Dunhill Estates from Aaron Spelling

Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to present my 4 Dunhill pipes acquired directly from the estate of Aaron Spelling.
Aaron Spelling was a Hollywood producer responsible for shows such as: Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, Starsky and Hutch, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Charmed, The Mod Squad, S.W.A.T. and many others. He died in 2006.
You can read more about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Spelling
Interestingly, on that Wikipedia page, it does not tell you that he smoked a pipe and that he owned around 600 pipes.

His estate came to me to help sell the collection. I did so, but my contract forbids me to write an article about it.
There were about 200 Dunhills and I personally acquired 4 of them.
The rest of the collection went to http://www.smokingpipes.com/
Here are mine after they were cleaned up by Dave Walker of http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/




Bob got a few too. Maybe he will get a chance to post his later.

They were all in the low-to-mid-$300's retail, but I got a little better deal being the broker on the sale.
Here are some that are currently available on smokingpipes.com.
$230

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=67049
$230

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=67051
$1,850

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=67026
$310

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=67027
$300

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=67030
$250

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=66828
Here we are sorting them out at the Chicago Show:

Surfmac, if you look closely at the pages on smokingpipes.com, near the bottom left, just below the pictures, you will see it says; "From the estate of Aaron Spelling". It is in the "Nomenclature & Condition" section.
Smokingpipes.com decided to be very low key and subtle about these being Aaron Spelling's pipes, I think because I told them of the tight restrictions that my contract put on me, although it does not apply to smokingpipes.com.
The estate desired this to be low-key and out of the public eye. I don't really follow celebrity gossip much, but I think they felt there was already enough talk about town regarding their family.
They wanted the sale to be fast and quiet, and that is what I did. I was restricted from advertising or broadcasting that the pipes were for sale, but they said whomever bought them could then make a big splash once they owned them.
Sykes is a very proper, educated, respectful, well-mannered man, and I think he felt it would be classier to keep this more low key and not a carnival atmosphere. The only way you can find them on their site as far as being Aaron Spelling's pipes is by using the search feature.
There is no "letter of authenticity", but trust me, they were his pipes. A review of the contract would prove it, but I am restricted from showing it.
There was no tobacco for sale, although Bob and I each also got a nice leather Dunhill pipe bag.
My pipes have no ghosting that I can detect, but they smoke beautifully. I think they were made in the 70's.
I don't know which tobacco he smoked, but when Bob and I were smelling the pipes we guessed that he was an aromatic smoker.
He also had a habit of scorching the rims. Some of the pipes looked like he lit them with a torch. Two of mine did, but they cleaned up well.

The Spelling Estate found me through the web site contact form here.
Then I consulted with Rick Newcombe (prominent collector and author), Frank Burla (former head of the Chicago Show, and owner of the Pipe and Tobacciana Museum in Chicagor), Tad Gage (author, collector, blender). Then I talked to some eBay guys, then around midnight before flying out to the Chicago show, talked to Sykes.
Had dinner with Sykes the next evening, and then next day spent 13 hours sorting through pipes and doing a deal.

By the way, Mixture 79 was Hugh Hefner's blend too.
I have half a pack of it here that is about 9 years old.

Nice one Duke. Congratulations! That one was one of the first batch they put up.
I wonder if smokingpipoes.com is keeping track of who is buying them all? Then we can start our own little club.