Who are these people?

[Levallois]

David,

I didn't think they were that kind of money great but apparently I'm living in the past. The most recent one was a light brown Stetson Royal Deluxe in 7 1/2 witha 2 3/4" brim - it was beautiful! I bid up to $250 and it went for $362, I think. The $250 bid was what I thought would be WAY over everything else and I'd get it for sure - not even close. I think it's in the Ebay wins, losses, etc., post, toward the end.

And Carter - thank you for falling asleep! I wuld have gone higher too and it would have KILLED me. Although Gene is right - I can afford it and I wanted it so why not buy it? Maybe because I'm the cheapest man alive, that's why.

John

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

David,

Maybe because I'm the cheapest man alive, that's why.

John

No harm in that either!

I get the coolest stuff sometimes for $1 or $2 (clothes/shoes) at thrift stores. It's a sport to me. Love a deal but sometimes for some things you gotta' bite down a bit.

 

[MattJH]

I'm a fellow bighead in the 7 5/8 - 7 3/4 size (I've never found a 7 1/2 that fit me, so I've given up on those), and with the exception of my 7 5/8 Long Oval Maclachlan that I paid $120 for (and even that was a massive steal), I've never paid more than $75 for a larger-sized fedora. There was that $250 Stratoliner from a year or so ago, but that's expected being that it's a Stratoliner, and I ended up selling it anyway because it was too tight and thin ribbons aren't me.

There's hope. Be patient and diligent! Good luck!

 

[dhermann1]

This thread is very timely for me. I just today lost out on a very nice size 7 Borso Allesandro. I thought I had a great deal going for the first couple of days. I had the only bid until just yesterday. Then it rapidly went up, and I gave up around $103. It finally went for $108. I realize now that it would still have been a great deal at $150 or maybe even more.
Anyhow, when I checked out the buyer, he had a long list of other vintage purchases. This really makes me think that this hat is on its way to the mysterious east. I consoled myself with the thought that this will help our country's balance of payments problem. Live and learn. What I think I mainly learned today is that I can't expect to get lucky, I'll have to pay what things are really worth. Darn!

 

[feltfan]

Levallois, is there no vintage hat for which you would
pay the big bucks? I have been fortunate enough to
have enjoyed many great deals on fine vintage hats.
Some of my most incredible hats were well under $50.

But I figure that means if there is a gem out there I really
admire, I'll go to the price of a Vintage Silhouette hat,
if it's really special. Art/Jimmy Pierce/Optimo/
Gary Wright/Gus Miller/etc can't get Nutria Quality bodies.
They can't get Clear Beaver or Clear Nutria bodies. They
can't get bodies of certain dimensions in certain colors.

I guess I've only done it twice (and I'll warn ya- one of
them was not what it was made out to be), but overall
I feel I'm 'way ahead of the game, so I'm fine with the
occasional astronomical bid, assuming I have the money
to spare.

 

[carter]

I think Levallois just paid big bucks at $255.00 for that Stetson Nutria. At that price it was probably a good deal since the bidding ended while I was napping. It seems that it could easily have exceeded $300.00 if we had both been bidding until one of us blinked.
I believe Levallois is saying that he would bid big bucks for an item of high perceived value.
I'd say my threshold would be when it reaches the level of a custom Art Fawcett, Jimmy Page, etc. hat that is a perfect fit because it is made-to-measure in size, dimension, color, and trim. In many cases, a custom hat is one-of-a-kind. How many vintage hats have any of us ever seen for which this is the case?

 

[Levallois]

Feltfan,

My problem right now is that what I think are "big bucks" and what are in reality "big bucks" is pretty far apart. I got that nutria Stetson today for what I would term big bucks. However, if Carter would have been awake it would have been more or not at all. So, are there hats I would go higher for? Yes, I think so but not for a while. My hat buying fund needs a bailout from the government.

John

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Who are these people that can spend $350-450 or more for a vintage hat? I have been outbid on several large-size hats recently that have gone into the stratosphere with prices bid. Is this a trend that members of this forum already knew about and I've just been out to lunch on? If so, I'm going to be depressed. Thanks for listening.

John

They are quite likely to be the same people who've been populating their closets with whole collections of JohnnyPhi Hats. (Good on them; he deserves all the profit he can get.) It's not only larger sized hats, either. there are some 6 7/8 and 7s that have gone ridiculous on eBay.

This issue is the underpinning of why i no longer buy hats on the internet.

I have a small head size. When the eBay/vintage website price became more than the average vintage shop price, i stopped buying on the internet. Going into shops you don't get nearly the variety, but at least you get to try them on before buying. There's a shop in Chicago that i used to frequent, for example, which has very interesting hats in all sizes. Their maximum price was $100, and that was for a 7 1/2 1940s Stetson. There is a shop in Crawfordsville, IN whos maximum hat price was $45. She had one hell of a collection of vintage gear. Compare this to absurd prices like $200 for a 1940s Stetson on eBay, in the Classifieds section and in the Merchant's section here.

But i honestly am with some other posters. Whatever a market is willing to bear is fine with me. I'm just not going to buy into it. Those with larger hat sizes are in more trouble, i admit. Hat buyers (particularly vintage buyers) seem to tend to be older, therefore likely to be a little bigger than the average population, and with the deeper pockets that come with being a bit older with less family commitments - kids away, more free cash for extravagances, etc.

bk

p.s. I never thought i'd pay more than $150 for a suit. Then a really special one came along that i'll never ever see again - one of those 1930s two-fabric beauties - and i paid what i needed to pay. never say never on the astronomical bid. There are things out there that you will never see twice.

 

[AlanC]

My hat buying fund needs a bailout from the government.

Grand idea! Does anyone know a good lobbyist (or is that an oxymoron?)?

 

[metropd]

If I see a hat on Ebay that has to be mine I will spend over $500. It is still a very rare occasion for me to do that.

 

[tortswon]

Good lobbyist

Alan, at the risk of bringing down a deluge of lawyer jokes, lobbyists and lawyers have something in common. Everybody hates them until they need them. When you need one, then it becomes they are all rotten except for mine, I just wish he were tougher on the other side. Best, Sam

 

[feltfan]

Grand idea! Does anyone know a good lobbyist (or is that an oxymoron?)?

It is a good idea. I'm ready to apply.

There are good lobbyists. Unfortunately, the way the
system works, good organizations must have lobbyists or
risk being swept aside by those with no such hesitation.
For some organizations, there is no other way to get the
attention of government. Which, of course, further quiets
the average citizen... It's an arms race of sorts. Public interest
groups, charities, and so on must have lobbyists.

Getting back on topic, here's what I wonder:

For those of us who have paid a lot for a special hat, or
who didn't pay a lot and have a hat of particular historic or
aesthetic value, how often do you wear that hat? For me it
varies. I have a few hats that are really unusual and probably
should be in a museum (except that there is no suitable institution).
Not that I don't like how they look- I do- but I am worried they
might get ruined somehow. They are utterly irreplaceable.

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

For those of us who have paid a lot for a special hat, or
who didn't pay a lot and have a hat of particular historic or
aesthetic value, how often do you wear that hat? For me it
varies. I have a few hats that are really unusual and probably
should be in a museum (except that there is no suitable institution).
Not that I don't like how they look- I do- but I am worried they
might get ruined somehow. They are utterly irreplaceable.

I think the real variable here would be intent. I purchase hats to wear and think $100 is a lot to wear on my head. No other single article of clothing I wear (shirts, pants even shoes) typically cost anywhere near that much. But I want to wear them...Others really appreciate the historic perspective and that is where, in my opinion, you get into big $. Few, if any, of the folks I know would care or appreciate the quality, style, history, condition, etc. of a vintage Borsalino, Stetson, Disney, et al. So if I'm going to spend big $ (and I'm married with children) on a hat or really just about anything that is discretionary; it really has to mean something to me. Never say never, but long story short; you probably won't have to bid against me once the price jumps over $50...thank heavens for Akubra

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

For those of us who have paid a lot for a special hat, or
who didn't pay a lot and have a hat of particular historic or
aesthetic value, how often do you wear that hat? For me it
varies. I have a few hats that are really unusual and probably
should be in a museum (except that there is no suitable institution).
Not that I don't like how they look- I do- but I am worried they
might get ruined somehow. They are utterly irreplaceable.

