Recently, I've been given information and insights about the current reasons
for the shortage of high grade Meerschaum Block. I want to thank Deniz for
this and pass it along to members.
For the past 15 years, village life in the province of Eskisehir followed the same pattern as the rest of Turkey...an exodus to the town center creating ghost villages... The miners were the villagers dwelling at those villages ...which is how and why mining is almost at a complete halt. Whatever limited mining done is confined to a small group that are still living in the villages.
In 2005 the municipality of an old "quarter" started revitalizing the "old town" of ODUN PAZARI ... one of the old "stable-inns" ( ATLI HAN) was rebuilt and offered to Meerschaum Carvers . Rooms of the inn became shops at a symbolic low rent . There was an immediate interest and wonderful response by the Carvers. It meant benefiting from the fact that the " trade/community " united in one place rather than being in unknown, obscure alleys and buildings spread throughout the town. The local trade did not turn out as anticipated, thus the influx to E-Bay. Carvers used eBay to list their pipes which was marginally successful.
THEN in 2008 there was the twist of fate. The bullet train running between Ankara and Eskisehir (the capital...150 miles from Eskisehir) cutting down travel time to 1,5 hours, service departing and returning from both ends every hour making 12 trips / day began bringing more tourists. Needless to say that has been bringing lots of native tourists to Eskisehir. So the trade has picked up. Of course for the MEER BAZAAR in the old town as well. But Turkish tourists want to buy jewelry, key holders, trinkets etc and maybe a small number of visitors may buy smaller and inexpensive pipes... So the carvers now have HIGH demand for smaller pieces and chunks of meer blocks to produce these small memorabilia/gifts for the tourists to bring back from their daily trip....
The few miners who were bringing in high quality blocks from deep wells are also intrigued and enchanted by this new development. They now mostly work at shallow areas digging small size meerschaum pieces to offer carvers for this new demand. This has definitely caused the major Carvers to experience such a difficult time in obtaining superior blocks. This current shortage is due to new developments in the economy .
for the shortage of high grade Meerschaum Block. I want to thank Deniz for
this and pass it along to members.
For the past 15 years, village life in the province of Eskisehir followed the same pattern as the rest of Turkey...an exodus to the town center creating ghost villages... The miners were the villagers dwelling at those villages ...which is how and why mining is almost at a complete halt. Whatever limited mining done is confined to a small group that are still living in the villages.
In 2005 the municipality of an old "quarter" started revitalizing the "old town" of ODUN PAZARI ... one of the old "stable-inns" ( ATLI HAN) was rebuilt and offered to Meerschaum Carvers . Rooms of the inn became shops at a symbolic low rent . There was an immediate interest and wonderful response by the Carvers. It meant benefiting from the fact that the " trade/community " united in one place rather than being in unknown, obscure alleys and buildings spread throughout the town. The local trade did not turn out as anticipated, thus the influx to E-Bay. Carvers used eBay to list their pipes which was marginally successful.
THEN in 2008 there was the twist of fate. The bullet train running between Ankara and Eskisehir (the capital...150 miles from Eskisehir) cutting down travel time to 1,5 hours, service departing and returning from both ends every hour making 12 trips / day began bringing more tourists. Needless to say that has been bringing lots of native tourists to Eskisehir. So the trade has picked up. Of course for the MEER BAZAAR in the old town as well. But Turkish tourists want to buy jewelry, key holders, trinkets etc and maybe a small number of visitors may buy smaller and inexpensive pipes... So the carvers now have HIGH demand for smaller pieces and chunks of meer blocks to produce these small memorabilia/gifts for the tourists to bring back from their daily trip....
The few miners who were bringing in high quality blocks from deep wells are also intrigued and enchanted by this new development. They now mostly work at shallow areas digging small size meerschaum pieces to offer carvers for this new demand. This has definitely caused the major Carvers to experience such a difficult time in obtaining superior blocks. This current shortage is due to new developments in the economy .
