 1/2, I'm fortunate to be able to find good vintage hats on occasion, and I love the whole aesthetic of vintage. Certainly I can get a custom hat made, and I have, and really enjoy it, but holding a 55 year old hat, or a 90 year old hat--that's special. There's history in a hat like that. A well-made custom is certainly satisfying, but not in the same way.

There's no resolution to this debate, of course. Each of us has to answer the question on our own, but there's my $.02 why I'm willing to pay more for a vintage hat even when I could get the exact hat custom-made for less.

A

 

[LuvMyMan]

I've been kicking this point around a lot in the last couple of days; my eBay (and other site) searches have been frustratingly low in good looking vintage hats, and I've been thinking about just having one made. Well, as a matter of fact, I'm in Bob Jessee's queue at Black Sheep, but I was thinking about another custom. I guess the tension for me lies in that as a 7 3/8 - 7 1/2, I'm fortunate to be able to find good vintage hats on occasion, and I love the whole aesthetic of vintage. Certainly I can get a custom hat made, and I have, and really enjoy it, but holding a 55 year old hat, or a 90 year old hat--that's special. There's history in a hat like that. A well-made custom is certainly satisfying, but not in the same way.

There's no resolution to this debate, of course. Each of us has to answer the question on our own, but there's my $.02 why I'm willing to pay more for a vintage hat even when I could get the exact hat custom-made for less.

A

That is so true. With a Custom hat, you have exactly what you ordered but to this day, some of the "run of the mill" nice clean vintage hats that I have purchased for myself or my Husband, have had felt that you could feel it so smooth, like a baby's butt! Creamy. Some Customs do come close but just not exactly the same. Now I am aware Art Fawcett has his extra nice felt hat bodies that may be that nice or nicer, but I cannot say as I have not yet been able to spend that much for one hat. Two Customs from TonyB have been super wonderful, smooth feeling and as close to the nicer vintage hats we have had. We've sold perhaps 80 to 90 hats over the past years that now, we wish we would have kept.

I am also however, one to state if you look for that one hat you always wanted, you will eventually find it. When that happens, the price most of the time does not matter!

 

[moontheloon]

I am also however, one to state if you look for that one hat you always wanted, you will eventually find it. When that happens, the price most of the time does not matter!

this happened to me just recently when I bought my Three Way

I'm sure I payed more than a lot would have .. but it is what I have been seeking for a long time .

great condition, vita-felt, with box... not to mention it is the only one in my size that I have EVER seen show up for sale

I always say ... a hat is only worth what YOU are willing to pay for it