tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34430102341115018982024-03-06T03:14:54.044-05:00The Fitted DiariesFor fitted hat collectors, by fitted hat collectors.Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-35089210657849416582017-11-12T20:49:00.001-05:002017-11-13T18:49:26.299-05:00A Future for The Culture: Meet Brett Swartz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For many cap collectors to say they have been "chasing the dream" for quite some time would be the most modest of understatements. Many that I've had the pleasure of getting to know have been working on their ultimate hoards for well over a decade and some for as long as 25 years. That type of commitment and desire is something to be revered but let us not forget that one day the future of our craft will eventually be carried out by the next generation. </div>
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Today, we get a chance to meet one of the youngest cap connoisseurs around. You may not know the name, but rest assure, it's one you're going to want to get to know. This 21 year old, hailing from the depths of the desert, can only be described by one word; <b>NEXT</b>. He may be early in the hunt, to some, but sooner rather than later all bets are on this collector being a giant in our game. Without further ado, here is this weeks conversation with Brett Swartz. </div>
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TFD: Brett, where do you call home?</div>
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BS: I am originally from Orange/Riverside, California but I moved to Phoenix four years ago to go to college.</div>
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TFD: What size fitted do you wear?</div>
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BS: I wear a 7 3/8 but can make 7 1/4 or 7 1/2 work in a pinch. </div>
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TFD: When did you find yourself beginning to collect fitted caps?</div>
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BS: I have always been really into caps. When I was growing up I had a cap for each of my favorite team. In high school, I expanded my collection to around 20 caps. I really didn't consider it a collection. There were a few caps I wore and some others that were older that I didn't want to get rid of. When I got to college, I noticed a few hat collector accounts on Instagram; Spike Leach (@SpikeLeach), Will Schaule (@goodwillyum), Anthony Collicchio (@xclickaroox), etc. I started expanding my collection from that point forward. </div>
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In February 2016, the Kansas City Royals were fresh off their World Series win and newly designed Spring Training cap dropped with the Royals adding a crown to their "K.C." logo. I knew I had to have it. For two weeks, I drove to different Hat Club stores in Arizona and even to the Royals Spring Training facility (looking for the cap). After nearly giving up, I stopped into a random Hat Club that I had never visited before; of course, the caps were there on the shelves. The feeling of finally finding one was something I looked to replicate. Around March 2016, I decided to start a fitted cap specific Instagram account. separate from my own. Since then, my cap collection has exploded.</div>
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TFD: Can you remember what your very first cap was?</div>
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BS: I personally cannot remember it but it is well documented in pictures. As a baby, my Dad had a newborn sized Kansas City Royals New Era Authentic Collection cap for me, when I was born. That cap is in a lot of photos. It's still in my possession, today.</div>
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TFD: Where does this love for the Royals come from? </div>
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BS: My dad lived there during a very key year in K.C. sports history. As a 9 year-old, he witnessed the royals come to fruition, in 1969. He witnessed the growth of a future Hall-of-Famer, in George Brett (guess who I was named after). My dad also saw the first Royals World Series victory. From all that, his fandom was passed down to me. Not that I had a choice, anyway. </div>
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After years of torment, they finally rewarded my loyalty in 2014 and 2015. Those years were filled with moments that I will never forget. Sports truly are magical, aren't they?</div>
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TFD: If anyone follows you on Instagram, they can see that the majority of your caps are baseball related. Any favorite teams, other than the Royals? </div>
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BS: Since living in Arizona, I have developed a soft spot for the Diamondbacks. MiLB wise, my favorite team was the (now defunct) High Desert Mavericks. When I was a kid, my dad ran a club-baseball team named after them. I played many games under that "hatted-M" logo of theirs, so it has held a special place to me, in terms of cap collecting. </div>
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TFD: Are there any specific rules you have, in terms of what caps make the collection and which don't? </div>
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BS: I usually stick to USA-made polyester caps, due to them fitting my odd-shaped noggin the best. I don't really have rules, besides that. However, from my page you can see I mainly stick to baseball related caps. </div>
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TFD: You recently did a mini-tour of the Arizona Fall League, where you happily helped multiple members of Team Fitted acquire On-Field caps. Which team in the league has your favorite cap/logo and why?</div>
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BS: Everyone loves the Scorpions logo, due to its awesome design and notable team alumni (Michael Jordan, Tim Tebow, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, etc). However, I actually dig an outside the box, team. My favorite is actually the Salt River Rafters cap, because, to me, it is just so unique compared to other baseball logos. It just stands out. I have been helping people get AFL caps for two seasons, now, yet I still don't own a single one of their caps! Guess I need to fix that!</div>
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TFD: What would you say are some of your favorite caps?</div>
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BS: Some of my favorite caps are my Royals 2016 Ring Ceremony/Friday alternate cap, the ever-illusive 2016 Asheville Tourists "Beer City" cap (one of my first MiLB caps) and my Casper Ghosts cap. </div>
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TFD: Are there any "holy grail" caps that you would like to add to the collection but have had trouble finding?</div>
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BS: Any of the Royals special event caps, pre-2015; Memorial Day (2013-2015), Stars and Stripes (2008-2013), All-Star patch caps (pre-2016), along with all of their older Turn Back The Clock caps (2011-2015). I missed out on those, back in my pre-collecting days. Another one I would like would be the Portland Beavers two-tone cap from the 2008-2010 era. There are a few others that I really want that I wouldn't say are quite grail status...yet.</div>
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TFD: What are your most frequented hat stores?</div>
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BS: Hat Club, for sure, being in Arizona where they have most of their locations. It's pretty easy to visit them. Plus, they do the best business in the business, in my opinion. </div>
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TFD: Have you enjoyed being part of the Team Fitted group?</div>
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BS: 100%. I love chatting it up about caps and other cap related topics, with other collectors. I also love seeing what everyone else is grabbing, especially when I can't afford to buy one. I love being able to assist people with finding caps they want (I.E.: the Arizona Fall League caps).</div>
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TFD: What does the fitted culture mean to you?</div>
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BS: It gives me hope that I am not alone! Even among baseball players, who own more hats than usual, I am the crazy hat dude on my team. On a more serious note, it is amazing what fellow cap collectors are willing to do to help out one another; whether it is a person with thousands of caps or even just ten. I can't count how many times other collectors have assisted me with information or have even grabbed a cap for me in person, all the way across the country. That kind of blind generosity is a model I think the whole world could benefit from following. </div>
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TFD: If they don't do so already, where can the readers find you on social media?</div>
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BS: On Instagram I go by @FittedGuy16. I do have a personal account but I do like to keep that one separate. I use my cap account quite a bit more. On Twitter, my handle is @Swartzy16. Those are my most-frequented social media outlets. I also use Flickr to catalog all of my caps. If anyone wants to see an updated view of my collection, you can check out my account there. </div>
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TFD: Lastly, if you could design your own custom New Era Cap, what would the inspiration for that be and what might it look like?</div>
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BS: That's a great question. I really love what Hat Club is doing right now with the customs and in-house designs. The Dionic Danny creations, as well. Personally, I would follow on Danny's path by creating a faux-team identity and branch off from that. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(The now sold-out Dionic Halloween Octo-Slugger cap, via Hat Club)</span></div>
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As far as inspiration and what it might look like, I have no idea at this point in time. However, I have always wanted to dabble in the custom-game, so who knows. Maybe something will come of it in the future.</div>
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That will do it this time around. I hope you enjoyed today's read, featuring Brett. He's a young collector who is years ahead of the game. His willingness to help others and passion for expanding the fitted culture qualifies him as a valued part of Team Fitted. Give him a follow on Instagram, if you haven't already, @FittedGuy16. Thanks for reading and remember, #StayFitted</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.7778px;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span><br style="line-height: 21.7778px;" /><span style="line-height: 21.7778px;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></span></span></div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-70390568033283237162017-10-08T16:28:00.000-04:002017-10-08T16:32:31.269-04:00A Sunday Conversation with Benjamin Christensen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For most reading, the name Benjamin Christensen is one that will ring bells of familiarity. Ben, or "Shakabrodie" as his thousands of Twitter and Instagram followers might know him, has been a prominent figure in the world of fitted caps for quite some time. Ranging from being a part of the now famous Crew Era 13 collectors group, to being a prominent figure of a certain bay-area cap store, along with managing a rather well known corporate social media account, he's seemingly done it all. Rest assured, he's just getting started.<br />
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I recently had a chance to spit-ball and bounce a few questions off of one of the greats in the fitted community, with hopes of finding out what makes him tick. Needless to say, the results certainly did not disappoint. Enjoy this week's interview with the man of a thousand hats, "Shakabrodie."<br />
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TFD: When did you first start collecting fitted caps?<br />
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BC: I would say I first really actively started collecting caps in 2009/2010. Prior to then, I just had a few caps from my time working in the San Francisco Giants organization, back in 1999/2000 (with the Bakersfield Blaze). There were a few random ones, back then; an Oakland A's home cap, a 1969-1991 Montreal Expos cap and a 1980's Philadelphia Phillies cap. When I got older and grew my hair out is when I started grabbing at least one of every MLB team and a few Minor League Baseball teams, which then snowballed into the 1000 or so that I have now.<br />
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TFD: What attracted you to the culture?<br />
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BC: It's not so much the culture that I was attracted to, as the hats themselves. Since I was a kid, I've always treated hats as pieces of wearable art. Some would make the same claim about shoes. The overall construction and the amazing colors and logos are very attractive to the eyes. Also, it's one of the few articles of clothing that actually tells stories; by that, I mean, hats serve as beacons to some about the town/city they live in. Even though we're talking about an accessory/piece of a uniform, hats have transcended fashion and become a part of a person's upbringing or personality; that's what continues to attract me to them.<br />
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TFD: When did you start working with Hat Club?<br />
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BC: I started working for Hat Club in June of 2014, at their location in Daly City, California at the Serramonte Mall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYGXd3YLd6UxXzqxERU4ZlfYUmDiG9tb-h-rYBdqolqFmChgRRkl4RXf_FSsH-fdYwbmU-dvrpG2PydMEjaJ6KZmSBvLWYs0rawYIYEYjkwIDCgSXOvICBehaqpEj6vY0cXZ4zyz1cZgB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="350" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYGXd3YLd6UxXzqxERU4ZlfYUmDiG9tb-h-rYBdqolqFmChgRRkl4RXf_FSsH-fdYwbmU-dvrpG2PydMEjaJ6KZmSBvLWYs0rawYIYEYjkwIDCgSXOvICBehaqpEj6vY0cXZ4zyz1cZgB/s320/logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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TFD: What are your roles with the company?<br />
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BC: Along with running the day to day operations at their location in Concord, California, I've been serving as the company's Director of Social Media, since April of 2015. I'm also the unofficial "Hat Lord" of the company.<br />
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TFD: How do you feel your experience as a journalism student affects your ability to run Hat Club's Twitter and Instagram feeds?<br />
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BC: My journalism background plays a huge part. While some folks see social media as a void to mutter jokes and spit dribble, it actually serves as a wide-reaching platform to tap into markets and consumers on a scale that wasn't imaginable 15 years ago. By understanding how the masses communicate (tone and thirst for information), I have become pretty savvy on picking up how we, as a society, evolve via communication. It's a mixture of being witty and relevant, while leaving a lasting impression.<br />
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TFD: Speaking of the Hat Club Twitter account, the company has recently been dropping some absolute fire, via their feed. Which of the most recent drops is your personal favorite?<br />
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BC: Hands down my favorite is the one hat I've been trying to locate for about six years, now; the old school Jacksonville Expos minor league hat. Even though I'm an A's fan, I've always been a huge fan of the Expos organization, especially when it comes to their logo and color schemes. Any time I see something of a historical significance involving the Expos, I have to have it. Even though I work for Hat Club, that doesn't necessarily mean I get first dibs at everything; I still have to fight tooth and nail for these sweet releases, like everyone else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhzZ5c4jhcwLlAqzTDj8Hf-jqDwgS2ETzQrrxKO4colAJFhDscm6VJFce_67YFdTL0dXDV60BB3DMq44TKFVB451n30JLXWJupSIdppl88WQXd7ZicbBrOxs_VBfMI01V4UKNJsB1bZOj/s1600/jexpo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1200" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhzZ5c4jhcwLlAqzTDj8Hf-jqDwgS2ETzQrrxKO4colAJFhDscm6VJFce_67YFdTL0dXDV60BB3DMq44TKFVB451n30JLXWJupSIdppl88WQXd7ZicbBrOxs_VBfMI01V4UKNJsB1bZOj/s320/jexpo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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TFD: What can we expect to see in the near future?<br />
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BC: Expect to see a lot of really cool shit, coming from the MLB, MiLB, NFL, NBA very soon. I think we're dropping over 100 new releases, spanning from mid-September through November.<br />
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TFD: Is there anything that you, personally, would like to see produced?<br />
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BC: Not a lot of people know this, but I've actually designed a few hats in the past. I wouldn't say they're anything too special, just hats that I know would take off. For example, the late 80's Seattle Mariners "S" logo hat, with the mid 90's Seattle Supersonics color way. When it comes to stuff I'd like to own and wear, I always design and pass forward my ideas to our buying team to get their opinion. I know there will be at least three dropping some time over the next month or so that I helped create or bring back to life. It's always a cool feeling knowing that other hat collectors share the same nostalgia for a lot of the hats that I help put out.<br />
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TFD: As a fellow wrestling nerd, any potential for a collaboration of the squared-circle variety?<br />
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BC: If it wasn't so hard to cut through licensing, I would love to see some kind of a collaboration with the WWE, New Era and Hat Club. I know those things would be cleaned out in a matter of minutes.<br />
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TFD: Anyone who follows your twitter has seen the unique labeling system you use on your caps. Can you break this down for the readers?<br />
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BC: So, when it comes to my marking system, which I've really slowed down with, I always choose jersey numbers, statistics or major event dates in the history of when each hat was used. I first got the idea from Livan Hernandez during the 1997 National League Championship Series. A lot of Dominican players write on their hats to pay tribute to loved ones or friends who have passed away; I was really inspired by that kind of a simple tribute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxwXh3HLToO6t9dQcBU782VDa61_wA7rYxA4e8uf0urBxorwsUSGRjlQM5Sb_ftOzjZN-RrW9UW6-LWU3AQq9pkzZ2DzFyoNMntZ6Syz7v0lirRex_JYjNz6QWCVDTmpPrVg2GcmJE1zw/s1600/giants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJxwXh3HLToO6t9dQcBU782VDa61_wA7rYxA4e8uf0urBxorwsUSGRjlQM5Sb_ftOzjZN-RrW9UW6-LWU3AQq9pkzZ2DzFyoNMntZ6Syz7v0lirRex_JYjNz6QWCVDTmpPrVg2GcmJE1zw/s320/giants.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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TFD: Do you have any rules in your collection? For example, are there any caps you will not buy, based on the team?<br />
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BC: For them most part I don't buy any custom color way hats; however, I've been known to be a habitual line-stepper when I see something that pops. For the most part, as long as it's something that was, is or resembles something that has been worn on field, those are my targets.<br />
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TFD: What is your favorite cap in your collection?<br />
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BC: It has to be my 2012 Oakland Oaks Turn Back The Clock hat, that I actually got at Hat Club. I can't really explain why. It's just such a clean cap. It was also the cap the A's wore when Josh Reddick hit a walk-off double, against the Seattle Mariners.<br />
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TFD: Are there any "Holy Grail" caps that have seemed to evade you that you're still looking for?<br />
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BC: I'm always on the hunt for a few caps. The top of the list is made up of a few of the A's hats from their Kansas City days, a 1998 Milwaukee Brewers road hat, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals pillbox hats and the 1974 Boston Red Sox alternate hat. Those are all stupidly hard to find.<br />
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TFD: As a fellow Team Fitted member, what is your favorite part of the group?<br />
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BC: I love seeing a lot of the rare hats that other Team Fitted members have. I also enjoy helping a few of the T.F. members track down some of the "Grails" they have been trying to locate. Over the last few years I think I've helped at least a bakers dozen guys and gals add some gems to their collections.<br />
