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Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
10,340
41,850
RTP, NC. USA
For those purposes, you might want to wait for response from the members collecting older pipes. Certain era Dunhill, Barling, Peterson and many other can be highly collectable.
 
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shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,485
26,349
50
Las Vegas
I'm only speaking with personal preference here but if money were no issue then Hiroyuki Tokutomi and Kei'ichi Gotoh would be my dream collection. Not sure of the third.
 

MrHowell

Might Stick Around
Sep 6, 2022
77
98
West Virginia
Thanks for info. My dad used to collect Case Knives. He started in the 50s. They’re all gone but a few. There are so many pipe makers. Just like knives again thanks for the info.
 

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,349
9,800
62
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
Something for investment. And or display.

Investment? I don’t think that except from a dozen people are interested in pipes any more in a few decades. Not really an option to make money. Keep up to your holy grail instead, as long as you please.

I like those Oldtimers from the fifties no matter how prominent or hyped the carvers are nowadays.

And of course I need the nicotine, need to smoke tobacco.
 
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"Brands" indicates that you are talking about factory made pipes. That sorta excludes Beckers, Ivarssons, and Nordh pipes. You mentioned Case knives, which were the drug store/hardware store knife for decades. In collecting, your price point goes up by having complete sets in whatever range you are collecting, whether it is all of one shape or year or however you are approaching the group. Having one of each of the Dunhill shapes released in a particular year or one of a particular shape from each year it was made, increases the value of the group as a whole. But, just getting a few Dunhills isn't really going to go up in price higher than inflation. It is very rare for someone to sell a pipe for more than it was worth at the time of purchase. And, not many people will let a Dunhill go for less than value. Current auction trends tend to bring in ridiculous bids.

And, going back to your mention of Case knives... that would be along the lines pipes that retail for less than a Dunhill... maybe Petersons, Savinellis, or Stanwells. However, some of the older Stanwells are getting ridiculous prices, especially if you can link them to one of their greater pipemakers, like Eltang, Sixten Ivarsson, to Jess Chonowitsch. Stanwell is a factory pipe that has a very interesting past, with a history of their designers spinning off to make some of the elite artisan pipes of history. But, today you can now buy a new Stanwell for less than most other brands. But they've closed the Denmark plants and outsourced their production to Italy these days.
 

MrHowell

Might Stick Around
Sep 6, 2022
77
98
West Virginia
I kinda figured we’re it’s a not so cool thing to do in today’s society. Case knives used to make limited runs and sets. My dad would look all over to complete sets that he had. Now I could go to case and have them make what ever. And the quality has really went down for collectors. I thought about Dunhill And others. But it’s like others have said depending on what you get if it keeps value. And then 20 years down the road if anyone is willing to pay for what you have or by that time if pipes are still a thing with all the laws and restrictions. Thanks for info
 

vosBghos

Lifer
May 7, 2022
1,632
3,591
Idaho
I kinda figured we’re it’s a not so cool thing to do in today’s society. Case knives used to make limited runs and sets. My dad would look all over to complete sets that he had. Now I could go to case and have them make what ever. And the quality has really went down for collectors. I thought about Dunhill And others. But it’s like others have said depending on what you get if it keeps value. And then 20 years down the road if anyone is willing to pay for what you have or by that time if pipes are still a thing with all the laws and restrictions. Thanks for info
As far as sitting on something for 20 years to increase its value , you might want to forget pipes and buy some tobacco. A bit of research for online consignment tobacconists like pipestud ,tin bids, 4 noggins , you can see that some sought after tins can get pretty spendy. But that’s a whole nother world and I don’t know what’s out today that will jump in value in 20 years.
 
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kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
15,138
25,721
77
Olathe, Kansas
Just for display, huh?? First off, there is no best, only "favorite". For the pipes I'll assume you don't want to go into the Ivarssons, Bo Nordh, Chonowitz, etc., territory. I guess I take Nate King for his titanium pipes (nobody in the world can touch him if titanium is involved, then Jesse jones, and on a flyer, I might go with Doug Finlay. Ask me tomorrow and I might take different guys.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,944
37,547
72
Sydney, Australia
If you're looking at "investing" in factory pipes, after keeping for 20+ years you will be very lucky to be ahead of your purchase price after adjusting for inflation.

This is assuming that in 20+years there will still be a strong interest in pipe smoking and that tobacco is not banned in most countries.
 

guylesss

Can't Leave
May 13, 2020
323
1,158
Brooklyn, NY
A absolutely reductive answer to what I think you're asking about the world now called "collectibles"-ranging from fine arts to books to fountain pens, wine, whiskey, bicycles, comic books and, well, you name it. . . the first thing to bear in mind is that to some extent you're making a big bet on future taste. And the second is you're looking for specific things you believe are undervalued now. The third thing you need to hope that the transaction costs--if ever you decide to sell--don't swallow everything you've shrewdly guessed. And finally, a real nuisance with actual analog objects, that children or cats or leaky ceilings, wildfires, hurricanes or mysterious hidden faults don't turn your investment grade collectible prizes into dust or moldy muck.

From what I can tell in most worlds, most of the time, you've already missed the boat. The one possible exception (or at least for slightly better odds) is usually whatever is the very most expensive there is available.

More than a few 5 million dollar cars and 25 million dollar paintings of a decade or two ago might fetch five times that now. Whether a perfect mid-1920s Dunhill LC will be worth $15,000 in 2042 or what the going price will be for a Sixten Ivarsson--who knows. But "success"--if that's what it is--in collectors' worlds either turns on knowing a lot more than everyone else or being able and willing to spend more than the rest of us. Or both.