Hey, everyone!
Sorry for taking the holiday (and January…and February) off, but the SD Hat Collectors page is back with a new look! Expect more cap write-ups in the near future, but for now how about I answer your burning questions? These queries were submitted via Twitter:
When did it turn into collectioning and not just owning a bunch of hats? Does that make sense?
— Greg Tish (@Greg_Tish) March 5, 2018
I started my hat career as it were with 2 caps: an all-black and an all-white Padres cap way back in 2006. I’ve always been accustomed to wearing hats since my hair is rather uncooperative most of the time. I’ve also always had a penchant for collecting, so I think seeing how many varieties of caps there are available appealed to that sensibility. Two caps turned to six, to fifteen, and the rest as they say…
how do you clean your hats?
— Paul (@PSCO80910) March 5, 2018
I’m a stickler for cleanliness when it comes to my caps. At this point I have enough to where I don’t wear one too often. For caps that do need a light cleaning (dust, etc.), I use Lids cleaning spray (found at your local Lids) and a sponge brush to get dust and very light stains out.
For heavier restorations I utilize a cap cage (also at Lids) and wash the cap on the delicate cycle in my washing machine. I also utilize a stain treatment spray for heavy sweat or yellowing. After a wash I’ll park the cap in front of a fan to dry out and prevent brim damage.
How often do you get a hat for the sake of collecting it versus actually wanting it? Like one that you’ll actually wear.
— Tony “a humbled & confused millinial” Losoya (@Tony_Losoya) March 5, 2018
A question from our very own Tony Losoya!
When it comes to my collecting I always try to find an example I can actually wear first and foremost. Some caps I’ll pick up in my size but know that I won’t actually wear all that often (white caps, vintage examples). Of the many hats in my collection I can count on one hand those which will absolutely not fit me and are meant purely for collecting’s sake.
What hat do you wear when you just run to the store?
— Pog Lankford (@poglankford) March 5, 2018
I do have a “beater” cap for those quick runs to the store (and actual running, for that matter). My beater cap is the Padres Spring Training cap from 2014.
This cap became my beater when I accidentally stained my only version of the cap and had to grab another. The stained version has become my “go to” cap ever since.
Cleaning white caps has always been an eternal struggle, by the way.
Favorite hat in your collection? Least favorite hat in your collection? Hat you were most psyched to get once you got it? Hat that you’ve been eying for years but haven’t been able to get it?
— Fletcher Keel: Professional Florida Man (@FletchTopper) March 5, 2018
It’s tough to determine a favorite cap, to be absolutely honest. There’s caps I’ve hunted for years, vintage caps, caps my loving girlfriend has purchased for me, caps I’ve designed…I don’t think I could pick out a favorite cap. Without completely copping out, I’ll pick a few:
- Favorite colorway cap: navy/maroon Padres cap with gold SD. I know, blasphemy…but maroon/navy is one of my all-time favorite colorways.
- Favorite girlfriend purchase: Also tough, but she did get me that slick brown Padres cap from Hat Club with the white and gold interlocking SD. Close second is a red/red Jacksonville Expos cap.
- Favorite vintage: Oof. I’m gonna shoot and say my ’69 remake from the 80s.
- Favorite Billion Creation design: The 1976 Padres script National League Centennial. We’ve got much more in the works, however…
- Favorite personal design: Toss up, but I’ll give the edge to my Salton Sea Birds cap.
Least favorite is an easy one: I have a white crown Padres hat that I have desperately tried to save by cleaning more than a fair number of times. I’m honestly just waiting to swap the bill off of it (it has a cool brim design) with another cap. It is single-handedly the one cap that has put me off of white caps.
There are various levels of psyched, but I guess the caps I was most excited about were the caps I designed along with my fellow SD Hat Collectors. Seeing something you’ve only dreamed of come to life is a pretty special thing.
I have a few caps that are on my “grail” list: a Tony Gwynn retirement on-field and a true 1972 example are up there.
And Tim, if your favorite hat isn’t the SD skyline lid…
— Fletcher Keel: Professional Florida Man (@FletchTopper) March 5, 2018
Oops.
If you could change one thing about @NewEraCap fitteds, what would you change?
— ArizonaHiggins 🌵 (@ArizonaHiggins) March 5, 2018
Easy: their quality control. For being the premier cap manufacturer New Era suffers from some really dumb quality control issues such as variations in their cap sizing from cap to cap, brims that are attached crooked, and various fit and finish issues that a company of their caliber should really look into and address.
There’s also issues with accuracy when it comes to certain “retro” remakes, but that resides more on the hubris of a designer rather than the company as a whole and I’ll leave it at that.
Thank you all for your questions! I hope you’ll be looking forward to more cap coverage from SD Hat Collectors in the coming year! We also have some awesome stuff in the works with our partners and friends at Billion Creation, the only place where you’ll find exclusive SD Hat Collectors designs made for Padres fans, by Padres fans.
Thank you and stay tuned for more hats!
SD HAT COLLECTORS 