Hats off to hatpins, the item whose purpose was just the opposite, keeping a lady’s chapeau in place.
These decorative gems are emerging as a popular collectible, according to a recent article in Antique Trader Weekly.
Hatpins were an essential fashion accessory between 1850 and 1930. Women’s hairstyles allowed a long pin to be inserted through a hat and buried in the tresses, securing the hat in place.
As women began bobbing their hair in the 1920s, hatpins declined in popularity.
“Pieces were often removed from their pins and turned into brooches or other forms of jewelry, so finding an intact original hatpin today is one factor that makes them valuable,” said Angela Black, a contributor to Antique Trader Weekly.
Lillian Baker, author of the Encyclopedia of Hatpins and Hatpin Holders (Schiffer Publishing, 1998), can be credited with encouraging the modern-day hatpin revival.
Baker is hailed as a pioneer in documenting hatpins of the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Nouveau historical periods. She was also the founder of the first club for hatpin collectors, the International Club for Collectors of Hatpins and Hatpin Holders.
The most sought-after hatpins are those with filigree design, intricate carvings and precious stones. Among the most valuable are pins designed by Fabergé, Cartier and Lalique.
Collectors can expect to pay from $20 for a plain design in an online auction to several hundred dollars for a top-of-the-line pin from a respected dealer. The cream of the crop, those with precious stones can command more than $1,000.
Not surprisingly, ladies needed somewhere to store their pins when they bared their heads — hence the hatpin holder, a companion collectible.
Most holders were produced in Europe, others in the Orient. Royal Doulton, Rookwood and Staffordshire are among the more collectible producers.
Some holders also accommodate rings and earrings.
Because of the growing demand, reproductions and fakes can be a problem for the beginning collector.
“One quick identifier is what we refer to as beads-on-a-stick. This is when someone has simply strung glass beads onto a pin. They were never made that way,” said Virginia Woodbury, president of the American Hatpin Society.
Experts suggest novice collectors join a club, attend conventions and research the subject to ensure an authentic collection.
“Buy quality, not quantity. Quality always sells — cheap ones you’ll never get rid of,” Woodbury suggested.

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