Interesting Completed eBay Auctions - American Pipes

[Honkytonk Man]

@Doctor Chopper
Oh man. That's so true. I see something I want to buy at what seems a really good price, until checkout time.
In some cases the shipping is equal to the cost of the item. In some, granted rarer cases, the shipping is more than the cost of the actual item!

 

[milk]

I’m in Japan so shipping is tough. Nevertheless, I just got a prewar Kaywoodie thorn for a great price, the whole thing with shipping was like 35$, and the seller was truly wonderful. I guess many people are paying for the refurbishing? I know, and the rarity of the examples here. My Thorn isn’t so rare.

 

[OzPiper]

I’m in Japan so shipping is tough. Nevertheless, I just got a prewar Kaywoodie thorn for a great price, the whole thing with shipping was like 35$, and the seller was truly wonderful. I guess many people are paying for the refurbishing? I know, and the rarity of the examples here. My Thorn isn’t so rare.

You're closer to the States than I am in Sydney, Oz
I saw a pipe on EBay recently (as in 2-3 weeks ago) for @ $30
The postage to Australia was @$60
Forget about it

 

[milk]

You're closer to the States than I am in Sydney, Oz
I saw a pipe on EBay recently (as in 2-3 weeks ago) for @ $30
The postage to Australia was @$60
Forget about it

Interesting. There is a healthy bit of auctioning here. I imagine there must be more pipes floating around auction sites in Japan than Australia?

 

[OzPiper]

Interesting. There is a healthy bit of auctioning here. I imagine there must be more pipes floating around auction sites in Japan than Australia?

The pickings in Australia are pretty slim
The occasional item that comes up are usually not Listed/presented well by the handful of Australian auction houses who have little expertise with pipes or tobaccoiania
I usually abstain

 

[ssjones]

Unsmoked (apparently), but not in mint condition. Meaning it didn't come off the line looking anything like that.

It's been sanded and re-finished, and whoever did it shiny-ized (gleamificated? glareified?) the chamber wall in the process.

He must use some kind of oil on the pipe before he photographs them, all his postings look oddly wet-shiny.

 

[milk]

He must use some kind of oil on the pipe before he photographs them, all his postings look oddly wet-shiny.

KAYWOODIE UNSMOKED 1950's "FLAME GRAIN" CLASSIC BULLDOG SHAPE 205S ESTATE PIPE | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204341436398
This Kaywoodie bulldog. Even inside the rings are shiny! He goes to the pipe shows (he says in the description) so when someone finally meets him, they should say, “oh, you’re the shiny pipe guy!”

 

[bluegrassbrian]

KAYWOODIE UNSMOKED 1950's "FLAME GRAIN" CLASSIC BULLDOG SHAPE 205S ESTATE PIPE | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/204341436398
This Kaywoodie bulldog. Even inside the rings are shiny! He goes to the pipe shows (he says in the description) so when someone finally meets him, they should say, “oh, you’re the shiny pipe guy!”

Not to be confused with the other eBay vendor, "ShinyPipes".

 

[sablebrush52]

He must use some kind of oil on the pipe before he photographs them, all his postings look oddly wet-shiny.

This is one of the few times where I'm going to disagree with George. I know Todd and have talked with him about the hi gloss result, which is real. He's just extremely careful with the polishing end of the business. Frankly I'm a bit surprised over the incredulous response. I can get this mirror gloss on my pipes using nothing more than some Paragon Wax and my hands. No buffer needed. It's all in the touch. Add to that careful angling of a harder light source and a bit of sweetening in Photoshop, perhaps a touch of contrast enhancement and maybe saturation and all done.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Normally, I would say Todd’s “candy apple” gloss shines are waaay beyond “factory issue,” but below is a Kaywoodie in package from about the same period, and his is just a notch or two beyond. I do feel like he alters history a bit too much for my taste, but he seems successful and there’s no faulting that I suppose.

 

[AroEnglish]

Normally, I would say Todd’s “candy apple” gloss shines are waaay beyond “factory issue,” but below is a Kaywoodie in package from about the same period, and his is just a notch or two beyond. I do feel like he alters history a bit too much for my taste, but he seems successful and there’s no faulting that I suppose.

View attachment 224096

Can you say a bit more about what you mean by "alters history"?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Can you say a bit more about what you mean by "alters history"?

Once you apply extra wax and polish a pipe to look like a shiny candied apple, it often no longer looks close to how it did when it came from the factory.

 

[AroEnglish]

Once you apply extra wax and polish a pipe to look like a shiny candied apple, it often no longer looks close to how it did when it came from the factory.

Ah, that makes sense. Maybe like taking a vintage car and putting a fresh coat of paint on it; it looks good but like you said it alters the car.

 

[ssjones]

This is one of the few times where I'm going to disagree with George. I know Todd and have talked with him about the hi gloss result, which is real. He's just extremely careful with the polishing end of the business. Frankly I'm a bit surprised over the incredulous response. I can get this mirror gloss on my pipes using nothing more than some Paragon Wax and my hands. No buffer needed. It's all in the touch. Add to that careful angling of a harder light source and a bit of sweetening in Photoshop, perhaps a touch of contrast enhancement and maybe saturation and all done.

That pictured finish looks well beyond what can be accomplished with a buffer, or by hand, in my opinion. It looks like he is applying something before photographing the pipes. Either that or editing of the picture with software. I've purchased two pipes from him, which were both excellent, but his pictures back then didn't have the current "wet look".

 

[Honkytonk Man]

This is one of the few times where I'm going to disagree with George. I know Todd and have talked with him about the hi gloss result, which is real. He's just extremely careful with the polishing end of the business. Frankly I'm a bit surprised over the incredulous response. I can get this mirror gloss on my pipes using nothing more than some Paragon Wax and my hands. No buffer needed. It's all in the touch. Add to that careful angling of a harder light source and a bit of sweetening in Photoshop, perhaps a touch of contrast enhancement and maybe saturation and all done.

Would agree with Jesse here. I've bought several pipes from Todd and when in hand they aren't as "shiny" as how they appear in his photographs.
Besides, I don't understand the criticism Todd receives over his shiny pipes, would y'all prefer them to look dull and flat?
His stem work is fantastic too, which are in fact very well repaired, cleaned, polished.
Great seller too.
Just my 0.02 cents worth.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

Once you apply extra wax and polish a pipe to look like a shiny candied apple, it often no longer looks close to how it did when it came from the factory.

It soon dulls down.
As I said, they're not as shiny in hand, IMHO.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Would agree with Jesse here. I've bought several pipes from Todd and when in hand they aren't as "shiny" as how they appear in his photographs.
Besides, I don't understand the criticism Todd receives over his shiny pipes, would y'all prefer them to look dull and flat?
His stem work is fantastic too, which are in fact very well repaired, cleaned, polished.
Great seller too.
Just my 0.02 cents worth.

I’ve bought from him as well, but I would prefer he did less to his pipes than he does. I have no control over that, so it doesn’t matter. I can choose to try to buy from him or not. It’s not a big deal.

 

[warren99]

The pickings in Australia are pretty slim
The occasional item that comes up are usually not Listed/presented well by the handful of Australian auction houses who have little expertise with pipes or tobaccoiania
I usually abstain

Aside from that, the tobacco taxes down under will kill you.

 

[craig61a]

I was referring to the outside of the stummel as well as the inside of the chamber.

Sanded all over, stained, and made shiny.

There are any number of reasons why re-finishing an unsmoked pipe might be necessary, and the listing only says "unsmoked", not "mint", which is technically correct, but such wordplay diminishes our hobby, imo.

The grain probably didn’t pop enough from the factory…

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

This did way better than I thought it would, didn’t think there was that much love out there old WDC’s.

WDC 1920's BAKELITE 8"+ LONG STRAIGHT BULLDOG ESTATE PIPE W/STERLING | eBay

Not long after, many pipe makers began using Bakelite for stems as seen here with this impressive almost 9" long straight Bulldog from William Demuth & Co! It's pipes like this that certainly brought popularity; what's not to like!

www.ebay.com