Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

HamletJSD · May 22, 2011

Did the Marathon fall out of favor while I wasn't watching? I wasn't expecting my $40 bid to get anywhere. We'll see when I get it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...lF3fGU4%3D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT

ScottF · May 22, 2011

Lefty said:
I was third on this great old No. 1 Quality. Vic?

That's a superb hat. I have one almost exactly like it and would have gone for it, but just too small.

I did; however, win these two Stetson items - my first hat-related ebay purchases in many moons:

Stetson watch

4X Stetson Western

HatsEnough · May 22, 2011

That is a pretty high-end Stetson sweatband for a mere 4X hat! I've seen that sweatband on the Stetson 25s, 50s, and 100s. Nice.

rlk · May 22, 2011

HatsEnough said:
That is a pretty high-end Stetson sweatband for a mere 4X hat! I've seen that sweatband on the Stetson 25s, 50s, and 100s. Nice.

Its an early 60's 4X that sold for $35- above the 25 level. Next up would be Clear Beaver.

HatsEnough · May 22, 2011

Cool. I like that sweatband, for sure. Didn't know a 4X was higher quality than a 25, though.

randooch · May 22, 2011

ScottF said:
That's a superb hat. I have one almost exactly like it and would have gone for it, but just too small.

I did; however, win these two Stetson items - my first hat-related ebay purchases in many moons:

Stetson watch

4X Stetson Western

That 4X should clean up nicely; I sure love those ribboned sweats. The seller's other offerings are pretty mothy. you got the good'n.

alanfgag · May 22, 2011

rlk said:
Its an early 60's 4X that sold for $35- above the 25 level. Next up would be Clear Beaver.

... a very nice one at a great price. Congratulations.

Lovely wristwatch too.

ScottF · May 23, 2011

HatsEnough said:
Cool. I like that sweatband, for sure. Didn't know a 4X was higher quality than a 25, though.

Thanks. I'm again too lazy to dig up my Stetson spreadsheet, but I think when Stetson introduced the twenty-fives in the '50s, they were 3X quality - true of all their $25 hats around that period if I remember correctly. I liked the early '50s 3X quality (have a great 3X Open Road), but not so much the late '50s and newer. I have no idea what a 4X from this period will feel like, but I'm guessing it will be okay. At some point in the '60s, '4X' began to mean nothing.

ScottF · May 23, 2011

randooch said:
That 4X should clean up nicely; I sure love those ribboned sweats. The seller's other offerings are pretty mothy. you got the good'n.

He assured me that there are no moth nibbles on the top of the brim, or anywhere on the crown. I need a camping hat, so hoping this one's soft and fits me.

alanfgag said:
... a very nice one at a great price. Congratulations.

Lovely wristwatch too.

Thanks. Might now make an exception to my no-watch policy. Can't go wrong with cheap Stetson stuff.

Lefty · May 23, 2011

I've handled one 3x (I owned it) and one 4x with the rectangle mark, and didn't like either one. Both were 60s hats. I know that you have (had?) one of the old X hats with a rectangle, but those seem to be extremely rare.
rectangle mark for reference, though mine had brown sweats

Lefty · May 23, 2011

I went to $8.50, but was unwilling to go to $9 to see if this panama, and the box of trash that comes with it, is any good.

rlk · May 23, 2011

ScottF said:
Thanks. I'm again too lazy to dig up my Stetson spreadsheet, but I think when Stetson introduced the twenty-fives in the '50s, they were 3X quality - true of all their $25 hats around that period if I remember correctly. I liked the early '50s 3X quality (have a great 3X Open Road), but not so much the late '50s and newer. I have no idea what a 4X from this period will feel like, but I'm guessing it will be okay. At some point in the '60s, '4X' began to mean nothing.

3X was a $15.00 hat.

Lefty · May 23, 2011

not mine
fantastic old stetson print block

Alex · May 23, 2011

Here's a gripe: it annoys me when people say, "There is a string attached to the hat for some reason. It could be easily snipped off. I'll leave that to the buyer."

HatsEnough · May 23, 2011

I recently saw an ebay seller that called that "string" a "packing string," and said the hat must be like brand new because it still had its "packing string."

blixa00 · May 23, 2011

I won this Barbisio earlier today for a couple of bucks...I figured it was worth a look!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=130521281508&si=%252BJ7dXoOkZT2xD5c7wAAw1xvY04w%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT#ht_500wt_1156

alanfgag · May 23, 2011

Lefty said:
not mine
fantastic old stetson print block

Cool... an old stars era foil stamping die.

ScottF · May 23, 2011

Lefty said:
I've handled one 3x (I owned it) and one 4x with the rectangle mark, and didn't like either one. Both were 60s hats. I know that you have (had?) one of the old X hats with a rectangle, but those seem to be extremely rare.
rectangle mark for reference, though mine had brown sweats

The '60s rectangle logo ones were terrible (in my experience). The original rectangle logo ones were superb - I still have a couple. I've had a few of the round-label mid-late '50s westerns (3X and Nutria), and they were so-so compared to earlier hats, or to dress hats from the same period. Early '50s were fine, either western or dress. Never had a 4X from this period, so looking forward to it.

Just checking my research spreadsheet, I've got $35 verified for the 1955 4X, which matches Robert's price quote. It was $30 from 1948-50. The 3X was $20 from 1948-1955 ($15 in 1947). The Sovereign was $25 during about the same period. There was also a 'Beaver 25' during the 1948-50 period (perhaps before and after also). I don't know how that compared to the Sovereign as far as quality, but the price was the same.

rlk · May 23, 2011

ScottF said:
The '60s rectangle logo ones were terrible (in my experience). The original rectangle logo ones were superb - I still have a couple. I've had a few of the round-label mid-late '50s westerns (3X and Nutria), and they were so-so compared to earlier hats, or to dress hats from the same period. Early '50s were fine, either western or dress. Never had a 4X from this period, so looking forward to it.

Just checking my research spreadsheet, I've got $35 verified for the 1955 4X, which matches Robert's price quote. It was $30 from 1948-50. The 3X was $20 from 1948-1955 ($15 in 1947). The Sovereign was $25 during about the same period. There was also a 'Beaver 25' during the 1948-50 period (perhaps before and after also). I don't know how that compared to the Sovereign as far as quality, but the price was the same.

I have 3 different dress hats(offhand without looking) with 3X and Fifteen(sweat and or price tag) on them all from the period you quote as $20.00 in addition to seeing other people's examples. Sovereigns were $20.00 during that period as far as I have seen. 1956 still shows 3X at 15( incl OR) and 20 and 22.50(1) for Westerns. Has a 20 Quality too. Sovereign uncommon for Western.

alanfgag · May 23, 2011

Yep... here is one with sales ticket:

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