I'm not sure of even an approximate year when 5950 Day became such widely heralded holiday among hat collectors but that sort of detail doesn't really matter because May 9 (aka 5/9) falling on a Friday means that I have to bring out a top notch selection for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday post.
Not long after I began piecing together my thoughts for this write-up, I asked myself if I had ever honored 5950 Day on a Fresh Fitted Friday to which the answer is, yes and no. According to the archives, the last time May 9 was on a Friday, I wrote about a pretty sweet 1996 Midland Angels hat however the significance of that date was something I totally glossed over!
So that was the yes, but also a no because I didn't specifically call out "5950 Day" however just last year I made a post hoc mention of 5950 Day on my 1950 Oakland Oaks retro on May 10 so I suppose that's a no but also a yes? Anyway my head is spinning now and I just have to say I am becoming increasingly more thankful for the search functionality on this blog the older I get.
Something else I am thankful for which deserves a special call out on 5950 Day is the community of hat collectors I have met along the years. Most of these fine folks I have only interacted with via the internet but it is extra special when we finally meet up offline and I am hoping for more opportunities to connect faces to the screen names in the near future.
I am also thankful for the purveyors of custom and retro caps that have come about throughout these years of collecting. It all began at my local Sports Authority store when I was a child and after that I began frequenting Lids and similar stores local malls up until I moved to New York and started making special journeys to specialized shops all over the area.
I have likely bought more caps from Ebbets Field Flannels than anywhere else and while it is sad how they have become a relic of the past themselves, I am grateful to have obtained as many as I have over the years. I would be remiss to not mention all the gems acquired from Hat Club, The Clink Room and the New Era flagship in Buffalo.
The hat that holds a place special enough in my heart to post on 5950 Day is the "Classic H Heritage" cap I purchased in 2015 right before my wedding. I also got one for my bride-to-be so we could take some fun photos on our wedding day however she also had an idea for us to wear hats which is something I mentioned in an Instagram post on "National Hat Day" in 2022.
There are too many reasons for me to list why I think she is the greatest ever, but there is one thing she says that makes me laugh always is her response when people ask, “How do you deal with all the hats?" which is simply this: “Thankfully, they don't take up as much room as his shoes!" and all I can say is, she makes a really good point.
Anyway, perhaps we should discuss this week's hat! For those who are unaware, in 2002 legendary skateboarder Keith Hufnagel opened his first HUF boutique in San Francisco. I moved to the Bay Area after graduating college in 2005, so even though I couldn't afford to buy much there, this shop was one of my favorite places to pop into.
Hufnagel continually fine-tuned the shop until his brand became a worldwide phenomenon which was a delight to witness. As I started to earn more, I would happily spend what I could then up until present day. Sadly, Hufnagel died of brain cancer at age 46 in 2020 and because this cap sits in a prominent position on my cap rack, I think of this legend every time I glance upon it.
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| H is my last initial so to have the classic serifs from the iconic San Francisco Giants logo is really cool to me. |
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| A green undervisor is always going to be a must have for the older contingent of hat collectors such as myself. |
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| The HUF logo here is sleek and understated and ties the whole thing together beautifully. |
This week's Fresh Fitted Friday selection is not going on the Trading Block however please don't hesitate to reach out if you want any other cap from that list and you are willing to part with any of the hats on my Wish List.
As always, thanks for coming back to read about baseball hat geekery. If you'd like to discuss a trade or simply just chat about hats, please feel free to connect via the following social sites:
Instagram: @baseballmilquetoast
Twitter: @FittedFriday
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