Club Obi Wan

I finally ordered my first Indy item! I ordered the US Wings Dusted Indy Wool Felt Fedora. It says it's water repellent and crushable and it's at a very reasonable price. I thought this would be a perfect Indy item to start with because it was affordable and very good when it comes to screen accuracy, not perfect though. Now all I have to do is wait 10 to 14 days for it to get here . I may, later on, buy a more expensive version but this should take some wear and tear if I take care of it.

-Josh

Good choice - I was going to buy the same one, but found one at my local dry goods store.

I have the same plan as you- get a cheap fedora to start out, and then move on to the better ones. Hopefully by next summer I will be able to buy an AB. Good luck in your quest!

-Robby

years back i started with an Indiana Jones Fur Felt Fedora like you can see on the US wings website. I friend of mine bought it from me when I got my Fed some years ago. He still wears it and it still looks quite okay.

I just took delivery of a Dorfman [without the dusting ] today off evilbay I gave it to my youngest son [20] as I wait for my camptown

Dostacos wrote:...evilbay...

Ain't that the truth?

oh you betcha, I have WON way too many things I was only halfway wanting expecting to be out bid and NOBODY saved me from myself

and a couple of feeding frenzies that I should have let go and bid on the next one

dan

Man I hate E-bay. The shipping is overprice and the people sell @#$%. I bought a necklace thinking it was strong but it was cheap and flimsy! The thing bent and broke!

-Josh

Um, guys, this isn't an eBay thread. (hint hint)

Nameless, congrats on your first piece of gear! I'm sure you'll love your hat and have some great adventures in it.

the good news [if it is like mine] is it pops back into shape really easy, holds the shape but is hard to add to the shape [tighter pinch ] unless I missed something.

Still great lid for the price [heavy on for the price]

RobbyT43 wrote:. Hopefully by next summer I will be able to buy an AB. Good luck in your quest!

Hey Robby, you might want to keep in mind the price for an AB will double starting this May.

Hey Robby, you might want to keep in mind the price for an AB will double starting this May

Seriously? So what is the price going to be, I know Todd's Jackets are going up also?

The prices will be going down, right... right?

-Josh

In that case keep the Camptown 1936 Fieldmaster in mind if you're on a budget. You'll get a wonderful 50/50 beaver/rabbit blend that weathers quite well and wears like iron.
http://www.camptownhats.com/



Ken is a pleasure to work with and offers a very fine product at a reasonable price. I love the one that I got and there are a couple of other threads related to Camptown Hats. Just my opinion, but I think it's worth a look for those that want a hard wearing hat that won't break the bank.

Cheers!

Dan

Boy that is a good looking hat. I wish one of the vendors (hint hint) offered a poster of their creation. It could vintage style or just the hat. I know there are probably indy posters or artwork out there but nothing I've seen just of a great fedora. Especially with such greats as Camptown, AB, AB deluxe, now Wolf ,etc.... Would also be great advertisement.
P.s. Off my soapbox now. Don't know if that shouldve been new topic or not.

Erin Jones wrote:

Hey Robby, you might want to keep in mind the price for an AB will double starting this May

Seriously? So what is the price going to be, I know Todd's Jackets are going up also?

viewtopic.php?t=22409

The new price will be either $425 or $450. And by next summer, when the movie is out, Steve's wait time will be WELL over a year, I would say. I ordered in June. Steve said that all hats ordered before some date in July should be done before the end of the year, so I am expecting mine in December.

Wow!:shock: A very sizable increase. But, you would still get a fantastic 100% beaver lid.
Too rich for my blood, sorry to say. Oh well, I love my Camptown & can't wait for the grey to show up.

Cheers!

Dan

I just got my hat today and it kicks butt! It fits like a glove and beleive it or not is better then my fur felt hat. Now it doesn't look good without a jacket (suit or leather) but when you have a suit on with it makes you look like a million and a half.

-Josh

Indiana wrote:...by next summer, when the movie is out, Steve's wait time will be WELL over a year, I would say...

Just a personal observation, but everyone speculates that demand for Indy gear (in general) will be through the roof once the new movie comes out. But don't you think that's kinda generalizing Indygear-Mania to the general population, when that may not be necessarily true? I mean... When Die Hard 4 (for example) came out, it wasn't like everybody rushed out to buy McClane gear... And the same thing can be said about Ocean's 13, Casino Royale, etc...

