Stratoliner price in the stratosphere

[jeboat]

There is a Stratoliner for sale on the net that has a ridiculous opening bid. How does the seller expect to sell this hat at$99.95?

jeboat:cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

 

[Bebop]

I think somebody kept their finger on the number 9 one second too long. They can't be serious.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Rules are rules

 

[Snrbfshn]

I hate to admit it, but...

The dang things have been commanding higher bids recently. I also think 100 bucks is too high, but if that's what the market will bear...

 

[jamespowers]

Where to start here. First I doubt it is from the 1940s with that liner. Maybe mid to late fifties---yes. It looks in fairly good shape but it needs to be reblocked and the brim needs to be reflanged for sure.
Very Rare? In that size? Not really. You can find them all over the place for less. Larger sizes command higher prices though because they are indeed rare. The sweatband looks a little brittle as well. There appear to be cracks along the top edge. Probably easily fixed with a treatment of Lexol but you never know.
How much do you want to bet that it gets sold though?
Now this one is something else:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8344986265
You thought the other one was high?

Regards to all,

J

 

[Solid Citizen]

Shop Around Stratoliner

Last Summer I went to an antique fair in Pennsylvania there was a vintage clothing dealer & she had a chocolate brown Stetson Stratoliner 7 1/4, my size in perfect condition. She was asking $55.00, I tryed the hat on it fit, expressed an interest, looked at the price tag, started to walk away & then she said $25.00. Bought it on the spot! When I see seller pricing these hats at over a $100.00+ they been reading these vintage hat value books where thet state Stratoliners at $150.00+???? Peter

 

[The Wingnut]

I grind my teeth at the phrase 'it's what the market will bear'.

You can justify any price with such a statement. Just because someone asks a ridiculous price and there's some knucklehead out there willing to pay it, that doesn't mean it's what the item is worth...it just means that there are a couple of goofballs that crossed paths.

I once saw a '66 Chrysler 300 up for auction for over $50,000. The seller was catching all manner of grief for the price, but his justification was that it was 'what the market will bear'. Even in museum condition, such a car isn't worth much more than $30,000...this particular vehicle was an estate find with no significant history.

Just because some stooge will pay too much for something doesn't mean that's what it's worth...it just means someone's dumb enough to pay it.

 

[Solid Citizen]

Stratospheric Stratoliners

If the Stratoliner doesn't sell at a high inflated price do we have what the market will bear or a bear market (sic)? Peter

 

[shamus]

In the words of Forest Gump...
"Stupid is as Stupid does"

 

[jamespowers]

My grand father used to have a phrase he liked a lot.
"That's where to fools met. The first fool for wanting that price and the second fool for paying it."

Regards to all,

J

 

[Veronica Parra]

Except that the fool who asks for a foolishly high dollar amount, and receives it, is a LUCKY fool ... and that's not such a bad thing to be when the check arrives!

 

[jamespowers]

Except that the fool who asks for a foolishly high dollar amount, and receives it, is a LUCKY fool ... and that's not such a bad thing to be when the check arrives!

Sounds good to me.

 

[fedoralover]

And the record is!!!

The record price I've ever seen on ebay for a gray Stratoliner was earlier this spring when one went for $531.00. That's right, "five hundred and thirty one dollars." Borsalino's can go for several hundred.

I've been going to auctions for over 30 years and it's the same whether it's an on-line auction, ie. ebay or any other type. It all depends who wants it bad enough and who's got the money to back up their "want". It really doesn't matter what it's worth. It's just who WANTS it. I've seen auctioneers beg for 200 dollars for an antique oak dresser one week and not have a taker, the next week one will go for 500.

Ebay is the same way, a few months back I picked up a Stetson 100 with a nice hat box for $36.00, go figure. It just so happened that, that particular week nobody seemed to want one. Lucky me.

Regardless though, the fact is, more people are getting into wearing fedora's and they are willing to pay more for them. If you don't have yours already, be prepared to pay more for them in the future.

fedoralover

 

[Snrbfshn]

JP -- on that link you posted...

JP -- you posted this:

Now this one is something else:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=8344986265
You thought the other one was high?

You'll notice it didn't sell. Moreover, you'll see no size in the description. When he posted it, I asked the seller why $150 minimum bid for the hat and those boxes, and so little info on the hat. He was really selling the rare hat boxes, which "go for that much every weekend at the shows," he said. The hat was just a throw-in. Go figger.

 

[jamespowers]

JP -- you posted this:

Now this one is something else:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=8344986265
You thought the other one was high?

You'll notice it didn't sell. Moreover, you'll see no size in the description. When he posted it, I asked the seller why $150 minimum bid for the hat and those boxes, and so little info on the hat. He was really selling the rare hat boxes, which "go for that much every weekend at the shows," he said. The hat was just a throw-in. Go figger.

You should have asked him to sell you the hat separately then. $25 should do it. I don't know what shows he goes to but I can get dozens of boxes for that.

Regards to all,

J

 

[DanielJones]

It's usually a case of more money than brains when one will pay an inflaited price for something. I've seen things on e-bay that had a $39.95 Buy it Now tag, and they went for around $90. And there were others of the same product for a low price. Folks get in a bidding war and have more money than brains so they get what they deserve. They may have the item that thye covet, but they are short on the cash they would have saved if they would have thought it through.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[jamespowers]

Where to start here. First I doubt it is from the 1940s with that liner. Maybe mid to late fifties---yes. It looks in fairly good shape but it needs to be reblocked and the brim needs to be reflanged for sure.
Very Rare? In that size? Not really. You can find them all over the place for less. Larger sizes command higher prices though because they are indeed rare. The sweatband looks a little brittle as well. There appear to be cracks along the top edge. Probably easily fixed with a treatment of Lexol but you never know.
How much do you want to bet that it gets sold though?
Now this one is something else:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8344986265
You thought the other one was high?

Regards to all,

J

Well its back on the block without the box just as I figured it would be. This time it has the size---20 1/2 inches around the inside. That must be a new record for small.
Check it out here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...8498&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BID_IT

Regards to all,

J

 

[Solid Citizen]

would You Buy This Hat???

At least for me if the hat was my size (it isn't) I wouldn't go over $40.00 for the lid & the inside liner logo feels very mid 1950's+. Even with some minor problems its quality is still probably better than most current Ebay "Buy it Now" off the rack fedora stock. Peter :kick: :rage: