Tell me about this Fedora...

[Charmin]

I recently inherited my grandma's house, I came across a few Fedoras that I was hoping to gain some information about. A couple of them look pretty nice and I'm in love with one of them. Id really love to know ANYTHING about them, any random fact or history about them. I assume they belonged to my Pepaw, however I don't think he wore 2 of them, as the tags are still in the hats. I would also like to know if they are worth anything or better kept as a sentimental conversation piece, because no one in my family wears this type of thing so they will just be sitting around. I'm looking for a range from the least without getting robbed, even if it's just $2 to what the most it would be worth even if it's unlikely to get that amount. I'm much more interested in any history that can be offered though.

I'm working on figuring out how I can add the pictures to this thread, I keep getting an error saying that the file is too large. I made an album titled Pepaw's Old Hats if you all don't mind checking them out, the only thing I really know is what's printed on the inside of the hat and that the 2 nicer looking ones still have the tags. Another gentleman gave me an idea of what decade they came from, but he wasn't too sure on 2 of them.

 

[Charmin]

 

[Charmin]

 

[Charmin]

 

[Charmin]

The next pictures are the 2nd Hat

 

[Charmin]

 

[Charmin]

here is the third hat, this one appears to have been worn and wasn't kept in a hat box

 

[Charmin]

well I can't get the 3rd hat to load, it says too large, but it is the same size as the others

 

[SurfGent]

What you have there my friend is what most of us loungers dream about. Thouse are pristine new old stock. If they fit you I'd advise you keep them and wear them. They don't make them like that anymore. Now that you joined the lounge you can discover a bunch of new friends. All lady's and distinguished gentlemen.

 

[Charmin]

do ladies wear Fedoras? lol I'm sorry I am very new to this but I've been reading a lot of threads, and it seems like a great place to make friends even if you know nothing about hats. My Pepaw passed when I was 5 years old, so I'd love any information to give me an insight into anything related to him. This house is a treasure trove of history and I am completely overwhelmed. My 101 year old memaw threw nothing away, I mean seriously, no exaggeration, she kept everything that might of had even the smallest chance of being reused. Seriously she had boxes of those throw away bows people put on Christmas presents from the 80s. I have found boxes of greeting cards dating from 1942 to present day, amonget literally over a 1000 antique dishes. Old clothes, every toy and comic book my 70 year old dad ever owned, costume jewelry, Old advertisements, hundreds of silver dimes, and other coins, Old packs of unopened cigarette packs that were rations from the war, I mean the list is absolutely endless, I have no idea where to start. My dad and I are the only living family and my dad has no interest in any of it. He brought the house keys and said your mess.

 

[hatsRme]

Been there. NOT an easy row to hoe, but do-able, nonetheless. Especially since there doesn't seem to be anyone else making claims or demands. Pick what you want. Take pictures of what you like but can't keep, and get hold of a good auctioneer. Nice hats, terrific shape, great that they have provenance to you. Yes, ladies can and do wear fedoras!! Ask Esther on the "What hat are you wearing today" thread! Best of luck.

 

[Charmin]

Been there. NOT an easy row to hoe, but do-able, nonetheless. Especially since there doesn't seem to be anyone else making claims or demands. Pick what you want. Take pictures of what you like but can't keep, and get hold of a good auctioneer. Nice hats, terrific shape, great that they have provenance to you. Yes, ladies can and do wear fedoras!! Ask Esther on the "What hat are you wearing today" thread! Best of luck.

It's hard because I have no idea what all this stuff is, what looks like garbage to me could be gold to someone else, and vise versa. I have no one to look to at all for help with any of it, my dad isn't sentimental at all, he never paid attention to the stories of what this or that is and the stories my Memaw told. he only hangs on to the essentials. When he moved out of my childhood hime, he took two suitcases, left everything else and our family of 4 lived there for 18 years

 

[moontheloon]

deja vu ?

the thin ribbon '50s Royal is worth some ... and the other two not nearly as much

being a size 7... which never go for as much as larger sizes ...but it does have desirable dimensions ... at auction I can see that Royal bringing somewhere in the vicinity of $200 ... give or take $20 or $30 above or below

the other two... straw you showed me last night looks 60s possibly 70s ... and the other probably 70s or newer ... maybe $50 or $60 each

 

[hatsRme]

Sometimes I wish I had more of that; the ability to let go. But then, I wouldn't have my hat(s)!

 

[Charmin]

deja vu ?

the thin ribbon '50s Royal is worth some ... and the other two not nearly as much

being a size 7... which never go for as much as larger sizes ...but it does have desirable dimensions ... at auction I can see that Royal bringing somewhere in the vicinity of $200 ... give or take $20 or $30 above or below

the other two... straw you showed me last night looks 60s possibly 70s ... and the other probably 70s or newer ... maybe $50 or $60 each

yes I thought maybe I'd get more replies from a thread, then commenting on someone elses, I really appreciate all the time you've taken to help me. Imy kinda split on selling, one part of me wants to hang on to them for memory sake and because they are beautiful but another part of me feels sad that they'd be wasting away in an attic with no one to admire them. No one I know will wear them so I can't give them to a friend or family member.

 

[emigran]

Congrats... is all I can say...!!!

 

[Charmin]

Congrats... is all I can say...!!!

lol thank you, just wish I knew a bit more about them

 

[moontheloon]

lol thank you, just wish I knew a bit more about them

what specifically do you want to know about them ?

 

[Charmin]

I don't know, like maybe where a person would have worn say the 1950s one back at that time, where it was made, I think it's made from Caribou as it was written on the box, but also the word Loafer was right beside it, what does that mean?...you called it felt fur? you also talked about "the sweat", is that the leather piece inside the hat? is there any other lingo or namesomething for parts of this?

 

[moontheloon]

I don't know, like maybe where a person would have worn say the 1950s one back at that time, where it was made, I think it's made from Caribou as it was written on the box, but also the word Loafer was right beside it, what does that mean?...you called it felt fur? you also talked about "the sweat", is that the leather piece inside the hat? is there any other lingo or namesomething for parts of this?

Caribou is the color

"Sweat" is just short for sweatband

fur felt is what higher end soft felt hats are made of ... usually beaver or rabbit ... or a mixture of both
there have been many recipes over the years that makers of hat bodies have used

and as for where someone may have worn the hat ... they would have worn it anywhere ... same places someone today would wear them

the Royal is a thin ribbon so there was a time when that was considered less "formal" or more "casual" or even dare I say "western"

as for parts of the hat you have the crown which is the bulbous part that goes over your head ... commonly creased or "bashed" to the wearers liking.
the brim which is the flatter piece that breaks off the crown
the sweatband which is the leather piece inside that would come in contact with your head
the ribbon that goes around the crown right at the break of the brim
and this particular Royal has a brim binding which is the piece of ribbon that wraps around the edge of the brim
the white material inside the crown is the liner ... the part of the liner where the logo is , is called the tip and that plastic type material covering it became common in the 1950s.

and since this Royal is from the 1950s it was probably made in Philadelphia ...

if you could take pictures of the stickers inside the hat under the sweat and most likely under the liner on the felt those would tell more of the story