Errr...Ummm...Am I missing something here?

[mawnansmiff]

I wouldn't give him £8 for that pipe let alone $800+. Pretty hideous to my eyes :roll:
Regards,
Jay.

 

[misterrogers]

I think sellers should exclude bidders with less than 5 feedbacks to stop wasting peoples time with an ending like this (usually after a week of waiting).

But how then would new bidders get feedback if they can't buy? It'd also be easy to skirt but just buying some one dollar rubbish.

 

[toobfreak]

I've seen some auctions where the seller requires bidders to have a minimum number of FB's.

 

[woodsroad]

I sell all of my retired photo gear on eBay, so I've sold some fairly expensive items to bidders with low or no bid history, without incident. I'm always wary, but to date, no problems. I will no longer sell to Russia or the former Soviet bloc nations, though. Too many attempted returns for non-existent problems (all of which I've managed to deny).
eBay does provide sellers with a "second chance" option of offering the item to the next highest bidder. I've never had to use it, but I have had second chance offers made to me, where the item went for some stupid high price and the high bidder didn't pay.
I still suspect money laundering on some of these auctions. I've seen mundane items sell for idiotic prices to/from people with no bid/sell experience.

 

[mso489]

My Dr. Grabow Royaltons look better and better. What design, what balance, what finish. Comparatively, the Royaltons are free for the asking. Oooh-la-la. Those folks in Sparta N.C. can flat make a pipe.

 

[pitchfork]

I can understand why some noob would bid a ridiculous amount just to win the pipe, not thinking that the final price would get anywhere near his insanely high max bid. But what inspired the guy with 149 feedback to keep bidding? I wonder if the seller will get paid by either of them.

 

[warren]

Not everyone is as blessed with pipe knowledge as we all are. :puffpipe: Or, perhaps it's the pipe he needed to complete a collection of some sort. Who knows what goes through the mind of a bidder.

 

[sablebrush52]

I can understand why some noob would bid a ridiculous amount just to win the pipe, not thinking that the final price would get anywhere near his insanely high max bid. But what inspired the guy with 149 feedback to keep bidding? I wonder if the seller will get paid by either of them.

Over the years I've found the behaviors of eBay bidders to be very interesting and sometimes entertaining. The noob placing an irrationally high maximum bid suggests to me that he either wanted that pipe at any cost, even 3-4 times market, or that he wanted an eBay win at any cost. He could have commissioned a pipe for less. So there's a clearly irrational element to the Noob's behavior.
The other bidder is of a type that I've observed on eBay, in near the end, firing shots with a desperate shot at the end that he figured would win him the pipe.
Look at the timing. The auction ends at 19:27:37. The Noob erects his lofty mountain roughly 2 1/2 hours before the end of the auction.
The shooter appears about 5 1/2 minutes before the end at which point the bidding has reached $95. The Shooter bids $1 more and gets outbid. The pipe is now at $97.
The shooter now waits, finger poised on the button, until 45 seconds remain in the auction before he bids again and gets outbid again.
He then increases his bid by around $20 and gets outbid yet again.
He bids yet again with 20 seconds remaining, gets shot down again, and he loses it, fuming for 15 seconds and increasing his bid by $300 with five seconds to go, gets outbid again and really goes ballistic and goes all mystical with $888 in the final second. And, gets outbid again by the Noob, who is probably wetting his diapers.
In fact, the 888 was lucky for the shooter and maybe the seller. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Noob takes a runner. He can always create a new account if he gets his existing one pulled by eBay.
We'll know if the pipe comes back up for auction in the next few days.

 

[woodsroad]

Have you a lead in mind for the movie version, Jess?

 

[ashdigger]

Who knows what goes through the minds of eBay bidders, the sniper knows.
There is your free movie poster line.

 

[sablebrush52]

This is one reason why I look at the bidding history on some of these auctions. More entertaining than a lot of what's on TV or in the theater. Oh, the humanity!

 

[pitchfork]

"This is one reason why I look at the bidding history on some of these auctions. More entertaining than a lot of what's on TV or in the theater."
Well... your play-by-play is, anyway. :clap:

 

[sablebrush52]

Gentlemen, thank you for the kudos. I hope that you enjoyed the show. I know I did.
Bad behavior is why I don't accept a bid from anyone with less than 10 completed sales. Too many bad experiences. I don't think that eBay bidders are even remotely house trained before completing 10 transactions at the minimum.

 

[alan73]

The pipe is back up for sale . I see that a lot , buyers not paying , then a relist 1-2 weeks later

 

[sablebrush52]

The pipe is back up for sale . I see that a lot , buyers not paying , then a relist 1-2 weeks later

Quel surprise. It will be interesting to see if it reaches $200. Relisting an item within a couple of weeks is usually the kiss of death.
EDIT: Subsequently this pipe went for about 50% higher than I've ever seen this model reach. I own two of them and I spent $275 on one and $220 on the other.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARLING-039-S-MAKE-YE-OLDE-WOOD-T-V-F-FOSSIL-EXEXEL-PIPE-HALLMARKS-E-W-B-W-RARE-/122447727579?hash=item1c82740bdb%3Ag%3AFU4AAOSwCWFY8atb&nma=true&si=T78%252B9KpJudwrY%252BG3OygVilRgrvw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[sablebrush52]

Also on the insanity list is this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARLING-COUPLE-PIPE-PIPA-PFEIFE-PRESENTATION-BOX-RARE-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-VINTAGE-/302296042297?hash=item46623f8b39%3Ag%3ATekAAOSwzqFZAFFd&nma=true&si=T78%252B9KpJudwrY%252BG3OygVilRgrvw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
These are S-M (small to medium) Family Era pipes in an inexpensive case that is not original. One has a dinged up rim. Maybe $750-$800 for the pair.
And there's this set:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARLING-COUPLE-PIPE-PIPA-PFEIFE-PRESENTATION-BOX-RARE-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-VINTAGE/252859940637?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D40130%26meid%3De64db2a35ec742c2b1ff394b4bbfe99f%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D7%26sd%3D302296042297
Two Corporate Era pipes in a size 3, about $450 for the set. I have one of these, the apple shape, that I bought unsmoked for $130.

 

[toobfreak]

Very interesting and entertaining! Thank you, Jesse for the details!

 

[sablebrush52]

The sale of that S-M Family Era Barling "set" in the third party case for $1200 BIN has apparently not gone through. Gee, can't imagine why.
So you have another chance to be screwed. Here, let me help you:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BARLING-COUPLE-PIPE-PIPA-PFEIFE-PRESENTATION-BOX-RARE-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-VINTAGE-/252900647000?

 

[jpmcwjr]

These are S-M (small to medium) Family Era pipes in an inexpensive case that is not original. One has a dinged up rim. Maybe $750-$800 for the pair.

Jesse- That's a "presentation BOX"!! A box with a zipper, possibly Walmart, just a bit off base! (they, not you) ..... So glad to know it's still available.....

 

[scrumpyjack]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-UNSMOKED-KEVIN-ARTHUR-LARGE-CALABASH-FREEHAND-AMERICAN-Estate-Pipe-MINT-/201907103558?hash=item2f0299e746:g:jw0AAOSwvihZAUPv
Yep! Here it is again.