Used Adventurebilt Just Sold on EBay

[Glenville86]

Just saw an Adventurebilt Indy 4 beaver fedora by Steve sell for $650.00 on EBay. Wow........

[Mulceber]

That's basically the current price at which he sells them, so that just means light use hasn't depreciated its value.

[Glenville86]

I bought the same model fedora from Steve a couple years ago but mine arrived with a squashed box. Had to work on the fedora to get it looking better. After the USPS trip, it has some places where the felt was damaged..........

Have picked up a couple preowned Penman Indy ones in excellent shape but well below new prices.

Good to see Steve's fedora hold it's value on the secondary market.

[Mulceber]

Indeed. It might be because he's effectively out of the game. He still makes hats, but I get the sense he doesn't do a lot of orders anymore. When I sent my AB CS to him for a reblock this spring, he had it back to me in under two weeks.

[IndyRiv]

The hat DIDN'T sell for $650.00. I know because I was the one who bought it. I've watched the AB fedora market for quite some time and the average price one is going for is around $450.00. So yes, Steve's hats ARE holding their value some as a used AB is worth about the same as a new Penman. However, they used to be going for around $500 and I have seen a fairly flooded market of them out there. With so many vendors in the game yet, I think many who are interested in a hat have either acquired their wanted ones already or else are flocking to vendors like Advintage, Steele and Jones, etc. who offer good hats at lower prices. Don't get me wrong - not saying Steve's hats aren't worth their price - you get what you pay for. I'm just saying that they're really worth around $400-450 for a gently used one these days. The $650.00 price tag is NOT what the hat is WORTH, but rather the added cost attributed to the buyer if they want it FAST. That's why I personally wouldn't order one myself brand new. You're paying $200 extra to ensure you not only get one, but also because one cannot wait.

Also, I was going to start another thread on this but I've noticed that the quality of Steve's hats are diminishing. And I'm sure I know why - because he's simply trying to churn out his past, and now recent, orders as quickly as possible. But I've noticed that the older ABs have been pounced even finer than they are today. For example, his old ones (if thinking in terms of a block of wood) feel like they were sanded down to 1000 grit whereas the current one I just bought feels like it was maybe sanded down to 600 grit. Much coarser felt. The sweatband also isn't of the same quality as the older ones. So, again, his hats today I would actually put at a "true" value in terms of pouncing, materials, etc. around $400 tops while the older ones I'd put at around $450. But the newer ones are, imho, not worth $650.00. If that were the case, Penman's should be worth around $800 then.

[Glenville86]

My bad - I was just looking that it ended and the price.

Getting back to the actual fedora, I was not overly impressed by mine (not that it was flattened in the box) compared to my other beaver ones from AdVintage and Mike at Northwest. My fedora by Steve is one of the newer ones. I just wanted a fedora made by the man who supplied them for the movie. It is in my opinion no better than the 225-319 USD ones I have. I think you are just paying for the name.

[Jeremiah]

I am pretty pleased with mine. It's my go to indy fedora. Made in 2014.

[Glenville86]

I like mine as well but just think it is more expensive due to the connection to Indy 4 rather than it being a superior fedora to the other quality beaver ones that are out there. I already knew this when I bought it and was content to pay double for it vice a different maker.

If you want a replica of what was used in the movies, you are going to go with HJ bespoke or Steve to get them which is cool.

Mistake I made was buying a couple of the beaver/rabbit mix like the Harrison and Henry. As I learned more here, bought some 100% beaver ones thinking the Harrison and Henry would have a limited wear life but a few years down the road, they just keep going and are still in great shape. Beaver ones are waiting their turn which is taking too long.....I wear the Harrison and Henry in rain and snow but they are not wearing out.

[Indiana Jeff]

Both times Steve raised his prices, to $400 and eventually $650, he stated it was in an effort to drive demand down, not because of his cost of materials or the value of his time per se. Steve was always very open that while he chose the best materials he could get, his felts weren't any different than those available to other hatters.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff