New Era Quality Control Issues

[BamaHater]

What is up with the quality of some of the New Era hats these days, they are terrible. Most of the time you get the hats and the tags inside the hats(size, cooperstown) are sewn all crooked. This is not a big deal most of the time but sometimes it's so crooked that part of the tag hangs out the back of the hat. Kinda annoying. Also many many times they sew the back logos crooked. Sometimes it's just a little tilted but other times it is way crooked. I've seen a hat with the batterman logo sewn at what looks like a 15 degree tilt. Also the placement of the logos on the back can range from down almost to the bottom of the hat, to the center, or way too high

They have loose stiching some times and they glue the hat patches on instead of sew them which causes them to come off easy.

Finally the sizing is all strange and one 7 1/2 does not fit like another. For instance one 7 1/2 may fit perfect while another fits like a 7 5/8 or 7 3/8. I understand there will be a little size difference but whole sizes.

You would think that New Era would imploy better quality control.

[no97]

What do you mean "these days"? It's been like that as long as I can remember...

Thing is, a good quality, done right 59fifty is as nice a hat as you can buy, hands down. However, you have to go through at least five of them in "your size" to find a "good quality" one. That's why I've wanted several styles, but never ordered them off the internet... I just don't trust that; 1) they'll fit, or; 2) they'll be of a decent quality.

I do agree with you that it's a damn shame, as if the quality controll were better, the hats would be the best in the business. Perhaps, however, the cost would go up significantly as well, if the quality controll were better...

Moose

[ZBoyer]

What do you mean "these days"? It's been like that as long as I can remember...

Thing is, a good quality, done right 59fifty is as nice a hat as you can buy, hands down. However, you have to go through at least five of them in "your size" to find a "good quality" one. That's why I've wanted several styles, but never ordered them off the internet... I just don't trust that; 1) they'll fit, or; 2) they'll be of a decent quality.

I do agree with you that it's a damn shame, as if the quality controll were better, the hats would be the best in the business. Perhaps, however, the cost would go up significantly as well, if the quality controll were better...

Moose

This wasn't something that I thought much about until now - it seems that, indeed, a lot of my hats aren't the right size for me and are either too big or too small. I assumed that the stated sizes were actually that size, but it's upsetting. That's why I've stopped buying the 59Fifty hats and gone to the Small-Medium-Large Twins Enterprise hats instead, as those seem to fit me better.

[fonz]

Ya, their quality control isn't great. I bought an MLB hat years ago, and had the MLB logo all tilted. It was their last one so I took it, but now I realize how bad it is.

[JohnnyFriedRice]

Pretty good quality considering it came from a 5 year old Asian girl in a sweat shop.

[BRice16]

Pretty good quality considering it came from a 5 year old Asian girl in a sweat shop.

All of New Era's MLB 5950s are made in the USA. As a company, New Era produces over 75% of its products in the USA.

Do some research before you make blanket statements.

[BamaHater]

Nope, some of New Era's caps(well alot) are made in China. Almost all fashion caps i've seen lately are made in China. The only ones i've seen that are not are the authentic on the field caps and the cooperstown collection ones.

[SabreGuy]

Nope, some of New Era's caps(well alot) are made in China.  Almost all fashion caps i've seen lately are made in China.  The only ones i've seen that are not are the authentic on the field caps and the cooperstown collection ones.

It's true. New Era is headquartered here outside Buffalo, and it was a pretty big deal back when they finally went from all American made to shipping a lot of their manufacturing overseas. As far as I know, he's right, only certain things are still made in the US (I believe NY and Alabama, if I'm not mistaken) and the rest are farmed out.

Interestingly, a few years ago, there was an 11 month strike by union workers at the New Era plant located in Derby NY (the headquarters of the company) because of poor working conditions and what they (the union workers) deemed to be unreasonable quotas. It could be that the manufacturing quotas were throttled up so high that caused the quality of even the US made product to slip a bit.

