Pipe Values

Completed purchases on ebay are at least one avenue. Value isn't as static a thing as you would think. It seems both on ebay and beyond who is selling the pipe will quite considerably affect the value.

I'd think that eBay wouldn't really be a good gauge of pipe pricing, because it's an auction site. Maybe nobody is interested and gets a pipe for $25 when it's actually worth about $200. Likewise someone could end up getting into a bidding war and end up paying hundreds more for a pipe than it's worth.

I'd think that eBay wouldn't really be a good gauge of pipe pricing, because it's an auction site. Maybe nobody is interested and gets a pipe for $25 when it's actually worth about $200. Likewise someone could end up getting into a bidding war and end up paying hundreds more for a pipe than it's worth.

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Actually, eBay can be a very good source for pricing. What you do is use the "advanced" search option - located to the right of the search button, type in your key words - the brand of pipe - and select "completed listings". You will see all completed auctions that have taken place for your brand over the past month or more. That will give you a range. But with eBay, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account. Established sellers like Briar Blues, Coopersark, Great Estates, and Treasurepipes tend to get better prices than lesser known sellers. Well presented pipes, as in excellent photography and description, get better prices. Condition matters and affects the value, and that's one area where sellers screw up by overstating condition. Different models and finishes result in different prices. Results also vary at different times of the year. For example, prices rise before Christmas, and drop afterwards. Bidder behavior can affect results.
You need to weigh all of these factors and spend a period of time observing. This isn't something that you learn overnight. Also, check out on line sellers to get some other ideas abut prices.
Do this over a long period of time, the outliers will drop out, and a proper range will emerge.

Instead of using "completed listings" I always go straight for "sold listings". That way, you weed out the overpriced items, that never got a bid, from your search.

If you don't abuse the privilege too often, Mike at Briarblues will help you value your pipe or assist you when purchasing - even if not from him.

I avoid eBay like the plague lol.
If I want an estate pipe I just check smokingpipes.com's estate section. They do a superb job on the restoration and you can't get caught up in some insane bidding war and end up paying a lot more than you intended to or a lot more than the pipe is actually worth.

Instead of using "completed listings" I always go straight for "sold listings". That way, you weed out the overpriced items, that never got a bid, from your search.

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Fair enough, but I like to look at the failures to see why they failed. I learn from all of it.

If I want an estate pipe I just check smokingpipes.com's estate section. They do a superb job on the restoration and you can't get caught up in some insane bidding war and end up paying a lot more than you intended to or a lot more than the pipe is actually worth.

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That's fine if they happen to have what you're looking for, but it's going to be a tiny cross section compared to what crosses eBay's worldwide borders over a period of time. And it's also only one person's opinion on pricing rather than an aggregate. And, I've beat that pricing by as much as 2/3rds on any number of occasions.

Great, tips on the e-bay stats, sablebrush. Since I have given up saying I'll never buy another pipe, I am going to start using your approach. As you are stating, it shows what the market will pay for an item (with the extraneous removed) works for me.

Thanks!

While eBay might not be a good reflector of true value, it will sure show you what people are willing to pay, which I'm guessing is what you're getting at.
I'd also recommend looking at briarblues.com and smokingpipes.com for estates, but keep in mind these are retailers, so they have to "mark up" to make money, as it is of course a business for them. Keep condition in mind too...a pipe that is completely restored from SP.com and an eBay find that needs all the elbow grease will of course come with different price tags...both have value, but both have different price tags.

I do buy pipes off ebay, but when I do so I usually buy from an established seller. If I really like something from someone I don't know I read the listing very carefully and bypass any seller that won't accept returns. Such a seller has a much harder time getting my bid. I've had sellers who list no returns accept and decline my business when queried if I can get a return, as an exception. No matter their policies on returns, I'm not shy about asking questions. In my opinion whatever is done online is subject to fraud much much more than in-person, the internet acting as insulation from a buyer. In general, I'd rather buy from a non-ebay seller, but it's also true that the more experience you have with pipes and seeing through the fraud, the more you increase your chances of not getting taken.
I think smokingpipes prices on new pipes are fine but that they are way too high on estates and no longer buy estates from them.

I suspect ebay works best for those who like auction-based sites and visit it more or less regularly, so they know the trends and (to some degree) the sellers. I feel it is somewhat of a set-up for disappointment for buyers and sellers, because it is not particularly moderated, except in the loosest sense, and is subject to bidding enthusiasm and neglect. You have to love it as a sport in itself, quite aside from pipes. For people who aren't ebay regulars, I think smokingpipes.com and other online retailers who offer estate pipes are a better bet. For pricing pipes, I'd look at both online retailers and ebay, within whatever time frame you can allow for that. What price would you pay for the pipe, if you wanted that one? What price would excite you? What price would turn you off? Do you want to sell the pipe for sure, or only at a given price, and is that price likely? If you have the seniority, Forums seems a good place to try with a pipe or pipes. The audience is small, and not likely to over-pay, but it's the right audience.

The sheer volume of pipes going across Ebay makes it a valuable indicator of value. You will always get that isolated situation where someone must have that pipe and is willing to pay well above market price but it's usually the exception and is easily detected when viewed in the context of overall sales. The searches mentioned above will give you a good idea of the approximate value of the pipe in question but also, as mentioned, there are variables you need to take into account. My observation lately is that there aren't a lot of pipes not being noticed on Ebay and selling well under value anymore. Occasionally maybe but not as a rule. What a pipe is worth is determined most by what people are willing to pay for it so the average price paid is a pretty good indicator. As with anything used there is a bell curve with low end, badly used pipes, pipes in average condition and really pristine pieces. Ebay certainly gives you a feel for those ranges.

I like to price my possible estate pipe listings within the same range as The Pipe Rack...
http://www.thepiperack.com/blue-chip-estate-pipe-1920s-cased-matched-set-of-city-deluxe-billiards/
&
http://www.thepiperack.com/blue-chip-unsmoked-pipe-1919-civic-silvermount-fat-billiard-adorable/
Somebody will take the bait and I'll be a happy camper.
:P