If Chance Whittamore Could Take Better Pictures....

[oldgeezersmoker]

He would be dangerous.
$1500 for a Castello Sea Rock
US Retail is $425. 5 bidders were willing to pay more. All but one of those has triple digit feedback. I can't believe this auction will actually settle at the hammer price, but I almost never see any item of his relisted.
Edited to add, I had no interest in bidding for this pipe, and I have purchased two very nice Castello's from Great Estate Pipes. At reasonable prices.

 

[sablebrush52]

There were a few suckers people that like to pay way more than list. And nothing like two determined people to snipe in the stratosphere at the end to send the price to a multiple of market value. I wouldn't be too surprised to see this relisted as it's happened to Chance a few times in the past. It's probably our fault. The "winner" reads us laughing at the ludicrous price and either kills the sale, or returns the pipe.

 

[georged]

I can't believe either of you guys---experienced hands, both of you---missed it...
$1500 is entirely reasonable in this case.
It came with a BOX:
.

 

[daveinlax]

I'll bet that pipe will be relisted. I've overpaid for must have pipes but not like that. 8O

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Pretty picture of the box, George.
This pipe was over retail with a good amount of time left,which is the only reason I watched it, and three bidders willing to go over that level then, I think.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

@daveinlax, he had a killer Old Antiquari 55 estate several months back that went for moon money. $800 or thereabouts? I started a thread then, and I wasn't the only one who speculated that the pipe would be relisted. It wasn't.

 

[beefeater33]

If he took better pictures, that pipe would go for $2200............. :rofl:

 

[philobeddoe]

Oldgeezersmoker....the 55 was relisted, sold for much less and now resides in my rack! :lol:

 

[cigrmaster]

Why would Chance have to take a pipe back because some moron over bid? It is not his fault.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Oldgeezersmoker....the 55 was relisted, sold for much less and now resides in my rack! :lol:

There was a time when I never forgot anything about a nice pipe. I do remember the relisting now. Stunning blast. A very sad day, I thought I still had my memory for Castellos.
If you become weary of the pipe, PM me.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Harris, without going into more about how eBay works now than should be put on a public forum lest this sort of thing becomes more commonn than it already is, a winning bidder can simply not pay with practically no consequences. One of the many reasons I am happy to pay someone to deal with the hassle.

 

[cigrmaster]

old, understood. I have always used someone else to sell my pipes for me. Even when they take their cut, they made me more than I would ever get on my own.

 

[sablebrush52]

Some months back there was also a Kevin Arthur pipe that sold for about 3-4 times retail and went back up for auction a couple of weeks later. A buyer can return anything on eBay as long as it's returned unused. Even with "no return" auctions, if a buyer has a valid reason for returning the item, eBay will enforce the return. The buyer doesn't need to claim remorse as a reason. They can make one up that amounts to the item "not being as described", and eBay will allow the return.

 

[cigrmaster]

Jesse, so if I screw up on a Pre Trans Barling, I could just return it for any old reason? Not that I would ever screw up with you as my guide. That is just plain wrong. If you go nuts in a bidding war, you should be made to honor your bids.

 

[sablebrush52]

Jesse, so if I screw up on a Pre Trans Barling, I could just return it for any old reason?

Pretty much as long as you can cite a plausible reason that isn't buyers' remorse. Then the seller either has to agree to take it back, or deal with eBay if he refuses. Overbidding isn't an acceptable reason, BTW. If the seller says something like "returns are fine if you're not delighted", then you can return the item for not being delighted.
I've returned a few pipes that proved to have issues that weren't disclosed in the listing. In none of those incidences did I think that it was seller dishonesty. More like seller ignorance about what they were selling.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

It is actually worse than returns for made up reasons. The bidder can never pay. Sellers can no longer leave negative feedback. eBay won't suspend the welshing bidder the first time or two it happens, according to a prominent eBay seller. About all the seller can do, AFAIK, is block the welsher from bidding in his future auctions.