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TFD: What's next for Benjamin Christensen?<br />
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BC: Good question. Probably a beer and a nap in the immediate future, but I'd really like to have some more free time to get back into writing. I really want to restart my hat blog that I was active with from 2013 through early 2014. It brought me a lot of joy and I was able to meet and talk to a lot of cool people as a result of it.<br />
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That concludes this week's interview. Big thanks go out to Ben for willing to be a part of this and giving me some really good material to work with. Hopefully, you now know a little more about him and will reach out and say hello. If you want to connect with him on social media, you can find him at the following places:<br />
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Twitter: @Shakabrodie<br />
Instagram: @Shakabrodie<br />
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also, if you do not do so already, you can find Hat Club, here:<br />
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Twitter: @HatClub<br />
Instagram: @HatClub<br />
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#StayFitted<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7778px;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7778px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7778px;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></span><br />
<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-1268202934153149212017-08-24T01:02:00.002-04:002017-08-24T01:09:26.257-04:00Blatantly Turning A Blind Eye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trying to keep kids interested in Major League Baseball is something to be totally in-on and support with all your might. Without the support of future generations, it would be rather difficult to sustain funding for a business where each of it's 750 (on-field) employees all make well upwards of a half-million dollars. The real question to ask is, is it worth the cost of completely selling-out tradition in the process? On the eve of the inaugural "Players Weekend", this is the inquiry at hand.</div>
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Major League Baseball will jump into the deep-end of the proverbial highlighter-pool, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday as they debut sets of 30 in-game uniforms, featuring florescent colors and nicknames, amid many alterations. This series of temporary changes stems from the current on-going Little League World Series, in which MLB hopes to link the sentiment of love for the great game of baseball across all ages, beginning with the youth. Fans young and old will once again "remember" how fun and special the sport truly is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmWriPMs5RR0oxWubsq7mNZUmITlXve8fbO1ITXs9j21LOm-n0iBljkjnpruIRbgrcIqLkLxZMOjK7vAO382K5anlNF5F40uquwGs4a0DtuzyqoHp15E1UiiLJQCGRQWL2aBq3Rez20l_/s1600/ICHI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmWriPMs5RR0oxWubsq7mNZUmITlXve8fbO1ITXs9j21LOm-n0iBljkjnpruIRbgrcIqLkLxZMOjK7vAO382K5anlNF5F40uquwGs4a0DtuzyqoHp15E1UiiLJQCGRQWL2aBq3Rez20l_/s200/ICHI.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_3zEzv8Asfbq5Fl8WEKfP2AdL0M0QzzlNjHvRFvpVyrTn8pVEBQXF8eROIC2cFdPyF30A1pnzqFBgcrB7r-7IbsNI4QjVNoH2CtZ8n-7oCnWQDnUzLLLwqm4XisZlKBWNji2Ibh3YdX7/s1600/CB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_3zEzv8Asfbq5Fl8WEKfP2AdL0M0QzzlNjHvRFvpVyrTn8pVEBQXF8eROIC2cFdPyF30A1pnzqFBgcrB7r-7IbsNI4QjVNoH2CtZ8n-7oCnWQDnUzLLLwqm4XisZlKBWNji2Ibh3YdX7/s200/CB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b> DISCLAIMER: IF YOU NEED RIDICULOUS NICKNAMES AND OBNOXIOUS COLORS TO REMIND YOU TO ENJOY THE SPORT, BASEBALL WILL NEVER BE FOR THE GAME FOR YOU. </b></span><br />
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<b style="color: red;"> </b>Not that baseball can't be fun, but surely we don't need to go to these drastic marketing lengths to keep fans involved. If the argument is that it's "for the kids", think again. These uniforms and caps are being sold in adult sizes, too.<br />
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The New York Yankees seem to be the one franchise that resisted to the eye-popping modifications, as far as the On-Field New Era Caps are concerned. They went with a rather simple navy interlocking N-Y over a monochrome road-gray brim and crown. That much is tolerable but what comes next seems asinine and downright sac-religious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr1eXrD3LDaQk4IsZr7NjrC4PHb8kTJOx2QP8ADTNyNHiB55MYFanu1R9ynXS1q-nauv1k23CNxyuOU6gwYAcnbXsQbBkGEhlDJYkkIpObJnmAxk9F43aSOznSKY8UsUNXzlnrIYmEqiN/s1600/yanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr1eXrD3LDaQk4IsZr7NjrC4PHb8kTJOx2QP8ADTNyNHiB55MYFanu1R9ynXS1q-nauv1k23CNxyuOU6gwYAcnbXsQbBkGEhlDJYkkIpObJnmAxk9F43aSOznSKY8UsUNXzlnrIYmEqiN/s320/yanks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The fore mentioned interlocking N-Y, traditional blue pinstripes and white background have all been removed on the home jersey. Additionally, the "Yankees" cursive word-mark has been placed across the chest, in white font, over a navy blue body and road gray sleeves. Lastly, they too have nicknames on the back. To make mild alteration is one thing, but to completely butcher it? Awful. This is a traditional design, originating in 1915. (see below)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QHvm0pStW1-3WmxLWlTRVoUEYc1oyGy3cuDDe4dNfdmdyT1p7_9cY2VKSlPjhkmm3uUwV2_MCUMZ64781HS7wza7q_ybk3fsoLpneo_31QQuAc34Pao6igeWKQaOWZuwFydis1N0WDH8/s1600/JUDGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QHvm0pStW1-3WmxLWlTRVoUEYc1oyGy3cuDDe4dNfdmdyT1p7_9cY2VKSlPjhkmm3uUwV2_MCUMZ64781HS7wza7q_ybk3fsoLpneo_31QQuAc34Pao6igeWKQaOWZuwFydis1N0WDH8/s320/JUDGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Surely, there was a better way to link the lineage of the little leagues and the big leagues. This is blatantly just a petty plea to sell jerseys and caps to anyone willing to shell out the money. In fact, it's so ridiculous that MLB Shop itself has to remind its shoppers that, in fact, these abominations will make it onto all major league fields.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsuwFxuKCd1lxVrxhdZtAvxXv1H9d1inwkqRm4xzjlNxPTU8g3h1O3_gFmN8Fxepwz-UV2J_1td6NS077vmxaQgUtLWn9vn-8ah4bIl_Qw1Im7gadEEK8c1-jMF3BU8JnkNy9LWh56aFO/s1600/0735_Aspot_LLWS_V2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1366" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsuwFxuKCd1lxVrxhdZtAvxXv1H9d1inwkqRm4xzjlNxPTU8g3h1O3_gFmN8Fxepwz-UV2J_1td6NS077vmxaQgUtLWn9vn-8ah4bIl_Qw1Im7gadEEK8c1-jMF3BU8JnkNy9LWh56aFO/s400/0735_Aspot_LLWS_V2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In conclusion, this, in its entirety, is a messy, rushed disaster of a marketing attempt. If Major League Baseball has to go this far to draw in the casual fan, they have bigger problems than they think and that is something to really have concern for. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></div>
Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-65809276829386740852017-08-08T21:53:00.002-04:002017-08-08T21:58:41.220-04:00What Is Old is New Again<div>
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Whether it be a familiar scent, a sight for sore eyes or a memorable sound, nostalgia can be triggered at a moments notice. It seemingly comes out of nowhere but as soon as it hits you, you are magically transported to times of pure joy and simplicity. </div>
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It is not always easy to elicit these feelings, but, for many in the fitted-cap community, New Era has recently done exactly that. With the release of their "MLB Retro Classic" collection, many baseball fans have been launched back in time to their fledgling stages of days at the ballpark. </div>
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Being a "fan" is a funny thing that can be defined in many ways. True, going to games is a great way to show your support; there's really nothing quite like being there. Getting a player-tee is another fantastic way to show everyone who you specifically pull for on your club. Of course we need to mention the addition of an authentic jersey, which really puts you in that upper-echelon of supporter. However, perhaps, the official On-Field New Era Cap is the best way to link us all in a subtle simplicity of shared armor. It's an unmistakable and classic way to represent your organization and let everyone know what you're all about. After all, it is "The Cap The Pros Wear". </div>
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New Era's recent "MLB Retro Classic" line is one, in the opinion of most collectors, has been a long time coming. In 2007 New Era and Major League Baseball completely overhauled the iconic 5950 cap. The major change; no more wool. The company moved to a primarily polyester-based cap, which was geared to decrease troubles to athletes based off of sweat accumulation. The caps still fit well and looked great, however to many fans of the popular pro-model of past, some things seemed to be missing. In addition to the material change, looks were mildly altered over the past 10 seasons, being capped off this season with the New Era Flag being permanently affixed to the exterior of the hats.</div>
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Everyone can finally breathe. Salvation is here. A select run of styles in various teams have been produced and are now up for purchase <a href="http://shop.neweracap.com/search?q=mlb%20retro%20classic">HERE</a> at New Era's official site and <a href="https://www.lids.com/search/mlb%20retro%20classic">HERE</a> at Lids official site. New Era opted to turn back the clock with some of baseballs most iconic caps and team logos accordingly, in full accuracy of the originals. The flat team logos and "Batterman" logo have returned to the iconic cap along with the light-gray under-brim. The interior sweatband is again white, the way it was initially designed. There is no New Era Flag on the wearers left side and finally, the cap is once again 100% wool. </div>
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Undoubtedly, these will be received rather positively among the masses and they will likely sell out in the most popular sizes quickly. All that can be hoped for is the realization on New Era's part that they have done a fantastic job in the reproduction of these and that there is an absolute need for expansion and further production of the line. </div>
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Until then, appreciation is to be had. Good things have been done. A large corporation has chosen to look into the past at something that had been deemed vestigial by a major partner and managed to find value in it in the eye of the consumer. That is truly something worth celebrating. This should be regarded as a victory for collector and fan alike. It seems as though even those at the highest rungs of the business world can too reference their youth, as fans, and appreciate nostalgia as well. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-40801776897997253192016-09-21T22:45:00.000-04:002016-09-22T09:41:21.258-04:00A Necessary Evil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In life, it is often fact that things need change, if there is a hope and desire for growth. This is a truth that pertains to many things, however in this specific case, brand recognition on a global level.</div>
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After speculation and concerns surfaced in past weeks, it was confirmed Monday by Major League Baseball (MLB), through <a href="http://news.sportslogos.net/2016/09/19/confirmed-mlb-caps-will-fly-the-new-era-flag/">SportsLogos.net</a> , that indeed there will be a permanent change to the coveted New Era On-Field MLB 59FIFTY Cap. Starting with the Wild Card Round of the MLB Playoffs, the On-Field team caps will brandish the New Era Flag logo, on the wearers left side. Whereas this is absolutely a change that will be noticed immediately, it is maybe something that fans of New Era Caps should have seen coming a long time ago.</div>
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Questions arose throughout the New Era communities earlier this baseball season, when an advertisement ran on the scroll-boards behind home plate at Yankee Stadium. Most, with what they felt to be educated eyes, thought they had caught a mistake. The cap in the Authentic Collection ad displayed an On-Field New York Yankees cap with the New Era Flag logo 'imposed' on it. Certainly, some intern in Buffalo had mocked up the image for marketing and the higher-ups in the office missed it; an error had been made. Then, this week, the feared has become reality.</div>
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It's absolutely understandable that this may come as a shock and most may need a second or two to process it, but there's one main thing to remember in the grand scheme; this is still a business. Yes, since 1994 New Era has most famously been known for being the exclusive On-Field Cap of Major League Baseball, but growth is always a welcomed opportunity for a company of their caliber and advertising is as important as anything in the process. </div>
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To provide a brief history following the MLB deal, vast expansion of business, through fashion based caps, was ignited by the likes of musician Fred Durst and his red Yankees fitted in 1999 (look it up, kids). The support of the Limp Bizkit front man, along with other prominent luminaries, fueled the company into the next decade. The 2000's were a 10 year window which truly established the culture around the brand that many adore, today. </div>
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The writing was on the walls by late 2010, after news broke that New Era would additionally become the official On-Field Cap of the NFL, for the start of the 2012 season. The beloved cap company from Western New York had made a statement at that point; global growth was here. Since then, New Era has expanded their horizons even further by linking up with international soccer clubs, such as Manchester United and even recently bought the naming rights to the Buffalo Bills home stadium, now known as New Era Field. </div>
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The brand we all know and love is bigger than it has ever been and is trying to solidify their status even further by putting their logo on the side of their biggest product. It makes sense. That's just good business. It's how you garner exposure. This truly shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. </div>
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If it truly is a brand we all love, maybe we should just embrace the change and not throw unneeded shade towards a minuscule difference. </div>
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-Matt Aballi</div>
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Twitter: @MattAballi</div>
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Instagram: matt_aballi</div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-78338619831117303552015-03-10T00:39:00.002-04:002015-03-10T19:05:31.883-04:00Collectors Corner with Alex Mitchell AKA sfgrippy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AqBpdt1tj1S_JGO3c9Pe7MeoP2G7XlMIFXCHarueRxP17v3m4MoCH4KOYCKqp68FXpjr21oZ1t9XwelmY7GcMSvD3dBtEc3t-uzNnD7LuyS3V5CZCK70PncWvZcVK6GqUpiq53gL2nO3/s1600/15sfgrippy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AqBpdt1tj1S_JGO3c9Pe7MeoP2G7XlMIFXCHarueRxP17v3m4MoCH4KOYCKqp68FXpjr21oZ1t9XwelmY7GcMSvD3dBtEc3t-uzNnD7LuyS3V5CZCK70PncWvZcVK6GqUpiq53gL2nO3/s1600/15sfgrippy.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
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"The Most Hatted Man in San Francisco"; this is how today's guest identifies himself. sfgrippy, as his many subscribers of the various social media platforms might recognize him, is an avid New Era Cap collector and passionate fan of his local San Francisco Giants.<br />
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Alex, as the rest of his friends refers to him, is also the man behind a fantastic up and coming YouTube Channel, named after the "sfgrippy" alias, where he chronicles his favorite fitteds and fashions in how he chooses to wear them. Now, join us on a journey into the man with the "Halfface".<br />
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TFD: What is your name and where are you from?<br />
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AM: My name is Alex and I am from the foggy, foggy town of San Francisco<br />
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TFD: Now that everyone understands the basis of the "sf" in your social media handle, how would you describe your relationship to the Bay Area and its sports teams?<br />
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AM: Ha! Well, I am a huge baseball fan, so the San Francisco Giants are my team and have been for as long as I can remember. I also worked at AT&T Park (from '01-'03) before moving away for college; I was a Visiting Clubhouse Attendant. It was the most fun job I've ever had. I met so many players and got to see a lot of the behind the scene stuff before and after the games. Ken Griffey Jr. made fun of my hair; I'll never forget that.<br />
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I was never interested as a kid but I got into football about eight years ago, so of course, at the time I was going to root for the 49ers. Even at the time, when they were just awful. I'll root for the Warriors but never really liked basketball; however, they are moving to San Francisco in a few years and their new stadium will only be about a mile away from where I live. Games and concerts will be great, since I never have to drive or pay for parking! As for the Raiders and Sharks, the Sharks are fun but the Raiders I do not care for. Oh, and Stanford over Cal, for college sports.<br />
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TFD: What would you say is your favorite sport to watch, either on person or on Television?<br />
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AM: Baseball for sure on T.V. and is person. We have been lucky here since AT&T Park was built; it is the jewel of Mission Bay. The Atmosphere in that area is awesome. It isn't just a baseball game, it's a whole event. Take a train or walk, hit up Safeway for a 40oz, walk to Seal's Plaza and drink it on the pier, where the cops can't tell you to stop. Then, get into the game and get your chicken strips and garlic fries, with an $11 beer; stand or sit, whatever you want. I actually hate sitting at games, so you'll find me in the arcade section (right field) at every game. S.R.O. (Standing Room Only) loyal!<br />
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TFD: Would you say sports have influenced your obvious love for the fitted cap culture?<br />
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AM: Definitely. I played baseball for fifteen years, from age five to twenty; you rarely saw me without a hat. The best was when I started playing on a team that used fitted hats. It was like hitting the jackpot!<br />
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TFD: What was your first fitted cap?<br />
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AM: My first fitted cap was a San Francisco Giants cap that my dad bought me when I was a kid. I can't remember the year though. We went to Oshman's Sporting goods, in Millbrae, California. I remember looking at hats there and picking one up. I also remember my dad complaining about the cost; but when did he not? Haha. I kid, but that always stuck out to me.<br />
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TFD: Was it a gradually growing collection or did it take off like a wild fire?<br />
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AM: Gradually, for sure. In fact, I always just bought hats. I never thought of it as collecting, as I was just a hat buyer/receiver. Most of the hats I bought/received, when I was young, I used for baseball and everyday wear and are now in bad shape. A few I even tossed, because they were covered in mold; my closet was damp, in college. It ruined a lot of items. I feel I bought a lot more after finding about the large community that is out there. It's like when you find something you enjoy you kind of go overboard. Currently, I'm at a comfortable place with the collection.<br />
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TFD: How large is your fitted collection currently?<br />
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AM: I haven't counted since last July, but I think I'm pushing 170. The quantity isn't doing it much for me. I could have 300 hats, but that wouldn't be impressive if they weren't rare, dead stock, foreign or something special. The type of fitted and quality of them is what I focus on now. Plus, I live in San Francisco, so if you read Bloomberg and such, you know most of my money goes to my house!<br />
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TFD: Would you say you have a favorite?<br />
