Open road e-bay killer deal?

[dopey]

I also mentioned this in my “what did I buy?� thread. After an initial flurry of e-bay vintage buys, I decided to cool down and wait to see what the postman brought. So far, I have one Resistol that is a real star, a couple of decent hats that for one reason or another won’t make the frequent rotation, and I am waiting on a couple of nice others. Nonetheless, I couldn’t resist bidding on this one, and hope I hit a home run. What do you think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8195471933&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

 

[Dave Keith]

I think you scored a winner there!

I saw that auction and it caught my attention because I live in Texas a couple of hours north of Fredericksburg. If that hat would have been in a size to fit my big ole melon, you wouldn't have gotten such a great deal on it!

Congratulations on a great find.

Dave

 

[Victor]

sweet deal! I think that the auctions seem to close for less when they end on a weekend. Apparently people bid from work alot.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Do people not know what they have!? That was a great deal.

Let us know how it is when it comes.

 

[dopey]

QUICK QUICK!!! Look at this one. Not my size, but a winner. Going for 10.99 with 3hrs to go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8308593897&ssPageName=ADME:B:WN:US:1

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Not my size, and would not appear to be in as good condition as the one you just won.

 

[budward]

I have a vintage Open Road, it's tan, not silver belly, but in any event, the quality is amazing. My bet is that you'll be happy with the quality of build and felt.

budrick

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Looks like a winner, I got a great silverbelly open-road style (it was Dobbs, not Stetson) off ebay and had it re-blocked into a traditional fedora as I do not look good in that style. It was soft and pliable, but had some crease marks on it from all the years it was styled as an LBJ hat, so got it cleaned and reblocked. It is just perfect.

It is one of my better looking fedoras and, like most silverbellys, goes with almost anything I wear.

Congrats on your purchase!

karol

 

[scotrace]

A Good Deal For Many Reasons

It seems like a good deal can be found on Ebay on most item categories if factors unrelated to the item come into play.
For example, a seller who refuses to accept Paypal will reduce the number of potential bidders. One who will only accept money orders is lowering his chances still further. A seller who describes the item offered in one sentence, then uses eight paragraphs with boldface scolding or rules for buying loses still more potential customers.
One of the rules of business passed on to me early in my career that has stuck is "It's hard enough to get people to buy your stuff. Make is as easy as possible to part them from their money." As a seller of goods, I will accept any form of payment that is convenient for you, Ms. Customer.

In hats, it APPEARS on casual observation that smaller hat sizes, being more common (in any manufacturer's line) will command lower prices. Sellers who make a buyer jump through hoops to make a purchase will realize lower prices no matter what the size of the hat (or suit, or book, or piston rod) unless it is rare enough to justify a few hoops.
The upshot is that if you see an object you want, and see that the seller will only accept your cashier's check (held three weeks to clear!), only ships once a month, spends lots of time scolding you with fine print rules, NO RETURNS, etc., you can also bet you'll have less competition, and may just get it cheap as a reward for your patience.
Am I out in left field?
It's my customary position....

 

[android]

Scotrace,

No, you're absolutely right. Some sellers are just downright hostile. Makes me wonder why they even bother. I want to get it over with and get my stuff as quickly as possible.

I usually will pay with PayPal within hours of the auction end. (Sometimes minutes, if I'm around.) I expect that if the buyer's got my money the same day and shipping charges that exceed USPS rates by several dollars, (The boxes are free, you're not fooling anyone.) then I should have my good on my doorstep within a week.

 

[dopey]

So this turned out to be less exciting than I thought. The auction description was accurate, but I didn’t read carefully enough. The box is a Stetson - very high quality heavy cardboard with a leather strap. The hat though, is not a 7x Beaver Stetson Open Road. It is a Shudde Bros. house brand hat in the open road style. The original invoice or spec sheet was included, and it is spec’d as a 7x quality open road style hat in Silverbelly. The sweat is marked beaver deluxe.

Any one have any idea of how good a felt this might be? I know Shudde is still in operation. What kind of quality did they turn out? It is pretty stiff felt, but has a slightly fuzzier nap than I am used to. The felt also seems fairly thin.

Any hope for softening it up completely? Is it worth it if a high enough quality? How can I tell?

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Shudde is still in operation in Houston, TX

Little biddy dirty old place. They don't make hats now, if they ever did. They do blocking and repair work and sell all the major brands of Western Hats. I've been there it's in a rundown section of town. The hat you got is probably a major brand hat they marketed as their signature brand once apon a time.

 

[scotrace]

I think you read it right

I just re-read that description, Dopey. It gave every indication that you were buying a genuine Stetson Open Road hat in its original Stetson box. The description was probably unintentionally misleading. I understand your disappointment.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

The description was probably unintentionally misleading. Some people may refer to any western style hat as a Stetson, as kind of a generic name for cowboy hat. The box probably helped in that regard. I know of retailers in my neck of the woods that sell their signature brand of hats in their original box. Like, Uncle Joes Western Emporium and Tonsorial Parlor, Cut 'n Shoot, Texas, will stamp the sweat with their name, and sell it in the Resistol box it came in.

Oh, yeah...There's a town named Cut 'n Shoot in Texas.

 

[dopey]

I re-read the description again, and it is misleading. I don't think it was intentional. In any event, as I posted on another thread, I have been the beneficiary of a hat being much better than described on e-bay. I will take this one as ______ happens and not get too upset about it. The sweat has some branding on the backside, which I cannot make out, but might offer some clue as to the manufacturer. It is well made, with a sewn liner and nice sweat and sweat-bow.

 

[feltfan]

Do you like it?

Do you like the hat? Does it fit you?

A lot of Stetson hats aren't so great. This hat
could be just as nice or nicer. Sounds like some
nice vintage felt either way.

Wear it a while and see what you think.

 

[dopey]

Do you like the hat? Does it fit you?

A lot of Stetson hats aren't so great. This hat
could be just as nice or nicer. Sounds like some
nice vintage felt either way.

Wear it a while and see what you think.

Wait a second . . . are you telling me to wear it and form my own opinion? If I could do that, why would I be here? Just kidding of course. Your advice is about as sound as it comes. Of course, if I took good advice, I wouldn’t be dopey, would I?

My real hang-up with the hat is the stiffness. I don’t think an open road block is to my taste and I was hoping for a high quality felt that I could reshape myself, easily. I will think about what the right thing to do with it. I do like the dimensions of the hat, the weight and the color, so I may just have it professionally reblocked.

 

[Galt]

Another open road on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52370&item=8202760551&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Here is another open road on ebay

 

[shamus]

if you like the hat keep it. Only you and the hat-check-girl will know it's not a stetson. and if she's cute then maybe you can buy her a dinner to keep her mouth shut.