Ebay Estate Pipes Prices Seemed To Have Jumped

[cosgringo]

Man I got screwed on these:
View attachment 20266

Look like u did awesome. Perhaps patience though I will say I am not looking for those builds right now- still... I am smoking an old as Rossi no one could identify that after a good bit of work smokes as well as my newbies. Must be 70-80's. Kind of why I am fine with estates that need TLC vs. a mass made new pipe at times.

 

[subsalac]

I feel ya. I'm still doing the ebay game to hopefully replace some of my underperforming pipes, but I'm being extremely choosey, only looking for absolute steals(my goal is to pay between 10-20 dollars per pipe, having researched seconds and lesser known brands that are good bets). This would have been effortless 10+ years ago, I remember you could reliably find lots of very good pipes for absurdly cheap prices-- lots of people didn't know what they were selling back then or perhaps assumed there was no market for pipes that were already smoked. Pipe prices in general have gone up over the years I think, not just for ebay estates.

Still sad about a quality author pipe that was sniped at 01 seconds a few days ago But each loss is a lesson, if I really like a pipe I should bid a little extra. Not sure it would have mattered in that case because if someone's resorted to sniping software usually they will get what they want and make sure you're beat.

Nonetheless, I remind myself to be grateful for the good smokers I already have and that with patience, eventually I will land on more good pipes for a great price, even if it's a little harder to find these days.

 

[mikethompson]

As someone who enjoys cleaning up estates and getting nice old pipes back into shape, I am troubled by higher estate prices.

As someone with a few estate pipes on eBay right now, I'm happy with higher estate prices.

Why can't I have it both ways?

 

[ssjones]

British brand prices still seem way down to me. This would have been a $300 pipe two years ago, sells for half that tonight.

Antique Estate Fresh Wood Pipe - DUNHILL ROOT BRIAR Made In England | eBay

NO RESERVE.

www.ebay.com

 

[paulfg]

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 agree jesse
I only tend to buy old britwood and there are still what I feel are reasonable buys out there

this one was 77 GBP,not cheap but not overly expensive.It cleaned up nicely and smokes wonderfully

and this one ready to go 78GBP

 

[Hunter dave]

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.

They sure seem to be , I have to start staying away from there . I spend too much

 

[recoilrob]

This is a discussion from two different viewpoints, smokers and collectors.

From the smoker side, some estates can make sense. Many feel older wood smokes better than newer wood, pipes from the 1950's and earlier started with older briar, newer pipes were made from younger briar. Finding an older British pipe with a replacement stem can be a very good value and a very good smoker. And there are plenty of less expensive new pipes available today that will be fine smokers when broken in.

The collector side is a different dynamic entirely. Older pipes, especially British and Scandinavian, can go for big bucks because they may fill out a collection, the buyer can feel they have mystical properties, it may have a special provenance (I have a Dunhill vest pocket pipe with an ivory stem, that was owned by Nat King Cole). Any of these things can drive up the price to a point where smokers think buyers are nuts.

I started buying and selling on eBay in 1997. I can tell you that in the beginning prices for pipes were reasonable because the competition was not as fierce and sellers were just finding out about it. Back then I could go to a local garage sale or thrift shop and buy good pipes for a few bucks each. By the early 2000's Ebay had become popular so there were more buyers. Prices for older British pipes were climbing because it was becoming easier (and addictive) for collectors to buy.

But a few years later everyone knew about eBay, who would sell grandpa's old pipes for a few bucks at a tag sale when you could get over $100 on eBay. The the recession and recovery.

For the most part prices on estate British pipes have recovered but I don't see them as being especially high these days. I do see more Buy It Now's (BIN was not available in the early days of eBay), I think these are seller's trying to recoup investments made on pieces bought at the height of the market.

If you want an older piece just decide what it's worth to you, put your maximum bid in and hope for the best.

 

[sablebrush52]

do see more Buy It Now's (BIN was not available in the early days of eBay), I think these are seller's trying to recoup investments made on pieces bought at the height of the market.

I agree, and I feel that a lot of those prices that are being asked are high for todays market, where the focus is on buying tobacco blends before they disappear. I also agree that the metrics for collectors are very different from general smokers.
It may be that some of the froth in the vintage tobacco market is begging to burst as well.
Whatever will be will be

 

[cosgringo]

I feel ya. I'm still doing the ebay game to hopefully replace some of my underperforming pipes, but I'm being extremely choosey, only looking for absolute steals(my goal is to pay between 10-20 dollars per pipe, having researched seconds and lesser known brands that are good bets). This would have been effortless 10+ years ago, I remember you could reliably find lots of very good pipes for absurdly cheap prices-- lots of people didn't know what they were selling back then or perhaps assumed there was no market for pipes that were already smoked. Pipe prices in general have gone up over the years I think, not just for ebay estates.

Still sad about a quality author pipe that was sniped at 01 seconds a few days ago But each loss is a lesson, if I really like a pipe I should bid a little extra. Not sure it would have mattered in that case because if someone's resorted to sniping software usually they will get what they want and make sure you're beat.

Nonetheless, I remind myself to be grateful for the good smokers I already have and that with patience, eventually I will land on more good pipes for a great price, even if it's a little harder to find these days.

So true...
Pissed off as my Rossi (some old one I had posted about) that I had restored snapped where the stem comes in and it's an odd hook up that I am doubtful to find something to fit it right. It smoked well after the darn multiple treatments of vinegar, salt, and so on.

Really sucks as now I am really low on pipe rotation.

