Ebay Estate Pipes Prices Seemed To Have Jumped

[docpierce]

I hear you on the finances. I'm currently in red numbers, which is why I couldn't take advantage of the IPSD sales this year. Still, you can get a heck of a good pipe, say a Rossi, for less than $60 (less than $40 till this Sunday).

I never understood the appeal of second-hand. I reckon when we're talking about stuff like cars, well, yeah, the difference is thousands, but when the difference is only mere tens of bucks...

I was going to say the same thing. A nice new Rossi 320 is a deal for $56. A little AWA or a French Ropp for just around $40. I too love the treasure hunting aspect of antique stores and the Bay. But for that same money- you can get a new pipe that is well made and good smoker.

 

[sablebrush52]

It all depends. Prices on vintage Britwood have declined about 30% over a few years ago. There are also outliers that happen when a couple of bidders get into a duel and their egos get involved.
Sniping has been around for a long time and it often results in those involved paying hilariously high prices on a pipe when they snipe in the monetary stratosphere at the end and collide with another stable genius who has the same idea. I've seen pipes end up at 400% of market and higher, like $800 for a Kevin Arthur pipe, $2400 for a Sasieni, etc, etc.
I figure it this way. I know what I'm willing to pay for a pipe and go no further. If someone else wants it more badly he or she will bid higher, at whatever point in the auction, and get that pipe. I just bid what I'm willing to pay and walk away. Over the years that has worked well for me.

 

[chopper]

I hear you on the finances. I'm currently in red numbers, which is why I couldn't take advantage of the IPSD sales this year. Still, you can get a heck of a good pipe, say a Rossi, for less than $60 (less than $40 till this Sunday).

I never understood the appeal of second-hand. I reckon when we're talking about stuff like cars, well, yeah, the difference is thousands, but when the difference is only mere tens of bucks...

When I started building a rotation of pipes I read up on how to restore estates, bought all the required gear & went hunting for pipes. The first two were a waste of money [One had a hot spot. The other has a metal sleeve in the draught hole that's impossible to clean without drilling]

From then on I will only buy lightly used professionally restored estates. Ironically most of my estates were cheaper than my first two crappy ones.

 

[Dissident_Mantis]

Anyone else notice or agree that prices on Ebay on estate pipes have recently jumped up? Admittedly I find the bids can go skyhigh anyways but I've been watching most days at prices seem to be high for starters anymore.
Getting tougher to increase a collection to me.
The last second sniping is annoying enough.

Im sorry man, that was me

 

[chopper]

Anyone else notice or agree that prices on Ebay on estate pipes have recently jumped up? Admittedly I find the bids can go skyhigh anyways but I've been watching most days at prices seem to be high for starters anymore.
Getting tougher to increase a collection to me.
The last second sniping is annoying enough.

I've won a heap of bargains from fleabay. I've got time on my hands so when building my rotation I bid on a lot of pipes putting in rather low high bids. If I won 1 in 10 I was delighted at winning a bargain.

If you're building a rotation of pipes on a budget, check out this guy - I won a heap of pipes from him off ebay. He shut his ebay account & set-up an on-line shop. www.markenpipes.com
He has NOS for really cheap, some up to 100yo. He even has a UTOR Churchwarden for $25 [I won 4 of them. The one I kept for myself is a better smoker than my Savinelli Churchwarden]

Here's an example of one of the six 1980s Venini pipes. He has a few of them at around $35usd [I won 4 on fleabay & bought 2 from his on-line store] Great smokers that have thick chamber walls & 5 out of 6 take a pipe cleaner through to the drought hole.



P.S. My only association with this seller is as a satisfied customer.

 

[cosgringo]

I've won a heap of bargains from fleabay. I've got time on my hands so when building my rotation I bid on a lot of pipes putting in rather low high bids. If I won 1 in 10 I was delighted at winning a bargain.

If you're building a rotation of pipes on a budget, check out this guy - I won a heap of pipes from him off ebay. He shut his ebay account & set-up an on-line shop. www.markenpipes.com
He has NOS for really cheap, some up to 100yo. He even has a UTOR Churchwarden for $25 [I won 4 of them. The one I kept for myself is a better smoker than my Savinelli Churchwarden]

Here's an example of one of the six 1980s Venini pipes. He has a few of them at around $35usd [I won 4 on fleabay & bought 2 from his on-line store] Great smokers that have thick chamber walls & 5 out of 6 take a pipe cleaner through to the drought hole.

View attachment 20222

P.S. My only association with this seller is as a satisfied customer.

Thanks!

 

[cosgringo]

Im sorry man, that was me

I know where you live...

 

[cosgringo]

When I started building a rotation of pipes I read up on how to restore estates, bought all the required gear & went hunting for pipes. The first two were a waste of money [One had a hot spot. The other has a metal sleeve in the draught hole that's impossible to clean without drilling]

From then on I will only buy lightly used professionally restored estates. Ironically most of my estates were cheaper than my first two crappy ones.

I've been doing that more and more. Funny though as of late I am seeing pricier offerings and less decent briar pipes that are in need of a good bit of TLC.

 

[cosgringo]

It all depends. Prices on vintage Britwood have declined about 30% over a few years ago. There are also outliers that happen when a couple of bidders get into a duel and their egos get involved.
Sniping has been around for a long time and it often results in those involved paying hilariously high prices on a pipe when they snipe in the monetary stratosphere at the end and collide with another stable genius who has the same idea. I've seen pipes end up at 400% of market and higher, like $800 for a Kevin Arthur pipe, $2400 for a Sasieni, etc, etc.
I figure it this way. I know what I'm willing to pay for a pipe and go no further. If someone else wants it more badly he or she will bid higher, at whatever point in the auction, and get that pipe. I just bid what I'm willing to pay and walk away. Over the years that has worked well for me.

