Does Your Spouse Know How Much Your Pipes Cost?

[daveinlax]

Our don’t ask don’t tell relationship has worked out pretty well.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

My wife and I don't keep anything from one another. Plus she pays the bills, so she see's all. I don't spend like crazy, and usually just make small purchases here or there when my budget allows. If I'm looking for a new pipe I plan ahead and budget for it. Of course she always thinks I have enough pipes, tobacco and cigars, and wonders why I still need more. Well, because, I always need more.

 

[keith929]

My wife and I have a deal. I will tell her how much my pipes cost when she tells me how much she spends on shoes.

 

[SSGT.]

She bought me my most expensive $500 meerschaum. When I see one, I want she may ask why I want it the same as I do when she spy's the latest Vintage Betty Boop figurine that catches her eye.
In the end the answer is always the same "If that's what you want get it". Been working like that for 43 years. 1st with motorcycles and custom parts for me, and antique shit and a serious Greenware Hobby for her.

 

[LOREN]

A pair of hypothetical syllogisms (according to wiki):
If I'm typing, then my fingers aren't broken.
If my fingers aren't broken, then my wife doesn't know how much I spent.

 

[pappymac]

I'm at the point in my life where money isn't a real consideration(Retired, well invested, always worked two jobs). I only say that to point out the fact that my collection reflects my taste and not my finances.Frankly, there are so many pipes moving in and out of my house that I don't think my wife would want to know about the exchange of money. But, my collecting niche are mostlyfactory pipes from the 40s through the 80s and I rarely pay more than $20 for most. On occasion, I might go as high as $30 or $35. Many of them were given to me or cost as little as five dollars. As I've said many times before , after restorationthe old factory pipes smoke about as well as the Artisan pipes. I like the idea of enjoying a pipe that has a history and tells a story.

I'm so old I can't remember who told me this or where I read it, but...

In the 1930s, a Kaywoodie was considered to be higher quality than a Dunhill and sold for about the same price.
One of the oldest pipes in my collection is a Linkman Hollycourt Special made before the name change to Dr. Grabow.

 

[SSGT.]

I'm so old I can't remember who told me this or where I read it, but...

In the 1930s, a Kaywoodie was considered to be higher quality than a Dunhill and sold for about the same price.
One of the oldest pipes in my collection is a Linkman Hollycourt Special made before the name change to Dr. Grabow.

Kaywoodie, Dr. Garbow, Yello Bole, Medico and corn cobs are the majority of what I own, and they smoke pretty darned good.

I have a few of the expensive brands (Peterson, Savs and Nording's that were special occasions or wife purchases). When I see the prices of the Dunhill's my drugstore pipes smoke that much better.

 

[coldsnap888]

For the most part yes... she was present when I got most of them so has an idea. Thankfully she's a cigar smoker and is of the belief that pipe smoking is cheaper than cigars.

 

[iqofgenius]

I presently have about 145 pipes but over the years I have had over 200. I was buying Dunhills when they were under $25 over 60 years ago. Many of my pipes were gifted by my wife who has a pretty good idea of the value. Unfortunately I have had several dozen lost of stolen but probably the worst case was when I sold a case of seven very large sample Dunhills to Laudisi and it never even hit the market but went immediately to one of their special cronies somewhere in the world for a lot more than the 40% cost calculation they brag about. Another Japanese painted Dunhill also was sold for a lot more than they advertised. Right now I only have about a dozen Dunhills left along with Savs, maybe a dozen Petes and GBD's and a bunch of meers. When I assume room temp in the next few years I may just take them with me rather than have them lost to the thieves at Laudisi.

 

[pappymac]

I presently have about 145 pipes but over the years I have had over 200. I was buying Dunhills when they were under $25 over 60 years ago. Many of my pipes were gifted by my wife who has a pretty good idea of the value. Unfortunately I have had several dozen lost of stolen but probably the worst case was when I sold a case of seven very large sample Dunhills to Laudisi and it never even hit the market but went immediately to one of their special cronies somewhere in the world for a lot more than the 40% cost calculation they brag about. Another Japanese painted Dunhill also was sold for a lot more than they advertised. Right now I only have about a dozen Dunhills left along with Savs, maybe a dozen Petes and GBD's and a bunch of meers. When I assume room temp in the next few years I may just take them with me rather than have them lost to the thieves at Laudisi.

