Maryland Xline by zephyr.

[zephyr]

great story. i have a old washed olive corduroy hat i sampled up but never made. it had an old hobo cartoon we created whistling on the front and the words 'happy hobo' on the back. it fit perfect and i have worn in off and on for 13 years now and swam in both oceans with it, camped with it, played tennis in it, etc and it still fits my head perfectly.

its coming apart but fortunately i have the original batch of 6 samples. so i have more of the same hat all looking new as well.

In most cases, we identiy the school that we think needs an xline or is underperforming in sales. We then float the idea past the school and go to work. Some schools are easy to work with others are not. After multiple ideas we usually finalize one and go with it. Its important that the mark is good with the university but also will add sales. The retailers really need to like it otherwise it will not succeed. We have done many many graphics that i thought were slam dunks but the school never approved them. Bemidji State would be a good one to do for sure. Maybe ill add it to our project list.

So, what's the process for a school to get an X-Line logo? Is it the school themselves (the marketing department), or could a store request a logo from you guys and then you get the school's permission? Like Bemidji State, for example. Would BSU have to approach you, or could that store that ordered the caps I posted about start the process, and you guys do the leg-work for getting permission from BSU? I'd love to see what you could do with that logo...

Awesome. Like I said before, I'm a big fan of your caps. I think the first one I got was in 2001 - a Minnesota Wild fitted. Great story behind that one:

My daughter was born sick, with pnumonia and sepsys, so she got air-lifted to a hospital a couple hours away. After we'd been camped at the hospital for a couple weeks, my wife decided we needed a break, and she wanted to go to the mall. She got a hair cut and I bought the cap. I've still got it, despite retiring several other I've bought since, and I've got no plans to get rid of it, ever, despite it being quite grungy by now. It's got such memories - good and bad - behind it for me

[BrySmalls]

How about an incensed Amish man or a characterization of the Broad Street Bullies for the Flyers and a raging Youpi for the Canadiens?

we are working on it. the problem is there are no mascots that are very relevant and some teams just dont work very well. (try to come up with a Flyers xline or Canadiens xline that will gain acceptance among fans) we have some great ones that didnt get approved yet but i am still pushing for approval.

I hope Xline will tackle the NHL again...

[zephyr]

yep those are possibilities. the youppi dude looks kind of like the western kentucky hilltopper guy. kind of a big floppy thing. i could probably generate a few Canadiens sales in canada but no one south of there would have a clue what the orange floppy guy is doing on the habs hat. haha...

sometimes i will use old logos or invent old logos or marks for teams. thats a possibility for those two teams.

How about an incensed Amish man or a characterization of the Broad Street Bullies for the Flyers and a raging Youpi for the Canadiens?

we are working on it. the problem is there are no mascots that are very relevant and some teams just dont work very well. (try to come up with a Flyers xline or Canadiens xline that will gain acceptance among fans) we have some great ones that didnt get approved yet but i am still pushing for approval.

I hope Xline will tackle the NHL again...

[J Sick]

Zephyr, you need to make an X-Line hat for Michigan State! I was disappointed that they weren't included in the first wave of x-lines a couple years ago. Though I would assume it has to do with trouble getting the rights to do it, they are pretty finnicky with their copyrights.

[BigDmo]

I'm guessing Nike has a strong hold on Oregon Ducks stuff but I'd love to see an x-line for them. Definitely would be sweet if you took a throwback approach

[zephyr]

I have submitted them at times without success. I will probably have more success in the future as we are getting to have a pretty good relationship with them lately.

Zephyr, you need to make an X-Line hat for Michigan State! I was disappointed that they weren't included in the first wave of x-lines a couple years ago. Though I would assume it has to do with trouble getting the rights to do it, they are pretty finnicky with their copyrights.

[zephyr]

Oregon would be an amazing but dealing with them/nike/disney etc is a landmine. I would definetly do a throwback one but the odds of any getting approved is fairly small imo.

I'm guessing Nike has a strong hold on Oregon Ducks stuff but I'd love to see an x-line for them. Definitely would be sweet if you took a throwback approach

[SeahawkDevil]

Have you worked with UNC-Wilmington at all? We have a pretty unique color scheme, and I think the Seahawk has so much more potential than the current logo.

[BigDmo]

Oregon would be an amazing but dealing with them/nike/disney etc is a landmine. I would definetly do a throwback one but the odds of any getting approved is fairly small imo.

I'm guessing Nike has a strong hold on Oregon Ducks stuff but I'd love to see an x-line for them. Definitely would be sweet if you took a throwback approach

Disney actually cut ties with the Duck mascot and I'm assuming the Duck through O logo, so I think Nike would be the only one to worry about. They don't utilize the old interlocking UO, which I want to see used, I'd absolutely buy a Zephyr hat with that logo on it like right away. My ideal hat would be yellow dome, green bill, throwback interlocking UO in green w/ white outline.

[zephyr]

we havent worked with them much in the past.

they do have great colors and a great idea base for a great logo.

Have you worked with UNC-Wilmington at all? We have a pretty unique color scheme, and I think the Seahawk has so much more potential than the current logo.

[zephyr]

yeah, i know about the duck thing but when i think of a vintage logo im thinking that duck would be amazing. In order to do the duck we still have a hefty guarrantee and royalty to pull it off.