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AM: It's hard to say. I do have "favorite fitteds", ones that I wear more often than others, but then I also have favorites that I don't wear as much. I think my definite favorite, though, is my San Francisco Jailbirds cap. This was a cap that my buddy Len (@elkodesign) designed and we worked on together to manufacture and push to the public. We built a friendship off of this hat, too, which was pretty cool. We've tossed around ideas of creating other caps and have some things in the works.<br />
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TFD: As of late November of 2014, you had started a YouTube channel, featuring video-shorts. What was the inspiration for the project?<br />
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AM: This was about a year in the making. Working with a friend of mine, who is a producer in the Bay Area, we came up with a concept and ran with it. I noticed there aren't many hat videos out there on YouTube, so I wanted to bring some quality; that is what I believe I may have accomplished. More will be coming. Starting in March we will see a steadier stream of videos. Just search "sfgrippy" and you will find me. Stay tuned!<br />
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TFD: That is great news. I think many collectors would appreciate a more frequent schedule of videos, as the material is very good. Given the time-consuming events of everyday life, do you have any plans to make it a more consistent upload schedule?<br />
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AM: I do want to upload more consistently. I can make time work, but there are other costs to the videos. I have been working on finding sponsorships for videos, and actually my first sponsorship will be revealed later this month. The material is currently being sent out to me and I should have it soon. I am very proud of this achievement and can't wait to reveal it to the hat community, other fashion outlets, etc. It's a slow process to build, like a hat collection; nor does it jump off right away either, as I am still working or growing my brand. With everybody's help I can get there faster. Share, like and subscribe!<br />
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TFD: Where is your favorite place to shop for fitted caps (either local or online)?<br />
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AM: Local: Hat Club at the Serramonte Mall and the New Era store in downtown San Francisco. Those two mainly. I can spend hours at those stores talking to the people that work there. I find those stores have the most knowledgeable men and women in any hat shop. They're 10/10; highly recommended.<br />
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Online: Ebbets Field Flannels (<a href="http://www.ebbets.com/">http://www.ebbets.com/</a>), since they aren't sold anywhere locally.<br />
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TFD: Are there any "holy grail" caps that you can't seem to grab a hold of, that some of our readers might be able to help you find?<br />
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AM: Yup! Four, specifically:<br />
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1.) 2007 All-Star Game San Francisco Giants patch cap<br />
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This came around at a time when I was just flat broke, just out of college. Now, I'm trying to locate it is very hard, since they don't come around on eBay often. Someone will hook it up. I know it!<br />
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2.) San Jose Giants in a 49er color-way<br />
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This was a <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/">Cap City</a> release years ago. I've contacted them on numerous occasions to try to have it remade, but I think there are other reasons why they might not able to. I'm not sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlotIbOHiENaq4-llJ4i7UuPtTqS74nf_uIpnQFmRG0wBuoDthAYpMgV-E-QW3y31QiwGNwvbrdgxjHMnQ4Gc_H5jicZmMaV5GlRrcMI8OXFFG4dX1XDTktG0kQzWuSAOfXYSz9TcIxw6B/s1600/12sjgiants49er.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlotIbOHiENaq4-llJ4i7UuPtTqS74nf_uIpnQFmRG0wBuoDthAYpMgV-E-QW3y31QiwGNwvbrdgxjHMnQ4Gc_H5jicZmMaV5GlRrcMI8OXFFG4dX1XDTktG0kQzWuSAOfXYSz9TcIxw6B/s1600/12sjgiants49er.jpg" height="189" width="200" /></a></div>
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3.) Twiztid x Mishka Keep Watch cap. Their second version with the green eyeball.<br />
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I ordered it the first day it came out, when it actually sold out. It was delivered by the mailman, put in plain view, and someone actually stole it from my front yard. The second time I tried to get it on eBay, but I must have just updated the app on my phone, and I didn't get the notification saying the auction was ending. When I went to check on it, I had missed the end of the auction by a mere three minutes.<br />
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4.) Reno Aces Championship Gold "A" cap<br />
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I'm not a fan of the Aces, really, but they won the "Triple-A" championship. In 2013, they played their ring ceremony game in their home hats, but instead of a white "A", it was a gold "A". It was just a sick hat. Plus, my name starts with an "A", so it would be cool to wear. It was so rare, that I could only find two pictures of it.<br />
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TFD: How would you describe the "fitted culture" in the Bay Area?<br />
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AM: Broad. There are the collectors you know about from Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, who all connect and such, but then you have the collectors that don't post at all, anywhere. I have a really good friend who has about 150 or more hats, all fitteds, all Giants and 49ers ONLY. Most of those are in red and black, as well.<br />
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The ones you know about from the Bay Area are all connected in one way or another and help each other out. Some work for hat shops and can help you out when you need a size. We all have our ways of contacting each other, too; we're all willing to help out.<br />
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TFD: What's your favorite part of the fitted community, as a whole from your perspective?<br />
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AM: That's a good question. I have collected a lot of different things in the past, but nothing that compares to this. People get killed over shoes; the fitted community isn't like that. If there is a drop, then someone anywhere in the WORLD will offer their help; that's pretty cool. Plus, have you ever hear the phrase "It's hard to make friends as you get older"? Well, not in this community. Everybody is cool as hell and you learn about each other's lives. I've been to their houses! They've been in my car! We've drank beers and eaten burritos together! That's a trip, to me.<br />
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TFD: If our readers would like to follow you, via the multiple social media platforms of the world, where can they find you?<br />
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AM: You can find me anywhere as "sfgrippy". You know you want to; sometimes I'm even funny. Just type in "@sfgrippy" or "sfgrippy" on any of the main sites, and I'll be there; I'm even on reddit!<br />
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Thank you again to Alex, who provided an awesome look into his own life and the Bay Area fitted culture. We all look forward to his next post and many more to follow. Thank you sfgrippy!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">-Matt Aballi</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></span><br />
<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-85663802369137938182014-12-29T21:35:00.001-05:002014-12-29T21:35:07.367-05:00Collectors Corner with Ordanny Olivo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It goes without saying aloud; the New Era Cap culture is a part of us. It's a daily feature of our lives. It shows the world many things: where we're from, what we love, and conclusively who we are. Some like to use the phrase "I wear my heart on my sleeve"; I like to think some of us "Wear our hearts on our heads". Regardless of that, the more intriguing thought is that (conversely) we are part of the New Era Cap culture. That little facet of our community is where our guest, Ordanny Olivo, comes in.<br />
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Along with his great appreciation of everything 59Fifty, Ordanny also has a fondness and talent for graphic design. The obvious question here would be if he would somehow be able to combine the two fields. This venture, which can now be seen all over #TeamFitted social media, wound up being what most would consider a highlight in the past year of the cap-culture. With his unique adaptions of the famous 59Fifty size sticker, Ordanny was able to infuse a little bit of each collector with the New Era style. With this, he has put his mark on the fitted world for the better. Take a couple of minutes to learn about Mr. Olivo, and what makes him tick.<br />
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TFD: Where are you from?<br />
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OO: I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. My family is from Dorado, Puerto Rico.<br />
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TFD: What initially drew your interest into the fitted cap culture?<br />
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OO: Baseball. I played baseball growing up, and always kept my caps. As I got older, I just started buying them, for the teams I liked. Last year was when I started seeing all the collectors on Instagram; it just blew up from there.<br />
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TFD: What was your first cap?<br />
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OO: Technically, the first cap I ever owned (that I can remember) was the Chicago White Sox cap. As far as when I started collecting, it was a New York Yankees cap, I got for Christmas.<br />
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TFD: How strong is the love for the New Era where you live?<br />
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OO: Well, Detroit was voted "Best Sports City", so I would say pretty strong. Pretty much, everywhere you go, you see someone wearing a Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, or Pistons New Era Cap on!<br />
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TFD: How many caps do you claim on your collection?<br />
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OO: I currently have 68, with 4 on the way!<br />
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TFD: You clearly have an affinity and talent for graphic design, through some of the personalized work you've cooked up, for some of the Team Fitted guys. Is that something you do in a professional capacity?<br />
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OO: Unfortunately, no. In high school, I took a Photoshop class and learned a lot of the basics. Through the years, I've just learned by trying things and watching videos on YouTube. It is something that I might pursue in the near future, though.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Above, a design Ordanny created for myself,)</span></div>
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TFD: What sports do you call yourself a real fan of?<br />
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OO: Baseball and football. I can sit down and watch any two teams play, and enjoy the game. I just love the two sports. Hockey I watch on occasion.<br />
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TFD: What teams do you follow?<br />
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OO: There are a few teams. For baseball, first over all others, are the Tigers; my hometown team. I also like the Pirates and the Orioles. For football, it would also be my hometown team; the Lions. I also like the Broncos, Eagles, and Jaguars. Yes, I know the Jaguars suck. Haha. For hockey, my teams would be the Red Wings and the Ducks.<br />
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TFD: What is your all-time go-to cap?<br />
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OO: That's an easy question. Detroit Tigers Authentic home cap. All navy blue, with the white "D". I can throw that on with anything.<br />
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TFD: Are there any "holy grail" caps on your list that you still cannot seem to find?<br />
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OO: YES! The Jackie Robinson "42" Brooklyn Dodgers cap, that was released for the "42" movie. That's on the top of my list.<br />
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?<br />
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OO: 7 1/8<br />
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TFD: The Team Fitted custom sticker logos have become somewhat legendary, on the Team Fitted Facebook page. Which of your adaptations is your favorite?<br />
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OO: Yes, they have; they are all amazing in their own way. My favorite one would have to be the Breast Cancer Awareness one. I have an aunt who is a recent survivor of Breast Cancer. I'm amazed at the outcome of that sticker!<br />
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TFD: Are there any markets of sport or pop culture, which New Era has not yet tapped into, that you wish would one day become an on-cap collaboration?<br />
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OO: For me, personally, I would have to say NASCAR. I'm a huge fan. New Era does have some NASCAR caps, but they are not in the 59Fifty style.<br />
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TFD: If you could design your own fitted, what would it look like?<br />
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OO: It would definitely have one of my logos on it. I have a few unreleased ones. It would be a Diamond Era; all black, with the front white. The logo would be black and white; simple. It would also have a white New Era flag on the side.<br />
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TFD: If the readers of this would like to follow you and your creative work, where should they look on social media?<br />
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OO: On Facebook, you can find me under "Ordanny Olivo. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person with that name, so it's an easy find. For Instagram and Twitter, my handle is @0rdanny; the first character is a zero ("0").<br />
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Thank you, Ordanny. You're a great part of our growing fitted cap culture. We look forward to your great work in the near future. Keep it up!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">-Matt Aballi</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.7777786254883px;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></span><br />
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-43553270171946220192014-10-20T22:25:00.001-04:002014-10-20T22:25:47.757-04:00Collectors Corner with Reagan Lee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder; it's one of the greatest parts of life. Everyone has a different view of the world and everything in it. Whereas all New Era collectors and fans can appreciate the companies fine products through their website, in a store, or on the streets via someone else's style, Reagan Lee has been offering his perspective through his game-changing fitted photography. Let's take a minute to delve deeper into the creative genius from the Down Under.</div>
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TFD: Where are you from and where do you currently reside?</div>
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RL: I'm an Aussie residing in the North-West suburbs of Sydney. </div>
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?</div>
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RL: This is a never-ending battle with the hat marks across my forehead, as I'm between a 7 and a 7 1/8, so most caps either need stretching or shrinking. </div>
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TFD: Do you have a current count of your collection?</div>
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RL: Yep. If I counted correctly, I should have 156 in hand, with a bunch of others coming from Team Fitted friends. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVppbNWTgPQ6ssJ3Ax4ue8sbzDaOsDwLBTf1qR1lZSsSxrIT4bPXxsAYu80bHx2k-kASnku5qRuu1hY_VllNhHXutqZ1N6pacLAn8Rw8D0KT4E7pq9Rk7v448KDd84rIk3IdIG3weWdwP/s1600/Monopoly+Grand+500+Fashion+59FIFTY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVppbNWTgPQ6ssJ3Ax4ue8sbzDaOsDwLBTf1qR1lZSsSxrIT4bPXxsAYu80bHx2k-kASnku5qRuu1hY_VllNhHXutqZ1N6pacLAn8Rw8D0KT4E7pq9Rk7v448KDd84rIk3IdIG3weWdwP/s1600/Monopoly+Grand+500+Fashion+59FIFTY.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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TFD: What is your favorite fitted that you own?</div>
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RL: You've got me there! That may have to be a close call between the Monopoly 500, for its sweet, minimalist logo design, with a funky Monopoly cash brim, or my Blue Jays pixelated stadium exclusive, for its simplicity, and pixels having a soft spot with me, having grown up with the old school PC games, like Quake II. (Thanks to @disneynorth for this one!) </div>
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TFD: Along with being a fantastic collector, you are perhaps, more well known for your incredible photography of New Era Caps. Where do you draw your inspiration from, when shooting?</div>
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RL: Initially, it stemmed from the fact that I love my caps, but I only have one head; I can't logically carry them all with me, either, so, I decided to keep a nice archive of images on my e-devices. Each time I enter a shoot, I prepare by researching ideal locations of what I find relates to the New Era culture; for example, urban locations and graffiti. In saying that, I'm very open to branching out to other settings, such as nature and retro, should it fit with a particular cap and helps showcase it nicely with a frame. </div>
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TFD: How long have you been involved in photography?</div>
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RL: I've been into photography since I was in school over a decade ago. I took it seriously and earned a degree in graphic design and photography from a university, back in 2008. The funny thing is that I currently work for a photographic retailer, so I am able to stay up to date with all the new products. </div>
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TFD: Being from Australia, what sports would you say you are a fan of?</div>
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RL: I like the NRL (National Rugby League), but my heart lies with basketball (the NBA), and football (the NFL). I am a huge Olympics buff, too, so once every four years I'll drop off the face of the planet, for two weeks!</div>
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TFD: What are your favorite teams</div>
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RL: NRL: Parramatta Eels (my local team.)</div>
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NBA: Chicago Bulls (I will NEVER forget the Jordan era.)</div>
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TFD: If you had to name one, where is THE PLACE to shop for caps, in your neck of the woods?</div>
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RL: Like they say, a magician never shares his secrets ;)</div>
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TFD: You are the man 100% behind the Team Fitted Secret Santa organized event, this winter. Care to discuss that a little bit?</div>
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RL: The idea stemmed from a conversation, initiated by @tanxican. We were discussing how it would be a neat idea to have an event, such as this, to encourage a sense of community, and allow people to bond with someone whom they normally wouldn't chat with, otherwise. I had the privilege to experience Secret Santa with another community (Threadless) in the past, and I thought it would be perfect for Team Fitted.</div>
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TFD: What is your favorite part about the whole process?</div>
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RL: So far, it would be seeing others make the effort to discover more about their recipient. Though, I think my favorite part is yet to come; seeing people unbox on Christmas Day, and having them post pictures for the rest to see. There should be some good smiles and laughs coming out of that. </div>
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TFD: Do you plan on creating group events in the future? There could be a lot of potential. Perhaps a "birthday club" type scenario?</div>
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RL: There's definitely potential for many events, as we're grown, responsible adults, for the most part! We'll see how the first big test pans out, but never say never!</div>
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TFD: What do you like most about the fitted community?</div>
