Smyrna times., 1883-06-20
The Trade in Straw Hats.

turer to Tribune reporter. Yes,
guess | know little about the trade. ;
l ought to, for | sell about as many as
any firm in the city, or country either
for that matter. We've got a small
few lying around here, haven't we?"
and he waved his hand toward the
huge wareroom q hundred feet long by
forty wide, every available inch of
which was taken up with wooden
cases packed full of various styles of
the weightless head-gear. "Well,
every bit of that stock will be sold out
in two or three days if this weather
keeps on. The trade has been a light
one SO far this year, but none of us
have carried very large stocks; so it
has not pressed as heavily on US as it
did last year, when the cold June left
us with a large unused stock on our
hands. This we had to get rid of |
before manufacturing our new stock"
"Is it true that there has been a |
to keep the supply down and prevent |
the ruinOus auction sales?" said the |
reporter.
"If SO, know nothing about it.
The only combination | know of was
the early Fall last year and the late
Spring this. AS to the styles which
are most in demand, you will get more
information from a jobber or retail
dealer. Each manufacturer makes up
what his fancy or experience dictates
as the most salable, and he then has to
take his chances, or rather it is the
jObber who risks the most, and it is not
till the end of the season that it is
known who has had the better fore
sight. There are very few large facto-
ries in New York; our own and those
of most other large city houses are in
Massachusetts, where the work of sew
ing the strips together and fashioning
them into the finished article is done.
The straw itself is worked into the
strips by another class of workers
altogether and comes to us from all
parts of the country. The Canadian
Mackinaw straw is one of the highest
priced and is much in demand for the
city trade. Country people do not
care to pay big price merely for fash
ion. There is an imitation Mackinaw
which is difficult to distinguish from
; the genuine article, and as it is much
cheaper we are supplying great many
to our customers. You can Judge for
yourself as to the difference" and the
manufacturer held up two hats for in
spectiOn, which from the black band
outside to the broad ribbon inside the
crown, marked in both cases Genuine
Mackinaw," were as like as two peas.
5 "ORe sells for twelve dollars dozen
; the other for eight" said he, "and the
! retailer will probably sell one for So
and the other for 50. Large profits?
Well, you see, a hat passes through a
. good many hands after leaving the
n manufacturer and they all have tC
o live. Another thing is that straw hats
$ are risky investment for the retailers
q They have to carry very large stock
/ and run the chance of selling a small
Q percentage of those they have on hand
d l don't think myself that there's beer
h very much money for any one in the
e trade this year, but of course continued
1, hot weather will make big difference
o to jObbers and retailers. AS to tn,
a manufacturers, their stock is eithe
o already out of their hands or disposed
is of in advance"
y In close proximity to the manufac
"a tUrer's office are number of jobbers
Y, and one or two of these were visited
L
k one has made fortune this year b
lr peddling straw hats, though, of course
a. an immense number are bound to b
IN got rid of every year. What styles ar
er being most sought after? Well, larg
hats are in demand as rule; by larg
L hats | mean those with wide brir
ie slightly turned up. The retailers te
ed me, however, that the fashionabl
rn young man, when he can bring hin
us self so far to consult comfort instead {
e style as to wear straw at all, prefer
lie a narrow brim, affording of course n
st protection against the rays of the SUI
The Mackinaw straw is as popular &
to ever this year, but is strictly what W
to call city hat and is not sold to coul
In try buyers in any quantity to speak o
ne The hat most in favor in rural distric
nd is the mixed straw, a mixture of whit
he straw with either black or brown.
re- is made in low grades, is very chea
retailing at rs cents or 81, and does NJ
ng show the dirt so much as its aristoorat
M rival, the pure white or cream colo
q As to prices, we sell all the way fro
to $3.50 to $50 dozen, but very few
re- the latter figure, as their retail price
Id very high. We import hats fro
q South America and France, but Aol
for to speak of from England, though
believe they make a very fair an
yes cheap quality there. Nearly every Ia
A we have sent out this year has BET
ew decorated with plain black silk ri
ld, bon tied in q bow at the side. Fan,
ler ribbons are very little worn except
ler members of athletic and boating clu
lto who have their special club rlhhC
The made to Order,n
a retail halter uptown said! "The
stl- has been q great rush for 'straws'
rye the last two days, but our more fas
lip. ionable customers only use them
ate country wear. The dude and his f
ley lows cannot relinquish their cur
,tic brimmed high hat, and so buy the lig
ten white Summer high hat, which is aft
md all about as cool as a straw. By t
to way, don't know whether you a
e Is aware of the fact that the old-fasltio
are ed white hat with a silk nap Is sho
to ing signs of resuscitation. They m
lait not be much worn this season, but ne
ON year the dude-or whatever may
his name then-will probably We
nth nothing else.-N. Y. Tribune.
rms ->.s.-
"a prn.I Tnstood oe oor,,,lo;oirO.