You'll Flip Your Lid!

 Over our amazing stash of fine Stetson hats, still in their iconic boxes.

Although the Stetson name has long been synonymous with cowboy hats, it wasn't until 1970 that Stetson hats were actually made in Texas, more specifically in Garland. The John B. Stetson Company was founded originally in Philadelphia by John B. Stetson in 1865. Born in 1830, Stetson's father was a hatter and Stetson worked with him until, as a young man, he was told to go West for his health. While panning for gold in Colorado, Stetson used his hat-making experience to create a wide-brimmed hat with a tall crown out of felted fur. Although his companions originally mocked him for his unusual headwear, they were soon impressed by how well the hat kept its shape, protected the wearer from the sun, and helped insulate him from rain, as well as both heat and cold. After selling his original hat to a passing cowboy for the then-princely sum of $5.00, Stetson returned to Philadelphia and, using money borrowed from his sister, started a hat company, reproducing his design in felt, which he named the "Boss of the Plains." The waterproof, lightweight hat was a hit, and by 1891, the Stetson company was producing work and dress hats for both men and women in its nine-acre factory that employed some 5,000 workers. However, following WWII, when men's hats fell out of fashion, Stetson struggled, ultimately closing its Philadelphia factory in 1971 and entering into licensing arrangements with other manufacturers. The company went bankrupt in 1986, but Hat Brands purchased the Stetson factory equipment and license. Through various corporate mergers and sales, Hat Brands became Hatco, Inc., the Garland company currently continuing Stetson's long legacy.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

I've Got Rhythm. . .

You'll be singing that famous jazz ditty by the Gershwin brothers if you buy this marvelous mid-century modern nightstand. By the American furniture maker Lane Company, this walnut table is part of the company's Rhythm line, introduced in 1963 and produced for the rest of that decade. Lane advertised its Rhythm collection as "contemporary" with "bold sweeping accents," "smoothly sculpted legs and rails that flow together," and "clean, fluid lines." In the 1960s, Lane's furniture lines, such as Acclaim, Perception, Rhythm, and Tuxedo, epitomized American mid-century modern design with its simplicity of style, use of natural materials, and the lack of unnecessary embellishment. Lane mid-century modern furniture, featuring fine woods and craftsmanship, is highly sought after today.

Of warm walnut, this table, with its uncluttered curves, would fit in any decor. After some 60 years, this handsome and historical piece of furniture needs just a little TLC to restore it to its original beauty.

Who could ask for anything more?

The Lane family founded the town of Altavista, Virginia, in 1907. The town's proximity to planned railroad links and the Staunton River was important not only to the family's cotton mill, but would help create the Lane Company. In 1912, John Edward Lane purchased a bankrupt packing-box plant in Altavista, which his son, Edward Hudson Lane, converted to a factory making cedar chests, founding the  Standard Red Cedar Chest Company. The chests were marketed as "hope chests" to young women for storing linens, clothing, and other items in anticipation of marriage and setting up a new home. During WWI, the company made ammunition boxes. In 1922, it changed its name to the Lane Company and, thanks to nationwide marketing,  its cedar chests became synonymous with romance and marriage. During WWII, Lane also made aircraft parts. Following the war, the company expanded its design department and hired top designers. The company expanded its offerings in 1951, making occasional or side tables, and in 1956, after acquiring the Bald Knob Furniture Company, Lane began manufacturing dining room, living room, and bedroom furniture. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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