I had this hat custom made to my specifications about two years ago. Several years ago I had one made in rabbit fur felt in the same marine blue color. I loved the hat and decided to upgrade to beaver when the maker made that option available. The hat fits me true to size, but this beaver felt is a couple shades darker than the rabbit felt in this color so I'm selling it. It's been worn no more than five hours in total. It has very large proportions and is a great look for someone comfortable in a large statement hat.
This is a used hat. Please expect signs of use and imperfections. Look closely at all the photos and read everything written below:
Two shipping options are available on most large items. Choose the option you prefer based on speed and price. Hats that fit in boxes no larger than 18X16X6 inches (most hats) are shipped USPS Ground Advantage but Priority Mail is often available for an additional fee (check the listing for shipping options). At my sole discretion, I may ship via a faster / more expensive USPS option (e.g., the buyer pays for USPS Ground Advantage and I MAY unilaterally opt to ship via USPS Priority Mail at no added cost to the buyer). If the shipping is upgraded the buyer will not be notified, but it will show up in the tracking information. I, the seller, may elect to add a “signature requirement” for any delivery. There is no advanced notification when I will or will not select this option, and buyers may only find out if a signature is required for delivery after the item ships. I select this option when I feel it's best to protect from thefts from porches etc. Understand, the signature requirement may delay the delivery of the hat and/or require you to go to your post office to pick it up. I pay for the added expense, but it could delay delivery or otherwise inconvenience you. Better some inconvenience than having a hat stolen from your porch! If the signature requirement does not work for you please let me know before paying for the hat.
Payment is required within four (4) days or the sale is automatically canceled by eBay.
If you have any concerns about the condition or need to see flaws etc. please request additional photos and I'll get you what I can. I can send you photos of stains, moth damage, etc. upon request; however, eBay limits me to 24 photos and I can't always include detailed photos of all flaws or issues in the listing, but I can send them to you upon request. I want you to be happy with your purchase and not be surprised with any condition issues.
This hat is used and does show signs of prior wear. The photos are a part of the description so zoom in and look close and ask for more phots if you are still not sure or if there is a part of the hat you cannot see. If you are still unsure I'd recommend that you do not bid or buy unless you are willing to take the associated risks.
Shipping: Due to each hat normally requiring its own box for protection in shipping, I cannot offer reduced/combined shipping on multiple purchases.
I do not guarantee fit. When the manufacturer's sizing is available I will provide that. I can provide interior length and width measurements. Upon request, I can provide you with the circumference/size as determined by a milliners sizing tool, but in my experience that tool can measure hats approximately 1/2 size or 0.5cm smaller than the actual size on firmer felt. The stiffer the felt the less accurate the tool is. Softer felt more easily conforms to the sizing tool and the measurements are generally more accurate. My opinion on the fit is just my personal take and is NOT to be relied on for how the hat will fit you (it's just how the hat fits me). It is the buyer's responsibility to understand hat sizing and to know the differences in United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), metric, and French Point / Punti sizing systems. Please educate yourself before bidding or buying. Also understand that sizing varies between makers and can vary based on when the hat was made. If the manufacturer's sizing is included in a photo that is the size, but it doesn't mean it will fit you or fit like other hats of the same size. Furthermore, hats can become stretched out, shrink, or just fit differently one brand or one date of manufacture to the next. This can be disappointing, but it's all part of buying vintage and buying without getting to try the hat on. If the hat is sized in French Point / Punti sizing I'll provide the most common US equivalent; however, the conversion is not always accurate. Borsalino hats are particularly notorious for having unusual sizing that does not always conform to normal conventions. The buyer assumes all risks on whether a hat will fit or not. I do not accept returns do to sizing or fit issues.
Hats will become distorted in shipping. I package hats with reasonable care, but the box, packaging materials, heat, and the “care” shown by postal employees all work to distort crowns and brims. This applies to used/vintage hats and to hats that are new and new with tags alike. Shaping and reshaping hats is part of the fun of hat ownership, and this hat will need some shaping when it arrives. Additionally, hats may be shaped/creased/bashed off center and require adjusting by the new owner. Most of my hats are hand creased / bashed / shaped and neither the brim nor the crowns will be symmetrical. Misshaped hats are not considered a defect and are to be expected.
