Handcrafted Coastal Western Hats
Shaped with Intention
Three Ways to Experience Lucky Baldwin’s
Shop & Style
Explore a curated collection of finished hats, or style your own preshaped hat with expert guidance at a market pop-up or in the private shop.
Private Experiences
Gather with friends, family, or colleagues for a guided preshaped hat styling experience designed for celebration, connection, and self expression.
Custom Hat Making Classes
Step into the craft itself through private, immersive classes that guide participants from raw hat body to finished piece.
Rooted in Place, Designed to Travel
Lucky Baldwin’s operates from a private workshop in Big Bear Lake, California, with mobile offerings available throughout Southern California. Select experiences are location-specific to protect the integrity of the craft.
Community & Care
Lucky Baldwin’s holds space for support to the community and to those fighting any battle.
We all know and love those who live, love, and lose to these ailments. This is how we honor them!
Through curated visits to hospitals, cancer centers, shelters, community support groups, or to the team members out there just doing the hard work to uplift communities - we offer moments of love, kindness, a reminder of individuality, and self-expression during treatment and recovery with HATS.
We offer private hatmaking classes to support groups, centers, and as team gifts. We can cover topics such as hat care, hat/hair dignity options, non-hat lover accessory options, and just a plain old ‘crazy fun hat party’ for your senior home.
The Legend of Lucky Baldwin
Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin (1828–1909) was a gambler, real estate mogul, and one of California’s most notorious entrepreneurs. He earned his nickname by turning high-stakes risks into fortunes. From saloon deals to building empires, Baldwin left a legacy of bold decisions and scandalous stories that still echo across Southern California.
Gold Rush Gambler: Baldwin struck it rich during the California Gold Rush—not from panning gold, but by buying and selling claims. He made his first fortune after a lucky poker game that funded his mining investments. Lucky arrived in the Big Bear area in 1875 and established a significant mining operation, firing up a new steam-powered stamp mill to process gold ore. The mine was a prominent part of the Big Bear boom town era before its ruins became all that remained of the site.
Real Estate Empire: He acquired over 60,000 acres in Los Angeles County, including the Rancho Santa Anita property, which would later become the LA Arboretum and Santa Anita Park racetrack.
Racing & Horses: Obsessed with horse racing, Baldwin built one of the most successful stables in the West and became instrumental in popularizing thoroughbreds.
