The State of Estates 2014

The nearest I've come to buying an estate pipe was on smokingpipes.com a day or two ago, when they had

a Savenelli Oscar Lucite zulu 404 for $45. I have a similar pipe, but with a Vulcanite stem, that I bought almost

40 years ago as an unfinished pipe, and I was tempted by another, as I have been tempted by buying another new

for around $100. With the current 10% off on estate pipes at SP, it would have been just over $40 plus shipping.

Since I have, by my account, way too many pipes as it is, I don't buy on impulse, so by the time I went back to it,

it was long gone, and that was as much a relief as disappointment. As I joke from time to time, I have a number of

one-owner estate pipes, since six or eight of my pipes go back more than 30 years, and one of my pipe racks goes

back three generations, perhaps 100 years, in my own family. I don't do ebay; the competitive nature of the auction

there would distract me too much from the actual pipe itself, so I wouldn't know if I wanted the pipe, or just an

ebay win.

I only look for unsmoked Dunhills.

The 2 I've bought went from $400-$450, where as brand new from the store is about $300 more than that.

I watch a number of different pipes from different factories/makers on eBay. The brand that I probably know best is Brigham, specifically the 'Made in Canada' pipes produced prior to production being moved to France and Italy (Chinook grade pipes and higher are produced in St. Claude, anything under the Chinook line is produced in Italy).
Made in Canada Brigham Pipes

A. $5 - $20 each depending on grade and level of wear and tear.

B. $10 - $40 each depending on grade, condition, and vendor.

C. $40 - $120 - $200+ each.
A note on grading. Just like today, Brigham had a wide range of finishes available when they were manufacturing pipes in Canada. The most obvious of these are the pipes with brass pins inserted into the stem which start with "1 dot" and work their way up to various iterations of pins to "7 dot" pipes. Some of these higher grade pipes were produced in limited numbers. I recently acquired a pipe for samcoffeeman (through private sale) that would likely have sold for double what we paid for it, had it gone to auction. The collectible nature of pipes, especially those that combine a known/measured/quantifiable grading system with limited production levels, means that pricing in the estate market will be all over the map.
I routinely sell refurbished Canadian Brighams for between $35 & $65 depending on condition, age, grade and the whimsical nature of the estate market.
$0.05 in the bucket.
-- Pat

There seems to be a "Sav 320 Effect" in play with certain brands and styles. A little over a year ago, that particular pipe was in high demand, and prices reflected that. Now the internet has moved on, and prices are back to normal. I've noticed the same thing with Custombilts lately, and I imagine the effect will move on to other makers and shapes in time, thanks to forums and youtube.

I'm on the hunt for just about any pipe predating the 1970's. I've had really good luck bringing back GBD's, Kaywoodies, Yello-Boles, pipes by LHS, WDC, Dr. Grabow and Ropp. I'll take them all in particularly if they present a challenge in practicing refurbishing. The most I've ever paid was $20.00. Most I get for $9.99 or less.
If you want an estate pipe that has already been cleaned up, you can get something on ebay for twelve to fourteen bucks.
There's a book on Amazon.com by Dave Whitney called, "Old Briar" which gives step by step advice on how to hand restore old pipes. If you have a Kindle account you can borrow the book for a month for free. He's also a seller on ebay. His pipes are a little more expensive but he appears to be a top notch guy who aims to please.
If you don't like the anxiety of waiting during the auction period there are plenty of estate that have a "buy now" price.

There's a book on Amazon.com by Dave Whitney called, "Old Briar" which gives step by step advice on how to hand restore old pipes. If you have a Kindle account you can borrow the book for a month for free. He's also a seller on ebay. His pipes are a little more expensive but he appears to be a top notch guy who aims to please.
I tried looking for that offer to borrow the book but was unsuccessful, any clue as to what I might be doing wrong? Amazon does have it for sale at $7.99.
Disregard, I got it. Thank you for the info! I will enjoy reading this tonight.

Mostly I watch family era Barlings.
Prices are a combination of size, model, finish, and condition. Generally, Canadians and billiards cost more than pots. Natural finish pipes tend to cost more than stained pipes.
Here's a rough range based on size:
SS - $65 - $120

S-M - $90 - $180

L - $110 - $235

EL - $140 - $285

EXEL - $220 - $450

EXEXEL - $220 - $650
Higher grades can cost more, as can exceptional condition, especially in the larger sizes. Add an extra 20-30% for some rare shapes in higher grades. There is also the desperate and stupid factor, which leads to sky high prices amounting to 2-3 times average market price for a pipe.

Very early Barlings, from the late 19th century thru early 20th can easily range from the mid 3 to 4-5 figure prices.

Snag:
I watch for several:
Canadian Blatter. Most are highly prized and you rarely see them south of a hundred and fifty bucks.
Diebel from Kansas City: The Benchmades are an under-recognized steal at ten to fifteen each. Excellent Algerian briar and even their "Diebel" stamps are usually GBD extras.
Sasieni "Seconds": Prices have been rising the last 3 to 4 months and have become one of the hot hands to hold. Fads come and go, but they're still great smokers.
GBD: I'm stunned at what some of the lower grades are commanding these days. Again, I have to think it's the ebb and flow of the market. But, sixty bucks sold for a beat to shit Granitan is way too much.
Don Lou: Another highly prized burner and the inexpensive ones - fifty dollar range - are pretty boring. But I bet they'll be as well made as any pipe out there on the market.
My .02 cents,
Fnord

I'm particular to "old england " pipes, digbys and parkers. I would definately say that prices have been going up the since I started smoking 3 years ago.

