John Wayne's "Big Buck" Stetson Cowboy Hat from Republic Pictures — Buffalo Antiques Texas (2024)

$5,700.00

DESCRIPTION

From the esteemed Ray Bentley Collection, this original John Wayne Stetson cowboy hat is an extremely neat artifact from cowboy history. Believed to have been worn by the star himself, this hat shows the interior wear we would expect for a working actor on set.

The black felt itself is in beautiful condition and a beautiful example of the famous Stetson brand made especially for John Wayne himself.

History & context below.

DETAILS & MEASUREMENTS
  • Measures 15" width x 18" length x 10" height

  • Inside rim measures 22.75" –a 7 1/4 hat size

  • Beautiful condition to the felted hat, with sweat stains to the interior lining and wear to the gold lettering on the interior leather band

  • Believed to have been worn by the star himself, we can assume those sweat stains are from The Duke himself

  • Factory-applied gold lettering on the interior hat band reads “John Wayne” and “Big Buck” with the Republic Pictures and Stetson logos

  • From the prestigious Ray Bentley Collection

  • Provenance and authentication included

Add To Cart

DESCRIPTION

From the esteemed Ray Bentley Collection, this original John Wayne Stetson cowboy hat is an extremely neat artifact from cowboy history. Believed to have been worn by the star himself, this hat shows the interior wear we would expect for a working actor on set.

The black felt itself is in beautiful condition and a beautiful example of the famous Stetson brand made especially for John Wayne himself.

History & context below.

DETAILS & MEASUREMENTS
  • Measures 15" width x 18" length x 10" height

  • Inside rim measures 22.75" –a 7 1/4 hat size

  • Beautiful condition to the felted hat, with sweat stains to the interior lining and wear to the gold lettering on the interior leather band

  • Believed to have been worn by the star himself, we can assume those sweat stains are from The Duke himself

  • Factory-applied gold lettering on the interior hat band reads “John Wayne” and “Big Buck” with the Republic Pictures and Stetson logos

  • From the prestigious Ray Bentley Collection

  • Provenance and authentication included

DESCRIPTION

From the esteemed Ray Bentley Collection, this original John Wayne Stetson cowboy hat is an extremely neat artifact from cowboy history. Believed to have been worn by the star himself, this hat shows the interior wear we would expect for a working actor on set.

The black felt itself is in beautiful condition and a beautiful example of the famous Stetson brand made especially for John Wayne himself.

History & context below.

DETAILS & MEASUREMENTS
  • Measures 15" width x 18" length x 10" height

  • Inside rim measures 22.75" –a 7 1/4 hat size

  • Beautiful condition to the felted hat, with sweat stains to the interior lining and wear to the gold lettering on the interior leather band

  • Believed to have been worn by the star himself, we can assume those sweat stains are from The Duke himself

  • Factory-applied gold lettering on the interior hat band reads “John Wayne” and “Big Buck” with the Republic Pictures and Stetson logos

  • From the prestigious Ray Bentley Collection

  • Provenance and authentication included

➼ History & Context

American actor and icon John Wayne was one of the most well known actors of all time and practically synonymous with the Old West. Known as “Duke,” he starred in 179 film and tv series over his illustrious career that spanned silent films in the 20s all the way through Hollywood’s Golden Age and into the 1970s, and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Born May 26, 1907 in Iowa with the name Marion Robert Morrison, the man America loved grew up in Southern California. As a youth, a local fireman gave him the nickname “Little Duke” after his constant airedale canine companion Duke, and as he much preferred that to Marion, the nickname stuck throughout his life. Interestingly, one of his teenage jobs in an ice cream shop was for a man who shod horses for the nearby Hollywood studios.

Starting off in small parts, most of which in Westerns, at Fox after leaving USC – he lost his football scholarship after a fateful bodysurfing accident – Wayne finally reached stardom with 1939’s Stagecoach. He remained a top box office draw for over three decades.

His career was long and storied, and his contribution to American film and the concept of the Old West and Frontier America cannot be understated. As he himself had engraved on a plaque:

"Each of us is a mixture of some good and some not so good qualities. In considering one's fellow man, it's important to remember the good things ... We should refrain from making judgments just because a fella happens to be a dirty, rotten S.O.B."

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John Wayne's "Big Buck" Stetson Cowboy Hat from Republic Pictures — Buffalo Antiques Texas (2024)

FAQs

How much did John Wayne's hat sell for? ›

"The beret that Wayne wore in 'The Green Berets' shocked the room when it brought the astounding record price for a costume hat of more than $179,000," said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. A total $5.3 million was raised from the auction, with dozens of items far exceeding their pre-auction estimates.

