Meet Maren...!

We're back! It is December 19, 2017 and we're here with another installation of "Meet the collector". Before we get started though you may notice that the blog is much more visually appealing and I think easier to read. I will be the first to admit that I had very little to do with that.  You can thank @c2Avery for her visual design expertise and @MiLBHatGuy for providing what we'll call constructive criticism on how well the site was to use and read. Feel free to email me with suggestions on how to improve your #capception experience.

While I'm on the topic of suggestions. Can someone please link me up with @Marlin_Man? That guy is all over the universe in his infamous (real Marlins wear teal, just saying) bright orange Marlins jersey. For as much as he is on the T.V and interwebs....his hat game is atrocious. That Marlins visor needs to be set on fire. Hey Marlins Man: if you ever read this please reach out to me. I'll personally send you a delightful Marlins fitted in your size. Together we can really step up your cap game.


To the reason we're all here. Meet the collector! This week we had a great conversation with Maren L. (Twitter and Instagram @JayLaw22). She's from Kansas, has a great story, and an even better cap collection. In the running format we'll be TT and she'll be JL.

TT: Cool. Here we are. Right to the point...who is JayLaw?

JL: Ha! I was a practicing lawyer for a time. When I created my Twitter account I was in law school at KU (Kansas University) still so its a mash up of Jawhawks and law.

TT: Oh! So its JayLaw, Esquire?

JL:  When I created the account I had no idea how I was going to use it (TT: did any of us?) or how I was going to use it. I was mostly following sports accounts. It obviously became a bigger deal but I never changed it.

TT: That's how I ended up on Twitter as well. Sports and breaking news sucked me in.

JL: I have a law degree but I am no longer practicing. I was a lawyer for approximately 7 years.

JL: Now I run a soda shop in Lawrence, KS. (head over to Mass Street Soda for ALL of your soda needs. They ship!).

TT: As a guy who uses Dr. Pepper and Cheerwine as a coping mechanism I have to say you're living my perfect life: collecting caps and selling soda!

JL: Yeah. I knew one of the owners and was looking to do something different. I missed interactions with actual people. I always loved root beer and started going in to try all the Root Beers before I switched careers. Somedays I miss being in a quiet office. In my new job though I can wear hats everyday so that's a plus.

TT: Nice. So...native of Kansas?

JL: Yes. Grew up in Kansas City, KS. I went to college on the east coast though. I was the first person in my not to go to KU so I came home for law school.

TT: So the KS one and not the MO one?

JL: Grew up in Kansas but went to high school in Missouri so I am familiar with both. I lived in OKC for a year post law school.

TT: Sidebar: how do you feel about Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire"?

JL: Haha. (she never actually answered)

TT: Ugh...the Thunder...

JL: Sorry but I love basketball and needed an NBA team.

TT: I'll allow this.. You at least lived there.

JL: I was there in 2009-2010 so it was that year that they lost to the Lakers in 6 in the first round. They were just gelling. It was a lot of fun.

JL: My first love is definitely Royals baseball and KU basketball though. Baseball first because I did not ever get to go to KU games as a kid. We got General Admission tickets to Royals games though.

JL: Going to KU law school and watching them win the Orange Bowl in Miami and the NCAA title in San Antonio my KU loyalty definitely took a step forward.

TT: This is amazing. I definitely want to go to Kaufman Stadium. I've heard the atmosphere is amazing.

JL: Baseball is my first love. I went to several of the playoff games in 2015. Playoff baseball is a whole different level. The only thing that rivals it is KU basketball.

TT: I can't imagine being a KU football fan though. Yikes. I'm an FSU fan and I get grouchy if they don't win 9 games (this year was hard people). You guys lost to South Dakota State...at home.

JL: I used to be more into football. Mostly because of fantasy football. But in more recent years all the evidence of CTE I feel weird about watching folks irrepealably damage their brains. Tailgating is fun though.

