At a toy show this past weekend, I found a long-sought item: a
vintage felt beanie hat from the
1950s, loaded with Cracker Jack and gumball machine charms. These hats were very popular from the late 1940s - early 1960s; the character of Jughead was never without his in the Archie comics. I've occasionally seen similar hats, but never one that was "just right" until I spotted this one:
The hat is festooned with all sorts of vintage charms collected by its original young owner: tiny skulls, little footballs and baseballs, a Snoopy-esque dog, even a Heinz pickle advertising pin:
One of my favorite pieces is this tiny 1950s microphone:
Here's the hat modelled by my 24 inch antique American bear, who wears it tilted at a rakish angle:
That one certainly is just right. I hope you're wearing it at work...I know I would.
ReplyDeleteYep. In fact, I may wear it to a meeting later today...
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was the thing to attach these charms to the Jughead type hat! Love learning about these long ago pop culture fads--and I get a vicarious thrill from your great finds.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you're enjoying the virtual shopping trip! :0)
ReplyDeleteKnow of any source for this type of hat?
ReplyDeleteIt's terrific. Would like to find one for
a friend's kid who's turning 3 and is a real
tough guy.
Any suggestions?
Mike
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite antique teddy bear dealers actually has a similar beanie, complete with vintage charms, for sale right now in her online shop, priced at $55. Here's the link:
http://www.antiqueteddybearcrossing.com/servlet/the-214/cap-hat-antique-vintage/Detail?category=Bear+Necessities
www.thekingpin.com sells this style of cap. I recently ordered one for myself.
ReplyDeleteThis type of crown-shaped cap often puzzles modern readers, but caps like this were popular among boys in the 1930s and 1940s. It was made from a man's felt fedora hat with the brim trimmed in a zig-zag and turned up.[1] In the 1920s and 1930s, such caps usually indicated the wearer was a mechanic."
ReplyDeleteStole from wikipedia. That Heinz pickle on the hat, I've had some of them, and I always identified those pins as being from about the mid 1940's but they could have had a longer run.
I just found 5 of these at an estate sale in rural Arkansas. The stamp inside says "Keyston Bros." Mine are leather and felt, each has a red ruby on top, 2 large medallions around the brim, and a dozen silver studs. One has the name "Billy" on the outside of the brim. I would be interested in what you paid for your hat.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm afraid I don't recall. It was quite awhile ago that I got mine. Yours sound interesting, and a good find.
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