Expensive Pipes - To Each His Own (Continued)

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars
2 Fresh Il Duca Pipes
18 Fresh Brebbia Pipes
12 Fresh Mastro Geppetto Pipes
12 Fresh IMP Meerschaum Pipes

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

JKoD

Part of the Furniture Now
May 9, 2021
810
8,626
IN
Noooo, don’t. Both you guys are laying out yuge breadcrumbs. This Pipe forum seems like it’s half industry shills, a quarter long term pipe buds (half who are bored) and a quarter young new pipers who want to argue. Plz don’t make this forum more contentious. That’s what the other zillion sites are for. ???

Good point. Your segmentation is probably pretty dang close! Haha.
 
  • Like
Reactions: forloveoffreedom

JKoD

Part of the Furniture Now
May 9, 2021
810
8,626
IN
I do care about the environment and have an academic background and professional experience in business and marketing.

The last thing a modern business wants to invest in is something not needed or wanted. They spend lots of money to find out.

Enticement is not marketing. Marketing seeks to understand and know the available market. For example, I would love to have a foldable cell phone with the same utilites are my Iphone 7. It will happen. I am not alone.

Forget needs and wants. The Covid vaccine is needed and wanted. Folks might think they don't need a special pipe, but to many responded to how pipe provide a mental/emtional benefit.

And the purpose of understanding the market base is strategic and focued, not for everyone. My bottom line is, marketing is a good thing and we need to come to appreciate. You can be the best engineer on Earth. but if no one needs or wants you are a failure.

Yeah, the beer idea resonates. Are you trying to make me an alcoholic?

Will my Yakima racks fit and go off road. Can the children ride in the back and carry the camping equipment or can I sleep inside on a camping trip? No use for one otherwise.
Hmmm… I’m also in the camp for a foldable cell phone again.

However, saying marketing does not influence is not correct. The very interaction you had with Subaru where “they listened” influenced you. But, I suppose good customer service isn’t seen as a marketing strategy.

I’ll roll with the advice and drop it. Not trying to argue, honestly, just trying to understand. And - definitely better to do a discussion like this over a beer. ?

An interesting read:

If don’t read - last paragraph…

“In conclusion, Subaru's marketing strategy is a science and art because the brand is constantly listening to its target market. These insights that the brand has learned were used to modify and solidify its campaigns.”

 

Grangerous

Lifer
Dec 8, 2020
3,270
13,171
East Coast USA
It’s not a topic that can be won or lost but makes for an interesting discussion.

I fault no one for purchasing something they want, especially if they have the means. Even above their means on a well thought out and knowing purchase.

I pity those who would spend for the sake of status — caring how others perceive them or worse yet, believing that making that purchase will somehow equate to their happiness. The latter is the saddest case of all.

Maslow’s theory Hierarchy of Needs can be applied here. Once our base needs are met, higher learning can take place and the arts and entertainment can flourish.

As I’d said, satisfying expensive wants is a First World problem and has nothing to do with happiness. Happiness is a choice.

Chinese peasants centuries ago knew this well —a wise man fills his stomach and strengthens bone and sinew and rejoices in his health. No matter the tyrannical conditions, this focus would outlast any storm.

Now go commission that new pipe and get off my lawn.
 

JKoD

Part of the Furniture Now
May 9, 2021
810
8,626
IN
Probably should close this thread… it’s drifted so far. Maybe better moved to the “general discussions” area?

But…what better way to both learn from and influence your customers than an online forum with your target audience. If they aren’t created by the industry - they’re unquestionably participating. ? who are we kidding here people? I knew I was dealing with a bunch of stooges ?
 
Dec 3, 2021
4,986
42,245
Pennsylvania & New York
I wonder if status comes into play with pipe smoking that much, generally speaking; it's often a solitary experience, so who is really seeing an expensive pipe? Yes, many of us share pics of these pipes, and I imagine there's an element of pride that comes into play, but also a matter of sharing something with people you know are more likely to appreciate what you're showing them. Pipe smokers aren't exactly a dime a dozen these days, so a gathering place like this forum is perfect for feeling camaraderie among kindred spirits. I suspect members here will appreciate a picture of a Savinelli xxx or a Yello-Bole xxx from 19xx or Todd Johnson xxx more than my girlfriend.
 

tzinc

Can't Leave
Mar 24, 2021
346
1,388
Toronto
I agree that Rolex has the lore and branding combo that is key to value. But the reality is relatively speaking a new Rolex is not that expensive. There are other brands that cost way more. Rolex price goes up when things like gold and jewels are used in the watch. They do gain in value so a few people can rationalize it as an investment mine has gone up 20,000 dollars in the last 10ish years, but most who buy one don't need this rationalization.

I will say one more thing about a Rolex I do believe that the mechanism is the highest quality you can get in a watch and very few watches approach that quality. But again I doubt the vast majority people spending thousands and thousands on a Rolex watch even know that or care about that it's all about the brand name.

So what pipe is worth thousands and thousands? The pipe that people think is worth it. There are handcrafted Italian pipes being made by people who worked for Castello and that arguably look and smoke as well as any Castello (with the difference only being the aging of the briar perhaps but again how many buyers know that) that sell for a couple hundred while Castello's go for many hundreds.
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,499
27,312
Hawaii
The title is a bit off too as the person who has shown the highest number of acquired "expensive" pipes in the last 365 days on this site is actually female.

What are you talking about, I thought the original post was merely about the quality differences of a low priced pipe vs an expensive pipe is all, I don’t understand your reply?

P.S. @JKoD I hope you don’t get barked at to bad, because usually when a post is closed you can’t go an open another under the same topic.
 
Mar 2, 2021
3,474
14,246
Alabama USA
What are you talking about, I thought the original post was merely about the quality differences of a low priced pipe vs an expensive pipe is all, I don’t understand your reply?

P.S. @JKoD I hope you don’t get barked out to bad, because usually when a post is closed you can’t go an open another under the same topic.
Agreed. Odd comments to say the least.
 

forloveoffreedom

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 29, 2013
132
605
I agree that Rolex has the lore and branding combo that is key to value. But the reality is relatively speaking a new Rolex is not that expensive. There are other brands that cost way more. Rolex price goes up when things like gold and jewels are used in the watch. They do gain in value so a few people can rationalize it as an investment mine has gone up 20,000 dollars in the last 10ish years, but most who buy one don't need this rationalization.

I will say one more thing about a Rolex I do believe that the mechanism is the highest quality you can get in a watch and very few watches approach that quality. But again I doubt the vast majority people spending thousands and thousands on a Rolex watch even know that or care about that it's all about the brand name.

So what pipe is worth thousands and thousands? The pipe that people think is worth it. There are handcrafted Italian pipes being made by people who worked for Castello and that arguably look and smoke as well as any Castello (with the difference only being the aging of the briar perhaps but again how many buyers know that) that sell for a couple hundred while Castello's go for many hundreds.
Rolex, the best Swiss mechanisms that can keep time poorly lol. They are pretty and feel great on the wrist tho. I guess if we are fortunate enough to purchase one, we are fortunate enough to not care about loosing a minute or so a day? This is not a dig by any means but rather irks me the watch doesn’t perform better.
 
Aug 1, 2012
4,610
5,170
What are you talking about, I thought the original post was merely about the quality differences of a low priced pipe vs an expensive pipe is all, I don’t understand your reply?
So apparently you have not read any of the threads in the last 2 weeks by @Cigar Ash Queen. She posted a ton of recently acquired "expensive" pipes. The title says "...to Each His Own" so I was giving a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reply.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,845
45,580
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I wonder if status comes into play with pipe smoking that much, generally speaking; it's often a solitary experience, so who is really seeing an expensive pipe? Yes, many of us share pics of these pipes, and I imagine there's an element of pride that comes into play, but also a matter of sharing something with people you know are more likely to appreciate what you're showing them. Pipe smokers aren't exactly a dime a dozen these days, so a gathering place like this forum is perfect for feeling camaraderie among kindred spirits. I suspect members here will appreciate a picture of a Savinelli xxx or a Yello-Bole xxx from 19xx or Todd Johnson xxx more than my girlfriend.
Depends on the picture and the girlfriend.
 

JKoD

Part of the Furniture Now
May 9, 2021
810
8,626
IN
What are you talking about, I thought the original post was merely about the quality differences of a low priced pipe vs an expensive pipe is all, I don’t understand your reply?

P.S. @JKoD I hope you don’t get barked at to bad, because usually when a post is closed you can’t go an open another under the same topic.
I didn’t think it would actually post…nor did I expect the thread to keep going. ?‍♂️

Public apologies… I need to re-read the forum rules, too. I’ll get a report filed asap when finished. Won’t happen again!
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,499
27,312
Hawaii
So apparently you have not read any of the threads in the last 2 weeks by @Cigar Ash Queen. She posted a ton of recently acquired "expensive" pipes. The title says "...to Each His Own" so I was giving a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reply.

I was referring to the Topic of this post and the original is all, that in both, I didn’t see any discussion of Cigar Ash Queen.

Yes I have seen all of her posts.

And I also thought that the topic of discussion was only about the worth of expensive pipes, if it meant they were actually better smokers.

So, this is why I replied, it seemed like your reply was Off Topic, and I wasn’t sure what was going on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simmerdown☕️
Status
Not open for further replies.