A Note About Shipping Hatboxes:Even if you see one in the pics,I dont include a branded hatbox with my hat sales. Thats because USPS rates are great until the package size exceeds 1750 cubic inches, then it goes up like a rocket. I do however take the time to make my own stabilizer inserts that I put inside each box to hold the hat in place. Then I wrap each hat in a plastic bag to keep the wet out and place it upside down with the crown inside a hard plastic protector that doubles as a handy hat stand. The extra care I take in packaging my hats means the box you receive will functions just as well as the manufacturers hatbox for storage, though Ill concede, it may not be as pretty.
All that said, I do have a hatboxes so if you want one, take your pick from the ones I have listed. Ill discount half the price of the box, and combine shipping, so youll only pay the shipping cost of the box with the hat shipped inside.
Please see my other listings for more hats and various hat accessories. I'm always happy to combine shipping and may even be persuaded to offer a discount for multiple item purchases.
About Real Nice Hats
I'm very proud of . If you're deciding between this hat and one offered by another seller I invite you to read my feedback and let that be a factor in your decision. I'm a retired gentleman with a lifelong love of fine quality hats. I've collected many over the years and developed a network for acquiring more all the time. I've learned a number of restoration techniques from professional hatters and developed my own process that I'm constantly refining. If I add up all the hours I put into my hats I'm forced to concede this work doesn't pay all that well, but I'm not trying to get rich selling hats on eBay. I do it out of love and appreciation for the superior quality that went into making these old hats, at a time when pride in workmanship and creating a product of enduring value really meant something. One of my favorite qualities of a nice felt hat is its durability and the dramatic metamorphosis that takes place when I take an old, neglected hat and transform it into something beautiful, ready to bring a lifetime of enjoyment to its proud new owner.
The many nice comments from my previous customersare a testament to the huge difference between one of my hats thats been lovingly restored through hours of work and attention to detail and the typical preowned hats available on eBay. I try to add new listings each week so if I dont have what you want in my current listings, just save me as aseller and check back in a week or two. I offer various other hat paraphernalia that may be just the right thing to compliment your hat purchase, and Im always willing to combine shipping for multiple items purchased together.
My Restoration Process
Depending on the condition of the hat when it comes into my possession, some or all of the following may apply. My multi step deep cleaning process removes any unsightly stains or odors. Then each hat is reblocked tight to return it to its original open crowned and flat brimmed form. After reblocking the condition of the sweatband is inspected. If the leather is found to be brittle, cracked or damaged, I make the appropriate repairs which may include restitching loose areas, filling any cracks or gaps with a professional grade leather repair agent, and the application of a pliable backing strip for added structural integrity. By repairing rather than replacing the original sweatband all the important brand, quality and dating information is retained. Thenif it came with one, the cleaned liner is reinstalled and a hat band is applied. Finallyeach hat is steamed shaped by hand and stiffened with a professional grade shellac solution.
General Hat Info
X value depends on age
If you're shopping for a new hat the “X” system is useful for comparing hats of the same brand, but with vintage hats more consideration should be placed on when the hat was made. Generally speaking, the older the hat the more beaver fur was incorporated into the felt, which with western style hats translates to a thinner, stiffer felt and a lighter weight, higher quality hat. Hats beyond a certain age didnt use "Xs" and relied on the price tocommunicate quality. Back around the 1910s or 20s when Stetson first started giving their hats an “X” designation the 7X was their top end hat, but most of their hats didn't get any Xs at all. A fellow eBayer recently sent me a 1922 Stetson price list and from most to least expensive it went 7X, 5X, 4X, 3X, Real Nutria, Nutria, No. 1 Quality, Extra Quality, Excellent Quality, and Select Quality, so the original Stetson 3X cost more and was higher quality than the No. 1 Quality and the Nutria, both of which commonly sell for well over $200 on eBay. That's why whenever I see a 1920s or 30s Stetson 3X priced low I snap it up quick. There's simply no comparison between an early Stetson 3X and the current Stetson 3X which is made of 100% wool. The problem Stetson ran into with their new X system is there's no “FDA” of hats, so there was nothing to prevent company XYZ from marking their inferior hats with 10, 100 or even 1000 Xs. So the X race was on, and over the decades there's been substantial Xflation.
X value depends on maker
The X rating system is not and never has been consistent maker to maker. As much as I love those early Stetson 3X hats, I'm pretty sure the earliest 3X Resistol hats are even higher quality. But when other hat makers started putting more Xs on their hats the whole industry followed suit. This is how Xflation got extreme, but also uneven. For example, if Stetson's thousand dollar hat is a 100X, and that same year Larry Mahan's thousand dollar hat was marked 500X, is the Larry Mahan a better hat? Well, maybe or maybe not. Is it 5 times better quality than the Stetson, and therefore some kind of amazing deal? The simple answer is no, but the truest answer is probably which hat do you prefer? Quality isn't absolute. Depending on the blend fur felt can have a wide range of properties, from thinner to thicker, softer to stiffer to color, texture, and sheen, your own subjective preferences have a role to play. A $1000 dollar hat from any well regarded company will certainly be a nice, high quality hat that will last you a lifetime and then some, but one may be softer or firmer, lighter or heavier, thinner or thicker, ect, ect. The one that feels right on your head and makes you feel good when you wear it is the best quality hat for you.
