Earlier this year I obtained a Sven-Lar two-pipe boxed set which is one of the crown jewels of my collection. Being so impressed with this set I’ve been on a search for other Sven-Lar pieces and discovered two magnificent pipe sets in mint condition on offer from eBay. Both sets were from the seller’s personal collection and consisted of two goodly sized freehand pipes, a custom briar stand and tamper. The pipes are stamped Sven Lar HAND MADE BY Kabik BS. I’ve never seen one of these sets on eBay but I knew Michael Kabik specialized in these for his Sven-Lar line during the 70’s & 80’s.
Being the consummate pipe hoarder that I am, I naturally wanted both sets but this one appealed to me the most. I had a feeling they weren’t going to go cheap so I placed a maximum bid of $1,010 thinking I’d be safe with that. Unbelievably, I was outbid within the last few seconds! At that point I franticly entered numbers as fast as my grubby little fingers would allow and hit Enter about five times. I wanted this set BADLY!! I have no idea what amount I entered but amazingly I won it back within two-tenths of a second before the close. Talk about heart-stopping!
The second set was due to end in 20 minutes but I had spent my limit on the first one. Just for the heck of it I entered a $510 maximum but was outbid in short order. The second set finished at just under $1,000. I contacted the seller who said his jaw dropped when he saw what these two sets sold for. He had a very good day! :D
This was a hefty investment and I may never recoup what I paid if I’m ever inclined to sell. For me it’s a piece of American pipe making history at its finest and a gorgeous set that will proudly adorn my desk when not wafting clouds of latakia-infused daydreams.
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Being the consummate pipe hoarder that I am, I naturally wanted both sets but this one appealed to me the most. I had a feeling they weren’t going to go cheap so I placed a maximum bid of $1,010 thinking I’d be safe with that. Unbelievably, I was outbid within the last few seconds! At that point I franticly entered numbers as fast as my grubby little fingers would allow and hit Enter about five times. I wanted this set BADLY!! I have no idea what amount I entered but amazingly I won it back within two-tenths of a second before the close. Talk about heart-stopping!
The second set was due to end in 20 minutes but I had spent my limit on the first one. Just for the heck of it I entered a $510 maximum but was outbid in short order. The second set finished at just under $1,000. I contacted the seller who said his jaw dropped when he saw what these two sets sold for. He had a very good day! :D
This was a hefty investment and I may never recoup what I paid if I’m ever inclined to sell. For me it’s a piece of American pipe making history at its finest and a gorgeous set that will proudly adorn my desk when not wafting clouds of latakia-infused daydreams.
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Those are a couple pipes to be proud of, and I'm sure you'll remember how close you came to losing the bid on them every time you smoke them. That should make you reappreciate them every time you light them up. Enjoy them 