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RL: Without a doubt, it's peoples' willingness to help each other out, with obtaining caps that would otherwise be impossible to get! People are also nice and respectful, which is a rare trait found in online communities, these days. </div>
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TFD: Are there any "Holy Grail" fitteds that you are searching for, that some of our readers might be able to help you out with?</div>
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RL: I think I've been fortunate to have obtained most, thanks to Team Fitted. The one that has eluded me is the Cheshire Cat; well, at least a legitimate one. Sadly, every single one on eBay is fake.</div>
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TFD: Lastly, if our viewers would like to follow you and/or your photography, where should they look?</div>
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RL: I am most active on Instagram, @madhattereags , but viewers may also check out all my photos, to date, uncropped, in their full glory, at <a href="http://www.reaganlee.com.au/">http://www.reaganlee.com.au/</a> . Links to my Twitter and Facebook are there, also. </div>
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Thanks, everyone!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi<br />Twitter: @MattAballi<br />Instagram: matt_aballi</span></div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-8094433179615076482014-09-03T22:02:00.000-04:002014-09-03T22:02:04.464-04:00Collectors Corner with Adam Gordon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As far as cap collectors are concerned, the only name in fitted hats is New Era. The company has literally produced 99% of coveted collections, all over the world. It's more than something to be a fan of, it's become it's own culture; some would even go as far as claiming it as borderline religion.<br />
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For most, it's something we have only followed, admired, collected, and adored from a safe distance. For others, such as the CrewEra13 group, it is a tangible, yet temporary experience of what it is like to be immersed in the brand, itself. However, even fewer get to live it, on a daily basis. Today, we find out what it's like to manage the only New Era Flagship store, North of the U.S. border. This is Adam Gordon.<br />
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TFD: Clearly, you have a love for the fitted culture. When did you first start collecting?<br />
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AG: I've never really looked at myself as a collector, but someone with a passion for fitted caps. If I was to put a date on it though, it would be around 2001.<br />
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TFD: What size cap do you personally wear?<br />
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AG: I'm a 7 3/8's<br />
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TFD: How many caps do you currently have?<br />
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AG: I haven't really taken an accurate count of my caps. I have a lot compared to the normal man/woman, but nothing like the guys from CrewEra13.<br />
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TFD: What professional teams do you tend to root for?<br />
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AG: The Baltimore Ravens, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Raptors.<br />
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TFD: Are there any specific "rules" you have, when it comes to what makes your collection?<br />
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AG: I feel everyone has their thing. I'm someone who likes basic, but unique. So, I can go anywhere from a basic on-field, to a custom color-way that expresses my style.<br />
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TFD: As some know, you are, in fact, the manager of the New Era Toronto Flagship store. When did that opportunity present itself?<br />
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AG: As a kid, I had a few shops that I always looked at as my dream jobs; West49, EB Games, Lids, and New Era Toronto. Two years ago, an opportunity to work at a local Lids store came up. I didn't really know anything about retail, but the passion I felt towards the culture was so strong, it pushed me to learn all I could inside and outside of the workplace; I never gave up. Four months ago, the opportunity to work at New Era Toronto landed in my lap. Although it looks like I've become successful at landing my dream job, the passion is still burning, as I've set new, bigger goals for the future.<br />
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TFD: To most, that sounds like an absolute dream job. What has been the best part about working there?<br />
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AG: I'd have to say the people I get to talk to, everyday; getting to know the people who make this culture what it is, today. Not only the customers, but the people who work behind the scenes to make sure we have the best and hottest product in the store at all times.<br />
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TFD: What is your favorite New Era Cap of all time; something you would claim to be a "must have"?<br />
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AG: Well, a must have in my collection would be the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl cap. Also, the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays World Series cap; very simple, but it's something I'll forever have in my collection.<br />
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TFD: What has been your favorite collaboration that you have seen New Era put together?<br />
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AG: New Era's collaboration with Play Cloths, Billionaire Boys Club, and Kid Robot have been some of my favorites.<br />
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TFD: Is there any company you wish New Era would collaborate with, that they haven't worked with, yet?<br />
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AG: I can't really think of anything off the top of my head. I'm pretty satisfied with everything New Era has been doing.<br />
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TFD: Being the only Canadian-based New Era franchise, you feature the Canadian Football League (CFL) caps, which are rather scarce in the United States. Do you get many requests for those products?<br />
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AG: LOL! Yeah, from You! A few people have shown some interest in them, but our store is four floors high. We've got a ton of product that catches people's eyes.<br />
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TFD: Who has been your favorite client of New Era Toronto?<br />
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AG: Favorite or most frequent? Ha! James Hummel (@disneynorth) is definitely one of my favorite people to come into my store; he's in on a weekly basis. His passion for not only New Era Caps, but the Team Fitted world is insane. Shoutout to @neweraking2121 and @mitchell_21, as well, even though @mitchell_21 is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.<br />
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TFD: You're a man of many tattoos. Do you have any devoted to the fitted?<br />
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AG: Haha. I have not committed to the fitted in that way, as of yet. You never know; could come soon!<br />
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TFD: If any of our readers would like to follow you, via social media, where can they find you?<br />
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AG: Of course!<br />
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Instagram: NewEraGordon<br />
Twitter: NewEraGordon<br />
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In closing to this week's post, I just wanted to thank Adam, for taking time out of his busy schedule to take part in this. It's not every day you get the chance to chat with someone as close to the product, as he is. Definitely give him a follow through those social media platforms.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Matt Aballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter: @MattAballi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instagram: matt_aballi</span></div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-26229685818759657652014-06-29T17:23:00.003-04:002014-06-29T17:23:36.793-04:00Collectors Corner with Simon Treese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In this edition of Collectors Corner, here on The Fitted Diaries, we feature a great collector and cap designer from Europe. Simon Treese, whom is perhaps better know by his alias "Hat Hunter 09", took some time to answer a few questions about his collection and the German cap culture. </div>
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TFD: Where are you from?</div>
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ST: I come from Eiweiler, Germany. It is a very small town near the French border.</div>
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TFD: What size fitted do you wear?</div>
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ST: Normally, I wear 7 1/2. Sometimes, due to materials, I wear 7 5/8.</div>
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TFD: What was your very first fitted?</div>
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ST: I am not sure because I bought my first one about 16 or 17 years ago. I think it was a Yankees fitted. Yankees fitteds are the most popular hats in Germany, I would guess. I have been collecting hats since I was a child, but I started specializing in New Era hats just about two or three years ago.</div>
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TFD: How large is your collection currently?</div>
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ST: I'm not quite sure, but I think I have around 105-110 fitteds at the moment. Due to pending orders I don't know the exact number.</div>
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TFD: What is the fitted culture like in Germany?</div>
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ST: I think there are more people collecting and wearing snap-backs, but I also think there are a lot of fitted freaks in some of the bigger towns in Germany. I know some people who are as crazy as I am. I think they are all in the Capaddicts Facebook group. </div>
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TFD: You're the designer of the now renowned "Hat Hunter" cap that has been circulating the fitted community. What served as the inspiration for the unique design?</div>
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ST: I am always on the prowl for new fitteds. Therefore, I am wearing a trapper hat. I chose a stars and stripes outfit because I love the USA. I've visited the USA a few times. I am wearing a baseball glove (in the logo) because my favorite caps are usually MLB and MiLB fitteds.</div>
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TFD: Do you ever plan on working on another design?</div>
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ST: Not at the moment. I am considering making a second "Diamond Hat Hunter" version, though. </div>
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TFD: What is your favorite sport? do you have many fitteds from that sport?</div>
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ST: As a German, my favorite sport is soccer. I am a big Borussia Dortmund supporter. Unfortunately, there are not that many fitteds for soccer. I mostly collect MiLB and MLB hats, but also some from other sports like the NHL, the NBA, or the NFL. </div>
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TFD: What are your current "holy grail" pieces that you wish to add to your collection?</div>
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ST: The "'MERICA" 59Fifty released for the 4th of July last year, and the "I got 99 problems" fitted.</div>
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TFD: Where do you do the majority of your shopping for New Era Caps?</div>
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ST: Lids, New Era Europe, and New Era U.S. Sometimes hatland.com or myfitteds.com. I know very nice guys who always visit the New Era Flagship stores in Berlin and Toronto for me. Thanks to James and Norbert!</div>
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TFD: What is your favorite cap of all time?</div>
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ST: Of course my own designed "Hat Hunter" fitted, because it is my very own logo, and it is strictly limited. Thanks for all the guys who had the confidence to buy one from me.</div>
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ST: My Instagram is hathunter09. You can also find me on Facebook when you look for Simon Treese. I also have a Twitter account, but I don't use it often. Twitter is not very popular in Germany. </div>
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Thank you, Simon. Stay fitted, my friend.</div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-65739274665353189992014-05-22T21:58:00.000-04:002014-05-22T21:58:03.784-04:00Collectors Corner with Dionic Danny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For most of us in the fitted community, the ultimate goal is to one day create your own 59Fifty; not in the sense of the generic offereings of NewEraCap.com in it's customization opportunities, but to 100% make a fitted the way you'd like it to look, with your logos and designs. That may be one of the more unlikely goals for many, but for one it has come to fruition. </div>
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Today, we feature a collector and designer from The Netherlands. Dionic Danny, as he is known in the New Era world, has been dropping jaws with his classic artwork for some time now. After you really take a minute to fully absorb the simplistic glory of his work via the fitted, we may all begin to refer to him as the true Dutch Master. </div>
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TFD: What is your name and where are you from? </div>
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DD: Hi. My name is Danny and I'm from Almere, in The Netherlands.</div>
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?</div>
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DD: My fitted size is 7 1/2</div>
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TFD: How long have you been collecting fitted caps?</div>
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DD: I ordered my first New Era cap on March 26th, 2011 (Thank you PayPal history!), so I've been collecting for three years, now.</div>
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TFD: What is the fitted culture like in The Netherlands?</div>
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DD: Plain. It's dominated by simple sports caps. That's why I like entertainment caps and all-over caps, because when I wear those I know I stand out from the crowd.</div>
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TFD: You're an artist. What originally sparked your interest in puting designs on New Era 59Fifty caps?</div>
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DD: I never really had a medium to put my designs out into the world. When I got into collecting 59Fifty caps, it became a dream to have one of those caps with one of my designs on it!</div>
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TFD: You are the creator of the now renowned "Fire Ant" and "Octo" caps. What was the inspiration behind those?</div>
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DD: "Octo" was the first because I've always had a sort of fascination with tentacles; they're easy to identify when you think of symbols/silhouettes. </div>
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The "Fire Ant" was just me having a bit of fun thinking of what could look cool on a cap!</div>
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TFD: Will there ever be any re-productions of those, for sale?</div>
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DD: I've got an alternate "Octo" in my queue as well as three new "Fire Ant" caps; one alternate colorway, one alternate design, and one variant.</div>
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TFD: What is the next step for you in fitted design?</div>
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DD: More designs! I have a few caps planned out; only one of those is a re-run (but a different colorway). So, if you manage to get a cap I designed, you'll be sure to know it's a collectors item, due to the extremely limited availability. </div>
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TFD: What is your favorite fitted cap of all time?</div>
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DD: Wow, that is a great question. After thinking about 15 minutes and trying to come up with an answer, I just have to say that I honestly can't pick a favorite. There are just so many great fitteds out there, that are great for various reasons. </div>
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DD: Not really. I do a lot of my purchasing on eBay, because I have family in America that is always helping me out with that stuff; this way, I can get caps that aren't available here, and even save a few bucks. In The Netherlands, you can always go to a Go-Britain store to pick up a fresh sports fitted.</div>
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DD: Yeah. I have a few, actually. Top 3 are the TRON Legacy Helmet, TRON Legacy all-over sketch, and the Alice In Wonderland all-over sketch. I already own the Thor, Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises sketch caps, so I'd love to get the other two, as well.</div>
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TFD: What, to you, makes your collection great?</div>
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DD: The all-overs set it apart from most collections you'd find. That, and the caps I designed myself, of course! It always reminds me of the community that has always supported me. Without the community, I wouldn't have made it past the "Octo" design!</div>
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TFD: If the readers want to follow you and your designs in the future, where can they find you on social media?</div>
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DD: I'm on Instagram and Twitter @dionicdesign, and on Facebook as Dionic Danny. </div>
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Thanks again, to Danny. It was a really fun Q and A. Hopefully everyone here got as much out of it as I did. </div>
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Stay fitted.</div>
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-Matt Aballi</div>
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Twitter: @MattAballi</div>
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Instagram: matt_aballi</div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-31820444813681259122014-05-20T23:58:00.001-04:002014-05-20T23:58:25.267-04:00Collectors Corner with James Hummel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's collector, from the Great White North, is none other than James Hummel. Aside from being the father of the two little guys in the picture above, he is also an avid fitted collector from the outskirts of Toronto. Take a couple of minutes to get to know another great member of our fitted community.</div>
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TFD: Where are you from/where do you currently reside?</div>
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JH: I'm from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where I have lived all my life. I actually live in a city just East, but I work in downtown Toronto.</div>
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TFD: What size 59Fifty New Era Cap do you wear?</div>
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JH: 7 5/8</div>
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TFD: What originally opened your eyes to the fine stylings of New Era Caps?</div>
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JH: I've always enjoyed wearing "what the pros wear". I started to see all these great MiLB logos and then discovered all of these other non-sport/baseball hats from companies. It just made sense that I could wear all of these great logos and graphic designs on a hat. Most importantly, I love fitteds!</div>
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TFD: Growing up, what sports interested you the most?</div>
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JH: First and foremost, baseball. I was born the year the Blue Jays started (1977) and I have grown up with the team. Since I'm Canadian, I also enjoy hockey. In the last 15 years, I've also become a big fan of auto racing (mostly F1).</div>
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TFD: What teams did you find yourself rooting for?</div>
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JH: All the Toronto teams; Blue Jays, Maple Leafs, and raptors.</div>
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TFD: How many New Era's do you currently own?</div>
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JH: I currently have 68, with seven on the way; that number has grown dramatically in the last 12 months!</div>
