European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 31, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To the by Wendy Lee United press International Ore than a Century ago John Batterson Stetson opened up business in Philadelphia with Worth of fur and a firm belief that he was on the Way to a surefire career As a in those marketing was John As he m was widely would Don his spor Tiest Stetson and peddle his Felt headgear since that the hats he so lovingly created which sold then for about each have become no less than a a Tim tested Symbol of and while Stetson initially had to rely on his own persistence and gift of gab to peddle his satellites and the Silver screen probably do More than any thing else in the modern age to popularize his Stetson president Gary Rosenthal displays a Tom mix original from this weve had a great Success with the Indi Ana Jones said Gary president of the Stetson hat group in we were fortunate to get the official licensed Rosenthal was referring to the beige safari hat with the Dow turned brim worn by Harrison Ford in the re cent motion Indiana Jones and the Temple of that Rosenthal has been especially popular with the 2040 age he said hundreds of thou Sands of the hats were sold in Rosenthal said the motion picture Urban cow which starred John also did much to boost Stetson hat sales by increasing the hats a lot of Guys and gals put on a hat that they never worn he Rosenthal said resistor Hals of is the firms major with the american hat Houston and the Bailey hat of los Angeles also considered Rosenthal will not reveal specific sales figures be cause of intense but he will say Stetson hat sales generally have been very the headgear picture has been very he he said the Industry generally noted a slackening off in following a record year for Stetson in weve come Back very and this year we feel he weve made Nice were looking for bigger and better Rosenthal pointed out that the Cap Trade has in creased 40 percent Over the last five to seven Tennis hats and baseball he have been especially big the Stetson was much More than a hat to the Early plainsman who wore it sheltered him from the Sun and helped deflect wind and dust and even helped water tired the original use of a Western hat was for a fellow outdoors Riding the Range and to shield him from the Rosenthal that is still a very important part of our Western hat to the real Western also the anybody that dresses with a Western flair rather than the we think a hat kind of reflects a Rosenthal Rosenthal said sales in the last few years in the la Dies Market have been the Best in 40 he said the company has added sales representatives to help Market the women the Stetson hat formerly the Stetson hat in january 1971 was acquired by the Stevens hat manufacturing which moved the factory to Stetson has branched into a variety of other including soap and the Coty firm licenses the Stetson name for a Cologne it and the Stetson company helps sell the product through its army of sales Rosenthal Rosenthal said there Are about 400 Stetson hat styles at any Given with 60 new hats introduced in the 1985 the Western fur Felt hat ranges from to and the dress fur Felt hat costs Between and one Stetson employee said the company tries especially hard to accommodate All types of even those with perhaps More unusual she said one dealer asked for a Stetson with and the com Pany worked to we have something for Rosenthal the stars and stripes Page 17