06/25/2026
Yesterday I decided it was time to treat myself to a summer lid, a new straw to get me through the hot months, especially here in Arizona.
Well, in all honesty I’ve been looking for a new hat since before yesterday; “yesterday” was just the day I decided to ‘pull the trigger’.
After countless visits to various ‘Boot Barn’, ‘Ariat Factory Store’ ‘Tractor Supply’ and ‘CAL Ranch’ locations, I found ‘Heritage Hats’ here in Phoenix.
Upon arrival, I entered the store to see a PLETHORA of straw / palm cowboy hats; quite honestly the most I’ve ever been witness to in my immediate proximity. The only other time I’d ever seen a selection like this was one year at ‘Cowboy Christmas’ during NFR.
“Good morning!” came from the other end of the store, the voice of owner / Haberdasher Rich Glisson. Rich then came out from behind the work bench he was standing at, and walked over my way.
“Is that a ‘food share’ on the other side of the parking lot?” I asked him, as when I entered the lot I’d noticed a number of people standing in line outside of an adjacent building.
“Yes it is!” Rich enthusiastically replied. “I created that a number of years ago. Times are hard, especially now. I wanted to help people.”
At that moment I knew I was in good hands when it came to making a hat purchase.
“What is it you’re looking for?” Rich asked.
“Well, a while back I found this $29.00 hat at a ‘Tractor Supply’. While it’s not a bad hat, I’ve been hoping to find something a little nicer” I responded.
At that moment my eyes landed on a stack of ‘Bailey’ brand hats.
“Never owned a ‘Bailey’ hat; these are nice!” I said.
“Yeah, these are a brand new model from them. What is your size?” Rich asked, as he started to remove hats from the top of the stock display.
“Seven and a quarter” I responded.
Rich handed me a hat of this size, which I tried on.
“This size in this brand is a little too tight” I replied. “Got the next size up?”
“Try this one.”
At that moment, this became the fastest ‘hat transaction’ I’ve ever made.
After completing my purchase, I engaged in a bit of conversation with Rich, offering my story as to why I was in Phoenix. He responded with talking about similar occurrences to mine that have happened in his life. Knowing this was a ‘one man show’ and that he was working on a project (creating a custom hat for some lucky human), I promptly thanked him for helping me with my purchase, shook his hand and left the store.
I drove home knowing I had just encountered greatness; well, at least in -my- opinion.
If you’re ever in the market for a new lid while in the Phoenix area, I highly recommend making a visit to Rich at Heritage Hats. Dana