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TFD: What was your first New Era fitted and do you still have it?</div>
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JH: So, funny enough, my first 59Fifty wasn't even a Blue Jays cap. It was a Cleveland Indians cap. I went with my grandparents on a bus trip to see the Jays play the Indians, in Cleveland. I thought that it would be cool to collect the home team's cap for every MLB stadium I visited; kind of a different souvenir of places I visited. </div>
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I still have the hat; it sits proudly with my others. It is actually in really good shape, as I wore it infrequently, as I wanted to keep it clean. I can't wear it now, as it is two sizes too small. I'm afraid of stretching it up to my current size, because of it's age.</div>
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TFD: Did you play any sports growing up?</div>
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JH: I played baseball for most of my childhood. In high school, I swam competitively and tried my hand at rugby. In my twenties, I paddled in Dragon Boat. </div>
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TFD: Where do you do the majority of your New Era shopping?</div>
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JH: So, working in downtown Toronto, I'm really lucky for where I am located. I am less than a ten minute walk from the New Era Flagship store (shout-out to Adam); I also have two Lids stores close by (one i pass everyday commuting on the train). I also buy online at Lids.ca and HatClub.com.</div>
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TFD: Your alter-ego, of sorts, is Disney North. Do you have many Disney X New Era collaborations?</div>
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JH: With an online name like Disneynorth, I'm obviously a big Disney fan. I've had that name for about 18 years, now. I collect a lot of Disney stuff. Ironically, I do not own even one Disney X New Era hat. That is about to change. Three of the seven that I have on the way are Disney!; very excited about those.</div>
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The Disney hats that were released last year (Steamboat Willie Redux) were not all that appealing. I'm still on the fence about buying them. I do have a bunch of Disney strap-backs that I bought at Walt Disney World. </div>
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TFD: Are there any fitteds that you're searching for, that you'd considder your holy grail, that our readers may be able to help you out with?</div>
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JH: There are a few. I still need the gray Jays alternate hat from the early 2000's. I'm also looking for the Cherry Coke hat that was released in Europe, some years ago. Lastly, the Jay-Z X Yankees hat, also from some time ago. </div>
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TFD: What is your favorite fitted in your collection?</div>
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JH: Hard to narrow it down to just one. Probably my Blue Jays X OVO/Drake caps that were released last summer. Those two hats were what really got me collecting more.</div>
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TFD: You are also one of the members of the Facebook group "Team Fitted". What has the group taught you about the fitted culture and community?</div>
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JH: I've been a collector of many things in my lifetime: comic books, baseball cards, Coca-Cola bottles, and Disney stuff, of course. I've found the members of the fitted community to be extremely helpful. I've never seen so many people help each other out so willingly. All the other collecting communities are so cut-throat. That's why I am always getting hats for others. We have to keep the good karma going. </div>
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The Facebook group is a really good gang. We are always posting caps and joking about hats; lots of fun.</div>
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TFD: In this day and age, social media reigns king. Where can the readers find you if interested?</div>
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JH: @disneynorth for both Twitter and Instagram.</div>
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TFD Lastly, how would you define your collection? / What quality makes it special to you?</div>
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JH: Obviously, Blue Jays fitteds are my passion. I love picking up the Authentic Collection on-field caps and any limited editions. I also like picking up any special Authentic Collection caps with side patches from other </div>
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Aside from that, I always keep an eye out for fitteds with different logos and graphics, be it from MiLB teams or boutique hat shops; with my first three Disney fitteds on the way, my collection may take an entire new direction!</div>
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James, along with being perhaps the biggest Disney fan I've ever met, is incredibly helpful when on the hunt for a cap. Recently, he assisted in the search for a certaint Canadian Football League cap, otherwise absent from the U.S. market. </div>
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Thank you, and stay fitted, James.</div>
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-Matt Aballi</div>
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Twitter: @MattAballi</div>
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Instagram: matt_aballi </div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-54817218136609063732014-04-10T21:38:00.000-04:002014-04-10T21:38:00.221-04:00Collectors Corner with Alessandro Belvedere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some people are credited as to wearing their heart on their sleeve. One, such as our guest this week, wears it on his neck. The 59Fifty love runs deep in todays collector, from a certain British Overseas Territory.</div>
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Alessandro Belvedere is not only a collector of the 59Fifty New Era Cap, but a distributor to the masses. Mr. Belvedere is single-handedly spreading the culture, that we all share, to the public of a group of islands, East of the United States. Now, allow yourself to get to know another great personality in our community. </div>
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TFD: Where are you from? / Where do you currenty reside?</div>
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AB: I'm from and reside on the island of Bermuda</div>
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?</div>
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AB: I wear a 7 1/2 or a 7 5/8. I considdered growing my hair out once, but then realized that less and less hats were fitting me. I just couldn't sacrifice them, so I went back to a bald fade, quickly.</div>
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TFD: Do you remember what your first New Era Cap was?</div>
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AB: My first fitted was an NBA Eastern Conference all-over fitted. It was red and had all the logos of the Eastern Conference teams on it.</div>
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TFD: How large is your New Era 59Fifty collection, currently?</div>
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AB: Currently, it's sitting at 107, but I'm on a trip and I'm sure I will be adding to that. What I tend to do when I travel is take one fitted with me, and I also take an empty New Era hard-case hat holder, that I'll fill up. I went a bit overboard the last time I was in New York City, and ended up having to buy a second case.</div>
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TFD: What originally caught your eye, in terms of appeal to the 59Fifty?</div>
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AB: I always liked how clean and tidy the fitteds looked. Whether you're wearing a t-shirt, a football (soccer) jersey, or a button-up shirt, you can rock it with anything. </div>
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TFD: What would you say is your favorite cap in your collection, and for what reason?</div>
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AB: My favorite fitted is my black Yankees fitted. It has the Yankees logo filled with cubic zirconias. I got it as a gift from my brother, when he went on a trip to Miami.</div>
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TFD: Being in Bermuda, what sports do you considder yourself a fan of, and what teams do you follow?</div>
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AB: With Bermudians, football (soccer) is like a religion. My team is A.C. Milan. I've been a fan for over twenty years. It was my dad's team, and I will keep that tradition going in my family. </div>
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I like basketball and baseball, as well, but I'm more of an NBA Finals/World Series type of person. It's pretty cool though, when it comes to collecting hats, as I'm tied to any major sport teams that New Era produces caps for. </div>
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TFD: You started a small business named "Fittedz", exclusively providing New Era Caps to the good people of Bermuda, pimarily by way of Instagram. How's that been going for you?</div>
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AB: At first, business was going really well; I couldn't keep hats in stock. Unfortunately, my supplier went out of business. I'm currently looking for a new one, so if anyone out there knows of any leads, please feel free to pass on their information. </div>
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TFD: "Fittedz" offers island-wide delivery. That's a pretty unique feature. Do people tend to appreciate that option?</div>
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AB: People really appreciate it. I mean, it's a small island, but they love the convenience of being able to comment on a picture on Instagram, or sending me a WhatsApp message, and getting their hat as soon as possible. I remember, one night, it was about one in the morning, and one of my friends had been at a house party, telling people about "Fittedz". He called me up asking if I would pass through, with what I had in stock. So, I loaded up my two New Era hat bags, like the big ones that hold 25 each, and went. I got to the party, made a couple of sales, and a lot of connections. I have a hustlers mentality; unfortunately, I just can't say no to money. Haha.</div>
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TFD: Do you plan on expanding the business to a website or store-front location?</div>
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AB: I've always wanted to expand "Fittedz" into something more, whether it was selling Jordans as well, or other trending accessories. I've considered a store-front, but I think I would probably lean more towards the whole online store/app world, once I get it all on track. </div>
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TFD: What is the fitted culture like in Bermuda?</div>
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AB: The culture is thriving. For an island that only has a population of 65,000 people, there are a lot of fitted-heads. It ranges from your average person who has one or two fitteds, to collectors like myself. The one constant is that almost everyone has a classic navy blue fitted. </div>
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The only thing we are missing is New Era tapping into the football club market. If they made Milan, Real Madrid, or Manchester United hats, they would sell very well, here. Bermudians love to match a hat to their football jersey, on the weekend. I find the culture here mirrors the hip-hop culture of the states, a lot more than the culture of some Caribbean islands. </div>
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TFD: Are there any 59Fifty caps out there that you missed out on the first time around, and would consider your "Holy Grail"?</div>
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AB: My "Holy Grail" is a hat that was once at the New Era Flagship Store in New York City. It had "HATER" across the front, with a broken heart representing the "A". If anyone can find me one in a 7 1/2, I'll be indebted to you forever.</div>
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TFD: You and I are both in the Facebook group accurately dubbed "Team Fitted". What are your thoughts on our fitted-collectors community, and the fitted community as a whole?</div>
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AB: I think what's been done with "Team Fitted" is absolutely amazing. I stumbled across the whole community on Instagram, one day last year, when I had searched the "fitteds" hashtag. I came across Alex's and Ramiro's profiles, with their #FOTD posts; from one follow, to two, to three, to about 30 or 40, I've now connected with a lot of guys from all over the world. </div>
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I've traded hats and all sorts of things. To be honest, you feel comfortable with these guys and know you wont be getting screwed over. There is a sense of trust amongst us, like a family would have. Everyone is always trying to help one another. It's really a unique experience in this day and age, with so many shady people around. I'd love to see it continue to grow. I just wouldn't like to see it turn into how the whole Jordan community is. I think we keep our style a little more unique.</div>
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TFD: If people want to follow you, in terms of social media, where can you and your business be found?</div>
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AB: You can find me personally on Instagram @441fittedking, and on Twitter @_mrbelvedere_. "Fittedz" is on Instagram @fittedz_bda. I look forward to connecting with more people from all over the world, through the fitted community. </div>
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AB: I'd like to give a shout-out to Andrew Mitchell, who was part of CrewEra '13. I had the honor to meet up with him in Toronto, in November. He linked me with one of his custom fitteds; the whole day was a ball. </div>
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Thank you, Alessandro. It really is amazing to see how far the love for New Era Caps ranges, all over the world. In the past month, The Fitted Diaries has covered collectors from the United States, England, Canada, and Bermuda. Where will our next Q and A come out of? The only way to find out is to stay tuned. Thanks again for reading.</div>
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Matt Aballi</div>
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Twitter: @MattAballi</div>
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Instagram: @matt_aballi</div>
Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-88076390327082683562014-04-03T21:55:00.001-04:002014-04-03T21:55:13.130-04:00Collectors Corner with Mike Perri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What you see above, may be the sweetest cake ever created. Not literally, well perhaps; but more in the sense of it's payment of homage to the 59/50 New Era Cap, in dessert form. The carefully crafted pastry item was what caught my eye, and ignited a connection of a similar hobbies with Mike Perri, of Canada.<br />
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Mike has also recently found the spotlight through the various forms of the New Era Cap social media extensions, with his carefully organized display of his cap collection, seen below. (It has over 20,000 likes on facebook.) If those two assets aren't enough to draw your attention to the following interview, there's no hope for you.<br />
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TFD: Where are you from?<br />
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MP: I was born, raised, and still reside in Thorold, Ontario, Canada. It's a small city of 18,000 right near Niagra Falls.<br />
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?<br />
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MP: I wear 7 1/4 now a days, but will either go down or up a size if I can't pass up a specific cap.<br />
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TFD: Do you remember what your first New Era Cap was?<br />
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MP: My first New Era Cap was a Philadelphia Phillies Cooperstown cap that I still have. I got it when I was visiting family in New Jersey/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We ended up gonig to three or four different malls before I found one I really wanted.<br />
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TFD: How many caps do you currently have in your collection?<br />
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MP: Right now I have 215 59Fifty caps, but that number will go up very soon, as I have a couple orders I'm waiting to get in. Plus I'll be making a trip down to Buffalo in the near future to grab a bunch of new stuff that I'm still waiting to drop.<br />
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TFD: Do you have any "rules" as to what makes the cut, in regards to what goes into your collection?<br />
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MP: I really have no rules to my collection. If it's a sweet cap, I'll buy it. The only teams I won't have in my collection are the Canadiens, Senators (although I have one that was a gift), Yankees, and Cowboys. I also stay away from comic and movie caps, usually just because I wasn't big into that stuff when I was younger. I feel like guys that have caps from comics or superheroes have a huge passion for that kind of stuff, and I feel like those guys should be the ones rocking those sick caps, not me.<br />
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TFD: Do you have a particular way in which you display or store your fitteds at home?<br />
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MP: My hats at my house are displayed on my walls in my bedroom. I got the tip from Benjamin Christensen, a huge collector. I use push pins and butterfly paper clips to have them hang on the walls with the fronts facing out. Right now I only have 180 caps on my walls, as I have to take down some stuff to make more room. The rest get stored in plastic bags in my computer desk, for now.<br />
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TFD: Do you have a favorite cap in particular?<br />
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MP: My most favorite cap would have to be either my Blue Jays 59th Anniversary of the 59Fifty cap or my Mighty Ducks 20th Anniversary caps that just came out this year. Wouldn't be a collector without the 59Fifty and my love for hockey, which started by watching The Mighty Ducks both on the NHL and the movies and T.V. series.<br />
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TFD: What are your favorite sports?<br />
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MP: My favorite sport is obviously hockey, as a Canadian, but I love all sports. I'll play anything and I watch every sport on T.V.<br />
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TFD: What are your favorite teams to root for?<br />
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MP: My favorite teams are the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, and the Philadelphia Eagles. You can tell I live close to Toronto!<br />
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TFD: You recently went to the NHL Winter Classic, between the Maple Leafs and the Red Wings, in Michigan. What was that experience like?<br />
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MP: The Winter Classic easily has to be one of the best moments of my life, so far. Especially being able to spend it with my dad, who got me into hockey, and is the reason I am a Leafs fan today. Just being in the same place as everyone else, knowing there was 100,000 people in attendance, was crazy. The fact that it went to a shootout and the Leafs won made it that much more memorable. I could have been out there all day watching them play. It was freezing and we ended up having to walk 45 minutes to an hour to the game and back, as there weren't many cabs running because of the weather. Even with all that, I'd relive that day over and over again if I could. If anyone has the chance to go to an event like that, do not even hesitate. It'll be worth the money and any weather conditions you might have to face. Haha.<br />
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TFD: Did you pick up any special edition caps at the Winter Classic?<br />
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MP: Unfortunately, they only had Reebok apparel for the game, so there were no New Era Caps, which was a huge disappointment. I do not have any caps from the game besides a toque. I might through it out and grab a snapback still, just to commemorate the game.<br />
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TFD: Are there any caps that you maybe missed out on that you'd consider your "holy grail"?<br />
