Estate Pipes

[haroldt]

I've bought a few estate pipes on eBay in the past - no issues; pipes delivered and I'm enjoying them. So I thought I'd go on line last night to see what's out there. I could not believe how many pipes were on line with broken stems. Some look like the owner chew their way through the smoke. I use rubber tips on all my pipes. I actually go to Ace Hardware and buy a couple feet of surgical rubber tube and cut it to size. I replace them every few months. It keeps the bite free of teeth marks and much more comfy on the ol' choppers.

 

[saltedplug]

Sellers without pipe knowledge and human principle sell on ebay more than any other place. But then too so do Pipestud, Coopersark and a host of others that are reputable. I pay more attention to a seller that can talk pipe talk, but I'll also buy from a seller with good sales credentials. I won't buy from someone who won't take a return.

 

[sablebrush52]

It's eBay. It's the wild frontier.

 

[pruss]

It's eBay. It's the wild frontier.

No doubt. There was a pipe listed earlier in the week that popped up in my saved search for "Cooke" pipes. It was listed as "Not J.T. Cooke Pipe - J. Rubio Pipe" and was described as being made in the style of "the Master" I sent a pointed email identifying the fraud to the vendor. They came back with an apologetic email, and said that they'd change the listing, which they did. This kind of crap happens a lot.
There was another pipe listed in the last week as a "9/10" in "very good" condition, which was clearly split from stem face past the stem marks. The pictures did a lot to hide the crack, so I asked the vendor straight up if the pipe was cracked. They said, yes. I questioned the business practice of listing it "9/10... very good" instead of "cracked, as-is". They changed the listing.
There are a lot of folks who don't know what the hell they are selling. This can be both good and bad for the buyer. There are a lot of folks who think they can get away with dodgy business practices. Both types of vendors deserve to have the error of their ways pointed out to them by smart buyers.
-- Pat

 

[aristokles]

As an aside on Ebay, I get a laugh out of sellers who state the pipe comes from a non-smoking home. I figure seller is clueless as to what he/she is selling. :roll:

 

[aldecaker]

The "non-smoking home" seems to be a giveaway that pipes are not the seller's main article of sale. They are trying to assure you that the old quilt they found at the next garage sale down the block doesn't stink like stale cigarette smoke, since they probably have that listed somewhere else on the Bay.

 

[brudnod]

I have bought 4 pipes on eBay that had broken/cracked stems. 3/4 of them I knew what I was getting into. 2 of those I repaired with epoxy/graphite mix with pretty good results. The 1 pipe that I got that I did not know was damaged had a rubber bit on it and I asked the seller before bidding if the stem was OK. He said it was "just right". When I bid (thankfully not very much) and won the pipe I was so pissed off when I took the bit off only to find the stem ruined under it that I almost threw it into the trash. I insisted that the guy take the pipe back, which he resisted but finally relented only after saying I had to pay return postage. I complained to eBay which resulted in never having seen him selling again. What's that old saw? "Buyer beware!"

 

[mcitinner1]

Do a search on here for "pipe repair".

 

[owen]

It cuts both ways. Twice I have bought pipes that were inaccurately or poorly listed and they were transitional Barling pipes.

 

[tuold]

The randomness of ebay is one of the attractions for me. I don't spend a lot so my losses are low. Those just go into the spare parts box. The wins are just frequent enough to keep me bidding again.
There was one time where I received a pipe that had damage that wasn't in the description or the pictures. I wrote to the seller and he refunded 20%. I had the pleasure of attempting to repair the pipe. So even that was still a win.

 

[jaygreen55]

I just boughta GBD Canadian with out a stem on the bay for about $2 dollars. Now all I have to do is find a stem. Anyone know of someone who can make a smoker of that pipe?
POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #
Mark Tinsky charges 22-26 for a new stem. And will do any other repair
http://webshop.amsmoke.com/Repairs/Lucite-Stems/
http://webshop.amsmoke.com/Repairs/Vulcanite-Stems/

 

[jdhayes]

@ aristokles and aldecaker. The smoke free/ pet free thing cracks me up every time. A pipe that smells of smoke! The nerve!

 

[gloucesterman]

Ebay puts more pipes in front of the buyer than any other organization out there. Some sellers are very knowledgeable, others don't have a clue. I always felt the onus was on the buyer. Know what you're looking at and the market and make your decisions accordingly. I've never seen a seller of anything that doesn't portray his/her wares in the best possible light. If you have questions, ask. The sellers response or lack of it is very telling. But as Pruss suggested the frauds should be exposed. I buy almost all my pipes on the estate market and recondition them. My rule is always if you're uncertain then don't buy. Better safe than sorry.

 

[pruss]

I buy almost all my pipes on the estate market and recondition them. My rule is always if you're uncertain then don't buy.

Amen.
The few times I have had unsuccessful eBay pipe buys were the result of...

- booze

- thinking I could work around a clear flaw in a pipe

- assuming I saw something in the pipe than wasn't there
Mind you, points two and three also lead to me picking up a vintage Comoy's Blue Riband Extraordinaire. It's a gamble, always.
-- Pat

 

[ssjones]

I'm willing to take some Ebay risks every once and have been rewarded. Sometimes you have to take a chance. (my "chance" buys don't go over $50, so set a limit). Overall, I'd say my wins outnumber my losses.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Ebay is always a buyer beware affair. Lots of sellers find pipes at estate sales and sell them as is, and most of them have minimal or no knowledge of the pipes they're selling. Use caution here; however, sometimes you can find a steal of a deal.
If you're really wanting to buy a pipe off ebay then I suggest finding a seller with the following.

1. Look for a seller with knowledge about pipes (ie has good knowledge in the description for all pipes being sold).

2. The seller has sold multiple pipes - with knowledge of the pipes. (check seller history).

3. Has multiple quality pictures of the pipe from all sides (ie 6 pics or more). Blurry pics are a sign of something being hidden in most cases, as is 1 or 2 blurry pics of the pipe.

4. Seller has a return policy.

5. Seller has a high seller rating.
If you can find this in a seller than more often than not you'll have successful estate pipe purchases.

 

[mso489]

I think tuold has a viable approach to ebay. If you keep your bids low, and enjoy the rigorous cleaning and resto of old pipes, you can kiss frogs and get princesses, and toss the rest in the spare parts box. Depending on your knowledge, skill, and experience with pipes and ebay, you can turn up some gems. You will also turn up some junk. Most of my favorite old pipes are pipes I bought new that I've had for a long time.

 

[rfernand]

The one I hate is "unsmoked", which does not mean "new".

 

[danhester]

I'm actually looking to branch out into some estate pipes to add to my rotation. I'm thinking my first couple will come from reputable vendors. After that, I might take my chances on ebay. Lotta good advice on this thread.