Agreed- I am just setting prices now and oh well if it does not pan out. My luck- I will win all the darn bids and need to get a loan on my home.

 

[cosgringo]

I've won a heap of bargains from fleabay. I've got time on my hands so when building my rotation I bid on a lot of pipes putting in rather low high bids. If I won 1 in 10 I was delighted at winning a bargain.

If you're building a rotation of pipes on a budget, check out this guy - I won a heap of pipes from him off ebay. He shut his ebay account & set-up an on-line shop. www.markenpipes.com
He has NOS for really cheap, some up to 100yo. He even has a UTOR Churchwarden for $25 [I won 4 of them. The one I kept for myself is a better smoker than my Savinelli Churchwarden]

Here's an example of one of the six 1980s Venini pipes. He has a few of them at around $35usd [I won 4 on fleabay & bought 2 from his on-line store] Great smokers that have thick chamber walls & 5 out of 6 take a pipe cleaner through to the drought hole.

View attachment 20222

P.S. My only association with this seller is as a satisfied customer.

I'm liking their pipe prices so far. Hoping when I did further that they are as good as it looks so far. THANKS AGAIN

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Prices on quality examples of grades and brands I have any interest in seem to not have changed very much over the last two years. I think they were lower when I first started looking at estate pipes and NOS offerings when I got back into buying pipes in 2016, but for the last two years they have been in a very predictable range, with outliers both ways, to be sure. I am only speaking of true, low starting bid, no reserve auctions, I almost never look at anything else. I run about 50/50 with my snipes when I decide I want to bid.

 

[chopper]

I'm liking their pipe prices so far. Hoping when I did further that they are as good as it looks so far. THANKS AGAIN

You're welcome.
Postage from Germany is only $10usd IIRC. The last time I looked he had a new antique briar for $10usd. Where else could one find a well made briar for $20 including postage? [I didn't look too closely but I'm thinking it probably has a smallish bowl. Similar ones that I've bought are great for a quick 10-15 minute smoke]
If you've read my 'NOS' pipe thread [Sorry I don't know how to link] you'll see that I've bought a heap of new antique pipes from this seller.
All of the new antique pipes that are in my rotation are very good smokers. Most are French or German made.
[The Venini pipes that I mentioned are an exception. They're made in Italy]

 

[cosgringo]

You're welcome.
Postage from Germany is only $10usd IIRC. The last time I looked he had a new antique briar for $10usd. Where else could one find a well made briar for $20 including postage? [I didn't look too closely but I'm thinking it probably has a smallish bowl. Similar ones that I've bought are great for a quick 10-15 minute smoke]
If you've read my 'NOS' pipe thread [Sorry I don't know how to link] you'll see that I've bought a heap of new antique pipes from this seller.
All of the new antique pipes that are in my rotation are very good smokers. Most are French or German made.
[The Venini pipes that I mentioned are an exception. They're made in Italy]

You know the thread title for your other thread? I guess I can start looking and stop being lazy.

 

[cosgringo]

You know the thread title for your other thread? I guess I can start looking and stop being lazy.

Sorry- found it.
NOS Thread

 

[cigrmaster]

When I see a pipe I might want to own, I place my high bid a day or two before the auction ends and let it roll. I have had more wins than losses lately and none have hit my high bid. I never snipe or get caught in a bidding war.

Prices on the stuff I buy have been pretty stable.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

It all depends. Prices on vintage Britwood have declined about 30% over a few years ago. There are also outliers that happen when a couple of bidders get into a duel and their egos get involved.
Sniping has been around for a long time and it often results in those involved paying hilariously high prices on a pipe when they snipe in the monetary stratosphere at the end and collide with another stable genius who has the same idea. I've seen pipes end up at 400% of market and higher, like $800 for a Kevin Arthur pipe, $2400 for a Sasieni, etc, etc.
I figure it this way. I know what I'm willing to pay for a pipe and go no further. If someone else wants it more badly he or she will bid higher, at whatever point in the auction, and get that pipe. I just bid what I'm willing to pay and walk away. Over the years that has worked well for me.

I don’t follow the classic British stuff anymore, but I know what prices were like in, say, the 90’s, when I was very active. I think the estimate of 30% lower is probably about right. If I still owned any such animals, and wanted out, I would go to a show or try to find a knowledgeable collector privately. If I had to use eBay, I wouldn’t do anything other than buy it now or best offer.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I bargain shop on eBay. I determine the value I placed on a pipe, place that bid as close to the end of auction that I can and that's it. If that doesn't win, better luck next time. There seems to be a bit of a seasonal ebb and flow to puppies on eBay. But overall, I haven't seen any significant change in prices for quite some time.

For some time after Christmas, I think prices are lower as many people are paying off bills from the holidays. Perhaps prices have gone up the past couple of weeks. People will be getting tax refunds soon and that can stimulate more buying. Prices tend to go down a bit right before the big pipe shows. Regardless, my purchase price is what it is.

 

[weezell]

I am finding that it's hardly worth bidding on some at the prices they are at days well before the bid ends.

MM Cobs are cheap! Save the money on pipes and smoke better/ more quantity tobacco. That would(will) be my choice in another year or so...

 

[BROBS]

Man I got screwed on these:

 

[cosgringo]

MM Cobs are cheap! Save the money on pipes and smoke better/ more quantity tobacco. That would(will) be my choice in another year or so...

Ha- well I do have some cobs. Funny- I just broke one out tonight for the 1st time in at least a couple months. It was a clean newish one. Easy light to say the least. Should have let the tobac dry a bit more but wonderfully light in my mouth as I do tend to leave them "hanging" so to say.