I mean, but again, I'm not directing that comment to Adventurebilt, I'm just talking in general. It just seems to me that it may not be as big a deal (to the public) as we sometimes make it out to be.

Now where's that Plymouth...

I'm sure that plenty of my money will go into it. I will be making up for all the stuff I could'nt get when I was young. The only Indy gear that i've ever owned was a (gasp) disney indy fedora. I got it in 1990. I've kept it all these years in the closet. It quickly became too small either by shrinking or my head getting bigger. Now I've got a PB and awaiting a camptown and sweating another and I will definitely order an AB in the next few months. I have'nt even started to look at the jacket forums but do want a shirt. So I am definitely hatin it when other stuff comes out .

Castor Dioscuri wrote:

Indiana wrote:...by next summer, when the movie is out, Steve's wait time will be WELL over a year, I would say...

Just a personal observation, but everyone speculates that demand for Indy gear (in general) will be through the roof once the new movie comes out. But don't you think that's kinda generalizing Indygear-Mania to the general population, when that may not be necessarily true? I mean... When Die Hard 4 (for example) came out, it wasn't like everybody rushed out to buy McClane gear... And the same thing can be said about Ocean's 13, Casino Royale, etc...

I mean, but again, I'm not directing that comment to Adventurebilt, I'm just talking in general. It just seems to me that it may not be as big a deal (to the public) as we sometimes make it out to be.

Now where's that Plymouth...

It might not happen, but with wait times currently at 6-8 months + I am sure the movie will do nothing but increase the wait. But no matter how long you wait, you are getting a great hat.

I mean, but again, I'm not directing that comment to Adventurebilt, I'm just talking in general. It just seems to me that it may not be as big a deal (to the public) as we sometimes make it out to be.

Since I am the one that is going up.... There is a method to my madness. Back in the day, when the Indy films started to appear, the hat business in general was dead. Many of the old names had vanished, and even the leader in hat sales, Stetson, closed it doors in the early 70's and leased out the name Stetson to whoever wanted to make hats and use that grand old name. Then Indy arrived on the scene, and collectively, the hat industry here and overseas were swamped by the new demand from the public. Sure, most of those hats were bought, and then ended up on the top shelf in the closet, much like exercise equipement is apt to do. But, it is a known fact, that Indy saved Stetson at the time due to the sudden demand.

I know this will happen again. And, since my site pops up close to the top on search engines, I figure I will be swamped when the film comes out. Not just me, but also other hatters. The new demand in the past has lasted for 4 to 5 years, gradually tapering off with time. In order to not have a 3 year wait on a hat(who would buy it??) the only solution is to increase prices to what pure beaver hats generally sell for, from other hatters. So, I will no longer undercut their prices, but this is not of my own choosing, as I am forced into it. Personally, I don't like it, and may very well have a hidden price for all of my old customers, that will not be advertised. I am leaning towards that heavily.

When the news is broke on who the hatter is for the new film, this will be on the net, and it will be other places as well. I think it will be well known, if one takes the time to look online. Yeah, whoever made those hats is gonna be a busy guy. And he better have his pricing set so that it cuts down on the demand. I am sure he will if he has given it any thought. The same with the jacket. I fully expect that jacket to sell for really big bucks this go around if you buy one from the guy who made them. The internet makes the world a much smaller place. This time around, everyone will know who made the hat, and the jacket, unlike years ago when Lee had to send spies to the right place to see what crest was on the Indy fedora, and whose name was on the jacket. It is a whole new world, with us all being connected to the grid. (a line from one of my fav films) Fedora

Well, even if prices do go up (for all Indy related items) , they will eventually have to go back down- right? I suspect that a period of 1-2 years a lot of sales will be made for hats, jackets, etc. But after the "fad" is gone and another one replaces it, only the true Indiana Jones fans will stick with it- much like the select few on this site, The Raider, etc. (I must admit, I had NO idea that a new film was being made so don't count me in on the Indy4 bandwagon-iers crowd )

All I can say is that all of the best hatters (yes that includes you Fedora ) will get their work cut out for them and be swamped with requests- and rightfully so! I want the best of the best too! So good luck, and I'll be waiting on the other side for you!

