Country Living Appraises Vintage New Year's Hats: What's The Worth?

Trust us, you’re going to want to keep them after reading this.

We're very excited to syndicate one of our favorite columns, 'What Is It? What Is It Worth?' from one of our favorite magazines, Country Living. All text and images below are provided by Country Living. Get ready to be surprised!

Professional appraiser Helaine Fendelman identifies and evaluates your collectibles and antiques.

"These festive New Year's party hats — checkerboards and stripes — were manufactured c. 1960 by the Clever Idea Co. of Brooklyn, N.Y. The cone-shaped cardboard hats feature ruffled crepe-paper fringe.”

country living what it worth

What Is It?

New Year's decorations and accessories gained in popularity in the 1920s. Items produced included noisemakers, horns, whistles, and hats. Party hats were often embellished with glitter, feathers, and fringe. From the 1950s through the 1960s, hats were especially brightly colored, reflecting fashion trends of the time. A variety of American manufacturers produced paper and cardboard hats, notably the Clever Idea Co. of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo.

What to Look For

"New Year's party hats are becoming harder to find since they were never meant to last," says Joe Rosson, an appraiser and coauthor of Country Living's American Glassware: What Is It? What Is It Worth? "They would be thrown away after the party." Vintage examples vary in style — cone-shaped to crowns — and were typically made of paper and cardboard. Condition and age are important. Individual hats can fetch $1 and a set of six, $15.

Valued at: $5 each

*The estimates provided are preliminary only and subject to change based on firsthand inspection and further research. Appraisal prices refer to an item's fair market value, or what one might expect to pay for an object of similar age, size, color, and condition at auction.

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