Help with style & date of 3 hats, please

I love hats and would love to know more about these 3 hats. Thank you for any information you might have for me.

The black hat has a tiny label with a"23" on it. There is a front and back bow, with front bow slightly to one side. The back of the hat has a 1" rim? that goes around the inside of the hat and drops down to show up in back as part of the design.

The white hat and the orange hat both have a union label with numbers. The white hat appears to be leather (p'leather) with front bow and with a velvet top and velvet trim at bottom. There is union label is attached to inside ribbon.

The orange hat has a ribbon band on outside and inside
Inside is stamped Sutton 100% wool & something else I can't read. Again this hat also has a union label & numbers similar to the white hat.

Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge.
Alice

 

front of black hat

 

front of white hat

 

label inside of white hat, also similar to label in orange hat

 

orange hat

 

inside of orange hat

 

Hi,

I am not sure what you want to know about them, but the black hat is post WWII era, late 1940s to early 50s. Possibly mid 1940s but I don't think so. It is not that there is a separate part that drops down in back, but the technique is that the brim has been sewn up over the crown to give the appearance of that. Looks like natural straw braid or perhaps a glazed straw. Fairly common hat for its time.

The ivory toque hat appears to be made of a faux leather and dates from circa 1960. The orange wool hat looks late 50s early 60s also. If you want to know their value to collectors, these are fairly common hats also with not much interest or value in the hat market today. But they are cute.

B

 

Thank you Barbara,

Even though I didn't do a good job of asking my question, your answer had exactly the information I was looking for. I've tried going through picture of hats in books to understand style, dates, etc., but it pales in comparison to looking at the real thing. I am at the beginning of a learning curve regarding vintage clothing, especially hats.

Even though these three hats are fairly common and without much value in the hat market, they are a great help to me, thanks to you, in moving forward on that learning curve. That's why I think this is such a great sight, because of people like you taking time to share knowledge!

Best regards,
Alice

 

Adorable hats, Alice! And I think you may find that the first hat may garner more interest than one would think. I've had good luck with that brimmed hats from that era, even being that the color is common. Last year I sold almost every single similar hat I had, including the plainer ones. (Actually I had better luck with the plain ones--lol!) If it's in good shape, I think you should get more for that one than the other two. Although I suspect that there may be are good market out there, especially on Etsy, for that white hat.

 

I love that white hat - kind of a mod look to it - really fun. Very cool.

 

Just FYI, your sweet orange hat says Neumann Endler Inc. under the "100% wool." Neumann Endler was established in Danbury CT in 1931-1932 for the manufacture of wool hats and closed in 1968.

 

Hi,

I hope you did not think I was insulting your hats, as that was not my intent. They are cute, and I do agree that Etsy is a good place to sell this type of hat, as the young women shop there. I myself have not had much luck selling these types of hats for any real money, but everyone's experience is different.

I was really commenting on the fact that the collector hat market, which is made up of seasoned collectors and experienced dealers, do not seek these types of hats out. We look for more unusual styles, designer labels, better quality materials, iconic types, etc.

Anyway, they are cute. My apologies of I said anything disparaging, but the information I gave was intended to help you learn, not to insult.

B

 

Dating the first hat threw me because of the construction but good to know that information Barbara. I wouldn't mind seeing the interior of the hat.

I really like the ivory toque. It's got everything going for it. Says Carnaby Street to me.

 

Barbara, no apologies necessary. Your information was wonderfully helpful to me. I have been a watercolorist for over 20 years and view paintings differently than a beginner would, so I do understand that people at different levels in their areas of expertise see things from different view points.

Anne, thanks for the Etsy information. I will do my research! and Lynne, thank you for the Danbury info, we'll pass thru Danbury on vacation next month - will have to find a "thrifto" and look for more hats.

Vertugarde, I will attach an interior shot of black hat for you tomorrow.

Thank again & again for all your help,
Alice:adore::adore:

 

Barbara, I don't think anyone was intimating that your information wasn't correct or useful! I certainly wasn't; it was excellent information, as far as it went. I especially appreciated seeing your opinion on the first hat, as I would have dated that solidly into the 40s--I'm glad to learn that this type of hat could be early 50s, so I won't make that mistake next time I have a similar one!

My assumption, perhaps incorrect, was that our OP was asking about desirability and worth in terms of the everyday marketplace. In the "normal" market in hats, that is, not collectors and not buyers of high-end or big-designer-name hats, the first two hats are eminently sell-able, at least based on my experience. As vertugarde says, that second hat is so Carnaby-street looking, I think it would be a hit on Etsy. And if I had more like her first one, I could've probably sold 'em all last year (for me, the that market has cooled off, but many sellers are still selling them pretty steadily). I adore the 3rd one; it's the type of hat I'd wear and buy for myself. But they don't seem to do very well online; maybe a customer has to try them on to see how cute they are "on." So that one, I'd personally price low to sell it.

Of course we're not talking $100 and up prices with these. But in today's market, if you can move hats like this for between $35 and $65, and quickly, and make a handy profit, I think that's pretty good.

I have had nice luck selling larger hats, when I'm fortunate enough to find them. So, IMHO, the size 23 is a benefit. I've had a couple of buyers tell me their heads are "too big" for most vintage hats, so they're glad to see them.

 

vertugarde

here are the interior shots of the black hat you were interested in seeing.



first is a side view with bow in back.

2nd is a front view

 

interior view from front of black hat

 

The 3rd hat is darling. I think you could get a good price for that one in the Fall. It is so wearable for any style. Don't under value your hats.