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MP: Some "holy grails" for me, right now, would be New Era's "Capture The Flag" line. The line started out in 2004 and gets various famous people to design a cap, which is made in limited numbers, and comes in a full display box with silk lining, a signed card, and a little mirror. I am trying to find as many as I can from the line, but still have yet to get my hands on one.<br />
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TFD: Where is your favorite place to shop for New Era Caps?<br />
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MP: My favorite place to shop for my caps is none other than the staring place of the company and the headquarters of New Era, the New Era Buffalo Flagship Store. It is about a 45 minute to one hour drive, depending on the border wait, so I don't always get to go just to browse. I will usually pick out a bunch of caps over a month and then go pick them all up. I actually have the honor of saying I can consider the manager, Billy, as a friend, now. We're always talking caps. Crazy the friendship caps can bring you.<br />
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TFD: What are your thoughts on the fitted community?<br />
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MP: The fitted community is amazing! I have built friendships with so many guys just talking about and sending each other caps that aren't available in each other's areas. I've gotten caps from the United States, Canada, and even the Netherlands. I've also shipped out caps to the U.S., other parts of Canada, Europe, and Mexico. We're always hunting for hats for other guys, and everyone is doing the same back; a very tight knit community whose always looking out for each other.<br />
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TFD: If the readers are interested in following you on social media, where can they find you?<br />
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MP: You can find me on facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.<br />
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facebook: Mike Perri<br />
Instagram: @PERRIM16<br />
Twitter: @perri_mike<br />
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Toss me follows and don't be scared to send me some messages. I'm always down to help other collectors with questions or getting caps for them that they can't find on their area. Stay fitted and keep collecting!<br />
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I'd like to thank Mike for getting back to me with the answers to my many questions, very quickly. I hope all of you got something out of it, and hopefully added a follow on social media. Until next time, keep collecting!<br />
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-Matt Aballi<br />
Twitter: @MattAballi<br />
Instagram: matt_aballiMatt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-61356306571575834322014-04-02T01:07:00.001-04:002014-04-02T01:07:52.280-04:00Collectors Corner with Corey LeFebvre<div style="text-align: center;">
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Corey LeFebvre is a giant in the fitted game. With a collection well into triple digits, he represents the essence of a great collector. Just like those who came before in our collectors series, he prides himself on the quality of what he has, not merely the quantity. <div>
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Although, a selective eye may not be what all of our readers considder to be the first and foremost quality of collecting New Era Caps, it certainly is an admirable and appreciated aspect. Take a journey with us, as we learn what drives Corey in his quest, one 59/50 at a time. </div>
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TFD: Where are you from and where do you currently reside?</div>
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CL: I was born in a small town in North Dakota, called Minot, but I've been living in Tacoma, Washington since I was four years old. We are kind of like Seattle's less popular, ghetto little brother.</div>
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?</div>
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CL: 7 3/4, but sometimes I have to step down to a 7 5/8, depending on the hat material, age, and country of origin. </div>
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TFD: When did you start collecting New Era Caps?</div>
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CL: I started collecting seriously a little over two years ago. I'm sort of a newcomer to this thing, or at least I feel like I am. I had long hair down to my ass for most of my life. I always loved hats, though flat bill fitteds with long hair or a pony tail didn't look good, so I would wear beanies with my hair tucked in them most of the time. When I finally decided to cut my hair, I went to the mall, got it hacked off, and walked out with a Seattle Mariners on-field cap on my head. A few days later, I was surfing for hats online, and stumbled upon The Clink Room website, and the rest was history. I think I ordered like twelve hats from them in the first month, and I've steady been rocking and copping them ever since.</div>
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TFD: What was your first New Era?</div>
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CL: The first New Era I ever owned was an away cap from my hometown baseball club, the Minot Mallards. It had a green crown with a red bill, and a gray under. I have the teams logo tattooed as part of my sleeve on my right leg.</div>
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TFD: Do you still own it?</div>
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CL: No, and it haunts me every damn day. Reward if you can find it!</div>
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TFD: How large is your collection?</div>
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CL: Last count, I was just over 200, but it's hard to say exactly. I am strictly fitteds, no snap-backs allowed. 98% of my collection are New Era's, but I do have a handful of Stall and Dean caps, mainly in teams New Era doesn't produce caps for. The quality from Stall and Dean does not compare to that of a New Era 59/50. </div>
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TFD: Do you see yourself collecting forever?</div>
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CL: Yes I do, but I see my collection becoming more selective. I'm sort of on the hunt for more rare items already, and I see that being where my attention goes.</div>
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TFD: Are There any caps that you would regard as your "holy grail"?</div>
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CL: In addition to the Minot Mallards cap I talked about earlier, I've got a couple in my head that leave me feeling incomplete because I don't own them. There are a few Dragon Ball hats I would love to own. I've had the chance to buy them, but either the price or the size wasn't right. I love the Disney branded stuff; the Winnie The Pooh ones in particular I'm always looking for. </div>
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TFD: Where is your favorite place to shop for caps?</div>
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CL: That's hard to say. I shop everywhere. Locally, I'm pretty much stuck with Lids or Just Sports if I want to actually try the hat on before I buy it. I frequent the three or four malls around here, and most of the hat store employees know me. I've ordered from every website there is; I've done eBay, I've bought from private sellers overseas, I've picked up gems at minor league and major league sporting events. I'm constantly shopping for hats. My favorites are ones that I have traded with people online or were given to me from friends in the fitted game. The Crew Era 13 guys specifically have always had my back in that department. The fact that we are all so spread out across the country makes it a little easier to find stuff when you're desperate.</div>
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TFD: What is your favorite cap?</div>
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CL: Probably my "Shams" hat from The Clink Room. It's just classic with the design and execution of craftsmanship; The colors are simple and perfect. I'm having to limit the wear on the thing, so I can keep it fresh in the collection. Losing or ruining a hat beyond repair is one of my biggest fears!</div>
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TFD: As a sports fan, what teams do you root for?</div>
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CL: Of course I root for the home teams; the Mariners and the Seahawks. I loved watching the SuperSonics as a kid. I'm hoping we might get them back someday.</div>
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TFD: What do you feel makes your collection great and/or unique?</div>
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CL: I take pride in my collection in the fact that I think all of them are "nice". I'm a fan of simple designs and color patterns. Sometimes, hats can be too loud. I'm not going to say I don't own a few, but for the most part, I think my collection is low key and just "nice". I've always gotten compliments on the colorways of a lot of my caps. I guess I got a good eye for it. </div>
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TFD: What's on your radar in terms of "caps to pick up"?</div>
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CL: I've got my eye on a few of The Simpsons collection fitteds that are dropping in Japan soon. I'm also looking to get one of the Spike Lee Heritage Series caps, when they hit flagship stores in a few months. </div>
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TFD: Any advice to any of the young collectors just getting into the game?</div>
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CL: Wear what you like, rep what you love, and dont be afraid to talk and share your passion with other collectors. I have friends all over the place because of my love for fitted hats, and that's what I feel it's all about. If you have three caps that you wear on a steady rotation because they represent you and you love them, then that's flying your own flag. In my opinion, you're doing it right. If you've got a hat for every day of the year and they speak to you at the same time, then hell yes, keep it up! </div>
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Anyone can spend a shit-ton of money and become the king of caps, but that doesn't mean you're better than the next guy. Stay humble, keep it positive, and have fun. I mean, it IS just hats for crying out loud. </div>
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TFD: If people want to follow you and your collection, in terms of social media, where should they look for you? </div>
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CL: Make sure to check out myself and a whole bunch of really good guys on Instagram. I use IG primarily to display my collection. My handle is @bigc253. You can also find me on Twitter @253bigc. I'm also one of the administrators of a fan page on facebook called Team Fitted; be sure to find us on there too!</div>
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I'd like to thank Corey for being a really inspirational and fun interview. Hopefully the readers found a truly solid collector to keep an eye on. He's the guy with the awesome beard, if you were curious. Until next time, thanks for reading The Fitted Diaries.</div>
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-Matt Aballi</div>
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Twitter: @MattAballi</div>
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Instagram: matt_aballi</div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-72699125181153096802014-03-27T22:28:00.001-04:002014-03-27T22:28:05.937-04:00Collectors Corner with Derick Chartrand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing the trend of our last post, today we feature another avid fitted cap collector, that crossed my path via social media. Showing up on my "who to follow" tab on twitter quite some time ago, my eyes were drawn to his unique affinity to a franchise that re-located to Washington, D.C. a little over a decade ago.<br />
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Derick Chartrand is one of us; a true lover of the 59/50. New Era recognized this almost a year ago in their first ever intimate fan experience, "Crew Era '13", along with a few other kingpins of the game. Now, it's our turn to find out what makes him one of the best. I recently had a chance to ask him a few questions in regards to him and the pursuit of fitted happiness. Here's how it went:<br />
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TFD: Where are you from?<br />
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DC: I'm from Laval, a small town near Montreal, in the beautiful Canada.<br />
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?<br />
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DC: I wear 7 3/8 and sometimes 7 1/2.<br />
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TFD: When did you start collecting New Era Caps?<br />
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DC: I think it was around 2008.<br />
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TFD: Do you remember what your first fitted was?<br />
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DC: My first one was the old on-field cap of the Baltimore Orioles. It matched my baseball jersey.<br />
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TFD: How many caps are currently in your collection?<br />
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DC: Right now, I'm at 295, and they are all fitteds.<br />
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TFD: Do you have a favorite one or a couple in the collection?<br />
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DC: My favorite right now is my custom Expos fitted that I made at New Era Headquarters. The chance I had to do my own cap and to do it the way I wanted was just awesome. I had to do it with the Diamond Era fabric, only because the Expos will probably never have the chance to have that cap made. After that, I asked the designer to add the Quebec flag on the side to make it more personal to me. The result was just superb. My second favorite is probably my Expos on-field Puerto Rico patch, that my friend Benjamin got me on eBay. That cap was one that I was looking for for a full year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFZirHm7qt-sktr5zGx-F5kdOPkclRrRzEUr1vqdOgClu24_ZsWT0-kwMmcw1G5hqfgOeL9dJsZsGK3E1_AN9pS5Zlm9aQVEWBjYoakwD1VVs1gZOjJTe5K7UZUEEn8oykWfrPXxYmVdP/s1600/BehAEsBIgAA4JzZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFZirHm7qt-sktr5zGx-F5kdOPkclRrRzEUr1vqdOgClu24_ZsWT0-kwMmcw1G5hqfgOeL9dJsZsGK3E1_AN9pS5Zlm9aQVEWBjYoakwD1VVs1gZOjJTe5K7UZUEEn8oykWfrPXxYmVdP/s1600/BehAEsBIgAA4JzZ.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGO8NbSJiIR5S-TtDyArFrgdlfHxNkA8LIpn4T3TX2wMpgyef8-Y1hEsIyBHymo7Mgk4jCp1ekH9nTD85zHj1hFKT5aHh80Mi4EZq8SeWAQlUtKXKYJkAxH-3hL_Ls1VCVfs9PwlALFRB/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGO8NbSJiIR5S-TtDyArFrgdlfHxNkA8LIpn4T3TX2wMpgyef8-Y1hEsIyBHymo7Mgk4jCp1ekH9nTD85zHj1hFKT5aHh80Mi4EZq8SeWAQlUtKXKYJkAxH-3hL_Ls1VCVfs9PwlALFRB/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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TFD: What is your favorite sport?<br />
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DC: My all-time favorite sport is hockey. I've played since I was six years old. I love hockey.<br />
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TFD: What teams do you root for in major sports?<br />
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DC: In baseball, there's only one team, since my Expos left, and it's the Bronx Bombers. I'm not really a football guy, but I love the Broncos mostly because of Peyton (Manning). NHL for me is Montreal (Canadiens),since I was four or five.<br />
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TFD: What is your favorite shop to pick up fitted caps?<br />
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DC: In Montreal, there aren't so many cap stores, so it's Lids or Lids online. I also love to order caps from Hat Club, 4UCaps, and MLB Shop.<br />
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TFD: Are there any caps that you would considder your "holy grail" that you can't seem to find and desperately want?<br />
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DC: For some people it's not much, but the holy grail for me is the Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones patch cap. That was something I missed that I maybe won't find. My friend from Atlanta, Ricky Ruby, said that cap is rare. I would love to come across that beauty.<br />
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TFD: You were part of New Era's inagural fan appreciation event, last year, Crew Era '13. What was that like?<br />
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DC: It was a dream come true for me and the other great collectors I met in Buffalo. They paid for my hotel and plane; they treated us like we were really important. We had the chance to talk with almost everyone in the company. We saw how they make the caps. That was awesome. New Era really is one of the best companies. The chance I had was awesome and I will never forget the time I spent with the other great collectors.<br />
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TFD: Did you come home with anything sweet?<br />
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DC: I came back with a school bag; it took two weeks before I received everything else I got and bought. New Era paid for the shipping when they sent my 27 fitteds, head-stands, a 24 cap-carrier, and my New Era glass block. My favorite cap of the package is my "MERICA" 4th of July exclusive, that I bought under the influence of the American boys.<br />
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TFD: What is your all-time favorite fitted?<br />
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DC: My regular Expos blue on-field cap. For me, it's a classic, but at the same time, it's a piece of Montreal history.<br />
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TFD: What do you personally feel makes your collection a great one?<br />
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DC: Nothing really. The thing that I love the most about my collection is how I store them. (Seen at the top) I love to wake up in the morning and see my wall. The big thing to remember is that it's not about the number, but about what you have. My collection is mostly on-field MLB and MiLB caps. I also have some NHL and NFL fitteds. Some people are more into comic caps (or other varieties) and that makes their collection as awesome as mine, too. You have to be proud of what you have.<br />
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TFD: If people want to follow you and your journey through caps, where can they find you on social media?</div>
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DC: On: facebook: Derick Chartrand<br />
Twitter: LeKid26<br />
Instagram: LeKid26<br />
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Derick really is someone to follow at those extensions. His Instagram is acceptional. He has a creative way of featuring his caps that is parallel to no one else. It's worth a look. I hope you enjoyed todays post. Stay tuned for our next interview in the comming days.<br />
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<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-22392429909889510332014-03-08T16:16:00.001-05:002014-03-08T16:16:52.825-05:00Collectors Corner with Maciek Krol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the truly wonderous things about social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) is that you can make global connections with everyday people, who share the same interests and passions as you. The places these people can reside are limitless; perhaps in your neighborhood or even completely across the world. Todays post is about one of those people who happens to share my love of collecting New Era Caps.<br />
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I met Maciek through Instagram, after posting a picture of a 59/50 and using the hashtag #NewEraCaps. Since then, we've been sharing pictures of our favorite and most rare caps. Recently, the hunt for the Heritage Series line, which is in limited production, has kept us in touch. Today, we did a Q and A with the man from across the pond, known on IG simply as "macall84".<br />
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TFD: What is your name?<br />
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MK: Maciek Krol<br />
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TFD: What size New Era Cap do you wear?<br />
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MK: 7 5/8, but when I started wearing New Era Caps I began with a 7 1/2.<br />
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TFD: Where are you from?/Where do you reside?<br />
MK: I'm from Poland, but I've lived and worked in London, U.K. for the past 9 years.<br />
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TFD: What is your favorite sport?<br />
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MK: It has to be soccer! Oh man, I hate that word, to be honest! Here, it's called football, so yeah, my favorite sport is football. After that, I'd probably have to go with basketball.<br />
