First Ashton (FINALLY!), Estate Score

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layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
I finally scored an Ashton, after patiently looking around for a good deal and one i liked for the past 6 months or so. I have always been very impressed with the late legend Bill Taylor's (even though this is a Jimmy Craig carved pipe) oil curing process and how he described it sounded like it would make one hell of a burner. I have also researched and heard from countless others how great of pipes they are, as is reflected on Ebay under the completed listings. They don't often go unnoticed on auction and usually fetch somewhere in the ballpark of what they are worth. I threw a bid out on this one though from a lesser know seller who is not really all that established in the Ebay pipe watchers realm. That is precisely where i look to find good deals, where others aren't looking. Anyways, my bid ended up being the highest and i won it. A few days later i finally had a gorgeous XXX Pebble Grain Ashton with a hell of a nice blast. It is very light weight for its size (about 6"x 1 7/8", 3/4 chamber diameter x 1 5/8" depth) due to the oil curing process and has a white and very light tannish yellow swirl acrylic stem, which i love and think contrasts with the finish/stain perfectly. I brought it over to Jeremy's (sailorjeremy on here) place last night to smoke a couple bowls and he cleaned it up very nicely with his buffer and tripoli/carnuba application. Looks brand new. I lit up some Stonehaven and it smoked like a champ, just as i had hoped. I will definitely be adding more Ashton's to the collection in the future.
Some pics after Jeremy made 'er shine (thanks buddy!):
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Reactions: 02Knight
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Sweet!
Love it.
You gotta great deal fersure.
I have the same philosophy as you have with lesser known sellers and have scored some great bargains,

but I've also scored big with Pipestud, got one of my fave Ashtons from him, a lovely lovat.
I'm becoming a serious Ashton collector,

everything else at the moment is taking a back seat.
I'm up to 5.
There is a massive throng of Ashton collectors and every pipe usually generates between 35-65 watchers, so the field is highly competitive - the earlier Ashtons have been grabbing super big bucks as of late.
I like both old and new equally.
They are damn good pipes,

and the blasting on an Ashton cannot be beat for such a reasonable price!
One of my fave threads to look at,

Kashmir has some really incredible old Ashtons!

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/show-off-your-ashton-pipes
EDpzh3q.jpg

 
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tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,011
Southwest Louisiana
93B5459B-4C67-4C55-ADBD-AACFF2251C91-4391-000007AFA0E40F0A_zps0dca3481.jpg
Corey, Docwatson steered me to Ashton's, as you know I love big pipes, when Coopersark had this one it was love at first sight, smokes as good as it looks, older Ashton. Made in the 80s.

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,223
5,344
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
layinpipe:
As you can see, Mr. Taylor learned his lessons well during his tenure with Dunhill. It is indeed a shame that he left us too soon in 2009. You might smoke a bowl in his memory.
May this pipe become a treasured companion, and provide you solace through the years!

 
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layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
Thanks guys, i'm really stoked on it, i've been wanting an Ashton for a good long while now! MLC, I agree with you on pretty much your entire post, lol. Yeah, i know what this pipe would/could/should have gone for had it been sold under one of the heavy hitter sellers or as an estate on Smoking Pipes or another online retailer. I got a HELL of a deal for what i paid though and that is why it took me so long to acquire one; i don't like paying retail!
This is a perfect example of how you can score on ebay and how there are definitely still deals to be had if you are just PATIENT. I got outbid on at least 10-15 if not more Ashton's over the last few months before i bagged this one, and it was worth the wait. I just try and keep Sablebrush's words echoing in my head whenever i get trigger happy about getting in a bidding war with someone because i get temporarily infatuated with a pipe. Those words, and anyone who needs ebay advice in the future heed them well, are "There will always be another pipe and another auction to bid on". It has certainly served me well and i have never yet been burned or overpaid for a pipe. Worst i've done is paid around retail, but still a little under.
The Ashton's have been going through the roof on ebay though, especially the Bill Taylor era's (for obvious reasons). What provides me endless entertainment is when people will go to war and pay OVER what the pipe is actually worth, and even better, when they pay over for a newer Jimmy Craig era Ashton that they could find cheaper at a reputable online e-tailer as an estate. There's a sucker born every minute, i guess. My next Ashton i'll be on the lookout for will be a Taylor era brindle or old church, either x, xx, or xxx, doesn't matter to me. I will not overpay for one though, so it could take me quite a while, lol.

