LANSING - Mink hats. Hats with feathers. Hats of all colors.
You name them, Alfreda Schmidt has them, one for every occasion, about 100 in all.
And now, Lansing's leading lady is downsizing and offering one-quarter of her famous hat collection in a living estate sale.
Schmidt has moved to a smaller dwelling and is selling some of her vintage hats, hat boxes, clothing and accessories, as well as other interesting items.
Among them a 1983 football signed by Muddy Waters and others, a Soapy Williams bow tie, a program signed by magician Harry Houdini from 1925, a baseball card collection, furniture and much, much more.
"It was a painstaking process for her to choose which hats to leave, which to take," said Pamela Heverly, Schmidt's daughter. "With each hat, she talked about where she bought it, which outfit she wore it with and how she hoped its new owner would be happy with the history behind it.
"She always said when somebody tries on a hat, they look at themselves differently and admire themselves in a different way. She hopes the new owners will do the same and get as much enjoyment out of them as she did."
The sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at 1414 Lindbergh Drive in Lansing.
A list of items and details about the sale are available online at www.estatesales.net/MI/Lansing/48910/1833747
Schmidt has been a household name in the city of Lansing for decades.
Ninety-year-old Alfreda Schmidt, a community activist and former Lansing City Council member talks 'hats' Monday, May 22, 2017, in the room where she stores them in her Lansing home. She has a collection of about 100 hats.
She served on Lansing City Council from 1981 to 1993, representing Ward 2 constituents on the city’s south side. During that time, she was instrumental in the widening of Cedar Street, the construction of an access road to the former Ingham Regional Medical Center, the Hawk Island playground, Maplewood Women’s Shelter and countless other fundraising projects.
She served on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners for four years and has been a fixture on numerous city and community boards. Her name was added to the Southside Community Center in 2012.
Contact Vickki Dozier at (517) 267-1342 or vdozier@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickkiD.