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TFD: What is your favorite franchise/team in football?<br />
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MK: Arsenal London is my beloved club! I've supported them 17 years and counting. I was 13 when I saw them playing on T.V., and I just fell in love. The interesting thing is that when I was a kid, I'd dreamed of going to London and watching game of my team, live, in their stadium. Now, I live like 15 minutes walking distance from the stadium, and I attend home games, regularly. I guess we always have to chase our dreams and believe in them.<br />
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TFD: What other teams do you support?<br />
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MK: As I mentioned before, I like basketball, too. My favorite NBA team is the Los Angeles Lakers.<br />
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TFD: When did you first start collecting New Era Caps?<br />
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MK: It was the year 2008; in December, just before Christmas. That's when I grabbed my frist New Era. My collecting started quite slow. I was buying them here and there, but didn't really have a passion for them until about 2 years ago. I can't really explain why, but it just happened!<br />
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TFD: How large is your collection, currently?<br />
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MK: Hard to say exactly. The last time I took a count was about 3 months ago, but I'd say I'm pretty close to 200.<br />
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TFD: What was your first New Era and do you still have it?<br />
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MK: My first New Era was some black on black fashion collaboration piece. It didn't have a sports logo on it or anything. I can't remember exactly what it was. It was a spontaneous buy when I was on a shopping trip at a Footlocker. They had a New Era display, and I remember my girlfriend picked the hat because I truly couldn't decide on one.<br />
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TFD: Are there any caps that you really want and haven't been able to find?<br />
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MK: Yeah, I guess every cap collector is chasing his "Holy Grail". For me, there are 2 hats. One is a Syracuse Skychiefs Hat Club release, with the classic team logo, featuring an all black brim and bill, and gray under. It's still available, but not in my size, so I'll keep searching for it!<br />
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The other hat is very hard to find. It's a black fitted with "99 problems but hats ain't mine" written on it. It was already released twice in Europe and twice I slept on it. Not so long ago I spoke with my flagship store manager and asked him if there is a realistic chance for a third release, but he said it wasn't likely, so I have to keep looking for it.<br />
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TFD: Do you see yourself collecting fitteds forever?<br />
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MK: I have guys on my Instagram that have been collecting hats for many, many years, and their collections are in the thousands. I definitely don't think I'll stop soon; there has been too much effort, love and passion that I have put into it. I can't see myself leaving it just like that, so, yeah, I see myself collecting hats for many years to come!<br />
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TFD: What is your all-time favorite fitted?<br />
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MK: My favorite hat in my collection is definitely the "'MERICA" fitted, released last year on the 4th of July. I love it to bits! When I wear it, someone always asks me about it; where I got it, that kind of stuff.<br />
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TFD: What would you say makes your collection a unique one?<br />
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MK: I think, in a way, is unique because you can find anything from sports logos to comic related hats to fashion collaborations. I don't limit myself to anything. I guess it's easy for me because I'm not too into American sports. I'm not a fan of baseball, American football or hockey, so it's easy for me to pick hats of any teams, any logos, any colorways. Even though I like basketball, and I'm a Lakers fan, I have hats with logos of other NBA teams. If I like the hat I'll pick it up. That's it!<br />
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TFD: Where is your favorite place to buy fitteds?<br />
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MK: My favorite place to buy hats is my London Soho Flagship store. I got most of my hats from there. Through Instagram, I've met fantastic people from all over the world, who love the hatgame and now I get hats from them too. What is great about this community is the fact that people help each other all the time! As we know, New Era separates the world of hats from one region to another, so a lot of hats that come out in Europe aren't available in the USA; also, USA releases are not available in Europe, or other parts of the world. Those things sometimes happen due to different licenses and restrictions, affecting collectors. It's kind of stupid, but on the other hand someone is always making money out of it.<br />
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What I want to point out, here, is a big difference between the hat game and the shoe game. I hope that our community will never turn into what has happened to the shoe game. I can't really imagine going to the store and being a witness to a fight between two fellas over a fitted. That would be a very sad day.<br />
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TFD: If people want to follow you on social media (i.e. Twitter, Instagram) where should they look?<br />
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MK: I spend most of my time in Instagram, less on Twitter, but I'm there too. So, if you want to hit me there, please feel welcome! I always try to respond to all of the comments and messages. I like to chat with people about hats and other stuff. For both Instagram and Twitter, look for "macall84".<br />
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Peace, people! Remember, to always be yourself and fly your own flag. Thanks! <br />
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I want to thank Maciek for sharing his love for the fitted game, in todays post. He was truly great to work with, and is now someone I considder a great friend in the community. Keep reading, everybody!<br />
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-73001826519854596142014-02-27T00:54:00.000-05:002014-02-27T00:59:36.079-05:00Ballin On The Bay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a franchise which has only reached post-season play three times in the past twenty seasons, the current foundation set in place for the Golden State Warriors is surely a sign of brighter horizons. The Warriors, whom have seen 12 coaching changes in said time-frame, are finally headed in the right direction with a former all-star point guard at the helm. </div>
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Mark Jackson, most notably of the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers in his playing days, is currently in his third year as head coach of the Warriors. Although only collectively four games over the magic .500 winning percentage (105-101 in regular season play), a world of difference can be seen on the court, whether it be in reflection of the teams play style or confidence. There is, of course, also something to be said about the improvement of the rosters talent and player I.Q. of the game. The conversation can start nowhere other than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. </div>
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Steph Curry is currently playing in his fifth season, at point guard, out of Davidson University; His game ignites both the scoreboard with a pleathora of three's on a nightly basis and the "Dub-Nation" fanbase with undeniable excitement. Thompson, a shooting guard out of Washington State University, has been a consistent contributer in the points and assists colums over his first three seasons. With an extremely successful one-two knock-out combination, a respectable supporting staff, and an up-beat coaching staff, the sky truly is the limit for this Bay-Area ball club. </div>
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One notable change was made prior to the 2010-2011 season, that should not go un-noted; the franchise, in totality aside from the team name, was re-branded. Out with the old and in with the new-ish. The team reverted to a colorway reminicent of the franchises history spanning from the 1962 season to the 1997 season. Although, I write this with a sense of playful humor, there really is something to be said about looking good, feeling good, and performing. The teams old colorway and mascot were certainly a sign of the late 90's and early 00's, bringing with it a sense of playfulness and lack of true passion for victory. "The Dubs" went from a rust orange, navy blue/sky blue, metallic yellow colorway to the traditional yellow and royal blue we've all come to know and love. Examples shown below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05YOrATL4Lac0QHR-hDnOSp4NoP4kvcqjXm3yw3CjKpZHYtTy_yyNtY0AQZQRTVtBCLtlvTB5ITaqIXRUC3VKPSeUG753wTjSRj9r4dBGyKbhmc31VnQ2N_MlrsJCKwOJECi3RS0gGd8o/s1600/1bhcqs6l5t44lw04y1tygdsce.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05YOrATL4Lac0QHR-hDnOSp4NoP4kvcqjXm3yw3CjKpZHYtTy_yyNtY0AQZQRTVtBCLtlvTB5ITaqIXRUC3VKPSeUG753wTjSRj9r4dBGyKbhmc31VnQ2N_MlrsJCKwOJECi3RS0gGd8o/s1600/1bhcqs6l5t44lw04y1tygdsce.gif" height="308" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B-jGcubg6XiuQUMmdpLZeO9M4zK3Iz4srDYprPQkHubhTRQFFIbMZExrjuSMiHwgH_8vW115XeFo5RLJqd8u3dinUu94b3xTQ8FlL3w2gWHmiBw1j2NhBze4tpJjsTZOQHR-ofjDD1VR/s1600/qhhir6fj8zp30f33s7sfb4yw0.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7B-jGcubg6XiuQUMmdpLZeO9M4zK3Iz4srDYprPQkHubhTRQFFIbMZExrjuSMiHwgH_8vW115XeFo5RLJqd8u3dinUu94b3xTQ8FlL3w2gWHmiBw1j2NhBze4tpJjsTZOQHR-ofjDD1VR/s1600/qhhir6fj8zp30f33s7sfb4yw0.png" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
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The cap above features a yellow bill, blue crown and gray under-brim, also has the new primary logo located front and center. On the caps left side, a yellow New Era Flag is featured. On the back, an NBA logo is shown in yellow over the blue material. Unfortunately, the cap, which was purchased at Cap City in West New York, New Jersey, is no longer available. An assortment of other Warriors caps can be found <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=golden+statr+warriors">HERE</a>.<br />
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Thanks for reading. Stay tuned as the consistent flow of posts is to resume. Thanks.<br />
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<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-7213591014631030512014-01-11T01:14:00.002-05:002014-01-11T01:23:50.734-05:00"GB" Stands for Great Britain; Not Great Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-FsYszh_TBTUDg8vOXuysnrPaR_5GXkKUoM1mMLpFrpyQsZsjIdcRS39CerHtBYcXmVZetHq87gzU6n2LpODEDlJQLowMRQn4eh4wQxTi34-cK3wvpAPunM0wYHQIFLSwHrm5XB_ZpDp/s1600/BdrNDoEIYAAStw9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-FsYszh_TBTUDg8vOXuysnrPaR_5GXkKUoM1mMLpFrpyQsZsjIdcRS39CerHtBYcXmVZetHq87gzU6n2LpODEDlJQLowMRQn4eh4wQxTi34-cK3wvpAPunM0wYHQIFLSwHrm5XB_ZpDp/s1600/BdrNDoEIYAAStw9.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4n4_ETQv2FcmLBq-j875neoX8H2NAcztcyH2nT3eQhAVKU7Vc1MRtzAacw0Lr_y1iTrrK82rTju-d3jGchvjInVzaSxnuop_yBtbUNWN5Cjs5Cd3tcpnEshI6m_Bsk6TAieOBH9PcKiV/s1600/BdrK0vDIEAAh5NH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4n4_ETQv2FcmLBq-j875neoX8H2NAcztcyH2nT3eQhAVKU7Vc1MRtzAacw0Lr_y1iTrrK82rTju-d3jGchvjInVzaSxnuop_yBtbUNWN5Cjs5Cd3tcpnEshI6m_Bsk6TAieOBH9PcKiV/s1600/BdrK0vDIEAAh5NH.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMAXORdEqKpJ59fuLwGhBIwG8w45xTFv8Xcwdwfp1B6NeTNTK_Qx0Dv7_2R0YRVthD7SoNk3uDzCr-QnsEvK84hts2wRU5TpHufa7U9nhk-nxroIhushcFjwEQ1Us_JY9xRB57sBZhA2s/s1600/BdrNQTPIAAAElGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMAXORdEqKpJ59fuLwGhBIwG8w45xTFv8Xcwdwfp1B6NeTNTK_Qx0Dv7_2R0YRVthD7SoNk3uDzCr-QnsEvK84hts2wRU5TpHufa7U9nhk-nxroIhushcFjwEQ1Us_JY9xRB57sBZhA2s/s1600/BdrNQTPIAAAElGB.jpg" height="200" width="111" /></a></div>
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The good news: Great Britain won the first Baseball World Cup. The bad: That was all the way back in 1938. To be polite, it has been a long 76 years since the matter. </div>
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Great Britain baseball, currently ranked twenty-fourth in the IBAF world rankings, has been struggling ever since the start of World War II. In fact, they had not qualified for a world championship tournament until the 2009 season, where they fell short, being eliminated in group play of the World Cup that year. Their latest national apperence took place in September of 2012, where they attempted to qualify for the most recent World Baseball Classic.</div>
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Once again, The Queen's team fell short. Great Britain succumbed to Canada, in a qualifying round, additionally consisting of Germany and the Czech Republic. Maybe, just maybe, they should stick to soccer. Time heals all, except for low batting averages and high ERA's. Hopes and dreams are what this world is built on; reaching and achieving those are a completely different story. </div>
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The short of it is that there are not any notable MLB players from Great Britain, but only a few in the minor leagues. There is Chris Reed, a pitcher, of the Chatanooga Lookouts in the Dodgers system. Additonally, there is Estevenson Encarnacion of the Brewers organization, who also happens to be a pitcher.</div>
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The bright side is that they have a remarkably beautiful on-field cap. As you can see above, the cap has both a navy blue brim and crown. On the front is a sleek dual-leveled "GB" representing Great Britain. On the side is the flag associated with the United Kingdom. Finally on the back is the World Baseball Classic logo. </div>
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Tough times are certainly ahead for this national team. That being said, anything can happen. Time will certainly tell as we look forward to the next WBC tournament, which will be held in 2017. Four years is a long time. Maybe they can get something going.</div>
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If you have any questions on where to get this cap or others on this blog, feel free to leave a message in the comment section.</div>
Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-66786990315152776732013-07-07T15:36:00.000-04:002013-07-07T15:36:31.393-04:00Hammerin' Hank's Braves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94nqg7FGUjlm1N4TYPJGZ4KTTkzlfobCddLuBrZHYqpwp8wY3yYqmOf_veFE8REgrnsh3Twk8OK0517v2lO3qvxgDXkA57NnZyH-05LTgDcmxxLWymi3jtLrvCmgI_ebvzui5aJrYu4bT/s1600/BOlwXsBCUAAntRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94nqg7FGUjlm1N4TYPJGZ4KTTkzlfobCddLuBrZHYqpwp8wY3yYqmOf_veFE8REgrnsh3Twk8OK0517v2lO3qvxgDXkA57NnZyH-05LTgDcmxxLWymi3jtLrvCmgI_ebvzui5aJrYu4bT/s200/BOlwXsBCUAAntRS.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB40RvRHLWkf6bWEjtuY90Sh7hmQ0b5-UIsRDckl_xohJjl6odpXnWHmne7i_EqzFtlrRlL505ziHnNOo8ExHqa9biRSmyBAMrGs_7MCQfepn5v9POe0mPCIaNrIbV4O8WQxUZXGE7c3lG/s1600/BOlv4f8CQAAxw_X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB40RvRHLWkf6bWEjtuY90Sh7hmQ0b5-UIsRDckl_xohJjl6odpXnWHmne7i_EqzFtlrRlL505ziHnNOo8ExHqa9biRSmyBAMrGs_7MCQfepn5v9POe0mPCIaNrIbV4O8WQxUZXGE7c3lG/s200/BOlv4f8CQAAxw_X.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRLSQ-ICmszlcwots6_ZQLR8Pxf3LwB7cd8203xZqnSIYbTadLySx8Q8aGoRLqQVdAsuiJj4Fs5EnQEbXmSO9k25UlpWfExBbjh5M50yXkN5-ItjdbLSeIXJYgVOwOFs__zgCza2-xV2b/s1600/BOlw6BTCAAAKtwW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRLSQ-ICmszlcwots6_ZQLR8Pxf3LwB7cd8203xZqnSIYbTadLySx8Q8aGoRLqQVdAsuiJj4Fs5EnQEbXmSO9k25UlpWfExBbjh5M50yXkN5-ItjdbLSeIXJYgVOwOFs__zgCza2-xV2b/s320/BOlw6BTCAAAKtwW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nine Hall-of-Famers, seven games, and the greatest home-run hitter of all time; this is what the 1957 World Series brought to the table for all to see, and it didn't disappoint. In a series that was won by a team other than one of the three New York franchises, for the first time in nine seasons, it came down to a gutsy victory on the road to take home the title of champion.<br />
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The Braves had just recently moved from Boston to Milwaukee, hadn't captured a National League Pennant in ten seasons, and had six name changes over the course of the prior 70 seasons; needless to say, a tradition of winning wasn't exactly in their heritage. After only losing the NL Pennant by one game in the previous season, Milwaukee certainly had their work cut out for them against the seemingly immortal New York Yankees.<br />
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Thanks to the offensive prowess of a then 23 year-old, National League MVP, Hank Aaron, three victories in the series by pitcher Lew Burdette, and a relentless line-up featuring players the likes of Eddie Mathews and Frank Torre, the Braves were able to seal the series victory, in seven. That amazing feat has inspired this recent release from <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/">http://www.ecapcity.com/</a>. Although the World Series side-patch didn't make it's way onto New Era on-field caps until the mid-90's, this is an authentic logo used on programs and other merchandise, thus being an accurate visualization of what it would have looked like.<br />
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Along with the fore mentioned side-patch, the cap featured above has a red brim, navy crown, capital "M" front and center, a period correct green under-brim, and the accurate absence of MLB Logo on the reverse. If you're interested in this cap, it can be found <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/milwaukee-braves-new-era-hats-1957-world-series-retro.html">HERE</a>. If it seems like something you'd like to add, I'd suggest buying it quickly before it's gone forever.<br />
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-13218769470551351272013-07-05T22:39:00.000-04:002013-07-05T22:39:00.392-04:00Burried Treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4AkezkNRo8EBbefinkFH4fPEuZAS_9OY3kHCeLgMH1GnovfLba2q2QZXxffwyyTT674zuyz7nZrQpjKgCvL5I5IGC4mkErPD4Z0JgxVaNqsxZK5g-erhy-L6A6VNrWy_Nd9eOkPn_PHT/s1600/expos+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4AkezkNRo8EBbefinkFH4fPEuZAS_9OY3kHCeLgMH1GnovfLba2q2QZXxffwyyTT674zuyz7nZrQpjKgCvL5I5IGC4mkErPD4Z0JgxVaNqsxZK5g-erhy-L6A6VNrWy_Nd9eOkPn_PHT/s320/expos+front.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sXfD5PQTig3ijG29D_RDwl9a1NpzwKjaE0P5m5SxphDGgDxUd-lmYMvVnjIb2mqQKneSy4nLurpVC1WkKlzq-lEVNuSvq0pFjUgz2rL-iOIniG3YjCIoH41bTwuP5imZf3iLk2wWjkt0/s1600/expos+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sXfD5PQTig3ijG29D_RDwl9a1NpzwKjaE0P5m5SxphDGgDxUd-lmYMvVnjIb2mqQKneSy4nLurpVC1WkKlzq-lEVNuSvq0pFjUgz2rL-iOIniG3YjCIoH41bTwuP5imZf3iLk2wWjkt0/s320/expos+back.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tUCmMXXA4qhbW1jJDR82BPnUF23c39xMXjfQMIogUkewYQm0cvQbldKZBGmGNfKfhuzokntqTRSpEjT7LL6JUYRH8eAhP5JL4kVMEWVxOfENXvG-E2FDE8WLMmpg75xvDU-v5uQFPvEo/s1600/expos+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tUCmMXXA4qhbW1jJDR82BPnUF23c39xMXjfQMIogUkewYQm0cvQbldKZBGmGNfKfhuzokntqTRSpEjT7LL6JUYRH8eAhP5JL4kVMEWVxOfENXvG-E2FDE8WLMmpg75xvDU-v5uQFPvEo/s320/expos+side.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sometimes, you find the best things when you're not even looking; similar to walking along one of the world's beaches, finding lost jewelry, an old coin, or maybe even a memento from the past, that was otherwise thought to be lost or gone forever. The latter is exactly what happened, a little over a month ago, while I was hopping from one small shop to another, along the Atlantic City Boardwalk.</div>
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Being an avid collector for years, I've learned to appreciate the hunt for a good cap. That being said, there are always a few in the back of your mind that you don't necessarily pursue, but hope to stumble upon down the road. In this sense, it's more of a desire to find a specific logo. The reference pertains to the stylings of the now extinct Montreal Expos. Since the conclusion of their active history at the conclusion of the 2004 season, dead-stock Expos caps, such as the retro-pinwheel design above, have been dwindling in numbers, thus becoming more and more difficult to find. <a href="http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Sports.Collection.609-345-7182">Sports Collection</a>, located at 1731 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey, had this beauty tucked away in the back of the store, along with multiple others unique finds.</div>
