Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

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runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,289
2,832
Washington State
I haven't read any of this thread after my response to Ash as I'm not into nonsensical back-and-forths, but I thought I would post the restoration pictures I promised.

One of the stems (shown at far right in bottom pic) had a hole in the bottom and still has a chunk out of the top. I have replaced worse missing stem chunks, but found an incorrect stem that fits the pipe perfectly and since I had to repair two severe cracks in the bowl and the pipe will likely never leave my possession, I'm putting off that difficult repair and just smoking it as-is for now.

The other three had basically perfect stummels beneath the cake, and the stems were nowhere near as bad as the experts here insisted. Yes those are the original stems. No they were not painted with a black marker;in fact, the bulldog only needed a Magic Eraser scrub and B&A Fine polish (the other three needed more work). The dot on the bulldog has darkened severely since 1948, and I elected to leave it as-is. The LB and damaged pipe are from 1950, the thin billiard is 1960. The three non-damaged pipes have their original finish - I just scraped off cake and rubbed in B&A balm and buffed. The cracked stummel needed a scrubbing with Murphy Soap and B&A Balm, but that's all I did, and it's close to the original finish - a touch lighter.

HKrzLsz.jpg


2e4k3BD.jpg
 

greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,258
12,597
So did you get land the whale? I’d be really interested in what a white whale for you looks like.
An unsmoked, never before seen Leeds-era Ben Wade pipe created for a special occasion. It wasn't a bargain and I paid what it was worth ... a few hundred dollars. But on balance I suppose it's alright, as the £7 pipe I scored below turned out to be a Dunhill Inner-Tube, albeit one in need of a significant cleaning. :coffee::LOL:
I'm looking forward to researching the Vintage Brown Smoking Pipe company, as I was in the market for just such a brown pipe and it was a decent find at £7.

inner-tube 1.jpginner-tube 2.jpg
 

AroEnglish

Rehabilitant
Jan 7, 2020
5,150
15,143
#62
An unsmoked, never before seen Leeds-era Ben Wade pipe created for a special occasion. It wasn't a bargain and I paid what it was worth ... a few hundred dollars. But on balance I suppose it's alright, as the £7 pipe I scored below turned out to be a Dunhill Inner-Tube, albeit one in need of a significant cleaning. :coffee::LOL:

View attachment 268101View attachment 268102
Wow, exciting on both fronts! Will we get to see the previously unseen eyes or are they for green eyes only? 😁
 
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Reactions: greeneyes
Dec 3, 2021
5,468
47,051
Pennsylvania & New York
After the package containing the Comoy’s 804 left Great Britain and reached New York, I spent a couple of disconcerting days watching the tracking number update the status—that it was going from New York to Newark, New Jersey; then, that it was at the distribution center in North Carolina—WTF?—then getting ready for delivery in Washington, North Carolina this morning. I was expecting it in Pennsylvania! Ugh. I started to think this wasn’t meant to be.

I am thrilled to report the pipe was waiting for me tonight when we got back to the PA house! I’m wondering if the sticker with the tracking number came off the plastic wrapped box and got stuck to a North Carolina bound box. The tracking says it’s still there. Thankfully, the seller sent the pipe via Royal Mail instead of eBay Global Shipping and I finally have an Extraordinaire 804 after missing out on two or three in the last couple years. Woohoo!

20231208_003807.jpg
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,760
36,433
72
Sydney, Australia
After the package containing the Comoy’s 804 left Great Britain and reached New York, I spent a couple of disconcerting days watching the tracking number update the status—that it was going from New York to Newark, New Jersey; then, that it was at the distribution center in North Carolina—WTF?—then getting ready for delivery in Washington, North Carolina this morning. I was expecting it in Pennsylvania! Ugh. I started to think this wasn’t meant to be.

I am thrilled to report the pipe was waiting for me tonight when we got back to the PA house! I’m wondering if the sticker with the tracking number came off the plastic wrapped box and got stuck to a North Carolina bound box. The tracking says it’s still there. Thankfully, the seller sent the pipe via Royal Mail instead of eBay Global Shipping and I finally have an Extraordinaire 804 after missing out on two or three in the last couple years. Woohoo!

View attachment 268134
All’s Well
A very nice pre-Christmas present
puffy
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,468
47,051
Pennsylvania & New York
All’s Well
A very nice pre-Christmas present
puffy

I’m sooo relieved it worked out after hearing all the horror stories about confiscation as drug paraphernalia via Global Shipping. Seeing the tracking say it was in North Carolina gave me a sinking feeling. I’m probably going to set it aside as a Birthday pipe for 2024.

