Blue Book for Pipes
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Great question! I think such a Blue Book would be too huge and require too many updates and too much
staff time to keep current. You know there is some kind of process by which the large sites establish prices
for estate pipes, working back from what a pipe cost new, corrected for inflation, condition, rarity, and so
forth. Probably estate pipe pages on web sites and ebay and similar sites are about as close as it gets.
staff time to keep current. You know there is some kind of process by which the large sites establish prices
for estate pipes, working back from what a pipe cost new, corrected for inflation, condition, rarity, and so
forth. Probably estate pipe pages on web sites and ebay and similar sites are about as close as it gets.
There is a book, "Old Briar" by Dave Whitney, available either through Amazon as a Kindle book, or on DVD on Ebay, that serves as a guide to finding good values in estate pipes. It also has info on refurbishing pipes, and scads of other pipe lore.
I'd also recommend the book "Who Made That Pipe," a guide to pipe names and their manufacturers, by Herb Wilczak & Tom Colwell, a bit pricey, but good information for tracking down obscure pipe brands.
I'd also recommend the book "Who Made That Pipe," a guide to pipe names and their manufacturers, by Herb Wilczak & Tom Colwell, a bit pricey, but good information for tracking down obscure pipe brands.
One of the problems is that pipe prices seem to fluctuate quickly. An "in" pipe maker today may be 'out' tomorrow. Sometimes it may vary from show to show.
There is no Blue Book for pricing estates per se. It's more of a market thing, based on the original grades set up in the original catalogs way back when, and the presence of examples on the market. Condition and stamping plays a big role as well.
4dot, you are a veritable encyclopedia on all things pipes! Thanks for the leads on good pipe references!
430pat, are you selling or buying?
430pat, are you selling or buying?
I am not a seller I just have 2 pipes that I really do not want. Sorry I am an old technotard can't send link
If you are looking to get a value for specific pipes, guys like Pipestud and Mike from Briar Blues have a combined 100 years in the pipe business and can easily give you a good idea of what any pipe is worth and what it might sell for. These guys are so old they have been selling pipes since the 50's. If they don't know, no one does.
Mike, it is always interesting to get your perspective and tap your expertise. I've only been doing this for four years, so I have a lot to learn.
I have found it effective to watch a lot of auctions, in the brands I like, a somewhat narrow group of Briths makers (James Upshall, Ashton, GBD, Ferndown, etc.). The upside to Ebay is the sheer volume. There are definitely price fluctuations, based on many factors and certain sellers (Pipestud, Coopersark, etc.) usually command premium prices. But as I mentally scan thru the daily pool of closed auctions I do get some decent pricing perspective and can quite frequently determine to a fairly close degree where an auction will end. I really enjoy watching those last seconds tick away and see if my guess was close. Reviewing the pictures, description, vendor, time the auction ends are all factors in when a particular pipe will bring. Perhaps that isn't a "Blue Book" value, but just what the market will bear.
I believe with a some pipes on your site, the price set is by the seller. I assume you give them some counseling in getting in the right ballpark. I watched with interest last week on a GBD 9676 Virgin Colossus you had on Ebay. (I have the same pipe). I thought the initial listing was a bit high and then it was reduced and sold (I had predicted around $250 for this unusual GBD, pretty close I think?). I really was hoping that first price point would be a hit! For that pipe, it was pretty much a group of one, and I assume there was no other piece to compare or set pricing.
You are right in that online vendors will offer more consistent price point, but the pool of available pipes in a particular brand/shape/finish is much smaller.
My pricing analysis may not work with the real high end pieces and perhaps just useful in the mid-priced estates. ($100-$300)
I have found it effective to watch a lot of auctions, in the brands I like, a somewhat narrow group of Briths makers (James Upshall, Ashton, GBD, Ferndown, etc.). The upside to Ebay is the sheer volume. There are definitely price fluctuations, based on many factors and certain sellers (Pipestud, Coopersark, etc.) usually command premium prices. But as I mentally scan thru the daily pool of closed auctions I do get some decent pricing perspective and can quite frequently determine to a fairly close degree where an auction will end. I really enjoy watching those last seconds tick away and see if my guess was close. Reviewing the pictures, description, vendor, time the auction ends are all factors in when a particular pipe will bring. Perhaps that isn't a "Blue Book" value, but just what the market will bear.
I believe with a some pipes on your site, the price set is by the seller. I assume you give them some counseling in getting in the right ballpark. I watched with interest last week on a GBD 9676 Virgin Colossus you had on Ebay. (I have the same pipe). I thought the initial listing was a bit high and then it was reduced and sold (I had predicted around $250 for this unusual GBD, pretty close I think?). I really was hoping that first price point would be a hit! For that pipe, it was pretty much a group of one, and I assume there was no other piece to compare or set pricing.
You are right in that online vendors will offer more consistent price point, but the pool of available pipes in a particular brand/shape/finish is much smaller.
My pricing analysis may not work with the real high end pieces and perhaps just useful in the mid-priced estates. ($100-$300)
Mike, I didn't think you sounded harsh at all, just some good perspective. I do use a blend of estate vendors and Ebay to calculate values. That reminds, me, there is a Bo Nordh thread here and we were speculating on the final bid. I said $8,500 and it brought $7,500. I think I was the closest estimate, but I don't have a lot of experience pricing Bo Nordh's.... :D
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