I am flat-out disappointed, even a bit amused at my situation but ultimately peeved from this purchase. However, my irritation is not because I believe the quality of the item is poor, rather that annoyance stems from how the item is described on this page and that the description itself does NOT correlate to the item itself.Backstory: I used to work at Lids. Lids is arguably the most well-known retailer that legally sells official, licensed products from New Era. Almost every shopping mall has a Lids store, if not an anchor store with a Locker Room by Lids inside of it or a partner of Lids in the same line of business (such as Fanzz). Until 2019, New Era loved to tout that every cap worn in an MLB game was manufactured here in the USA. That was until they shut down their plant and has since outsourced the manufacturing process of their headwear beyond the continental United States. Again, since 2019So why is it that the label on the hat I purchased states it was made in Haiti, especially for a supposed Authentic On-Field Cap from 2017?I wouldn't have a gripe about this purchase if the item was described as a cap from New Era's fashion line of hats. Why? Because for some odd reason, New Era makes a Navy-colored cap for fashion purposes with the famous interlocking NY logo representing the Bronx Bombers, sewn with the MLB logo on the back, and the New Era flag on the left temple. Yup, they make a “fashion” version that looks nearly identical to an authentic on-field product. Differences couldn't be seen until feeling the items for yourself, with your fingers and on your dome. Authentic On-Fields are soft, like you're rubbing your fingers on a few cotton tees. Instead, the cap I received has a poor material for an apparent On-Field; it's thin and crisp, like it was pressed and treated to give a stiff, hardened appearance when worn. Poor, very poorNot sure if the third-party moderator of this product page, the warehouse associate fulfilling orders from this page, or New Era themselves are either a) scamming or b) are unaware of what's going on but I will tell you right now: the hat I received does not match the description.TL; DR - the item description says the product is a 2017 On-Field cap but the item received is more like a Fashion Hat. Also, not sure if customers are purposefully being conned, inadvertently being scammed, or unknowingly fulfilling their orders.Ultimately, this hat is for the oblivious customer who does not care about the nuanced details of an authentic New Era on-field cap. If you do care about those details, this hat isn't it for you, especially if seeking an Authentic On-Field.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]