[JohnnyFriedRice]

Pretty good quality considering it came from a 5 year old Asian girl in a sweat shop.

All of New Era's MLB 5950s are made in the USA. As a company, New Era produces over 75% of its products in the USA.

Do some research before you make blanket statements.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=of...eatshop&spell=1

Go there and find quotes like these...

"According to Jason Kazlowski, secretary of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 14177, when people in the U.S. attend major league or university games and put on a New Era cap they believe they are supporting American union jobs. However, much of the labor is outsourced overseas to places like Bangladesh in order to pay only sweatshop wages and break union attempts."

"New Era has been cited for sanctioning sweatshop operations in China, Bangladesh, Korea, the Dominican Republic and other overseas locations, according to USAS and the National Labor Committee."

[DG_ThenNowForever]

You would think that New Era would imploy better quality control.

You buy a lot of hats, huh?

[Mingjai]

Pretty good quality considering it came from a 5 year old Asian girl in a sweat shop.

While I'm going to pass on the whole sweatshop/labor conditions issue, I do want to say that I think that "made in the USA" doesn't always mean higher quality. I've lived in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong where I've had suits tailor made that are double the quality of anything I could buy here for under $1000 and at a fraction of the cost.

It just bothers me when people automatically assume that things from an Asian factory is of lower quality, when the actual laborors involved might be even more highly skilled than their American counterparts. This is especially true with textiles and clothing, which aren't exactly high tech manufactured goods. If there is a quality problem, I'd guess it is either: (1) the orderer specifically requested lower quality to keep costs down, or (2) the orderer failed to provide proper oversight (also to keep costs down).

Bottom line: Is there crap the comes out of the factories of Asia? Of course. Is there crap that comes out of the factories of the USA? Absolutely. "Made in the USA"=High Quality and its accompanying "Made in Asia"=Crap are stereotypes and most likely propaganda that US manufacturing interests would want every American to believe. </rant>

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Bottom line: Is there crap the comes out of the factories of Asia? Of course. Is there crap that comes out of the factories of the USA? Absolutely. "Made in the USA"=High Quality and its accompanying "Made in Asia"=Crap are stereotypes and most likely propaganda that US manufacturing interests would want every American to believe. </rant>

Funny aside: My girlfriend owns a 1989 Honda Accord and I own a 2002 Dodge. Guess whose car is still running?

[McCall]

No :censored:. I help run the Springfield Cardinals Team Store here, and we had to send back about half of a huge hat order, because they couldn't get the logos right. They either failed to fully outline "Springfield" on our primary logo, or failed to color it in altogether, and then they would make the birds different sizes so that the tops of their heads were even when they're supposed to be offset. Plus, on a few, the made the navy around the logo a lighter shade of blue, even on the navy hat itself. Looks horrible. And most of the ones we had to pull and send back were actually great sellers. If the Cardinals' General Manager, Matt Gifford, hadn't noticed the mistakes, we might've been able to keep selling them. Though I noticed them when they first came in and may have had time to correct them, but nobody thought it was a big deal.

But New Era has definately gone down hill, as far as we are concerned.

[winters in buffalo]

Bottom line: Is there crap the comes out of the factories of Asia?  Of course.  Is there crap that comes out of the factories of the USA?  Absolutely.  "Made in the USA"=High Quality and its accompanying "Made in Asia"=Crap are stereotypes and most likely propaganda that US manufacturing interests would want every American to believe. </rant>

Funny aside: My girlfriend owns a 1989 Honda Accord and I own a 2002 Dodge. Guess whose car is still running?

I'm guessing it's the Accord... and if it's an '89, it was probably built in Ohio.

[no97]

Bottom line: Is there crap the comes out of the factories of Asia?  Of course.  Is there crap that comes out of the factories of the USA?  Absolutely.  "Made in the USA"=High Quality and its accompanying "Made in Asia"=Crap are stereotypes and most likely propaganda that US manufacturing interests would want every American to believe. </rant>

Funny aside: My girlfriend owns a 1989 Honda Accord and I own a 2002 Dodge. Guess whose car is still running?

