vintage souvenir caps

[jt39]

I am new to the forum after recently reviving my not-so-distant past hobby of vintage baseball collecting. While I now have plenty of change in my pocket were I inclined to step up to higher grade items, I've found that what I still enjoy most is finding interesting items that have been well-loved by their former owners -- not set aside in plastic.

My question relates to what is likely my favorite item -- and, ironically, perhaps the only item I have that is in anything approaching "mint" -- a vintage Boston Red Sox wool cap that my grandfather purchased for the son he never had, and which therefore ended up in my hands when he passed away. Given the appearance and timing of the family history, I date it to the late 1950's/early 1960's.

While I obviously have no intention of letting this hat go, I am interested in beginning to look for and collect similar items -- yet I have very seldom encountered them (or any discussion of them). What kind of value would, say, my grandfather's cap have? Are there any resources out there for identifying these items? And are there any dealers who frequently carry vintage caps?

Thanks,

Jeff

[olsport]

Many factors determine value (as with anything collectible). Pictures of the cap would help alot. Here are a few of the many factors to consider:
What condition is it in, from like new to beat up?
Was it store bought, or a Boston Red Sox player's game used cap? A beat up store bought cap could be an item nobody wants for any price, all the way up to a game used cap that Ted Williams used in a game in great condition selling for thousands of dollars.

[jt39]

Thanks for your response. Understood on the factors -- I tried to include some of them but maybe I wasn't clear. Here is a more detailed description: It was purchased at a stadium souvenir stand, around 1960, so is not a game-used item. It is a high quality construction, all wool with leather band. I wouldn't go quite so far as to call it "like-new," but it has no visible flaws (no pulls, stains, signs of wear, bends or creases), maintains its original vibrant colors (ie no fading), and has no structural flaws. Obviously old wool hats don't quite maintain their form like a newer hat would, but this cap doesn't have those sunken-in waves on the front like many get from sitting without support over time. If it were a rare item, I could imagine it sitting proudly in a museum.

As I said, my main intention isn't to get a precise value on this hat -- just trying to get a sense of the market for similar items. Assuming it is an original, stadium-purchased, 1960 souvenir cap in very good condition, what sort of price would you expect to have to plunk down for it?

Thanks!

[gashouse34]

Hi Jt39 and welcome to the forum. I enjoy collecting vintage souvenir caps mainly because I think they make for nice displays even if well "loved" over the years. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an active market for them for a few factors I would imagine. One factor might be for sanitary reasons as old hats can be pretty nasty. Most vintage souvenir hats can be found for about $30 or less. Obviously the team and condition would play a role in the value. Yours seems to be in top notch condition so it could demand a little more if you were selling....maybe close to $100 if you had a couple serious bidders. They make for nice collectibles if you are collecting on a budget even though they may not hold much value. I would like to see a picture of your hat. Here is a Browns one I picked up recently. Hope this helps some. Regards, Brandon

[jt39]

Beautiful hat -- I've always loved those old Browns caps. I will definitely post pictures as soon as I'm able.

I'm actually quite glad to hear that these great items seem to be flying under the radar -- as nice as some of the reproductions are, they don't seem to fully capture the feel of the real deal.

[jt39]

I found some old shots of the hat -- not too clear, but it should give a sense of it.



And here it is from a distance, along with my treasured early high school era, ebay hunted beater baseball card display! (Still missing that Mathewson card to accompany Walter Johnson.)

[jt39]

[double post, sorry]

[gashouse34]

Thanks for sharing, very nice display. I might also mention that the older the hat the more valuable also. If you start getting into pre war hats then they can sell for hundreds of dollars even if not worn by anyone famous. Take care, Brandon