Fourteen-year-old Trey Douglass recently approached his dad and said he wanted to start a vintage hat business, but not alone. So, Donald Douglass joined his son and the two started a Retro Lids, a business that has already shown success.
When the conversation came up 3 months ago, Trey said that he was very into agriculture organizations hats but he didn’t know much about the market. So he took time to research, find trusted dealers, and decide the next steps.
“It’s just about really getting these hats, getting them cleaned up and getting them back out into the community for the world to enjoy seeing them and enjoy wearing them,” Donald said.
The hats are bought pre-used, but Trey and Donald use a diligent process to ensure they are cleaned properly. After deep washing, restoring the textures including the inside of the sweatband, the hats are prepared to sell.
In some situations where the hats are not total fixes, the Douglasses will safely remove the patch and restore those to sell as well.
Since starting, Donald said they have remained busy with people putting in orders from both the local area and around the country.
Retro Lids offers a variety of hats showcasing area companies such as Owensboro Grain, Ferdinand Farm Service, AgriPro Seeds and Evansville Brewing Company. The hats also serve as a time capsule for the community to look back on.
But at the core, the father-son duo said it’s been a great experience to be able to grow together and learn more about each other.
Trey said Retro Lids is also helping him in his education.
“It’s helping me in my reading skills and my math skills because I have trouble with that stuff. Looking some of these up, researching, it helps me get better,” he said.
Donald said he has seen his son improve throughout the whole process, from his social and soft skills to decision-making and actually running a business.
“It’s been a blessing just all around, being able to work together with my son,” Donald said. “It actually is more of a family project because my wife and his sister help out.” he said.”
For more info or to place an order, visit Retro Lids on their Facebook page. They are in the process of building a website.