The hats may be photographed with multiple brim and/or crown shapes (creases / bashes). The hats may arrive to you with any of the shaping styles shown. Hats are usually simple to shape and re-shape as you like. Please be prepared to do some shaping to get the hat to look like it does in the photos.
Ribbons and bows can arrive creased or loose. This can happen in shipping or elsewhere. These issues can be on vintage or new hats, including hats sold “new with tags.”
Unless specifically stated otherwise, I am not the original owner of the hat. I cannot attest to the originality of the hat or its component parts. I don't know if repairs have been made or what methods were used in any repairs.
I cannot determine the type of fur used in the felt of the hats. When the manufacturer provides that information I try to include it in the listing. However, I cannot verify the manufacturer's claims. I sometimes speculate on the fur type or fur blend, but these are just my impressions and not a guarantee or statement of absolute fact. My impressions are just based on my experiences and are just an educated guess.
Leather sweatbands are prone to dry rot and other problems. I try to provide accurate photos, but I make no warranties on the condition of the leather. Additionally, some sweatbands are not real leather or are a bonded leather, and others are synthetic. It is up to the bidder or buyer to determine if the sweatband is acceptable to them before bidding/buying. Some sweatbands that look like leather may be a synthetic material. I'm not an expert on determining the composition so please make sure you evaluate sweatbands from the photos and ask questions if you have any concerns. I do not guarantee that leather looking sweatbands are in fact leather.
Vintage hats are by definition “old.” Old things wear out, develop issues, sometimes need repair, etc. This is just a reality when you buy vintage so please be prepared. This hat will show handling marks, soiling, and other signs of use. Used hats, even those not that old, can have moth/insect damage. Moth damage is not always obvious and you should expect moth damage on all of my hats unless I specifically state that the hat is free of such damage. Look at the photos carefully and request additional photos if needed.
Straw, and similar hats, can dry out. This drying makes them susceptible to cracking and splitting. Please zoom in on the hats and closely evaluate the felt or “straw” and make your own determination on any defects or flaws.
Color rendering is always a potential issue. The type of lighting, camera settings, and the monitor/screen the images are viewed on all allow for the colors to look different in person compared to what you see in the listing on eBay. Please request additional photos in varied lighting if you have any concerns about the color rendering. Some of my photos may be indoors in artificial light and the colors shown will not be accurate compared to what they look like in natural light. Some natural light will also change the perception of color. Hats also look different in direct natural light compared to indirect light. If accurate color rendering is important to you please ask for photos in natural light, but even those may be different from the color of the item. Felt colors in particular are hard to accurately capture and can change depending on many factors. Color rendering is always more difficult under cloudy skies. If the sky appears overcast in the photos know that color render can be off by a lot. Gray can appear brown, brown can appear gray etc.
When I provide crown heights it is almost always the open crown height. I do this because by changing the crease/bash the height measurements can change. The measurements are always approximations.
Accurately dating hats is not always possible. Additionally, while I know a good bit about vintage hats I don't know it all. When I provide the vintage/decade of a hat it's just my best guess. I do not accept returns do to real or perceived discrepancies in the age of a hat.
My home is shared with a cat so please take that into consideration if you have allergies or other pet concerns.
I do not accept returns. I don't invoice buyers and if you win multiple items you will need to pay for them separately.
The auction/sale is just for the hat. The box and any other accessories are for display only and are not included unless expressly stated otherwise in the listing.
I try to keep my customers happy. Buying and selling hats is just a hobby for me. I have a full-time job that takes priority to my eBay sales. Sometimes I'm away for days and cannot answer questions or requests in a timely manner. If the answer to a question is important to you and you have not received a reply then do not bid or buy the hat. I really do try to provide answers, but I can't always do so. Please understand that the same factors sometimes do not allow me to immediately ship hats after payment is made. I list my last with a three business days shipping time and sometimes I have to take all three days (weekends and holidays are not counted against the three days).
Please see my other auctions and good luck.