Oregon is frustrating primarily because of nike. Nike has in essence evicted us from the bookstore there and they have a exclusive on all closed back hats. (fitted and stretch) so if i made the hat you are

talking about it would have to be a snapback or velcro adjustable. we do use the UO and the block O both on hats right now. Here is a snapback we are selling like mad right now:

Oregon would be an amazing but dealing with them/nike/disney etc is a landmine. I would definetly do a throwback one but the odds of any getting approved is fairly small imo.

I'm guessing Nike has a strong hold on Oregon Ducks stuff but I'd love to see an x-line for them. Definitely would be sweet if you took a throwback approach

Disney actually cut ties with the Duck mascot and I'm assuming the Duck through O logo, so I think Nike would be the only one to worry about. They don't utilize the old interlocking UO, which I want to see used, I'd absolutely buy a Zephyr hat with that logo on it like right away. My ideal hat would be yellow dome, green bill, throwback interlocking UO in green w/ white outline.

[BigDmo]

yeah, i know about the duck thing but when i think of a vintage logo im thinking that duck would be amazing. In order to do the duck we still have a hefty guarrantee and royalty to pull it off.

Oregon is frustrating primarily because of nike. Nike has in essence evicted us from the bookstore there and they have a exclusive on all closed back hats. (fitted and stretch) so if i made the hat you are

talking about it would have to be a snapback or velcro adjustable. we do use the UO and the block O both on hats right now. Here is a snapback we are selling like mad right now:

Oregon would be an amazing but dealing with them/nike/disney etc is a landmine. I would definetly do a throwback one but the odds of any getting approved is fairly small imo.

I'm guessing Nike has a strong hold on Oregon Ducks stuff but I'd love to see an x-line for them. Definitely would be sweet if you took a throwback approach

Disney actually cut ties with the Duck mascot and I'm assuming the Duck through O logo, so I think Nike would be the only one to worry about. They don't utilize the old interlocking UO, which I want to see used, I'd absolutely buy a Zephyr hat with that logo on it like right away. My ideal hat would be yellow dome, green bill, throwback interlocking UO in green w/ white outline.

I see a ton of people with those on campus, very popular. I just never see them in stores.

[ManCalledAmp]

Well, I sat back and lurked long enough for the board to be 110% sure this it the real deal Zephyr boss, and I'm very pleased. UMD cap looks solid.

Wishful thinking, but I'd plunk down some coin on a Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider Xline. With the blue and silver/gray (and black, sadly), a Pegasus and lightning bolts, we have plenty of modern inspiration. And for old-school, especially with the 100th year anniversary of the school coming up, we could go with "Ol' Blue" (a scent hound, I believe a blue-tick, adopted to replace the previous mascot in the sixties) or the original Blue Raider, the controversial Nathan Bedford Forrest-lookalike.

MT is the biggest undergrad school in TN, but we're also a fickle and not-easily-motivated fanbase, so I don't know if it would be profitable.

Also, any chance you're still giving out samples of those hats, Z?

[pheer]

I have a family connection to Kent State, and I'd love to see a Golden Flashes XLine... A few others that I'd love...

Pittsburgh State (Kansas)

Central Fla.

Lake Superior St.

Just a few thoughts... BTW, I'm 36, so kinda out of the normal demographic.

[zephyr]

We may do a MT xline sometime. i gotta admit its not on the top of our project list. We have made a bunch of their hats in the past and are still doing a fair amount.

Those guys and western kentucky are always schools that are fun to make.

im taking a break on giving out hats... got a bit overwhelmed. ill try to toss some out in the future tho.

thanks

Well, I sat back and lurked long enough for the board to be 110% sure this it the real deal Zephyr boss, and I'm very pleased. UMD cap looks solid.

Wishful thinking, but I'd plunk down some coin on a Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider Xline. With the blue and silver/gray (and black, sadly), a Pegasus and lightning bolts, we have plenty of modern inspiration. And for old-school, especially with the 100th year anniversary of the school coming up, we could go with "Ol' Blue" (a scent hound, I believe a blue-tick, adopted to replace the previous mascot in the sixties) or the original Blue Raider, the controversial Nathan Bedford Forrest-lookalike.

MT is the biggest undergrad school in TN, but we're also a fickle and not-easily-motivated fanbase, so I don't know if it would be profitable.

Also, any chance you're still giving out samples of those hats, Z?

[zephyr]

We did a great Xline for pittsburgh state once. a seriously nasty gorilla, but eventually the school wanted us to use their standard mark and so our sales and their royalties took the inevitable nosedive.

I have a family connection to Kent State, and I'd love to see a Golden Flashes XLine... A few others that I'd love...

Pittsburgh State (Kansas)

Central Fla.

Lake Superior St.

Just a few thoughts... BTW, I'm 36, so kinda out of the normal demographic.

[Oso]

Awesome set up.

Have you done anything with Boston College?

[deliver2david]

I have submitted them at times without success. I will probably have more success in the future as we are getting to have a pretty good relationship with them lately.

Zephyr, you need to make an X-Line hat for Michigan State! I was disappointed that they weren't included in the first wave of x-lines a couple years ago. Though I would assume it has to do with trouble getting the rights to do it, they are pretty finnicky with their copyrights.

Any chance you can share anything from what you did for Michigan State? I love the old school Gruff Sparty logo and would buy something similar in a heartbeat.

[Ben Schwartz]

I go to UMD will I be seeing this in our store?

[zephyr]

this is one i submitted to Boston College years back but it didnt get approved.

Awesome set up.

Have you done anything with Boston College?