I'm guessing it's the Accord... and if it's an '89, it was probably built in Ohio.

And there's a decent (27%) chance the Dodge was built in Canada

Moose

[CubsFanBudMan]

I just went to the sports store across the street from Wrigley yesterday to buy a new Cubs home 5950. My 1996 7 3/8 and 2001 7 1/2 still fit comfortably, but are in terrible shape now. My 2005 spur-of-the-moment 7 1/2 I bought at the Cubs Convention at a steep discount is now way too tight.

So I tried a few sizes on and settled on a 7 5/8, even though it was a bit loose. I took it off and gave it a good look, and threads were coming out everywhere and I noticed the "C" was actually too high, the top part was rising into the curve of the cap. So I asked for another one, fearing that I'd have to do it over and over and drive the guy nuts, but thankfully, the second one looked right.

Strange that I have four of the same caps in 10 years and none really are an exact match of the other. (One other problem I always watch out for is the gray underbill creeping over the front of the bill, usually noticeable and uneven.) But I'd never buy a New Era cap online for just that reason.

[SabreGuy]

It makes it extra annoying that the quality is so hit-and-miss when you almost HAVE to buy caps online. I'm trying to collect one from each team, and unless it's the Yankees, you aren't guaranteed to find it in any store here in Buffalo. And my team that I root for is the Indians, and even though Cleveland is half as far as NYC is, it's almost impossible to find any Indians gear here in Buffalo (though their games are blacked out on MLBTV here becasue we're in their "local tv market" though I haven't seen an Indians broadcast on TV here in 10 years.)

You definitely find Yankees, usually Red Sox, maybe Mets and Blue Jays... but nothing else is available in this area. So if you root for a team that is out of your area, you're almost stuck buying caps online.

When the show up with the logo askew, crooked MLB logo on the back, gray underbill creeping up too far, or, most annoying to me, the logo is just a TINY bit too far to the right or left, making it look like you can't wear your hat straight... that's just supremely annoying.

[no97]

It makes it extra annoying that the quality is so hit-and-miss when you almost HAVE to buy caps online. I'm trying to collect one from each team, and unless it's the Yankees, you aren't guaranteed to find it in any store here in Buffalo. And my team that I root for is the Indians, and even though Cleveland is half as far as NYC is, it's almost impossible to find any Indians gear here in Buffalo (though their games are blacked out on MLBTV here becasue we're in their "local tv market" though I haven't seen an Indians broadcast on TV here in 10 years.)

You definitely find Yankees, usually Red Sox, maybe Mets and Blue Jays... but nothing else is available in this area. So if you root for a team that is out of your area, you're almost stuck buying caps online.

When the show up with the logo askew, crooked MLB logo on the back, gray underbill creeping up too far, or, most annoying to me, the logo is just a TINY bit too far to the right or left, making it look like you can't wear your hat straight... that's just supremely annoying.

Hey, at least you live in a big city where you can get a 59fifty. There's no store within two hours of me (Bemidji, MN) that sell them...

Moose

[SiddFinch]

It is oversimplication to say, the quality control should just be better. Consider how many hats New Era must make each day just to to keep the shelves of every MLB team store, Dicks, Modells, Sports Autority, Lids, HatWorld, Champs, and every other god awful mall store in America alone fully stocked. To mass produce hats in that volume and have the quality grade at 95 of 100 would require a huge investment in infrastructure and manpower, and the price per hat would probably triple.

In another life I worked in music intrument retail and this maxim was true: price increases exponentially as quality goes up. For $600 you got a solid guitar, and if you picked up 6 of the same model, the quality grade would vary from 70-85 out of 100. To get that extra 10% better quality, the price jumped to $1200. To get that 95 grade across the aboard without cherry picking one from a half dozen, the price nearly doubled again to $2000.

[fonz]

Ya, its true. They make soooooo many hats that there's going to be a lot of poorer quality ones that make it into the market.