I try to find seconds from well known makers. There are tons of names for seconds lines from makers like comoy's, Dunhill, Sasieni, so when you see a pipe with an unknown name, just google it on the spot.

A second in good condition from an antique shop should cost no more than $25. You will likely pay more on the 'bay.

Scope out you local antique shops, thrift shops, and flea markets. The hunt is half the fun!

settersbrace:
I know you don't need this info anymore, but. . .
You can only "borrow" a book on Kindle via the Kindle Lending Library if you own an actual Kindle device (not just an app) AND you are an Amazon Prime subscriber (which is currently priced at $79/annually but which will soon rise to $99/annually). It is a perq of Amazon Prime membership.
Bob

I've long wanted to sign up at worthpoint, but I'm a cheapskate LOL

If you had all that info going back a good ways, you'd be able to accurately gauge pricing trends, I'm sure a few astute collectors have been doing this on their own for a while, but I've only been in the game a couple of years.
I'd like to chart Sasieni, just because I'm curious as to exactly when they started getting the super big bucks...

http://www.worthpoint.com/inventory/refineSearch?currencyCode=USD&query=sasieni&categories={}&channels={}&max=100&sort=Price&absoluteMax=&layout=grid&saleLocation=US&datasource=&datasourceName=&sourceUrl=&_img=&img=on
I watch quite a few auctions, but I don't take formal notes.
It's amazing just how many pipes are out there floating around in the world, and the prices willing to be paid for scarce or desirable examples.
Whenever I find myself lusting after a particular pipe that starts reaching the upper limits, instead of going along and up the price ladder, I tell myself, hey slow down, you're a pipesmoker, be patient, an even better specimen will pop up sooner or later...
...but of course, sometimes they don't.

I really like Parkers. I once passed one over that was a wartime patent and it didn't even get beyond $50, another similar pipe has yet to surface.
Sometimes rarity will dictate my budget and what I'm willing to spend, I've learned that the Merchant Service Bing style pipes rarely surface, and if a good one pops up in the future, I will fight for it more vigorously.
And prices tend to be all over the map, for instance I once got a '67 Dunhill shape 40 lovat for $5, which is unheard of on ebay, although it's well-worn and the white dot had fell out of the stem, that thing is a great smoker, also had one of the best ghosts I've ever encountered in an estate, the previous owner I suspect smoked Balkan Sobranie because it was obviously a very fine Lat mix that had been smoked in it for years, I dedicated it to BlackHouse --- I've seen some very very ratty Dunhills sell for ridiculous prices.
Bill Taylor era Ashtons seem to keep climbing.
The market for the old British stuff seems to be very intense right now, even the 2nds because everybody is looking at them for a more economical alternative to the highly sought-after top grades.
Many sellers seem to be getting "more hip" to how much some of these old pipes can fetch, and doing the proper research to represent their auction, easily found fingertip with a few keystrokes nowadays, even for the obscure stuff, but often the sellers info is grossly incorrect or misinterpreted.
It's been great fun getting deep into the pipe-collecting thing, but I try not to let "acquisition fever" overshadow the more important aspects of my pipesmoking, sometimes it's a struggle, because I'm always seeing pipes that I'd love to have!

LOL

I always follow the auction sites such as Ebay, Etsy among a few looking for estate meerschaums. I do not as everyone on this forum well knows I do not collect the carved pipes, otherwise known by me as 'smoking statues' pipes. I normally spend between $90-$200 if the pipe is unchipped and the case is in decent condition. Other factors I consider are the degree of coloring and whether the stem is amber as opposed to amberine. Anything else I judge on a case by case basis. I have posted a few pictures of some of my pipes on the forum over the last few months and I have been flattered by the number of PM's I get asking for my opinion on these pipes. Anyway thats my view on Estate Pipes although I would add the market for the plain older pipes that I favor has become crazy of recent with prices for small groups of two or three pipes selling a tad shy of $1000.

When I am shopping for an estate pipe, I am generally looking for certain American artisans in a certain price range. Pipes from guys like Rad Davis, Brian Ruthenberg, Scott Thile and a bunch of other guys. I have a price point in mind, 200-275 as I have bought numerous great pipes in that range. Of course when I find them cheaper I jump on them. I also keep my eye open for Tom Eltang pipes as I have wanted one of those for a long time, so far I have not seen one in my price range as nice ones usually go for 500.00 plus for his smooths. One of these days I will score one for cheap.
In terms of condition I will only buy pipes that are in pristine condition that are ready to smoke. I have no desire to re furbish a pipe and I have no tools or talent to do so. I buy my estate pipes from certain on line dealers and from certain ebay sellers. I am very picky as to the condition of my estate pipes and have confidence in the people I do business with.
The only factory estate pipe that I keep my eyes open for is the Castello Collection Occhio Di Pernice. Good examples of that pipe are loaded with birdseye which I really like to look at. Unfortunately most of the nice ones I see are beyond my price threshold but I did score one for 184.00 a while ago which was a great deal considering the retail price on these is around 630.00 or more.