Buying Pipes on Auction for Immediate Resale?

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B18

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 27, 2015
261
150
I did/do it. If i see a high grade pipe sold for a few euros I would buy it refurbish it and resell it. I once bought a Dunhill for 5Euros and resold it for 95.

I also buy new pipes of which are under the market price and if I decide to sell it used i could still get my money out of it. For example, i bought 2 New (but old) Balleby smooth pipes for 400Euro each and i could resell it (used) for 400-500 euros.
 

ChuckMijo

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2020
775
2,348
I never sold any pipes. However I believe if you’re fairly good at restoring them, and you know what your looking at I think you can make a buck. I’m in a situation now, waiting for it to be delivered. Made a offer on a pipe, I knew he didn’t know what he had. The photos were bad, but enough of it was their and I could date it, tell its condition, which looks really good. I know the pipe would sell 6 or 7 times what I paid for it to the right buyer. However I will smoke it and enjoy it.
 

brut666

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 7, 2020
692
1,622
Kent, "The Garden Of England"
I never sold any pipes. However I believe if you’re fairly good at restoring them, and you know what your looking at I think you can make a buck. I’m in a situation now, waiting for it to be delivered. Made a offer on a pipe, I knew he didn’t know what he had. The photos were bad, but enough of it was their and I could date it, tell its condition, which looks really good. I know the pipe would sell 6 or 7 times what I paid for it to the right buyer. However I will smoke it and enjoy it.
And what was said pipe, intrigued now ?
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,398
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
8,415 Shrugging Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock

I don't know, but I don't think there is anything dishonest, if that is a practice. It might suck if you were wanting to buy that pipe, but there is no set value to any pipe. Sometimes guys will get all butthurt is someone posts a Dunhill for more than they "think" it's worth, and the guy doesn't accept an offer for less. I've seen that on here before. But, really, if someone puts a CornCob up on ebay for $500, they probably won't sell it, but it is their right to do so.
the old saying is something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The flip side is the idiot that gets a buyers guide and gets all bent out of shape because no one is willing to pay the premium it's listed as. Sure you got something worth half a million good luck finding a sucke..I mean buyer who has half a million to burn and a want for what you got. Then there is the crew of people that understands not grading. Mint means nothing wrong with it. Yeah you found a rare comic that grandpa kept in a bucket of water it ain't worth that much man.
 

GlassMan

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 13, 2020
105
245
Tempe
I’ve never sold a pipe, but of the 3 vehicles I’ve owned/sold (on my 4th now) I’ve made money on every single one. Buy for a dollar, sell for two. If I saw a perfect castello ending on eBay in 2 minutes for WAY under value, I’d snatch it and potentially try to resell it. I’m also a big fan of capitalism.
 

trubka2

Lifer
Feb 27, 2019
2,470
21,640
A lot of people on ebay do this. Shoot, I've seen a couple that even recycle the original seller's photos. I don't have any particular feeling about that one way or another (except that I definitely wouldn't want to hang out with the kind of tiresome person who gets off on that kind of thing). Far more common is seeing a nice deal on ebay for a pipe in so-so condition, and then seeing that same pipe "restored" in the SPC estate listings a couple weeks later. Knowing their valuation formula, even these are mostly traded in at a loss, from what I've seen.
 
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ChuckMijo

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 26, 2020
775
2,348
Most of those lot pipes are dreck. Nobody wanted them 25 years ago, let alone now. I think the right pipe, at the right price. I almost love non pipe sellers. It can be hit or miss. But some of these people have true gems and don’t know it. If you can catch it quick enough before someone else’s catches it and know what your looking at, sometimes you can do really well, sometimes not. It’s a fun hunt. I enjoy that the most I think.
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,520
31,472
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Most of those lot pipes are dreck. Nobody wanted them 25 years ago, let alone now. I think the right pipe, at the right price. I almost love non pipe sellers. It can be hit or miss. But some of these people have true gems and don’t know it. If you can catch it quick enough before someone else’s catches it and know what your looking at, sometimes you can do really well, sometimes not. It’s a fun hunt. I enjoy that the most I think.
Totally agree with that. I also learnt along the way that not every bargain is worth it. Sometimes it’s better to just hold your funds for the right one. I’ve only ever purchased one lot of pipes and I paid more for it than the rest of my entire collection combined, but that’s a story for another day.
 

wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,117
3,517
Tennessee
It would seem foolish to me unless you recognized for having value but was so poorly listed by a guy with no real reputation for selling such an item. Maybe then you might get a pipe cheap enough to make a profit after offsetting for eBay fees for sale. But I don't think so.

Exactly this^
 
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Papamique

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 11, 2020
789
3,953
Just the deficit of eBay fees+PayPal fees+ taxes would require almost a 20% margin to break even. Buying pipe lots in a local estate sale will profit much more than trying to flip on eBay I would think.
 
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GlassMan

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 13, 2020
105
245
Tempe
I have seen a few come up on the “OfferUp” app which is like a more hip Craigslist. Almost got a dunhill bruyere for like $90.
 
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