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essy

Lurker
Sep 4, 2013
20
0
I have a little tobacco shop in town. They have a few tobaccos and a couple pipes but I'm looking to branch out for some neater/rarer pipes.
Anyone have any recommendations for neat pipes for my collection to get online or something? Ebay? Is there a pipe website?
I live in Western Canada, so obviously I have to make sure the shipping isn't ridiculous. Also, any ideas for neat pipes to get? I have some pretty basic pipes I use on a daily basis (I have 3 at the moment.) Converse away!

 

easygoer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 31, 2013
215
2
Welcome Essy. Here is a link to a previous forum that helped me out a lot. I have bought from almost all of them and would do so again. Smokingpipes and 4noggins are great for buying tobacco for us here in Canada.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/ebay-dealers-and-on-line-dealers-of-pristine-pipes#post-408018

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'd shop a lot before you make a purchase. Do a lot of looking, and do a lot of reading on the Forums threads and

in pipesmagazine, to get a range on what "rarer and neater" is to you. I think it might be easier to do one or two

new pipe purchases for a starter, but many would go straight to estate pipes. Depends what you like. Do you

want filter pipes, or non-filter. Do you need smaller bowls for brief smokes, or big bowls for an hour or more.

Etc. If you begin with smokingpipes.com or one of the other sponsors, you will likely do okay. They will be happy

to guide you and answer questions, too.

 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
Essy
Welcome to the forum
Roth has summed it up quite well. I would like to add that the whole pipe and tobacco thing can seem overwhelming at first and that is why I'd like to advise you to start slowly and not make the mistakes I have made by buying eBay estates or the like until you have some experience
The vendors here, like Mike at briar blues, Rich at 4 noggins, just to mention two, are incredibly helpful with a new smoker
Good luck and enjoy

 

rockymtnsmoker

Can't Leave
May 31, 2013
418
3
Hey Essy. Calgary shouting in here. Welcome. I'm ordering a lot from site sponsor smokingpipes.com at the cheapest ground rate. Shipping is reasonable though slooooooow. Like two or three weeks from order to arrival. Seems to take forever to get to Canada, spends a few days in customs, then takes just three days at that point to get to my house. Anyway, keep your tobacco purchases under 200g to avoid some very painful duties. Mike at Briar Blues is a great guy and a wonderful resource, just waiting for the right pipe to order from him. He's based in Vancouver. If you are on the Island, Old Morris downtown is a great B&M (bricks and mortar) tobocco shop. The Golden Leaf in NW Calgary is Ok, and guys in Edmonton talk up Burlington on Whyte.

 

jah76

Lifer
Jun 27, 2012
1,611
35
Welcome to the forum! Not much to add, but I've picked up some great pipes from Marty at $35-$60. For a guy like me just getting into the hobby this past year he's been a big help.
One suggestion I would add is to just ask if you've got a particular pipe you've got your eye on. If your worried about someone buying it out from under you I guarantee that a bunch of folks your asking already know about it. Lots of folks watch ebay and the estate sellers pretty darn close. If your still nervous about it PM a member. If I'm looking at a certain brand or tobacco I'll PM someone I know who collects or enjoys them for more info.
Hope to hear about your journey.

 

plateauguy

Lifer
Mar 19, 2013
2,412
18
Welcome Essy.

It took me awhile to warm up to the idea of an estate pipe, especially one bought over the internet. Then I decided to make the leap and bought an inexpensive Rex. It was basically a sound pipe that just needed a good cleaning and polishing. I was lucky. I've since gotten a couple of clunkers.
If you are going to buy estate, you need to decide if you want to do the clean-up, restoration, or if you want it already to smoke. I'll be honest and say restoration is not my favorite thing, but I occasionally get a great buy that I can't ignor.
If you want something different that is a cool smoker, try a Falcon. They aren't expensive, and are easy to clean up. Just make sure that the pictures show the inside of the bowl and are not blurry. Whatever you decide on, good luck.
This is a set I just picked up for $35:



 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Welcome to the forum. For tobacco and new pipes 4noggins is a great resource as has been mentioned, just call Rich and he will take the time with you. For estate pipes Mike at Briar Blues is one of the best. He is so good that if you look at his site and see something you like, he will drive to your house and bring pipes for you to test drive. He will even provide free tobacco, coffee or tea or even adult libations. He won't leave until he makes sure you are totally satisfied. lol
Seriously though there are tons of great pipes out there and loads of great blends. Do some research, read all you can and take your time. Patience is a good thing in this hobby.

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
What Harris says is true. I had trouble getting rid of Mike when he brought me my pipes. He slept on my couch for several days.

 

easygoer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 31, 2013
215
2
Nice place to live Essy. You have two west coast favorites I prefer to buy from in Marty and Michael. No rush take your time. There is a incredible amount of information you can search on this site. If your have query chances are Cigrmaster, Roth or any of the other senior members have probably had a conversation about it

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,859
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Welcome Easy,
Agree with all of the above, except when it comes to the level of cleaning done by some of the ebay vendors from whom I've bought. Coopersark's offerings have been spectacularly clean. You can find the occasional good buy on Ebay, but not all that often, and you need to be willing to either do the restoration work, or pay to have it done. Most of the pipes that I've bought on ebay have needed to be thoroughly cleaned.
I've occasionally seen much better deals with on line dealers than I've seen with ebay. While there can be a much wider array of pipes from which to choose on ebay, there is also a much larger body of potential buyers watching them. I've witnessed many auctions where the price has spiraled way above any semblance of sanity because two or three overly enthusiastic (or determined) bidders got into a dogfight over a pipe. Getting 2-3 times a normal market price for a pipe may be great for the seller, but not much of a "win", in my book, for the buyer.
Before bidding on ebay, spend six months watching auctions. Save auctions on pipes that you may want to buy. Study the pictures, ask questions of the sellers, note the results, look at the bid history, but don't buy. Get a sense of the market for different makes that interest you, what shapes and finishes go for higher prices, etc. If you're going to buy on ebay, know what you're doing. Then buy and get surprised with all of the unexpected things that can accompany that purchase. Don't get invested in "winning" a pipe. Walk away if the price goes too far north. Another opportunity will come along. Never bid on a "no return" auction. It doesn't matter how good the pictures are, or the seller's description. Nothing takes the place of being able to hold the pipe in you hands and studying it.
You can do well with ebay, but it's not for beginners. On line dealers and B&M's are a safer way to go.

 

spud

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 10, 2013
182
0
Hi---Welcome----For a purchase starting out you might consider a corn cob pipe from Missouri Meershaum. They are very good smokers and will not cost you an arm and a leg.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Starting out, first you want a good experience. Later, if you take a gamble and it doesn't work out -- like buying an estate pipe

off ebay that does not match its description -- you can chalk it up to experience. But starting out, you want things to go smoothly

while you're learning. And when you buy a few good, well-made pipes, they often last you a long lifetime.

 

smokertruck

Can't Leave
Aug 1, 2013
423
0
ROCKYMTNSMOKE - under 200gm to canada - if each tin is 50 & i buy 200gm am i in danger of duty or am i better with really less - most orders seem to be 50gm per item - what kind of duty can they hit me for @200gm - thats 4 tins in toronto approx cost $100 to 150.

only in canada eh !
what about new pipes?
ALSO i wish to send about 6 old pipes to walkers to restem 2 & ozone clean all of them - have any canadians sent used to usa for treatment - should i set up a b13 document to use with customs leaving canada as proof that they originated here when they come back - will use ups down & back to not lose the lot in limbo with the post offices.
regards all -

eh ! i hate when they say that.

 
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