Estate Pipes- First purchase

Look for ebay sellers "pipestud", "great-estate-pipes", and "Coopersark". Can't go wrong with those. The sponsor list is also a great resource. As for what to pick, you nailed it. Find something in your price range that catches your eye, ask questions about it, and go for it! Happy Hunting!

Besides eBay, there are several on line sellers of estate pipes that I highly recommend:
http://www.briarblues.com/
http://pulverspriorbriar.com/index.html
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/
Look at what's available until you find something that you like.

I'll also recommend site sponsor Blue Room Briars. Give them a call. Jesse and Scott are always happy to talk pipes and guide you in the right direction.

Most of my pipes are estates. I figured once you smoke it, it becomes an estate. Why not save money.

Generally speaking if you stick to the name brand pipes. Even if they are estates you will usually do fine. I.E. Savenilli, Comoy, chacom, Rossi, Kaywoodie, GBD. At the same time Ebay is not a bad place to get some estate pipes as long as you do your due diligence. Research the pipes on pipedia, carefully look at the pictures and descriptions. Check out the feedback on the seller, ask for more pictures if you have any questions. I have found sellers on ebay that I buy from regularly and they have almost been all solid pipes. And the few that had issues they immediately took care of them. That's not to say there are not less then great sellers on ebay. But if you do your research it can be a good place to get pipes. Also you can check your local antique stores, I have found some surprising finds there.

ALL of my pipes have been estates, summer duds, some home runs. Stick with a reputable seller, who cleans them well, and you'll be ok.
Doc

What types of tobacco do you smoke? Do you clench your pipe or hold it in your hand? What price range are you trying to stay in? Do you like certain shapes better than others? Do you feel you should be looking at pipes with thick walls? There are a lot of variables when choosing a pipe. If you answer these questions I might be able to help you pick a pipe that will work for you.

For first-time estate buyers, smokingpipes.com has good estate pipe online pages, with detailed descriptions, statement of flaws, and a numerical rating. They seem to go out of their way to be accurate, and do a good job of sanitizing and prepping the pipes. They work hard at making buying an estate pipe a good experience.

mikey:
Are you going to refurbish/restore your estate-pipes? If yes, cheap, crappy, no-name Ebay pipes make good practice pipes. So do garage-sale pipes. If you make a mistake, toss the pipe. You'll learn in the process. If not, buy refurbished estate pipes. The above postings will tell you where, how and what.
Home-refurbishing an estate pipe into a smokable condition is not that difficult. Restoring a pipe to look brand new is more involved, but it still can be done, and, is done. You'll just be paying someone else to do it for you if you are not willing to do it yourself. Either, or, works.
You'll have many more choices if you decide to refurbish, or if you don't mind spending the money on what ever pipe(s) you like.
I buy estate-pipes all the time, and restore them, on my kitchen table, using just a few hand tools, some sandpaper, and polish. It's a mess, but the clean up is easy, and you'll have the satisfaction of your restorative efforts when you put a match to a bowl of you favorite blends. Try it, you may like it.
The choice is yours.
Frank

NYC

Buying estate pipes is a great way to build up a rotation. However be aware that some folks buy a new pipe, find it is a terrible smoker (for whatever reason) then stick it up on eBay in an attempt to get some of their money back.
Regards,
Jay.