If it's Monday, someone wants a hat.
Mar. 2nd, 2009 03:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdymonkeyOnce again, someone is searching for a decent Japanese hat. Once again, the link to the nice people in Japan who sell very nice re-enactor and festival hats has been posted, to the wails of "But that's too expensive!" $60 for a hat with the correct harness inside, plus shipping from Japan (I'd have to guess around $40 EMS, somewhat less for the slower SAL shipment), which, while pricy, will assure that the hat is packed with loving care and shipped speedily. How do I know? I bought one from them a couple years back.
I have posted contact information to Soko Hardware in San Francisco on several occasions, suggesting people call or write and see if they will sell their hats direct and ship out of town. No one has ever posted to indicate that they have bothered to try this and what Soko's answer might have been.
So, thinking on this conundrum and remembering the Great Estrella Gasa Drive of last year, I inquired what people would be willing to pay - and my first respondent said "$20-$40." Honey, for that you get the craptastic rice picker special from AsianIdeas.com and a rubber band to hold it on your head. I'm the one who's going to have to go get the things (gas, bridge toll, and quite possibly parking), pay retail price and sales tax, find appropriately sized boxes and packing materials to ship them with and fight with the mercenary bitch behind the counter at the PO who likes to pretend that Parcel Post doesn't exist, because these bad boys will be too big for the automated shipping kiosk.
I think I'm gonna have to be "mean" and do this on eBay - if I do it at all. There's being nice and there's being screwed.
I have posted contact information to Soko Hardware in San Francisco on several occasions, suggesting people call or write and see if they will sell their hats direct and ship out of town. No one has ever posted to indicate that they have bothered to try this and what Soko's answer might have been.
So, thinking on this conundrum and remembering the Great Estrella Gasa Drive of last year, I inquired what people would be willing to pay - and my first respondent said "$20-$40." Honey, for that you get the craptastic rice picker special from AsianIdeas.com and a rubber band to hold it on your head. I'm the one who's going to have to go get the things (gas, bridge toll, and quite possibly parking), pay retail price and sales tax, find appropriately sized boxes and packing materials to ship them with and fight with the mercenary bitch behind the counter at the PO who likes to pretend that Parcel Post doesn't exist, because these bad boys will be too big for the automated shipping kiosk.
I think I'm gonna have to be "mean" and do this on eBay - if I do it at all. There's being nice and there's being screwed.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 12:05 am (UTC)$60 for a hat delivered from Japan is a bargain. People are idiots.
What's the link? I'm interested in seeing the hats.
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Date: 2009-03-03 02:29 am (UTC)http://www.shop-japan.co.jp/english-boku/warring5.htm
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Date: 2009-03-03 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 02:39 am (UTC)The other thing about dealing with Japanese vendors? They provide terrific customer service!
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Date: 2009-03-03 12:59 am (UTC)I was cruising those links to Japanese stores and it looks like the prices have gone up significantly in the last year. Exchange rate, maybe.
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Date: 2009-03-03 03:00 am (UTC)Nice to have, but lower in priority than the many other SCA things that money would bring.
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Date: 2009-03-03 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 03:06 am (UTC)I'm not saying that $100 isn't a lot for a straw hat, particularly right now for a lot of people. I just don't want to end up losing money and needlessly aggravated for trying to help people get hats at a somewhat more reasonable price.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-03 06:20 pm (UTC)People wailing about cost always is silly to me. The SCA is not an inexpensive hobby, and if you want to do Asian, you are talking (relatively) more expensive fabrics, and specialty items not always available in this market. If you treat it well, those hats will last you 5-10 years... so it costs you $6 per year.... Which is nothing when you consider that people will pay $600-800 for a helmet...
sigh.
The issue of custom order sticker shock
Date: 2009-03-03 06:34 pm (UTC)http://modehistorique.livejournal.com/44988.html
It is a discussion of how many people in the SCA (or other re-enactment groups) don't seem to understand or want to understand the time and effort of producing things, and want artists to provide them stuff for free.
No $60 hats here....
Re: The issue of custom order sticker shock
Date: 2009-03-03 07:55 pm (UTC)I occasionally amuse myself by attending a local antiques flea market. While I sometimes find things I can afford, I often am faced with admiring something and telling the vendor in as apologetic a fashion as possible, "I'm sorry, it's just not in my budget right now." I've appreciated the article, I've shown I understand its value and am not trying to insult them by whining about the price.