Choosing Estate Pipes From Antique Sales

[irwinmetro]

I'll be attending an "antique" (read: garage) sale tomorrow where I'll find the the following box full of pipes. I'm wondering what advice you can give on how to steer clear of duds, and pick the best fit.
Going in, my thoughts are to make sure the tenon fits snugly into the mortise, with no cracks or abrasions. I'm not too worried about oxidation of the stem, I believe this can be fairly easily remedied. And I don't own a reamer, but I could if necessary. Is it a good rule of thumb to the just ream the chamber anyways? Also, is it strange to check how it draws? It seems kind of gross to suck in from a stem that's been god-knows where.
Any suggestions on price point would be greatly appreciated as well.

 

[tbradsim1]

Give e"m a box price.gift what you don"t, want we had a member here who was trying to fix a 2$ pipe, you"ll find takers.

 

[vamike]

I'll second that tbrad. Just post what you don't want and I'll probably purchase them. I want some estate pipes to practice refurb on.

 

[hemsworth]

It looks like there may be some nice pipes in there. I would offer the guy $50.00 for the box and have some fun!

 

[teufelhund]

Buy them all... Those cheapo pipes are the ones I tried to fix/restore/clean up first so I wouldn't do any harm to some of the nicer ones when I got around to them and they usually end up in my rotation. And if it seems they are not for me a pipe and an ounce or two of bulk is a great way to get new converts.

 

[estumpf]

I don't know about drawing on the pipe myself; however, if you have some pipe cleaners you can push them through and see if the cleaner goes easily to the bowl. That should help.

 

[irwinmetro]

Thanks for all the suggestions gentlemen! I will most assuredly make an offer on the box and failing that try to keep it around $5 a pipe, and post an update.
And especially thanks for the pipe cleaner suggestion, which has surely saved me from an embarrassing mouthful of poison. I don't know why I didn't think of that ... :crazy:

 

[ciderguy]

I tend to smell the bowl of any estate pipe I'm interested in purchasing because I weary of a heavy ghost.
I'm really drawn to the large rusticated billiard with the saddle bit in the middle left. I hope you walk away with that one so I can see some better photos of it.

 

[jndyer]

I have bought a few estate pipes in the last few months. Each pipe cost me less than $16 a piece. Some of them I will keep, others I have to figure out how to sell or trade. The nice thing is that for less than a $100 total I was able to figure out that I like a medium size bowl with either a slight bend or straight stem. Now I know what I like to smoke without having to spend over $50 a piece minimum on new pipes that I would end up no liking the bowl size or stem on.
One thing I really learned is that I do not like extra large bowls on pipes. I ended up buying a Edward pipe that is rather big. Don't like to smoke it, but at only $15 it was a cheap lesson.

 

[captainsousie]

One thing I really learned is that I do not like extra large bowls on pipes. I ended up buying a Edward pipe that is rather big. Don't like to smoke it, but at only $15 it was a cheap lesson.

The other great thing is that after you restore them, you can usually get close to your money back if you did your research before buying. That Edwards is a case in point, someone like me would happily buy or trade for a pipe you don't like if it's one they do. This is especially true for brands that stay pretty popular and have a good rep.

 

[rcstan]

after you restore them, you can usually get close to your money back if you did your research before buying

And then some !!!!Last time I played this game I bought a lot of mostly no-names with a pre-Republic Pete thrown in the mix that was like new ..... eBayed the no-names ( some went up to $25 @ ) after a good ream and deoxidize .... and ended up getting a new Pete, keeping the 7-day rack and stocking the cellar with a couple pounds of baccy for a paltry $50 investment.
As long as the pipes aren't damaged, and you take good care cleaning them, you should be okay. I'd offer 100 as to not lowball the guy, that is if you want the ashtrays and jars ( usually due to shipping costs I stay away from buying those ).
I see something with a P-Lip at 12'o'clock in that picture 8)

 

[irwinmetro]

Well, I'm afraid today's update is not a pleasant one. The gentlemen selling these pieces was asking no less than $25 for each of these pipes, some as high as $30. And their condition was much poorer than is evidenced by the photo. Some pipes had mold growing in them, some had cake that was nearly half an inch thick, all of them were heavily oxidized, and non were stamped with any kind of identifying mark.
The seller, while a nice older man, would not budge below a couple dollars. Evidently he had never smoked a pipe, and thought of these are valuable antique display pieces, rather than useful tools.
If I was an experienced restorer I might have still bought one or two, but for $30 my money was better spent on a local Black Cavendish and Virgina blend. C'est la Vie!

 

[jah76]

Yeah that's happened to me at a Farmer's Market before. The guy had a few pipes with broken stems and he told me I could go to the "pipe shop" and get a new one made dirt cheap.
Keep on hunting!

 

[pruss]

Keep on hunting!

+++
There will ALWAYS be more bunked up estate pipes for you to buy and clean up. I am like Sam when it comes to buying estate pipes for refurbishing. I only buy pipes at a price point where I think I can make a solid return. I have a hard price I am willing to pay, and if the seller or auction goes above that price-point... well, I walk away. I'd rather not buy today, and know that I can see a little return on my clean-up efforts than be saddled with pipes that are going to cost me money to restore.
That all being said, this strategy goes out the window if there's a pipe in the collection which I want for myself. 8)
Good luck with your hunt!
-- Pat