So you're saying Laudisi is on par with used car dealers?

 

[BogOakPiper]

No secrets here. Actualy she bought me my most expensive one as birthday gift, over400 quid.

 

[huntertrw]

Does Your Spouse Know How Much Your Pipes Cost?​

Absolutely! She's the CFO of our marriage.

 

[ssjones]

I keep all of my pipe purchases on a spreadsheet. In the past, she never asked or had any interest, purchases always came out of my funded Paypal account. She does all of the accounting in our home, for over 40 years. I'd be hard pressed to tell you an exact number of how much I make annually.
When Paypal and Ebay started sending 1099's, we had to claim the income on our taxes. Initially, it put us just over into another tax bracket, but she figured it out. The combined purchase/sold number is pretty scary looking, but I reminded her it paid for a new anniversary engagement ring, my gravel bike. tires & wheels and a set of SU carbs for the MGB and a cleaning robot for the pool among other things. No complaints from her.

 

[AroEnglish]

I presently have about 145 pipes but over the years I have had over 200. I was buying Dunhills when they were under $25 over 60 years ago. Many of my pipes were gifted by my wife who has a pretty good idea of the value. Unfortunately I have had several dozen lost of stolen but probably the worst case was when I sold a case of seven very large sample Dunhills to Laudisi and it never even hit the market but went immediately to one of their special cronies somewhere in the world for a lot more than the 40% cost calculation they brag about. Another Japanese painted Dunhill also was sold for a lot more than they advertised. Right now I only have about a dozen Dunhills left along with Savs, maybe a dozen Petes and GBD's and a bunch of meers. When I assume room temp in the next few years I may just take them with me rather than have them lost to the thieves at Laudisi.

I’m not following the part about Laudisi/SP. Are you saying you sent them pipes and they never paid you for them?

 

[firemanjim]

This reminds me of the old gun collector's prayer:

"Lord, please don't let my wife sell my guns for what she thinks I paid for them."

The same could apply to pipes.....

 

[pappymac]

I’m not following the part about Laudisi/SP. Are you saying you sent them pipes and they never paid you for them?

I'm stilling trying to figure that out myself but I think he's unhappy because he sold them the pipes but then never saw them get listed and thinks someone at Laudisi took the pipes and either just kept them or sold them for a lot more money than what they said they would sell for and he didn't get his "fair" cut.

 

[ChubbyOldHiker]

I'm stilling trying to figure that out myself but I think he's unhappy because he sold them the pipes but then never saw them get listed and thinks someone at Laudisi took the pipes and either just kept them or sold them for a lot more money than what they said they would sell for and he didn't get his "fair" cut.

That was the way I read it too.

 

[AroEnglish]

I'm stilling trying to figure that out myself but I think he's unhappy because he sold them the pipes but then never saw them get listed and thinks someone at Laudisi took the pipes and either just kept them or sold them for a lot more money than what they said they would sell for and he didn't get his "fair" cut.

Thanks for the explanation; that reads better!

If it was sent to SP and they made an offer to buy it at a certain price and it was accepted, I don't know where the theft part comes in just because it was never listed on SP.

My understanding from Brian Levine's previous radio show episodes is that employees do have an opportunity to buy pipes off of SP but they can't use their employee discount until after it's sat on the shelves/site for a defined about of time but could buy them at full SP price. It could just be that an employee did buy them (which is just speculation) and could have sold them or just kept them (more speculation).

I'm sure SP also has a lot of connections with private collectors and maybe the company offered it to an individual, maybe one of those that have the legendary VIP Gold status, rather than being offered on the site.

I'd normally tag papa Sykes on a post like this to see if he'd want to give a response but I'm guessing accusations like this are best left untouched.

 

[sardonicus87]

I don't have too many pipes, but I've told her when I got each one how much it was. I'm sure despite that, she still doesn't know what they cost (all my non-clay pipes are $100-$150 mostly, except for one that was $50).

The most expensive pipe I own is one she bought me for Christmas two years ago, which was an ≈$200 meer. Despite the fact that she bought it, I doubt if I asked her now that she'd remember or know how much it was.

As to tobacco though, I don't even know how much I've spent and I don't want to know.