Picked up a 100% fur beaver brand off feebay because the seller had several decent looking westerns listed dirt cheap, and I've been looking for some victims for my first attempts at diy drycleaning, conversion, stretching, blocking and resewing. Hoped I could add a couple more, as the shipping was more than the hats, but got outbid on all the rest.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Tan-Major-Beaver-Fur-Cowboy-Western-Hat-/200914341129?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=NQ5mhYjyuJrHkiLXLKSbkCiNBDU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
Anyway, emailed him and he seemed like a nice guy, so I suggested a pig in a poke sale. I told him what I was wanting to do and what I was interested in, and said if you have something that might work, just hit me with an add on price. He came back with "I've got 3 fedora types that could use a little work, and I'll let you have them for $5 each on top of the one you have now. I figured "what the heck, that's less than a 12 pack of good beer, let's see what he's got. Total sale was $34.47 for 4 hats. I wasn't expecting a lot, but hey, I wasn't paying a lot either, and I did want some bodies that I wouldn't feel bad about messing with. So, box shows up today, and here's the take.
The primary, a "major" model beaver brand one size too small. It's pretty stiff and has a few small bugglies on it. Not too bad though.
A dirty but very solid Wormser with no scuffs or nibbles, with a nice soft sweat, and a working trolly, also 7 1/8 so will need a bit of a stretch.
A pretty badly chewed up Bradford in a 7 that I'm not sure I can do anything with, but might work for a kids costume piece.
and this may be the pick of the litter, a nearly mint pilgrim, 7 3/8, clean, solid, un-nibbled and ready to tighten up a little and wear to the races.
Pretty happy with my new projects for $8.61 each. What do you guys think?
Wrong direction--try Corsets and Girdles
Perhaps there's a Cranium Crusher