 
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layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
Hunter, i most definitely will, sir!
Bradley, WOW that is a gorgeous man-sized poker buddy! Is it a magnum? The blast is insane and it is an 80's Taylor made Ashton to boot! Only thing that would make it better would be (IMHO) a brindle stem. Pokers and Billiards, my two favorite shapes.

 

layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
vorhees, i remember when you scored this and posted a thread with pics about it. It was beautiful then and it is beautiful now, brother! And i agree, everyone owes it to themselves to own at least 1 Ashton in their lifetime, well worth it!

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,011
Southwest Louisiana
Corey yes it is a Magnum and Voories that is one beautiful pipe as all that are on this thread, got a Taylor Large Canadian also, yes everyone should have an Ashton.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Vorhees,

I love your Ashton!

That unique stem sets it off perfectly,

beautiful.
And rare.
But,

the 212 stamping indicates that it's a Jimmy Craig era pipe,

made in 2012.

http://mkelaw-pipes.com/html/pipee3427.html
Not trying to be a dick here,

just pointing it out so you know.

:puffpipe:

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
But,

the 212 stamping indicates that it's a Jimmy Craig era pipe,

made in 2012.
I understood that the 21 in 212 was "2001". I appreciate the clarification, my bad. I guess 2001 would be 21.
No harm, no foul.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Since everyone is sharing,

here's my few...
2014 Old Church XXX

1998 Pebble Grain X

1991 Brindle X
the 2 lovats are both 2013 XX Pebble Grains...
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May 31, 2012
4,295
34
This is a perfect example of how you can score on ebay and how there are definitely still deals to be had if you are just PATIENT. I got outbid on at least 10-15 if not more Ashton's over the last few months before i bagged this one, and it was worth the wait. I just try and keep Sablebrush's words echoing in my head whenever i get trigger happy about getting in a bidding war with someone because i get temporarily infatuated with a pipe. Those words, and anyone who needs ebay advice in the future heed them well, are "There will always be another pipe and another auction to bid on". It has certainly served me well and i have never yet been burned or overpaid for a pipe. Worst i've done is paid around retail, but still a little under.
Very wise words, no doubt.
Like you, I'm keen to get a deal, and it pays dividends to know the going rate and to keep abreast of all the currents trends.
And I can tell you're also very astute as far as knowing what the averages are as far as retail shop prices go, across a broad spectrum, and that too, pays dividends.
I'm amazed in some cases of the auctions you speak of recent Ashtons that go above market value - but I can also understand the desire if it's a particularly great blast, or an odd rare shape.
One of the more extreme examples of overpaying I can think of as of late,

is this one:

2014 Ashton XXX Claret Prince Pipe with Rare 1930's Bakelite * Brand New!

8O

 

layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
Hahaha, yeah i was watching that one when it was going on. The main reason those particular Ashton's are going through the roof is because they have the 1930's Bakelite stem on them. Robert (coopersark) got a hold of a bunch of old bakelite rods that date back to the 1930's. He got in touch with Jimmy Craig and got him to make a bunch of Ashton's using the old bakelite rods for stems. If the pipe is worth that inflated crazy high price to someone though, i understand, but i would never spend that kind of money. To each their own and whatever floats your boat.
Bradley, $282 is not bad at all, i would have paid that if i was in the market for a large pipe like that. It looks to be in great shape too. ELX is still a big boy, as you can see from the pic of Robert holding it. Right up your alley though, i'd say.
BTW, beautiful beautiful pipes MLC. I love every one of them, especially the brindle as i'm a sucker for cumberland/brindle stems and the old church for that craggy deep gorgeous blast.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
The main reason those particular Ashton's are going through the roof is because they have the 1930's Bakelite stem on them. Robert (coopersark) got a hold of a bunch of old bakelite rods that date back to the 1930's. He got in touch with Jimmy Craig and got him to make a bunch of Ashton's using the old bakelite rods for stems.
Yep.

I think there's a bit of a division with the Ashton collectors on the white stems,

I happen to like them though and would love to score one.
I am, however, a bit afraid of bakelite just because it's a notoriously brittle material,

but over time the patina does indeed get pretty scrumptious looking,

a honey mustard look,

like on this Dunhill:

Dunhill Shell Briar, Made in England, Estate Pipe
Ashton seems to have quite a few one-off surprises out there,

like this silverlipped bit,

ASHTON XX OLD CHURCH TANBLAST VERY DEEP RING GRAIN SITTER BILLIARD PIPE
...which calls to mind this Dunhill,

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/dunhill-pipe-with-factory-sterling-silver-bit-option
A very unique treatment, and not very often seen.
:puffy:

 
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