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Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes
- Thread starter ssjones
- Start date
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VINTAGE ESTATE PIPE STERLING SILVER BAND MADE IN ENGLAND | eBay
This item is in never used condition.
www.ebay.com
Ba ba ba bumVINTAGE ESTATE PIPE STERLING SILVER BAND MADE IN ENGLAND | eBay
This item is in never used condition.www.ebay.com
It looks like the shank was broken and repaired. Is there something special about this pipe that I'm missing other than the irony of the description?
I think it’s all original. It’s an unsmoked merchant service that went for $75
Would it be typical for the band to cover so much of the lettering? This looks like a repair—if that's the case, wouldn't the value be diminished and maybe make it not such a bargain?
I would argue that they are rare enough that $75 is indeed a bargain, repairs notwithstanding.
This old Masta "system" was initially posted approximately a year ago. I don't recall whether it was a "Buy It Now" price or a beginning bid price but it was around $200. The pipe remained unsold at such a high price for several months. I kept my eye on it hoping the seller would bring the price down to something more reasonable or list for auction. I was able to grab the pipe at auction for a much more reasonable sum than the initial offer.
Masta Estate Pipe Vintage Antique 1922 Sterling Silver Smoking Old | eBay
<p>Antique Masta Estate Pipe Sterling Silver Hallmark Band Dated 1922. ( please check hallmark)</p><p>some signs of age and use </p><p>Looks in overall good condition for the age, see photos.</p><p>Please see my other items thanks.</p>
www.ebay.com
Glad to hear someone here nabbed that. I had my eye on it too over the last few months. But when it’s price finally came down my budget and attention was elsewhereThis old Masta "system" was initially posted approximately a year ago. I don't recall whether it was a "Buy It Now" price or a beginning bid price but it was around $200. The pipe remained unsold at such a high price for several months. I kept my eye on it hoping the seller would bring the price down to something more reasonable or list for auction. I was able to grab the pipe at auction for a much more reasonable sum than the initial offer.
Masta Estate Pipe Vintage Antique 1922 Sterling Silver Smoking Old | eBay
<p>Antique Masta Estate Pipe Sterling Silver Hallmark Band Dated 1922. ( please check hallmark)</p><p>some signs of age and use </p><p>Looks in overall good condition for the age, see photos.</p><p>Please see my other items thanks.</p>www.ebay.com
I'd have to agree with TheIronMonkey here. Too much of the nomenclature is covered by the silver band. However, as you rightly point out, they're like rocking-horse $h1t. So at 75 bucks, nice pick up!
It's an interesting pipe! Merchant Service are famous for being a favorite of Bing Crosby and when they show up they can go for between 250 and 500 dollars. The aftermarket band could be a repair, or it could be an attempt to make this pipe look like the Merchant Service Crosby pipes that featured a wider sterling band. The only picture of the end of the shank is out of focus, so it's hard to know if the shank was damaged.VINTAGE ESTATE PIPE STERLING SILVER BAND MADE IN ENGLAND | eBay
This item is in never used condition.www.ebay.com
If may not have been smoked, but a previous own certainly liked nibbling on the stem, given the evidence of chatter left on the vulcanite. Who knows? Maybe it was one of der Bingles own pipes!
In any case, $75 isn't a bad buy it the pipe is functional.
poor photos,poor description.
how not to list an item,probably would have made more if correctly listed
Now I’m feel bad for putting only 40£ for this oneThis old Masta "system" was initially posted approximately a year ago. I don't recall whether it was a "Buy It Now" price or a beginning bid price but it was around $200. The pipe remained unsold at such a high price for several months. I kept my eye on it hoping the seller would bring the price down to something more reasonable or list for auction. I was able to grab the pipe at auction for a much more reasonable sum than the initial offer.
Masta Estate Pipe Vintage Antique 1922 Sterling Silver Smoking Old | eBay
<p>Antique Masta Estate Pipe Sterling Silver Hallmark Band Dated 1922. ( please check hallmark)</p><p>some signs of age and use </p><p>Looks in overall good condition for the age, see photos.</p><p>Please see my other items thanks.</p>www.ebay.com
Bad for the seller. Good for a buyer looking for an under-the-radar gem. If there was undocumented damage to the pipe the buyer always has recourse to a return or to request a partial refund.
Yep, those bad photo ads were some of my best wins. These days, Ebay always sides with the buyer, so there is almost no downside to taking a risk on an auction with fuzzy photos, whether the seller takes returns or not.
It is an interesting pipe company, about the quality of their briars I have no clue :
MERCHANT SERVICE – Where the Past is Prologue
merchantservicepipes.com
Blue Room Briars offers their rendition of the iconic Dunhill LC shape, the MS "1935" :
Merchant Service – Blue Room Briars
The origin of the brand Merchant Service is obscure. The only information readily available recalls that iconic entertainer Bing Crosby, who was playing golf at the famed St. Andrew's course in Scotland, in 1938, noticed another golfer smoking a billiard with a long, pencil shank. Intrigued by...
www.blueroombriars.com
I was actually the one who won it. Lol. It arrived today. It had polishing residue on it and nothing was burned from polish. I kind of wish they didn’t buff the silver as I like the patina. Anyway. There are no cracks in the shank to the naked eye. But the merchant service special stamp is covered up half way. And I’m not a pipe repair expert, so I honestly couldn’t say. There were a few very very small striations or inclusions at the shank, so maybe they did it as a precaution.
Attachments
Forgot to mention, the photos were definitely bad. Not that mine are any better. The stem is just oxidized and no teeth marks.
You're a lucky guy @bayareabriar --I have friends who've been searching for one of those for years! Enjoy!