It had some lava on the rim that came off pretty easily and it has some nicks and dents on one side of the rim from knocking. But, overall, it’s in really beautiful shape with crisp, deep stamps on both sides. Considering it’s from the ’20s–late ’30s, I couldn’t be happier. Two of the 800 Series pipes I missed out on were rusticated; I generally prefer smooth pipes, so more boxes got checked in terms of desirability for me.
 
May 9, 2021
1,689
3,623
56
Geoje Island South Korea
After the package containing the Comoy’s 804 left Great Britain and reached New York, I spent a couple of disconcerting days watching the tracking number update the status—that it was going from New York to Newark, New Jersey; then, that it was at the distribution center in North Carolina—WTF?—then getting ready for delivery in Washington, North Carolina this morning. I was expecting it in Pennsylvania! Ugh. I started to think this wasn’t meant to be.

I am thrilled to report the pipe was waiting for me tonight when we got back to the PA house! I’m wondering if the sticker with the tracking number came off the plastic wrapped box and got stuck to a North Carolina bound box. The tracking says it’s still there. Thankfully, the seller sent the pipe via Royal Mail instead of eBay Global Shipping and I finally have an Extraordinaire 804 after missing out on two or three in the last couple years. Woohoo!

View attachment 268134
Nice one Jeff! Congrats!

Great looking pipe.

BTW. On its way to you, it also passed through Korea too...:ROFLMAO:
 
Dec 3, 2021
5,468
47,051
Pennsylvania & New York
Which one of you shifty little b......s stole my unsmoked Barling's from under my nose ?

I was looking at that the other day, but didn’t bid. Was the pipe with the metal tube shank (like a Grabow CDL) period correct to the stummel? I would’ve expected to see an albatross bone.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,714
49,035
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I was looking at that the other day, but didn’t bid. Was the pipe with the metal tube shank (like a Grabow CDL) period correct to the stummel? I would’ve expected to see an albatross bone.
That one does feel like a Frankenpipe.
I was watching this auction with little interest in buying, but interest in how well it did. I don’t want another unsmoked antique Barling.
 

greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,258
12,597
That one does feel like a Frankenpipe.
I was watching this auction with little interest in buying, but interest in how well it did. I don’t want another unsmoked antique Barling.
It might very well be, but from what I understand after having chatted with the seller considerably is that his father put away these various collectible pipes over his many years of working in the pipemaking industry. The son is selling off his father's collection, which has included several exquisite Barling companion cases.

So in this case I'd be inclined to say it's original, if only because there is no "amateur restorations expert" involved in the process, mixing-and-matching to create saleable frankengarbage.

Only yesterday I was glancing over a purchase I made back in April. I hadn't noticed how very awfully the eBay seller had hacked down the rim of the pipe until now---a mistake I'll never repeat. Reputation is everything and I learned an expensive lesson, having unwittingly bought from a "resto-bro." :mad:
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
19,000
13,038
Covington, Louisiana
postimg.cc
It might very well be, but from what I understand after having chatted with the seller considerably is that his father put away these various collectible pipes over his many years of working in the pipemaking industry. The son is selling off his father's collection, which has included several exquisite Barling companion cases.

So in this case I'd be inclined to say it's original, if only because there is no "amateur restorations expert" involved in the process, mixing-and-matching to create saleable frankengarbage.

Only yesterday I was glancing over a purchase I made back in April. I hadn't noticed how very awfully the eBay seller had hacked down the rim of the pipe until now---a mistake I'll never repeat. Reputation is everything and I learned an expensive lesson, having unwittingly bought from a "resto-bro." :mad:
I took this to be the Frankenpipe.

1702228964128.jpeg
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,714
49,035
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
It might very well be, but from what I understand after having chatted with the seller considerably is that his father put away these various collectible pipes over his many years of working in the pipemaking industry. The son is selling off his father's collection, which has included several exquisite Barling companion cases.

So in this case I'd be inclined to say it's original, if only because there is no "amateur restorations expert" involved in the process, mixing-and-matching to create saleable frankengarbage.

Only yesterday I was glancing over a purchase I made back in April. I hadn't noticed how very awfully the eBay seller had hacked down the rim of the pipe until now---a mistake I'll never repeat. Reputation is everything and I learned an expensive lesson, having unwittingly bought from a "resto-bro." :mad:
I had an enlightening and hilarious exchange with the seller as well. Didn’t know about the collection, but “original” to me is factory and this ain’t factory. Close, but no.
Still, a quality offering likely off to China.