jesse, admit it, you are just pissed you couldn't steal it for the 141.00 you had bid. Up until the last few seconds, you thought you had it won. lol
This example of bidding stupidity could be just as pipestud explained. If I had jesse's collection and I needed a very specific pipe like a 1927, I would over bid to get it. Who knows when next time you will see a pipe like that. I am kicking myself a little because I let a 1957( my birth year) Dunhill go for a reasonable price. The pipe was an ODA so I passed on it because I knew it was too big for flakes. I forgot about the few aromatics I have to smoke as it would have been perfect for them. I should have also been willing to over pay as the 1957's are so rare.
We also don't know if the bidders were from China or Japan where price doesn't seem to be an issue for those guys.
jesse, I feel bad you couldn't steal, since I was the winning bidder, I will sell it to you for 10% over my cost. I know, I am a great guy.
Harris, I wouldn't dream of depriving you of a pipe that exceeded your income for all of 2015.
The bidders could very well have been Asian as you say. One of the issues with these old pipe is that they represent a complete crap shoot. For example, you don't have any idea of the condition of the chamber walls.
The point is that many think sniping guarantees the best deals, and that is a myth. You and I have the same philosophy, we bid what we're willing to pay and walk away. If we win, great, and if we don't, fine. There's always more around the corner.
The only item I ever gave a second thought about not winning was a cased set of Barlings from 1915, which was my father's birth year. But when the duel reached $2500 for the set, I let the other bidder (who was from Singapore) have it. At that time, circa 2005, you could buy a nearly mint cased set for less than half that. Last year I scored a beautiful 1915 billiard for slightly less than 10% of what the other guy paid for that set.