JL: Its an intense atmosphere at Arrowhead. Its a huge time commitment.

TT: Second loudest stadium in the NFL lol.

JL: And you have to tailgate for KU football because the on field product is so terrible.

TT: Like you have to be drunk to watch it?

JL: Sort of. People arrive late and leave at half-time to "tailgate" more and many of them don't end up going back in.

TT: Let us talk about your cap collection.

JL: For sure...

TT: How many?

TT: Actually...starting over. How did you get started?

JL: I've always liked hats. As a kid I had a ton of mostly KU and Royals hats. Mixed in other random college teams that I liked.

JL: You know those plastic hat chains with clothes pin things you could hang from your door?

TT: Oh yeah I had one. I'll shamefully admit that I had one more recently as an adult too.

JL: I had like 3 of those. I don't think I have any more of those in my collection though.

TT: Strictly fitted?

JL: For awhile I was getting more relaxed fitted hats but now I don't wear any of those. They are mostly KU because there are no good New Era fitted options for KU (Ahem...Adidas...). Then I started getting more Royals hats. Buying Turn Back the Clock night and Special Edition hats. Then I discovered Hat Club and other Instagram followers who liked hats just as much as me. Then my collection exploded.

JL: I have some snapbacks because I find I like the Mitchell and Ness NBA designs better.

TT: I  absolutely love Mitchell and Ness but I look like a total goober in snapbacks.

JL: New Era did start doing more NBA fitted caps last year and I got a few of those.

JL: Ha. Since my face is small all hats look big on my but I've gotten used to it. Low Profile fits better but I have gotten used to the regular 59Fifty look.

TT: My nugget looks weird in low-pro caps too. The hat struggle is real ya'll.

JL: So numbers wise, to give you a loose idea I have 6 of those Hat Club duffles. 2 are exclusively Royals, 2 are mixed MLB, 1 is NBA hats and 1 a mix designer, hockey, soccer and others. Then I have about another duffle worth of MiLB that are not organized at all.

TT: How man go in a duffle?

JL: Technically 30. I have found I can get 35 or so in each.

TT:
TT: The aforementioned Hat Club Duffles!

JL: Oh, one other thing on the collecting front. I really transitioned into hat collecting a few years ago when the Omaha Storm Chasers released a Royals throwback cap. I used paypal to send money to the only person I knew on Twitter to get it for me. That marked the first time I needed a hat so much I gave a stranger money to get it. 

TT: They didn't burn you did they?

JL: No! She pulled through! Its still one of my favorite hats.

TT: You're not a size 8 like someone we know?

JL: No, I'm a 7. Tiny head.

TT: But at least that's always in stock...

JL: True. Sometimes I am a 6 7/8. I buy hats for my dad and brother sometimes. They have huge heads (7 3/4 and 7 7/8).  My dad says all the dudes at the disc golf park love his style. 

TT: What's your favorite cap?

JL: Oh. Tough one. (We're heavy hitters with the journalism here at Terror Talk). Probably one of my Kansas City Monarchs hats. One of the white/red ones with the interlocking "K.C." I have several Kansas City Monarchs caps from various makers. 

TT: Proof: 
TT: What about that elusive Holy Grail?

JL: All of John's collection! (see @interstate19 on Twitter and Instagram to see what she means)

JL: I don't necessarily have certain hats I feel like I have to have. I am more about the look and history of the hat.

JL: I take that back...I'm really sad I missed the Hometown Collection Kinston Indians hat. I'm just a dope and forgot it was happening.

TT: THERE IT IS! I like that cap and I have no idea why I skipped it either. 

JL: Now I set alarms to remember to stop what I am doing and order!

TT: Me too. My calendar in my phone is full of cap releases! 

TT: Thanks for stopping in and sitting through a cap collection interrogation! 

JL: No problem...

There ya go. Another run down on another awesome collection. See you guys in the New Year. Until then...cap on! 






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