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I understand it isn't an on-field cap, which is probably enough to turn some people off from it, but it comes from a time where my fitted collection began. It brings back memories of a time before a closet full of caps, when I could only dream of amassing as many as I have to this point. All that, along with the fact that I paid in the ballpark of $20 for a mint condition cap (sticker still intact) was enough for me to pull the trigger. </div>
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Other caps in the shop included various logos from the past, which teams have since moved on from, or in this case, from teams that no longer even exist. Unfortunately, if you don't live within driving distance of this place, picking and choosing may be difficult, being that there's no accurately cataloged database of caps they have to offer. That being said, you can still reach out to them through their website, featuring their main store further down the boardwalk. The URL for that site is <a href="http://www.hatemporiumac.com/main.sc">http://www.hatemporiumac.com/main.sc</a> </div>
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The cap above features alternating blue and red panels around the crown, a blue brim, red under-brim, an oversized MLB logo featuring the Expos word mark inlaid, and the classic Montreal Expos "M-E-B" logo, centered across the rear 2 panels. </div>
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If you'd like to add some retro caps to your collection, and have a few minutes to explore, drop them a line at the contact page of the above website. When I was there, they were extremely friendly, and sincerely appreciated my interest in their accumulated stock of great caps. It can't hurt to give it a shot. </div>
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<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-57744102411679532942013-06-30T01:07:00.002-04:002013-06-30T01:07:56.045-04:00The Midsummer Classic Returns to New York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x8WmeK04GINxxf1PEHoUpxOnEp2KFLJH7dPUlkAcfCHOqXzgHpPJwNoyBEAIcDZGgncdvJ4BhyEYCqASaFamoSdNrhb7sg_RPAsyKFEWComxmGzVqLDE7A5Tx8GlMJHXZEBEqqKscLWV/s1024/AL+ASG+BACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x8WmeK04GINxxf1PEHoUpxOnEp2KFLJH7dPUlkAcfCHOqXzgHpPJwNoyBEAIcDZGgncdvJ4BhyEYCqASaFamoSdNrhb7sg_RPAsyKFEWComxmGzVqLDE7A5Tx8GlMJHXZEBEqqKscLWV/s200/AL+ASG+BACK.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This year marks the return of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, to the great city of New York. The world's top talents from the baseball diamond will descend upon the big apple for a three day period from July 14th to the 16th. It will be the first time the spectacle has been in New York since the final year of the original Yankee Stadium, in 2008, where the events took place. </div>
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The All-Star Game break usually has a similar format, year in year out; Prospect Game on the Sunday, along with the Celebrity and Legends Softball Game which follows. Then Monday is the AL and NL workout day, followed at night with the Home-Run Derby. Concluding on Tuesday night, with the All-Star Game, itself; it's all very predictable and traditional. There is one big change this year with all that is involved. Any guesses? </div>
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This is the first year, in memory, in which the American League and National League will not (wait for it) have to wear those god-awful 39/30 batting practice caps during the Home-Run Derby. As all the batting practice caps have been made this year, the All-Star Game caps are of the 59/50 variety for once, in the Diamond Era variety; one small step for Major League Baseball and New Era, one giant leap for collectors everywhere. There's finally a fitted version of an All-Star Break commemorative cap, that's worth adding to the collection, in support of your league of preference. It may seem like a little thing if you're not as addicted to the cap culture as others, but believe that it makes a difference. </div>
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Sure, you could always go with your teams standard 59/50 on-field New Era, with the commemorative patch on the side (and in recent years with the 2 stars alongside the MLB Logo on the back), but this is better...way better. So in an open statement to Major League Baseball's marketing department and New Era, allow me to express the collective thoughts of the fitted-community as a whole: THANK YOU, YOU FINALLY REALIZED THE OLD ONES SUCKED. </div>
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The American League's version, which I was able to find earlier today at Citi Field (the site of the ASG), is shown at the top. It has a Mets blue crown, a Mets orange back 4 panels, and 2 white front panels. It has a Mets themed logo with a stylized "A" centered. The National Leagues BP Cap, seen <a href="http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18915036&cp=13275691.22323146">HERE</a>, is essentially the same cap, except with the orange and blue switched, and an "N" located in front, across the Mets themed logo. Both are really nice caps, which I would not be surprised to see fly off the shelves. </div>
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This year's Home-Run Derby will be headlined by one player from each of New York's teams; the Mets and Yankees. The AL will be led by the Yankees Robinson Cano, and the NL will be captained by the hometown hero David Wright. </div>
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All we can hope for is that MLB and New Era recognize the drastic improvement they've made with the batting practice caps, and keep up the good work. Both caps described above, can be found for purchase <a href="http://shop.mlb.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=22323146&cp=13275691">HERE</a>. </div>
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We have 2 weeks until the fun kicks off, and the competitions commence. Pull hard for your league, because remember, the winner of the All-Star Game clinches home field advantage for the World Series. You could say this makes a bit of a difference. Until next time, enjoy, and keep collecting.</div>
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<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-56754326820577555562013-03-21T03:44:00.000-04:002013-03-21T03:50:10.287-04:00A New Hope <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aAv3Vj7pTBOsJX7lKn5KpL4Krzqz3EWf9Y0SnOqIerSy1LylaqUBUU0ltdGEvi4ZebkZWl-nOHjpJaSTRmYc14fCWqrCKKLaAQGxAmvCN5n9zI7YCZU1N-2FTGyPntNpUGHGlj01rfBH/s1600/Nets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aAv3Vj7pTBOsJX7lKn5KpL4Krzqz3EWf9Y0SnOqIerSy1LylaqUBUU0ltdGEvi4ZebkZWl-nOHjpJaSTRmYc14fCWqrCKKLaAQGxAmvCN5n9zI7YCZU1N-2FTGyPntNpUGHGlj01rfBH/s400/Nets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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165-296; that's the combined record over the past 5-plus seasons it's taken to bring the Nets within only 2 victories of guaranteeing a .500 or better season. That's nothing short of an eternity in between moments of joy and sanity, for the dwindling group of original New Jersey Nets fans out there.<br />
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When Vince, Richard, and Jason left the Garden State to pursue other endeavors, the majority of the fan base jumped ship. All of that is completely understandable, when you consider the following: your local franchise plays in arguably the least aesthetically pleasing arena in the country, the franchise present a G rated product stuck in the early 90's, and chooses to play a starting 5 consisting of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Jarvis Hayes, Yi Jianlian, and a very raw rookie in Brook Lopez. The days were certainly as long as they were dark for the final 5 seasons in the Garden State.<br />
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Well, it seems as if we've finally reached the other side of the rainbow; and it happens to be in Brooklyn. A new roster is in place, along with a new image, and most importantly a new sense of confidence. Who knew? Money really can buy happiness! (sarcasm). With the teams last victory, the magic number to reach the ever-elusive post-season has come to only 2. The last time the franchise saw the playoffs was in 2007. To put perspective on the situation, George W. Bush still had a little less than two years left in his second term, and the nation was losing its collective mind because gas hit an all-time high of $3.07 for self-serve; if only.<br />
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Regardless, I still try to look for the silver lining in it all. "What's that?" you may ask. It's the true understanding of the word victory. Without a doubt, a win is a win, in all of its glory; but after enduring the downward spiral that the team has recently pulled out of, no "W" goes unheralded. It really doesn't matter if it's a win against the Bobcats in the November, or our most recent on the road in Dallas, the "little things" now come with a certain sense of higher appreciation.<br />
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After all of this, it is still somewhat bittersweet. Sure, the Nets are going to make the playoffs, likely as a 3-5 seed, and have come a long way from the struggles in the Meadowlands. However, they're further from home, now belong to someone else, and will never associate with the "good" times which brought us all to love them. In an eerie metaphoric way, it's sort of like giving up a child for adoption; they now have a better life, more opportunities for success, and better financial backing. At this point, the New Jersey fans can only observe what they once called their own, from a distance, and hope for the best with a keen sense of admiration.<br />
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The two caps above represent a drastic change; a transition from a woeful franchise on its last legs, to a blossoming New York powerhouse, with a hipster undertone. All there is to do is remember the past while ambitiously waiting on the future. The left, reflects the franchises tenure in New Jersey, specifically from 1997-2012, that features a navy blue brim and crown, with the now throwback shield logo on the front, and an NBA logo with according color-way on the back. The cap on the right features the new branding of the team, with a black crown and brim, and the new modern shield logo front and center. On the back, the cap features the word "BROOKLYN" in white, in the current team font.<br />
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The cap on the left is likely gone forever. Sorry, but there's not much I can do about that. However, the one on the right, along with other Nets caps, can be found <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=nets">HERE</a>. Until next time...<br />
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-26863192086421708392013-02-24T00:28:00.004-05:002013-02-24T00:50:16.591-05:00I Got 5 On It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9peWQL6U7hYbwGnQiFQIPbn4FG91lzoTPrgQ23G-xeRd40if7iGvPCgTjcgmpEdOq0J9v085XZsEhXv-gagNvQj13k_D2YysYJ5Iry4Qdm4cTXJp3Isi_T6ISYHsfvTsJylbEDRxTuk7I/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9peWQL6U7hYbwGnQiFQIPbn4FG91lzoTPrgQ23G-xeRd40if7iGvPCgTjcgmpEdOq0J9v085XZsEhXv-gagNvQj13k_D2YysYJ5Iry4Qdm4cTXJp3Isi_T6ISYHsfvTsJylbEDRxTuk7I/s200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E9yBktKlhVfCZHPVosXLxJexm8gJzJkkOzXk6bX6mgILjt33WtvEL45O2y8t1zFVS9Rsi5go778Wzc7-sGI9c1OqzYZMogsfN8jPEvzTuFDQDv5D1WFph386OR8psAOaxYuLyNjEqUNE/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E9yBktKlhVfCZHPVosXLxJexm8gJzJkkOzXk6bX6mgILjt33WtvEL45O2y8t1zFVS9Rsi5go778Wzc7-sGI9c1OqzYZMogsfN8jPEvzTuFDQDv5D1WFph386OR8psAOaxYuLyNjEqUNE/s200/3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7v96cpvfMY5kGJU3TFam7mNdfQ9GHDVanc94GjwyVgPNC66CagMcmqP2UmwlSKFEGMgty2KsKVN_tZBtI4YK9I9P3B1OOhAx_jnauSQstyBpdCflfUcIs6b_ZDTSQqqLa25MloWb4t3i/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7v96cpvfMY5kGJU3TFam7mNdfQ9GHDVanc94GjwyVgPNC66CagMcmqP2UmwlSKFEGMgty2KsKVN_tZBtI4YK9I9P3B1OOhAx_jnauSQstyBpdCflfUcIs6b_ZDTSQqqLa25MloWb4t3i/s200/2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This upcoming season,
the Houston Astros will be moving to the American League of Major League
Baseball. This means new opponents, new divisional foes, and of course a
complete overhaul of everything logo and word mark related. The Astros
organization and their associated minor league franchises could have gone crazy
with this artistic opportunity and started from scratch, but thankfully they
resorted to finding inspiration from an era of the past.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The Astos new logo's for
the upcoming season (which can be seen <a href="http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/492995032000/Houston_Astros/2013/Primary_Logo"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">HERE</span></a>)
are drawn conceptually from the incarnation of the franchise’s history in 1965,
up until 1993. To me, it really screams "baseball" and not sports
entertainment; which is what we all really want deep down. I enjoy the
simplicity to the fullest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Gone are the days of
rust orange stars, Craig Biggio, and winning seasons. Although some might be
upset with this news, cap collectors will be able to rejoice, as most
merchandise of the Greeneville Astros is on sale. The cap shown above is the
official road cap from last season for the G-ville Astros, which I bought for 5
DOLLARS. That's correct, 5 DOLLARS. The shipping cost more than the cap,
unbelievably. The caps, along with further merchandise can be found <a href="http://greeneville.milbstore.com/store.cfm?dept_id=1351&store_id=93&parentID=1351"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">HERE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The Greeneville Astros
are the rookie level affiliate of the Houston Astros, in the Appalachian
League. The team has been part of the league since 2004, playing in the West
division. In their very first year in Greeneville, they were able to capture
both division and league titles. Since then, however, the team has struggled.
They haven't finished in first place since, and they've only has 2 players of
note make it to the big leagues. Those two men are Felipe Paulino, who made his
Major League Baseball debut with the Astros in 2007, and 5'5 shortstop, Jose
Altuve; who is arguably the face of the franchise as they move to the junior
circuit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The cap above, featuring
a grey under-brim (which technically makes this an old cap, probably locked in
a stock room since 2005), also has a black crown and brim, with the now retro
Astros star on the front. In addition, a capital "G" for Greeneville
overlaps the star. On the side, the New Era Cap logo is located. To conclude,
the back features the Minor League Baseball logo, with the team-according color
scheme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Check it out. If you
don't hate it and they have your size, give it a shot. After all, it is a
"throwback" now.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3443010234111501898.post-55672609735203545892013-02-20T02:31:00.002-05:002013-02-20T02:48:07.524-05:00A Prehistoric Bird Brings New Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPQvwa55s6JSV5f7-j1xi_xsFOafu8SD_4lKzEiejsG8wYzyzkYVC6I3OYZd6usahB0AU9bsQPSLGzQ5zrFCF4CJM7Ut-gUsWV30P26WchaZnpa79TDJfvOuXzAoWHK3d4kr27xE7EOML/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPQvwa55s6JSV5f7-j1xi_xsFOafu8SD_4lKzEiejsG8wYzyzkYVC6I3OYZd6usahB0AU9bsQPSLGzQ5zrFCF4CJM7Ut-gUsWV30P26WchaZnpa79TDJfvOuXzAoWHK3d4kr27xE7EOML/s200/1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Yes, New Orleans, Louisiana has had an NBA franchise to call its own for the last ten plus seasons, but it never felt quite right. An old team name, old team colors, and a temporary, yet neccessary, relocation to Oklahoma City for 2 seasons, left a feeling of wanting "more" for the franchise and fanbase; well, "more" just knocked on the door of "The Big Easy".</div>
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"The New Orleans Pelicans" was officially revealed as the re-brand name for the Louisiana-based NBA franchise, on January 24th of this year. Albeit a wordy and lackluster name for a professional sports team, it does at least carry a sense of tradition with its direct link to local culture. The pelican, more specifically the Brown Pelican, is the official state bird of Louisiana. The bird is included on the state seal and state flag of the state officially known as "The Pelican State". So yeah, the bird is kind of a big deal; We get it.</div>
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Although naming them the "Louisiana Pelicans" would have been more suitable, may have looked "cleaner", and would have had a better ring to it, we should be grateful for what we ended up with. After all, it could have been one of the other proposed nicknames; those of course being: he "Mosquitoes", the "Rougarou", the "Swamp Dogs", and the "Bull Dogs". Yeah, you read those correctly; no need to adjust your monitors. </div>
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Along with the name change, new colors (red, white, navy blue, and gold), new logos, and new wordmarks are here. Sure, the America colorway always works and looks pretty, but why not keep with the state-homage motif? Just one mans opinion, here, but I feel these colors would have worked just fine (maybe even better).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL9d6uvKn0qPo0mtJSuLPe0NDtoOJBCsPKUVJnaqal64CYKW2ngU7iZtRWkSynaENUFI7G5HEz5bFDOsUerg-1QQNQB2DMI2XR8fErnB-Xa6fb29IAdsMD_j7mPAFTIeTR42e_ucE6LMg/s1600/StateFlag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrL9d6uvKn0qPo0mtJSuLPe0NDtoOJBCsPKUVJnaqal64CYKW2ngU7iZtRWkSynaENUFI7G5HEz5bFDOsUerg-1QQNQB2DMI2XR8fErnB-Xa6fb29IAdsMD_j7mPAFTIeTR42e_ucE6LMg/s320/StateFlag.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The logos in their entirety, I have no problems with whatsoever; they're all very professional, timeless, and fitting of the teams location. Those can all be seen <a href="http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/4962/New_Orleans_Pelicans/">HERE</a>. The fleur-de-lis and the "Crecent-City" alternate logos are really nice. Hopefully they use them either on the jersey or home court design when the time comes for all of that. </div>
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The Hornets will finish in New Orleans with what most would call mild success. In their ten-plus years in Louisiana, the franchise has only made 5 playoff appearances, at best losing in the Western Conference Semifinals in the 07-08 season. The one bright spot in the franchises history was the drafting and development of star point guard Chris Paul. In his Hornets career, Paul won the rookie of the year for the bugs in 2006, captured multiple steal and assist titles, was named to 3 all-star teams, and was even named all NBA first team once. He was truly a reason to go to the games, tune in on T.V., and likely even claim the Hornets. Once Paul decided to move on to bigger and better opportunities, it was clear a re-building was on the then current ownerships hands. In April of 2012, the team was sold to car dealership mogul, and New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. This would be the beginning of what is now a recurring theme of "out with the old, and in with the new". </div>
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The new hope for success came in the form of the number one overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. The Hornets selected Collegiate National Player of the Year Anthony Davis, out of Kentucky. Davis certainly provides a foundation for success. The talented big man, along with multiple trade pieces for the now Los Angeles Clipper, Chris Paul, and key free agent signings certainly puts the club in a decent position to grow quickly. Being in the Western Conference, let alone a division with Dallas, Houston, Memphis, and San Antonio, is no easy feat, but the way things look this year, 10-15 games over .500 should get you into the playoffs. Is it impossible to picture the team in the eighth spot in the West next year? No, but for a franchise that's currently owners of a 19-35 record through the all-star break, the road seems to be uphill. </div>
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The cap shown in today's post was purchased at Cap City, in West New York, New Jersey. The cap, along with other Pelicans 59/50's can be found <a href="http://www.ecapcity.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pelicans">HERE</a>. It features a navy crown and bull, with the primary pelicans logo across the front. On the left side, the New Era logo is located in white. On the back, the alternate Pelicans logo is located low and center. A great cap for a budding franchise in the ashes of the old. </div>
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Maybe with the vacating of the Hornets name, the rights can be sold back to the Charlotte franchise. C'mon, M.J.! Call it a belated 50th birthday present! Bobcats sounds like a minor league team name, anyway. </div>
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<br />Matt Aballihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12579872222672828940noreply@blogger.com0