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Vintage Baseball hats

Weasel_Loader

Active Member
Finally got around to ordering a Cooperstown Ball Cap Co. hat. I chose the 1946 Los Angeles Angels hat. These hats do fit on the larger side and looks like I'll have to send this one back for one size smaller. Just thought you'd like to see some photos of the quality on these hats. These hats can sometimes take 6-8 weeks, but mine only took 4 weeks. If the next one fits right, I'll be ordering quite a few more! :)

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Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
those look soooo much better than the cartoon pictures they use to sell them... I like that one...


I might have to pick one up...
any other pics of caps people have?
 

Swing

New Member
Here's my late '40 Cleveland Indians cap. I think I've had this thing close to 10 years. It's getting pretty faded and ratty. I've had other Cooperstown caps since I bought this one, and none have been as nice or fit as well.

~Swing

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Andrew

Well-Known Member
For the uneducated what differentiates these from moderns ones? I guess it's a smaller brim and simple dome top?
 

Swing

New Member
Leadsky said:
For the uneducated what differentiates these from moderns ones? I guess it's a smaller brim and simple dome top?

The New Era cap currently worn in MLB is now a wool like polyester (was wool until a couple years ago), and has a fairly tall square crown with a lot of plastic supports in the front around the logo. That's been the style since the 60s. Up through the 50s caps were more soft and slouchy than what is worn today. The further back you go before WWII, the smaller the crowns and brims get. Caps from the 40s and 50s had brims similiar in size to today's caps, 40s crowns were more rounded, in the 50s they started to square up more.

My Indian's cap has a medium height crown, and a cheesecloth like material is used as the support around the logo. It's always been slouchy, fit great, and comfortable as all heck.

~Swing
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
Swing,
Did you order the regular cut or the regular short cut? I've been thinking of ordering one but not sure to get one with a little less volume so it's not quite as full. Remember the film The Natural? I remember liking how those caps fit.
 

Swing

New Member
Grant said:
Swing,
Did you order the regular cut or the regular short cut? I've been thinking of ordering one but not sure to get one with a little less volume so it's not quite as full. Remember the film The Natural? I remember liking how those caps fit.

It's been a while, but I think I just told them to make it like it was supposed to be back then. Looking at their crappy drawings, I'd guess it's regular cut. Bought a '42 Cardinals cap at the the same time I bought the Indians cap. They both fit the same and looked great. Bought a plain navy blue '40s cap (same style as the Cards and Indians cap) a few year later, but it looked like crap and I rarely wore it. Bought a 30s Indians cap and an Angles cap (with the halo around the top) after that. Neither was the size I ordered (too small), the Indian's cap was all wrong, and the construction on the Angles cap was crap. Returned both, and haven't bought from them since. Last two seasons I shot trap in New Era caps, and sweated them out.

~Swing
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Swing said:
and has a fairly tall square crown with a lot of plastic supports in the front around the logo. That's been the style since the 60s.

More like the early 70s. My '60s Milwaukee Braves cap (Mitchell & Ness, from when they made repros) is the soft, low crown style. The styles remained very similar, with small changes, from the late '40s through the late '60s -- give or take. Yeah, I'm a baseball geek too.

Chandler
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Chandler said:
....My '60s Milwaukee Braves cap (Mitchell & Ness, from when they made repros) is the soft, low crown style. The styles remained very similar, with small changes, from the late '40s through the late '60s -- give or take. Yeah, I'm a baseball geek too.

I bought a hat like that about a year ago. Wore it to a Brewers game at Miller Stadium. One or two old poots there actually recgonized what it was and commented.

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AF
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Atticus said:
Chandler said:
One or two old poots there actually recgonized what it was and commented.

I either get that, or someone thinks I'm a Michigan fan. :roll:

The "M" on mine is a bit thinner...
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Brim doesn't look as stiff either, is yours an American Needle? I have a '64 White Sox hat with a similar shape.

Chandler
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Chandler said:
...Brim doesn't look as stiff either, is yours an American Needle? I have a '64 White Sox hat with a similar shape.

I think mine is a Cooperstown, but I can't swear to it. I bought it new, but I can't remember where. Tonight, when I get home, I'll check the tags. I can say this: it is well-constructed, is made from very thick wool and has a large brim. But it doesn't have a leather sweatband like some of the caps shown in this thread. I also recall that it is supposed to be from the 1955-1965 era. I bought it because I was born in '55 and because much of my nylon collection is from that same period. Vintage baseball caps go great with vintage nylon jackets, IMO. ;)

AF
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Atticus said:
I think mine is a Cooperstown,

It may say "Cooperstown Collection," my American Needle does, and it doesn't have the leather band either. OTOH, my Mitchell & Ness does have the leather band. The M&N also has a real satin-ee green underbill, the American Needle is just green cotton.

Mitchell & Ness were known to make near-exact repros or caps and jersies back when they were still doing it -- wish they still were.

Vintage baseball caps go great with vintage nylon jackets, IMO. ;)

And vintage leather jackets!

Chandler
 

Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
tonight I just received my cooperstown ball cap..! took 7 weeks from order to door.

I got a 1947 Pirates cap with a lower crown, soft wool and leather band. I wanted as close to an original as I could get.

I wear either a Fedora or Cap everyday and thought a ball cap might be nice once in a while, but I had to have something vintage...

I'll take some pics tomorrow.

Over all quite pleased. They were having a sale in September and I couldn't pass it by...
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
After reading this thread last year, I ordered a custom made cap in November, following the design of my old High School. I've got a fat head, and those variable-size hats never look good on me.

The first cap that arrived in late December was the wrong color and the name of the school (stitched across the back of the cap) was totally lopsided because the "basket" was 6.5" on one side and 6" on the other.

Although it said "no returns on custom orders", I sent it back after attempting to converse with the manager in Cooperstown. I say, "attempt" because he wasn't overly friendly about the whole thing.

Nevertheless, about a week ago, I received an entirely new cap in the correct color, with all the logos correctly in place. Unfortunately, rather than being a size 7 1/2, it's more like a 7 1/4. No worries - I recall reading on their site that there's a way to break a couple of the stitches to make it slightly larger. Better than the first one, anyway. So I emailed the manager to thank him for making it right. No response at all.

I then went to the website today to check on exactly how to break those stitches, and here's what I found:

http://www.ballcap.com/

I have to say that it wasn't really a surprise - their marketing was non-existent, the quality was sketchy, and their customer-service (such as it was) wasn't the best. Still - bummer to see any small business go under.
 

TankBuster

Active Member
I'll agree that I wasn't very impressed with them either. I had a similar experience. I ordered a cap they did produce for a local Triple A club that no longer exists. I was sent the wrong size twice before getting the right one which wasn't very well made. All this took almost a year. This took place a few years back. It's sad to see any specialty company go under, but based on my experience, and apparently others, it's not a suprise.
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
My Milwaukee Braves cap did turn out to be an American Needle. Still, I like it so much that I ordered a 1970 Milwaukee Brewers cap to go with it. Came damn near buying a 1960 Kansas City cap, too.

AF
 

Clark J

Well-Known Member
I bought one from them,opened the box pulled it out,just laughed stuffed it back in the box and sent it back with the remark"You have to be kidding!!!!"Never received a call back or a refund!!
 

Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
yeah, the website was dreadful. I ordered my 47 pirate cap. Over all pretty happy with it, although they did leave a tiny piece of something under the fabric of the bill that my right hand always feels every time I adjust my cap...

But I got it on the half/off sale and I guess you get what you pay for... I do like it has a leather sweatband and it's pure wool.
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