-Robby

Fedora you said you expect a flood when they release the vendors. Does that mean you will increase prices when the movie comes out still or when the vendors are announced and the web searchs increase?
I was thinking I had a couple of months to order from you but if they announced vendors tommorrow and the public scours the web and you site comes up first..... (insert panic here)

Fedora wrote:

I mean, but again, I'm not directing that comment to Adventurebilt, I'm just talking in general. It just seems to me that it may not be as big a deal (to the public) as we sometimes make it out to be.

Since I am the one that is going up.... There is a method to my madness. Back in the day, when the Indy films started to appear, the hat business in general was dead. Many of the old names had vanished, and even the leader in hat sales, Stetson, closed it doors in the early 70's and leased out the name Stetson to whoever wanted to make hats and use that grand old name. Then Indy arrived on the scene, and collectively, the hat industry here and overseas were swamped by the new demand from the public. Sure, most of those hats were bought, and then ended up on the top shelf in the closet, much like exercise equipement is apt to do. But, it is a known fact, that Indy saved Stetson at the time due to the sudden demand.

I know this will happen again. And, since my site pops up close to the top on search engines, I figure I will be swamped when the film comes out. Not just me, but also other hatters. The new demand in the past has lasted for 4 to 5 years, gradually tapering off with time. In order to not have a 3 year wait on a hat(who would buy it??) the only solution is to increase prices to what pure beaver hats generally sell for, from other hatters. So, I will no longer undercut their prices, but this is not of my own choosing, as I am forced into it. Personally, I don't like it, and may very well have a hidden price for all of my old customers, that will not be advertised. I am leaning towards that heavily.

When the news is broke on who the hatter is for the new film, this will be on the net, and it will be other places as well. I think it will be well known, if one takes the time to look online. Yeah, whoever made those hats is gonna be a busy guy. And he better have his pricing set so that it cuts down on the demand. I am sure he will if he has given it any thought. The same with the jacket. I fully expect that jacket to sell for really big bucks this go around if you buy one from the guy who made them. The internet makes the world a much smaller place. This time around, everyone will know who made the hat, and the jacket, unlike years ago when Lee had to send spies to the right place to see what crest was on the Indy fedora, and whose name was on the jacket. It is a whole new world, with us all being connected to the grid. (a line from one of my fav films) Fedora

I've heard the reasoning before (how the old trilogy drove up the demand), but I suppose that could be attributed in no small part to how inventive and original the old trilogy was. It had a huge impact at the time, and I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are trying to make a connection between the old trilogy and the new Indy, while certain factors may not necessarily exist.

For example, one should not discount the decline of the impact of individual movie's on the general public. One should take into context the era of the movie, since interest in the cinema seems to be lagging behind. Not to mention that since Indy IV is a sequel, it is nowhere (I'm assuming) near as original or inventive as the original trilogy. And even then, ToD and LC were riding off the coattails of Raiders, so to speak. Distance Indy IV to the original trilogy by a good two decades, and replace the old generation with a new, and Indy IV will have to support itself on its own two feet (for the majority anyway).

Of course, I'm assuming some kind of a correlation between the success of Indy IV to similar long awaited sequels, like for example, Rocky, Lethal Weapon, Legend of Zorro (to some extent), and Die Hard (as previously mentioned, all of which failed to capture the mania that surrounded their original release.

I admit, however, that in my original post I failed to take note of the niche audience that may be transformed into gearheads. Even if we should assume that 1% of the general movie-going audience that watches the new movie and decides to join our path, that translates into perhaps hundreds of thousands of potential customers, so I do see the logic behind the price increase, lest Adventurebilt ends up having the infamous Andre Dometakis wait!

But of course, I may be wrong in assuming the lessened impact that Indy IV will bring. Let's not forget that Lucas is taking responsibility in rearing this 'child', the same Lucas that burned Star Wars into the public psyche... Commercially speaking, of course!

I expect Steve, Marc et al will receive an influx of orders in the wake of Indy IV, as Steve predicts. I also reckon those orders will reflect 1% of the total number of fedoras bought during that time, the other 99% being "official" wool felt fedoras bought on eBay.

Disclaimer: My crystal ball was cracked when it fell of a table, so my predictions should not be relied upon.