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WTB: Vintage Stetson Open Road

2

25B

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Hello...I've been looking for a hat similar to the one my grandfather wore (he was a farmer in the Texas panhandle in the 50's-70's). It was a silverbelly Stetson Open Road.

I'd like to find a good condition vintage one to wear in honor of him. I've tried on a modern Open Road and can wear either a 7-3/8 or 7-1/4 comfortably...I generally find Long Oval shapes fit my head best (not really a problem if not LO, just a preference) and I do prefer the shorter crown of the OR, so would prefer as short a crown as was available on the vintage ones.

Please message me if you have one you'd consider selling. I'd be so happy to find one of these fine hats and will give it a happy home here in the Texas sun. :)
 
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25B

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Frunobulax said:
25B - Welcome to the Lounge. Vintage and modern Open Roads are plentiful on eBay. One in your size can likely be had for an affordable price if you're patient.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've already looked there (and have been checking for a while now) and there's really not...nothing in decent condition in my size anyway. That's why I posted on here hoping someone on here could sell me one.

Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of this section...I'm not sure why I'm being told to go somewhere else other than here to find what I'm looking for. Does no one sell hats to folks on here?
 
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Frunobulax

Frunobulax

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19,430
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Funkytown, USA
25B said:
Yeah, I've already looked there (and have been checking for a while now) and there's really not...nothing in decent condition in my size anyway. That's why I posted on here hoping someone on here could sell me one.

Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of this section...I'm not sure why I'm being told to go somewhere else other than here to find what I'm looking for. Does no one sell hats to folks on here?
Click to expand...

Of course they do, and someone may yet weigh in with one to sell to you. However, as nobody had yet weighed in on your post after the better part of a day, and not knowing where else you've looked, I thought I'd try to help a bit.

Stetson Open Roads and their clones are easily the most ubiquitous hat styles you can find in vintage hats. "Stetson Open Road" currently returns over 500 hits on eBay.

Cheers, and good luck.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.
 
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25B

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Frunobulax said:
Stetson Open Roads and their clones are easily the most ubiquitous hat styles you can find in vintage hats.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you would think that, but sadly no.

I've been looking for a couple months and they're either in really bad condition and far overpriced for its condition or they're not my size.

I'm not interested in clones either, thanks. I've seen a few and they tend to have taller crowns, but apart from that I am wanting a Stetson like my grandfather wore.
 
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25B

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M Hatman said:
Not real old (70's) but there is a nice 4 X one with the box in 7 3/8 now.....bid is $71.....with 2 1/2 days to go....
M
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'll check it out...I'd really prefer an older hat, but I guess I can't be picky anymore. :(

I did a more generic search for Stetson open road on eBay and found by far that the vast majority of the returns were from sellers wrongly calling their hat an "open road STYLE" hat when it isn't any such thing...they were mostly plain old cowboy hats and most were not even made by Stetson, so that's probably how the 500 hits is happening.

For actual, real, AUTHENTIC Stetson Open Road hats, there really aren't that many older ones.
 
2

25B

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makitright said:
Thought I would ask you know. Heck I saw an old guy just this afternoon on his International Harvester...his was a fedora crease and he looked pretty cool. He was however slowing down traffic.
Click to expand...

Right.

Maybe you missed it earlier, but this was in Texas...not sure where you are that they ride tractors in fedoras, but it doesn't happen here that I've ever seen.
 
Frunobulax

Frunobulax

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Location
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25B said:
Yeah, you would think that, but sadly no.

I've been looking for a couple months and they're either in really bad condition and far overpriced for its condition or they're not my size.

I'm not interested in clones either, thanks. I've seen a few and they tend to have taller crowns, but apart from that I am wanting a Stetson like my grandfather wore.
Click to expand...

Well, I advise patience. If you are looking for a specific era and size of an OR, you could be many months in your search. Many of us will search diligently for a type of hat for a couple of years or more before we find what we want. I search for ORs every day on eBay and have for years - I rarely find something in my size and to my liking because I tend to be picky. Over the years I've been collecting, I've purchased three ORs, and one of those was for my wife. Thanks to a fellow Lounger, a search lasting about two years for a Stetson OR 25 just ended.

As for the clones, my point was/is that this style is popular and can be found pretty readily on eBay, Etsy, and some of the other sites we all peruse. Dimensionally, the clones have the many of the same specs as an older OR (5 1/2" crown, ~2 3/4" brim). It's the newer, pre-creased ones that have the lower crowns.

Again, I wish you luck, but you have to have diligence and patience. If you're looking to catch a 1950s or prior OR in a 7 3/8, you'll find it. And again, perhaps somebody on here has one they are willing to part with. For what you're looking for in the size you are seeking, it won't be cheap, though (unless you get really lucky at an estate sale or something).
 

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DanO

DanO

One of the Regulars
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227
Location
San Jose CA
25B said:
Yeah, I'm looking for an older one like my grandfather had.

Really would like to find one to buy from a kind person on here, if possible but it's starting to look like everyone's already bought them all up and doesn't want to sell any.
Click to expand...
Not all bought up, but if you are looking for a certain vintage then you have to be patient. When I started buying hats it was like other collectables "buy what you like" or in the case of hats buy what you like to wear my modern stetsons and akubras get the most head time. Most of the people you run into will not even know what kind of hat you are wearing much less if it is vintage or not.
 
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25B

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Ok, well it's beginning to look like this is a lost cause on here, but in the increasingly unlikely event there is a kind soul that has a 7X clear beaver OR available in 7 1/4 or 7 3/8, I can pay a ***fair*** price for it. Doesn't have to be perfect. Prefer a cattleman crease because that's how I'll be wearing it. I may even consider a 7 if I can get it stretched a bit. My head measures close to 23" though, so 7 1/4 or 7 3/8 would probably be best.

I am an Iraq war disabled veteran, but have been saving up for a while...I just don't have a boundless supply of money right now. I have enough to pay a fair price for it though, so if you have one please PM me with how much you'd like for it.

As for others not knowing what I'm wearing, ***I*** will know. I'd like a vintage one because that's what my grandfather wore and also because I want a good quality hat with actual beaver in it...not just rabbit and wool.

Thanks for all the profuse help so far.
 
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