Help me handle hat hankerings in a hurry……

[portolan]

I haven't yet figured out how to have a handsome hat on my head in a hurry. I am not patient with perambulating around the proverbial pole of purchasing. When I want a hat, I want a hat....not in two weeks from Australia, two months from a custom maker, not in weeks when what I won whisks its way here! I don't live or work anywhere near a hat store where I can buy anything that isn't a western.

Let's say I have a major meeting in Minneapolis Monday. I don't own a felty furry fedora. I prefer to purchase protection for my pate prior to the palaver….

How do I find a great hat, buy it and have it arrive quickly? Let’s say I want a brimmed beaver beauty before I board. Is there anyone out there who can satisfy my seven and a half sized situation shortly?

Seriously, who sells a great gray fedora and can get it to me in a couple of days? Do any custom makers keep any stock in hand? I haven’t had any luck with the couple of stores who advertise on FL. I tried the guy selling his Optimos….no response…There seems to be little urgency to sell, lots of hats are listed on websites but not actually stocked. Is it common for hat buyers to be a patient lot? Am I an anomaly in my animus to “a while?” WTB means "want to buy," not "wait to buy!"

Any solutions for solving my sales situation to the schools in the snow? How does one buy a great hat quickly?

 

[RBH]

You should have called the Major back in November.

I know what you mean, the cure is to finally get a few hats on hand so that waiting is not hard!

 

[bolthead]

When you find out.....let me know.

 

[tonyb]

Quite the exercise in alliteration there, portolan.

As to your immediate problem ...

Well (pure speculation here), have you perhaps been dealing with online "drop shippers"? These are e-tailers who don't actually stock merchandise, or even directly handle it, in many cases. They just set up websites and serve as retail sellers who order from manufacturers or wholesale distributors when orders come in. Sometimes the manufacturer or distributor will affix the drop shipper's "brand" to the merchandise and even identify the e-tailer as the shipper and put its logo on the packaging. The benefit to the manufacturers is that they get someone else to do the work of promoting and selling their products. For the drop shipper, there is very little money at risk, seeing how they don't buy merchandise until it is sold.

I would think, though, that people who actually stock hats and know more than a little bit about them would have what you want in their inventory and might be willing to ship it out via Priority Mail, say, or some other expedited service. But, you know, that costs.

Steven? Aaron? Care to weigh in here?

 

[jimmy the lid]

Available Adam Alleviates Anxious Affliction

Hey, Phil --

Don't you own a perfectly nice johnnyphi Adam Executive fedora that will solve your dilemma? [huh]

Cheers,
JtL

 

[demian]

Well, in all kindness, I think you need to take a breath my friend.

From what you have written above, it is completely futile and contrary to reason (if not rather obsessive) to meet such expectations..at least it apepars this way to me.

Unless you have a genie in a bottle, well, I think you will live without a hat.

Impatience usually has a premium, however, Graham at Optimo many times has hats on the rack available and could certainly accomodate overnight shipping. Also perhaps Art Fawcett. You should call them.

Otherwise, a retailer such as "VillageHats" (do a search) could accomodate you.


Otherwise..... ?!

Just a friendly (snap out of it) slap in the face...<grin>

My goodness, what did you do before the internet?
Regards


PS: I know, I know, I said "You'll live without a hat" within this forum.. so burn me at the stake!

 

[univibe88]

Did you try calling Optimo directly? I believe they keep stock, don't they?

 

[nickn5]

Seriously, who sells a great gray fedora and can get it to me in a couple of days? Do any custom makers keep any stock in hand?

Not beaver but looks nice:
http://www.thefedorastore.com/Scala-Fur-Felt-Venice-Fedora-Hat-p/f22.htm

Maximum of 3 business days for shipment it says.

Other hats on that site all seem either out of stock in your size (Beavers) or would take a month until shipping (Stetson / Other Custom Made). The Christy's part of the site doesn't seem to work.

N.

 

[StylinLA]

Portolan

I feel your pain. I too am a bit impulsive.

Hats Plus in Chicago is a retailer I've dealt with that actually has hats in stock and may have something that will suit you. I'm sure there are many others as well.

You'll be better off looking at what you want on their website, then calling on phone to place order, confirm it's in stock in your size, and can be rush shipped.

Google search "men's hats" "fedoras" and other variations and you'll get a wide variety of choices.
Work the phone.

Unfortunately, I'm finding good quality fedoras to be a bit tricky to find ready made. You used the term "great" three times. And therein lies the rub. Only you can decide for yourself what "great" is. Relatively few of us are into hats in the big scheme of things, and the rules of supply and demand have made what many of us consider "great" costly with some patience required. It's worth the wait.

That said, I bought a hat "off-the-shelf" from Optimo- I'm a 7 1/2 and they had several to choose from. It's a fantastic hat. Off the shelf isn't their specialty, but they always have some in stock I gather.

 

[carter]

You could try Bencraft Hatters.
https://www.bencrafthats.com/contactUs.php?type=collections

 

[JohnnyB53]

You could try Bencraft Hatters.
https://www.bencrafthats.com/contactUs.php?type=collections

There are plenty of domestic online hatters who can deliver the goods to your domicile in a couple of days. Miller Hats of Houston comes to mind. They have lots of Miller-branded hats of many styles sourced from the highly respected Biltmore manufacturer of Canada.

There is also The Fedora Store, which can custom-make you many Beaver Brand hats or ship quickly from stock, and Village Hat Shop. Although the selection of fedoras is limited, David Morgan carries a few dressy Akubras and they are known for quick, reasonable shipping and generous customer service policies.