What hat did John Wayne wear in True Grit? ›

The Cogburn, a replica of the hat Wayne wore in True Grit, is a larger-than-life style available from Stetson. Ethan realizes that many John Wayne fans will purchase one or more of the Stetson John Wayne models with the intention of displaying them on a bookshelf.

What style of hat did John Wayne wear? ›

About hats. Wayne's selections throughout his near-unceasing career run of over 80 Westerns ran the gamut, from high-crowned and Cavalry inspired cowboy hats, to the classic pinched-front variety with curled-up sides.

What cowboy hat does Garth Brooks wear? ›

Brooks wears a traditional Cattleman crease on the crown of his Bangora mens straw cowboy hat by Resistol. However, his brim is a very unique shape for a straw. The 4-inch brim here features a round front with a pencil roll around the edge.

What is the most expensive hat of all time? ›

The most expensive hat sold at auction is a black felt bicorn hat that belonged to the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821). It sold for €1,932,000 (£1,687,119; $2,114,284) including premium at the Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France, on 19 November 2023.

What is the most expensive hat sold? ›

The bicore was valued at between €6,000 and €8,000, but has now become the most expensive hat ever sold at auction. A hat worn by Napoleon when he ruled 19th century France has been sold at auction for €1.9 million.

Did John Wayne ride his own horse in True Grit? ›

Wayne did his own riding in 'True Grit,' co-star says.

How old was John Wayne when he did True Grit? ›

In "True Grit" (1969), his new film, the 62-year-old actor plays the disreputable, one-eyed, drunken, rascally Rooster Cogburn, a federal marshal and fat old man. And as Rooster, John Wayne looks like the distillation of fat old men, as if he had been aging and fattening for years to get there.

Why did John Wayne wear a wet suit? ›

Wayne was noticeably much thinner and secretly wore a wet suit under his tuxedo to beef himself up. Thanking the audience for their applause, the Western legend spoke before announcing The Deer Hunter as the winner.

What jeans did John Wayne wear? ›

Hollywood popularized cowboys wearing jeans when leading actors like John Wayne wore the iconic 501s® in Westerns; cowboys wearing jeans on the silver screen became a classic example of life imitating art.

What cowboy boot did John Wayne wear? ›

The square toe on his boots became known as the famous – and controversial – “John Wayne Toe,” and like Peck, Wayne became a frequent customer and proponent of Lucchese. In fact, several of his style of boots – notably goat and alligator leather – can be found on the Lucchese website.

What kind of shirt did John Wayne wear? ›

Hollywood's Golden Age Westerns truly popularized the bib shirt. John Wayne wore bib shirts in numerous films, including 1939's Stagecoach, 1947's Angel and the Badman, 1948's Red River and 1956's The Searchers.

What cowboy hat do most cowboys wear? ›

The "Cattleman" crease is the most traditional and well known, as it is the oldest style found in cowboy hats. The Cattleman features a taller crown typically between four and five inches, but is narrower with a single crease down the center and two creases along the side.

What cowboy hat do Texas Rangers wear? ›

Styles commonly called the Rancher or Cattleman will be the only styles acceptable. Brims must not exceed 4 inches or be flat with edges rolled up. Hats excessively crushed, rolled, or dipped are not acceptable. Members of the Ranger Division will own both a quality straw and quality felt hat.

What kind of cowboy hat did Wyatt Earp wear? ›

Famous lawmen such as Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp wore low-crowned hats because giant cowboy hats would have made them easy targets for adversaries.

How much did John Wayne sell the wild goose for? ›

“The moment you walked aboard the Wild Goose, you knew it was John Wayne,” said Chick Iverson of Newport Beach, a close friend. “It was his very, very favorite place in the whole world.” A few days before he died in 1979, the movie star sold the boat to attorney Lynn Hutchins for $750,000.

How much is the original Indiana Jones hat worth? ›

While the $300,000 may sound like a hefty price tag, it should be noted that a fedora worn by Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) sold for more than $500,000 at auction in 2015. It was also sold through the Prop Store.

How much did Napoleon's hat sell for? ›

A hat worn by Napoleon sold for $2.1 million at an auction of the French emperor's belongings. PARIS (AP) — A faded and cracked felt bicorne hat worn by Napoléon Bonaparte sold for $2.1 million at an auction Sunday of the French emperor's belongings.

Was John Wayne an honorary green beret? ›

Bavarian woodcarver to join Stallone, John Wayne in ranks of honorary Green Berets | Stars and Stripes.

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