So, show us! I'd like to see those museum pieces. The few I've seen in your stash are amazing, so these that you write of here must be special.

This is a tough one for me to take a position on. There are no hats in my (now over 75) bunch that I will not wear. Certainly there are a few I won't sweat buckets in here in Florida all day during the summer or while doing dirty work. Just as in the golden era, I have hats for hard work, for everyday devil-may-care wear, and for special occasion dress.

On the other hand, in the 'day' that probably meant two or maybe three hats for a fella'. The very fact that I collect so many is to be something of a compulsive custodian of the old craft.

Basically, I'm not trying to use 'em up and wear 'em out, but I am willing to wear any one of them. I'd be sad if one got utterly destroyed and I try to keep out of such situations with the real nice pieces, but I can't keep them under glass, so to speak.

 

[feltfan]

So, show us! I'd like to see those museum pieces. The few I've seen in your stash are amazing, so these that you write of here must be special.

Oh, I've posted most of them.

There's the Crofut & Knapp homburg I can't wear or Brad will
kneecap me (at least until I get some decent photos):
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=92338&postcount=45

There's the Clear Beaver:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=176675&postcount=1

There's the Stetson Panama hat that dates from the Panama Canal era
(not sure how to search for that one, but I know I posted it-
Lefty, you got some time?).

...and so on. Oddly, I wear my various old Borsalinos all the time.
And sorry if anyone thinks I'm blowing my own horn too much. He asked!

I do wear these hats. But not often. To be fair, some of them were
meant to be dress hats, not worn everywhere. None of them cost all
that much. But I would feel bad if something happened to them.

BTW, when you say,

On the other hand, in the 'day' that probably meant two or maybe three hats for a fella'. The very fact that I collect so many is to be something of a compulsive custodian of the old craft.

Keep in mind that while a fella only had two or three in the day,
he could go buy another when he needed one. That's a good
reason to collect them now. A good one is hard to come by.
Which reminds me of the Hardeman hat I saw at the vintage clothing
sale today... If someone wants a big 7 5/8 (maybe wide oval or bigger)
in a 1930s fedora (for real) and you live in the Bay Area, contact
Roberto Isola.

 

[carter]

Feltfan, Thanks for your post! I especially enjoyed the Ladies Hats seen on some of the threads. It's too bad that we don't see more ladies hats posted like those seen in the vintage ads pictured. Carter

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

I'm entering this discussion at a very late stage...being one who spent $300 winning an OFAS nutria quality hat, I guess the original post could be applicable to me (I feel a little pinch, but don't offended by it).
OK. When I bought it, $300 was exactly €200. That's less than what you pay, over here, for a new Borsalino. That Stetson Nutria is, as far as I can judge, a historic hat. I would have liked to pay less than $300, but the auction fixed the price (I only bid once: the last bid, automatically, whilst asleep). That hat is simply magnificent. Almost "useless", why man, a huge Tom Mix hat most people would laugh me out of town (that's their problem, though).
I bought other very nice hats on OFAS for $40, $50 etcetera. Very nice hats one can simply not buy in Europe. True felt classics. I think I paid my Stetson 100 something like £60 or so (plus a ridiculous shipping charge). Only to have it resized, cleaned etc. at Optimo's. So I guess I spent at least $250 in all. Too much? Not to me.
Mind you, my hat buying days are over! I have enough, of varying styles, mostly high quality (or much liked by me, or both).
Now I wear them. Every day.

 

[Justdog]

Hat price

If I see a hat on Ebay that has to be mine I will spend over $500. It is still a very rare occasion for me to do that.

When you look like a Million dollars like you seem to 500 isint that much.
If it makes you feel like a million, analogy, then its still worth it.
I think infationary adjustment should also be considered. A 100 after all cost 100 dollars 50 years ago. True vintage in great condition is hard to come by and I feel worth it. I try to limit myself to a nish.