Yes, pipes by Jens "Tao" Nielsen are upper end, artisan pipes and are quite spendy. My seven day set was slowly acquired, piece by piece, as estate pipes over a period of four years.
Our yacht cruise business is a good one and I am very forturnate to be able to support my family doing what I love. However it is also a seasonal business (only crazy people want to go to Alaska in the winter). I am lucky to be able to devote time to my pipe hobby during the off season.
The way I have built my collection is through carefully buying, reconditioning and selling quality estate pipes, keeping the ones I want for my own collection. I could never afford the pipes in my collection if I were buying them all as new pipes, at retail prices, using hard earned money.
I have a work bench set up in my engine room where I do the restoration work. Good photography is also key (photography is one of my other hobbies). I am quite disciplined about selling off pipes periodically to fund new purchases, some of which are new pipes commissioned by noted artisans, the others are estates.
When I sell a pipe, it has been cleaned up, polished, with full accurate descriptions along with many sharp, detailed photos. I add value to the pipes I buy with the profits going into building invetory, both to resell as well as for my personal collection.
All of this takes some personal discipline but the results have been quite rewarding. It is also a way in which my obsession and hobby is not disruptive to my marriage. In fact Nancy is always interested and appreciative when a new pipe arrives.
Our yacht cruise business is a good one and I am very forturnate to be able to support my family doing what I love. However it is also a seasonal business (only crazy people want to go to Alaska in the winter). I am lucky to be able to devote time to my pipe hobby during the off season.
The way I have built my collection is through carefully buying, reconditioning and selling quality estate pipes, keeping the ones I want for my own collection. I could never afford the pipes in my collection if I were buying them all as new pipes, at retail prices, using hard earned money.
I have a work bench set up in my engine room where I do the restoration work. Good photography is also key (photography is one of my other hobbies). I am quite disciplined about selling off pipes periodically to fund new purchases, some of which are new pipes commissioned by noted artisans, the others are estates.
When I sell a pipe, it has been cleaned up, polished, with full accurate descriptions along with many sharp, detailed photos. I add value to the pipes I buy with the profits going into building invetory, both to resell as well as for my personal collection.
All of this takes some personal discipline but the results have been quite rewarding. It is also a way in which my obsession and hobby is not disruptive to my marriage. In fact Nancy is always interested and appreciative when a new pipe arrives.
