Where are the hats?!?!

[Frylock]

Okay...

So yesterday, I'm out shopping. I want/need to pick up the "new" Nationals cap. It has to be the official on-field fitted cap -- nothing else will do.

I drive ALL OVER this freakin' town of mine, and I find NOTHING. I live in a fairly sized town in the Northwest, about 100,000 folks, and if I want anything from the Mariners, I can get it. If I want some kind of crappy hat with a throwback logo on it, I can get it. And of course, if I want anything with the Trail Blazers, OSU or (God forbid) University of Oregon logos, I can get it. But any other team? Fugeddabout it.

Where, oh where does one go to buy a MLB cap in person these days? I don't want to buy one online in case it's the wrong size, and I prefer supporting local businesses or national retailers in my town.

Suggestions?

[slapshot]

Lids or Hatworld. Every one that I've been to has a larger-than-normal assortment of MLB fitted caps.

I suppose you could try Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods, but they might only carry Mariners hats if you're in the Northwest.

[sacker12]

I'm having the same problems with trying to find the new Braves alt cap.

[Pat]

I have the same problem. Everywhere in canada either sells, a)NBA stuff cause its "cool", OR nhl stuff cause all candians care about is hockey. Its very annoying expecially when All i ever really want is MLB or NFL. Theres a good store in London I usually can get my stuff. There is only one store in my city of 70,000 people that sells real MLB hats, and it usually has, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees and thats it. So sad.

[amare32]

I'm looking for the Nats' BP cap, but all I can find is the spare S/M*. I wear a 7 1/2 in a fitted cap.

...

* That's small/medium, not sado-masochism.

[Gary]

I'm looking for the Nats' BP cap, but all I can find is the spare S/M*. I wear a 7 1/2 in a fitted cap.

have you tried Glass Cage Sports? At the Westridge/Desert Sky Mall or Arrowhead Mall or the Paradise Valley Mall?

[amare32]

I'm looking for the Nats' BP cap, but all I can find is the spare S/M*.  I wear a 7 1/2 in a fitted cap.

have you tried Glass Cage Sports? At the Westridge/Desert Sky Mall or Arrowhead Mall or the Paradise Valley Mall?

Nope. I've looked at the Arizona Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square and the cap stores on Mill Avenue. Have you seen 'em out there?

[Gary]

I'm looking for the Nats' BP cap, but all I can find is the spare S/M*.  I wear a 7 1/2 in a fitted cap.

have you tried Glass Cage Sports? At the Westridge/Desert Sky Mall or Arrowhead Mall or the Paradise Valley Mall?

Nope. I've looked at the Arizona Center, Scottsdale Fashion Square and the cap stores on Mill Avenue. Have you seen 'em out there?

i've seen them at the Hat Center at the Metro, and i've seen one at the GCS in the Arrowhead Towne Center but that's about it. I think you may find a large at the GCS though

[Braden]

There's a shop in the mall that I work at called "The Pro Image". They know be by name there, seriously. They have all of the current MLB hats, including both Nats home and away, in all the sizes, even the rare ones (I'm a freakin size 8!)

I love it there, cause they have all of the teams (obviously more Jays, Red Sox and Yankees stuff). The only thing that sucks it that their prices are high, but you can't find most of the stuff anywhere else nearby, so I guess it's ok.

[Frylock]

Lids or Hatworld. Every one that I've been to has a larger-than-normal assortment of MLB fitted caps.

I suppose you could try Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods, but they might only carry Mariners hats if you're in the Northwest.

jp is the man!

We don't have Sport's Authority or Dick's, but we DO have Lids. I had never heard of Lids before, but there they are -- located in my wonderfull mall downtown. Guess I'm out of touch with the mall. After all, I am in my late 20's...

Anyhow, the good news is that they had the Nats hats, but the bad news is that they were out of my size. I will definitely be checking in with them frequently. Very cool place.

Thank you jp and everyone for your suggestions!

[FiddySicks]

Dude i had the same problem when i went to Florida. I wanted a red Nats hat and had to go to like two or three different malls before i was able to find one.

[FiddySicks]

Lids or Hatworld. Every one that I've been to has a larger-than-normal assortment of MLB fitted caps.