 

[cosgringo]

I agree jesse
I only tend to buy old britwood and there are still what I feel are reasonable buys out there

this one was 77 GBP,not cheap but not overly expensive.It cleaned up nicely and smokes wonderfully
View attachment 20285View attachment 20286
and this one ready to go 78GBP
View attachment 20287

I've only had luck on GBD so far but I am impatient I guess.

 

[cosgringo]

Honestly- I have felt Ebay went down the shite'r ages ago. It's not just pipes that I find frustrating as once upon a time- tech goods were a decent deal at times. People selling real goods vs. what later happened- biz's posing as regular sellers with people thinking they were getting great deals. Often they ended up paying over retail price. I was on Ebay when it first came around. Different place.

I swore it off until as of late since I did not know many other resources for finding pipes and I my career ended when my health crapped out at 44. Hence- why I came onto Ebay again to find deals on restorable pipes I can afford.

Makes for a good hobby for me and I always loved tobaccos other than cigs. I was a cigar smoker until recently and a pipe smoker at 20 but stopped quickly with those since I had no clue and the Internet was just starting up then (almost still more arpanet).

So I feel I've made a mistake in general even coming back to the platform.
I am impatient and that is my problem not to mention not wanting to ruin my few good pipes due to lack of rotation.

You can see I was also a columnist also based on my textual diarrhea.... haha.

Seriously- I really know better than to resort to Ebay and should have researched more as there are much better avenues so to say.

That's all I got...

 

[sablebrush52]

Got this one for well under $300 on eBay:

I use eBay, along with other avenues, because I find things there that I don't find elsewhere. It's up to the buyer to do diligence and know what they're bidding on.

 

[cosgringo]

Got this one for well under $300 on eBay:

I use eBay, along with other avenues, because I find things there that I don't find elsewhere. It's up to the buyer to do diligence and know what they're bidding on.

Beautiful- a touch rich for my blood right now on disability and darn 20th anniv/50th wife bday. Once upon a time- I would just buy what I wanted but the days of "wine and roses" are over for me.
Could be worse- I could be stuck with black and mild's and philly blunts lol. Guess I could give up my healthcare and drink cheap wine.
A balancing act.

 

[sablebrush52]

Beautiful- a touch rich for my blood right now on disability and darn 20th anniv/50th wife bday. Once upon a time- I would just buy what I wanted but the days of "wine and roses" are over for me.
Could be worse- I could be stuck with black and mild's and philly blunts lol. Guess I could give up my healthcare and drink cheap wine.
A balancing act.

Absolutely! The point is that these motor domed pipes, when they showed up at all, went for between $800 and $1200. I would admire them, but I would never shell out that kind of money. But sometimes an opportunity still comes along on eBay. I picked up a beautiful Comoy Blue Riband Canadian for $6. One of my favorite pipes, a Brebbia Avanti, cost me a whopping $2. It's not about buying expensive pipes, it's about finding good values at whatever that level is, or a specific pipe that I don't find elsewhere. Much as I love Barlings and enjoy some recognition for being knowledgeable about this brand, I'm not going to bankrupt myself buying them.

 

[mikethompson]

I was on Ebay when it first came around. Different place

Maybe slightly off topic, but the wife and I were talking about this the other day. I sold lots of car parts on eBay before PayPal. I had envelopes coming in the mail stuffed with US cash. Can you imagine doing that now?

 

[cosgringo]

Absolutely! The point is that these motor domed pipes, when they showed up at all, went for between $800 and $1200. I would admire them, but I would never shell out that kind of money. But sometimes an opportunity still comes along on eBay. I picked up a beautiful Comoy Blue Riband Canadian for $6. One of my favorite pipes, a Brebbia Avanti, cost me a whopping $2. It's not about buying expensive pipes, it's about finding good values at whatever that level is, or a specific pipe that I don't find elsewhere. Much as I love Barlings and enjoy some recognition for being knowledgeable about this brand, I'm not going to bankrupt myself buying them.

As I got burned again for a less known pipe after one week to be sniped. Larry KniepKamp (a small time freehander from Illinois that took a ton of time to research that he was even ever real). Hi bid the whole time and cooked a steak the last few moments to find out someone sniped. Tired of getting burned and still not enough free time in my life to peruse this long. I'll save my $ and buy as needed from elsewhere.

I am just not seeing affordable good deals. Sure I got some cheapies that I've restored which one broke already of course. Just nothing mid range which is what I desire.

I do better fishing for trout in my bathtub (well aside from trouser trout- inside joke for my CO fisher friends).

 

[cosgringo]

Off to buy a Neerup. I hear good things and rather put some dents in my accounts in the near term getting new pipes at a legit price.

The Peterson on 3/10 at the sale event at my tobacconist though I here that's a love/hate thing with them. Live and learn...

 

[paulfg]

Got this one for well under $300 on eBay:

I use eBay, along with other avenues, because I find things there that I don't find elsewhere. It's up to the buyer to do diligence and know what they're bidding on.

I picked this one up recently for the equivelent of 200 USD not as nice as yours Jesse but ok hallmarked for 1915.it cleaned up ok and the dings lifted with steam

 

[Saintwilliam]

I feel it’s just like anything else, the more you know, the more patience you have, and the more disposable income reserved for the right moment, the better off you’ll do.

it’s not an instant gratification game waiting for the right ones to come along.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Off to buy a Neerup.

Neerup is one that I would take a look through the site sponsor's selections before buying on ebay. I see a bunch of those selling on ebay for above what retailer's charge.