Team fortress 2, Why is everyone obsessed with hats?

[Kratenser]

So ive been playing TF2 for a long time now, but one thing that i still do not understand is why so many people are obsessed with hats? In nearly every trade ive been in, the other person would take a hat over a weapon 9 times out of 10. Even if they didnt have the weapon they would still prefer the hat option. Why is that? Hats are merely cosmetic and dont have any impact on your fighting capabilities (unless its a set hat, in which case i completely understand), so why would someone say, choose something like a baseball cap, over lets say a minigun?

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Because weapons are much easier to get, being more common drop items, and the cosmetic hats are fun, make you a little more individual. Just a bit of fun really, though some people do seem to be taking it a bit far.

 

[Erecting a Sentry]

Probably for a reason along the lines of Achievements and trophies

 

[Sad Face]

I love this game, and the hats are a fun idea...but people take them way too seriously.

I personally haven't traded for any hats. The ones I do have I earned (by accident) or found. I'm there to play the game, not obsess over a hat that, this being a first person game, I'm not even going to see.

 

[FightThePower]

Hats are rare. People like rare things.

I'm actually sick of my hats. I'd easily trade all my hats for various weapons instead.

 

[Grufflenark]

Because hats are your supreme overlords and they teach you how to live.

And they are rare, humans like rare things, they want to have a thing others doesn't have so they can laugh at them and say "I HAVE A RARE HAT YOU DON'T HAVE YOU POOR AND IRISH INFIDEL!"

 

[AcrylicHero]

because tf 2 is "America's number 1 war themed hat simulator" and that is valve's official stance on it.
What use is a demoman without his tower of hats?

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Wait, there's actually a game there? I thought it was just a hat simulator...

Besides, they're just fun to get. My friend, who has played much longer than me, has never got a hat in a drop, meanwhi9le it's happened to me four times. And I got three of those hats (including one he wants) in a four-month period.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Hat elitism...

 

[DustyDrB]

Well some hats are needed to complete sets that give you a nice effect (resistances, extra ammo, extra health). As for the other hats, I dunno.