I suppose you could try Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods, but they might only carry Mariners hats if you're in the Northwest.

jp is the man!

We don't have Sport's Authority or Dick's, but we DO have Lids. I had never heard of Lids before, but there they are -- located in my wonderfull mall downtown. Guess I'm out of touch with the mall. After all, I am in my late 20's...

Anyhow, the good news is that they had the Nats hats, but the bad news is that they were out of my size. I will definitely be checking in with them frequently. Very cool place.

Thank you jp and everyone for your suggestions!

Dude you havent really lived until youve been in a lids. Oh and if your a hat man, get a membership card. it will save you some major dough in the long run.

[bostonbabexxx]

I don't know if they are around where you live, but try Lids or Sportsworld.

[sacker12]

Hat World is a place that I would think would have the new Braves alt, but they don't.

[randyc]

well in the small-town that i live in there isn't anything for most pro sports, some NHL stuff but nothing much. but in Prince George(about 2 and a half hours away) there is a sporting store called Jersey City(basically the River City Sports of the West) and it sells everything. when i was there last weekend they had hats for most MLB teams plus quite a few BP caps.

[slapshot]

jp is the man!

Glad I could help.

If you buy a lot of hats, sign up for the club card.

And check online, you might be able to order a hat and pick it up at your local Lids.

[OMMF]

Lids or Hatworld. Every one that I've been to has a larger-than-normal assortment of MLB fitted caps.

I suppose you could try Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods, but they might only carry Mariners hats if you're in the Northwest.

jp is the man!

We don't have Sport's Authority or Dick's, but we DO have Lids. I had never heard of Lids before, but there they are -- located in my wonderfull mall downtown. Guess I'm out of touch with the mall. After all, I am in my late 20's...

Anyhow, the good news is that they had the Nats hats, but the bad news is that they were out of my size. I will definitely be checking in with them frequently. Very cool place.

Thank you jp and everyone for your suggestions!

I thought I knew where you lived but I guess I was wrong?

[officeglenn]

I had pretty much the same problem, but in reverse this weekend. I was in Calgary and I checked out Jersey City stores in two malls, looking for a Mariners BP 3930, but they had none. They did have Nats BPs, though,along with Dodgers, Mets, and a few others.

The Headquarters stores (a division of Lids, I believe) were even worse. They didn't have any of the 3930s.

[Frylock]

I'm not sure if this is irony or just plain bizarre, but I think it's kinda cool...

First, a little history. I used to collect hats when I was a kid -- like back in '86. I'd go to the local minor league baseball games during the summer, and if I had saved enough of my allowance, I would get to buy a hat. They were the mesh back style which has unfortunately become a fashion item now. Of course, my first hat was the royal blue Atlanta Braves hat. I wore that damn thing night and day. Probably bathed in it, knowing how much I loved it!

As my tastes evolved, and I became more obsessive about wanting one of each team. Almost got there, but kind of got distracted by other things, most notably the professional fitted hats that cost more than twice as much as the mesh hats. And considering that this was during the mid to late 1980s, I was able to grab a few cool items. Which leads me to this post...

I was doing some cleaning tonight, and I came across several unmarked boxes. They were fairly large, but extremely light. I was dumbfounded, so I opened them up. Oh. My. God. There were all my hats from my childhood! All the crappy mesh hats (including the heavily soiled Braves hat and it's replacement) and all of the fitted hats were there. Some of the highlights included the following fitted caps...

1970s Pirates black on yellow pillbox

1980s White Sox "SOX" (black on white softball era)

1980s Tigers road (Cecil Fielder era)

1960s Houston Colt .45s

And believe it or not...

1960s Washington Senators

Sadly, the Senators doesn't fit anymore, but I'm going to keep it. I had totally forgotten that I bought it many years ago. I mean, these hats were all bought before 1992 or 1993. I had moved on from the hat collection by then. But I gotta tell ya, I was into retro before retro was cool. Back in 1991, how many other 13 year olds do you thinkwore Colt .45 hats?

[yh]

I'm really intrigued by all of you who swear by Lids as a good source for 5950's. Here in St. Louis it seems that all Lids stocks are fashion caps - and mostly collegiate ones at that. I don't think I've ever seen a 5950 in any of my local Lids.