Will Smokingpipes Haggle?

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stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
Smokingpipes posted about 8 new estate pipes this week from a single manufacturer.
I feel that it would be easy to demonstrate that at least a few of them are overpriced.
I would like to get one of them if the price were right.
Do you think that they would listen to an "offer"?

 

matches

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 22, 2015
103
0
Dunedin, NZ
I do wonder sometimes about their estate pricing. At times they have examples of pipes that seem way off base. I'm not sure they'd haggle but if you wrote and said you were interested but felt that the pricing was high and could substantiate it they might acquiesce. I imagine their high volume may sometimes lead to errors or at least that's the charitable read of it.

 

gogosamgo

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 5, 2015
244
0
I honestly don't feel like it would hurt to try. I'm a first generation American from a Persian family who is used to haggling for EVERYTHING. I remember being a kid with my dad and watching him talk the manager down on the price of a PlayStation at TARGRT. Although embarrassing for me at the time, he was successful and got the manager to sell it to us with his 20% off employee and family discount haha. I'vd come to learn that simply asking at certain stores, excluding corporate ones, normally pays off, even if it's a 10% discount, which is actually what I did at my local B&M for my first pipe and he was nice enough to give me 10% off and he threw in a free pipe tool and pack of cleaners.

 

daveinlax

Charter Member
May 5, 2009
1,990
2,651
WISCONSIN
You can always ask but every time I've inquired about finding some wiggle room in price of newly listed estates I've been told no, not on Fresh Pipes. 8O

 

captpat

Lifer
Dec 16, 2014
2,265
12,140
North Carolina
I asked for and received a discount on an estate pipe that had been on the site for quite a while, it wasn't a huge amount ~5% IIRC.

 

stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
In this case, one of the estates being offered was already purchased new on P&C for 43% less.
The one I want is very similar.

 

shikano53

Lifer
May 26, 2015
2,060
8,084
I tried yesterday on an estate 1953 Dunhill that I thought was a tad high. Here is there response. That being said, I highly respect the people at Smokingpipes and give them a tip of the hat for their integrity and honesty. I have purchased from several times and will do so again in the future.
Hello Chris,

Thank you for your kind words. We do appreciate that. On Estate Pipes we really cannot offer the pipes any lower than the posted price due to the time and labor the restoration team spent on them. I agree, it never hurts to ask. We appreciate your business. Have a great weekend.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,858
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
One of the benefits of being a regular customer at a B&M was that I got an instant 20% discount on pipes, cigars, and bulk tobacco. I didn't buy much tinned stuff then, but don't see why they would have been any different about that. I suspect that if you were a significant account with Smokingpipes they would offer you discounts as well. At least, ask. Let them tell you no, rather than you telling yourself no.

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
14
Moody, AL
I was granted a tiny discount on a Kent Rasmussen estate, but only, I'm guessing, because it was pricey. I think they simply have a margin they must make x% of the time and sell as low as they can based on what they paid. They put the ones on sale that have sat for too long. They do pay pretty well on estates so this is great for sellers but sometimes not for buyers. Try a trade. That's been the best way to get a better deal.

 

stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
It's interesting that both of the estates I'm looking at are "un-smoked". No restoration needed.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
It's interesting that both of the estates I'm looking at are "un-smoked". No restoration needed.

That would probably account for the high price then. An older unsmoked pipe could have much better quality briar used then a newer same looking pipe. I wouldn't expect a place like smoking pipes to haggle, maybe if you were actually at their storefront in person it would be different. I've haggled about shipping charges mainly and been successful, but those are ebay buys where it's something I know they could ship at a cheaper option and I say, well I'll buy it for the price you want if you'll ship it using a cheaper method.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
smokingpipes.com seems to move its inventory. Their pricing seems to hover between slightly high and competitive. They are pretty astute about setting prices traffic will bear, so they don't haggle with individuals, although they occasionally will peg inventory for discount prices on specific pipes. I think they would deem negotiating prices with customers too time consuming, so they simply track the inventory and lower prices on what doesn't move, eventually. Prices on estate pipes at Iwan Ries seem a bit lower, but fewer are offered online.

 
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