Professionally Restored

[runscott]

So we're still dealing with many ebay sellers claiming their used pipes are 'Mint' or 'Very Mint', but now we have....'Professionally Restored'. After seeing a couple of low-feedback ebay sellers using this phrase in their titles, I contacted one of them, asking who restored the pipe. Well, of course, it was him. He said that since he's selling his pipes that he personally restored, that he's a professional, and so the pipe was 'professionally restored'. No, you're a professional 'seller'. Other hacks have caught on, and it's slowly getting out of control. Any pipe that's being sold by someone who restored his own pipe, is now 'professionally restored'.

Ebay is sucking more and more. I long for the days when all we had to deal with was sellers creating separate accounts to bid on their own auctions.

 

[tartanphantom]

When you stack that on top of the lazy AI generated descriptions that 3/4 of eBay sellers are defaulting to on their listings now, It no surprise that it's a sh*tshow these days.

It was ridiculous before, and getting worse.

 

[xrundog]

Regardless of seller claims, I always assume there will be work to do. As long as I get the pipe and the condition is as depicted, I’m happy.

 

[georged]

The only fix is a stand-alone, no bullshit pipe seller site appearing by entrepreneurial magic the way tobacco seller sites did when Ebay gave tobacco the boot.

Never gonna happen, in other words.

Meaning forget descriptions and learn how to interpret what's presented in the pics. (And if the pics aren't comprehensive or of decent quality, move on)

 

[runscott]

Regardless of seller claims, I always assume there will be work to do. As long as I get the pipe and the condition is as depicted, I’m happy.

Agreed, and my post had nothing to do with interpreting seller photos, and everything to do with sellers putting b.s. in their titles and descriptions. Venting, in other words.

It's probable that most estate pipe buyers just look at the photos and read the descriptions, not concerned at all about claims of 'mint' or 'professionally restored', or even '0'-feedback bidders. I don't mind being in the minority.

 

[runscott]

Meaning forget descriptions and learn how to interpret what's presented in the pics. (And if the pics aren't comprehensive or of decent quality, move on)

I guess I was sort of halfway hoping that some of these sellers are members here, and if a few of us said that we weren't okay with these descriptions, that they might re-consider. But if we're going to give them the go-ahead, who am I to disagree with the consensus opinion...

 

[sablebrush52]

I believe that the majority of eBay sellers are honest, if occasionally ignorant. But crooked eBay sellers are not rare.

It’s caveat emptor. It’s up to the buyer to know what they’re doing. Ignore the descriptions regarding condition, and use your eyes and your brain.

If you have questions, ask the seller for answers. If the pictures suck, ask for better pictures. If the seller is not cooperative, forget it and move on. If the seller doesn’t accept returns, forget it and move on.

There’s always something else down the road.

 

[runscott]

I believe that the majority of eBay sellers are honest, if occasionally ignorant. But crooked eBay sellers are not rare.

It’s caveat emptor. It’s up to the buyer to know what they’re doing. Ignore the descriptions regarding condition, and use your eyes and your brain.

If you have questions, ask the seller for answers. If the pictures suck, ask for better pictures. If the seller is not cooperative, forget it and move on. If the seller doesn’t accept returns, forget it and move on.

There’s always something else down the road.

As long as we get our stuff. Anything goes

 

[xrundog]

I’ve been buying pipes on eBay for a long time. I’ve become pretty indifferent to questionable claims and assertions. It used to bother me a lot. I decided it isn’t worth the aggravation.
I know it used to be that people could generally be assumed to be truthful. I don’t think that’s a thing anymore.

 

[georged]

I know it used to be that people could generally be assumed to be truthful. I don’t think that’s a thing anymore.

I think it's more when something becomes known as fertile ground for bullshitters, it attracts more bullshitters and drives away the honest ones.

Hell, in the Interweb's early(ish) days, people sold high dollar items for cash by meeting in grocery store parking lots to make the switch. Cars and such. Today it's the realm of legit Bad Guy crooks and robbers, with the suicidally empathic as their prey.

 

[ssjones]

The very rare Sasieni Shape 83. You would think SmokersHaven would know better.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[georged]

The very rare Sasieni Shape 83. You would think SmokersHaven would know better.

Pardon Our Interruption...

If you are referring to the buffer massacre, I imagine that happened before Premal got his hands on it.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

So we're still dealing with many ebay sellers claiming their used pipes are 'Mint' or 'Very Mint', but now we have....'Professionally Restored'. After seeing a couple of low-feedback ebay sellers using this phrase in their titles, I contacted one of them, asking who restored the pipe. Well, of course, it was him. He said that since he's selling his pipes that he personally restored, that he's a professional, and so the pipe was 'professionally restored'. No, you're a professional 'seller'. Other hacks have caught on, and it's slowly getting out of control. Any pipe that's being sold by someone who restored his own pipe, is now 'professionally restored'.

Ebay is sucking more and more. I long for the days when all we had to deal with was sellers creating separate accounts to bid on their own auctions.

There’s a seller on eBay that lists his pipes as being “professionally restored,” and they seem anything but—he rounded/ruined some stems on at least two transitional period Savinelli La Milano pipes that I would’ve loved to have added to my collection. Very often, I wish sellers would just leave pipes untouched and leave any clean up to the buyer.

 

[PLANofMAN]

There’s a seller on eBay that lists his pipes as being “professionally restored,” and they seem anything but—he rounded/ruined some stems on at least two transitional period Savinelli La Milano pipes that I would’ve loved to have added to my collection. Very often, I wish sellers would just leave pipes untouched and leave any clean up to the buyer.

Yeah, there's a Stanwell seller on eBay who likes to sand down the plateaux, just a bit, to get some nice flats on the burl. Grinds my teeth every time I see it. Either top the bowl or leave well enough alone.

Edit: he posts "before" pics as well.

 

[Kobold]

When you stack that on top of the lazy AI generated descriptions that 3/4 of eBay sellers are defaulting to on their listings now, It no surprise that it's a sh*tshow these days.

It was ridiculous before, and getting worse.

In my experience as a seller on eBay most buyers don’t bother to read descriptions and look at all the pictures anyway. The ai descriptions do suck though.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Yeah, there's a Stanwell seller on eBay who likes to sand down the plateaux, just a bit, to get some nice flats on the burl. Grinds my teeth every time I see it. Either top the bowl or leave well enough alone.

Edit: he posts "before" pics as well.View attachment 442543View attachment 442544

I just looked him up. To my mind, it’s criminal what he’s done to those pipes. He says they’re from his personal collection that he’s selling off, so I guess he was free to do with them as he pleased, but they’re so far from the original issue in shape, it’s offensive to a purist collector like me. I suppose he’s being up front and honest about altering them by posting the “before” photos, but the lava on those plateaus could have easily been cleaned up without removing so much wood; it tells me he sucks at cleaning up pipes. Seeing what he’s done really irks me.

 

[xrundog]

The very rare Sasieni Shape 83. You would think SmokersHaven would know better.

Pardon Our Interruption...

I’m not a collector of those, but my guess is the main problems are a replacement stem and a rounded rim? Looks like there was some damage that was just sanded away. Stamps are worn, but that can be pretty typical on an older pipe.

 

[ssjones]

If you are referring to the buffer massacre, I imagine that happened before Premal got his hands on it.

No, not that. The Sasieni Ashford is the Shape 88, not 83 (there is no shape 83). The number was a little buffed. Maybe only us Sasieni nerds know these things.