Interesting Completed Ebay Auctions - British Pipes

[sablebrush52]

In other news, a serious collector’s pipes continue to be dispersed. This silver-clad beauty did well.

View attachment 332386View attachment 332387View attachment 332388View attachment 332389View attachment 332390View attachment 332391

I was following this one, as the price went through the roof almost immediately. Condition is certainly exceptional, with little to no wear on the silver.
As is my usual habit, I looked at the buying history of the various high bidders. True to form, the high bidders weren't pipe collectors so much as generalists. They will always pay more for what they want. The pipe collectors seem to have dropped out at around $500.

 

[georged]

I was following this one, as the price went through the roof almost immediately. Condition is certainly exceptional, with little to no wear on the silver.
As is my usual habit, I looked at the buying history of the various high bidders. True to form, the high bidders weren't pipe collectors so much as generalists. They will always pay more for what they want. The pipe collectors seem to have dropped out at around $500.

I don't know if pipes being hungered for by the Status Bling crowd is a good thing or a bad thing...

 

[AroEnglish]

I was following this one, as the price went through the roof almost immediately. Condition is certainly exceptional, with little to no wear on the silver.
As is my usual habit, I looked at the buying history of the various high bidders. True to form, the high bidders weren't pipe collectors so much as generalists. They will always pay more for what they want. The pipe collectors seem to have dropped out at around $500.

What do you suspect the interest is in this pipe from non-pipe collectors (besides the obvious beauty)? Is it the historical nature.

 

[runscott]

I was following this one, as the price went through the roof almost immediately. Condition is certainly exceptional, with little to no wear on the silver.
As is my usual habit, I looked at the buying history of the various high bidders. True to form, the high bidders weren't pipe collectors so much as generalists. They will always pay more for what they want. The pipe collectors seem to have dropped out at around $500.

Regarding his sales, and a few other sellers who handle high-dollar pipes, I have wondered if the '3' and '4' feedback bidders that we saw on this pipe are high-end collectors who almost never bid on pipes unless it's something really special, or something else. On the other end of the feedback scale you could make a case either way for high-feedback bidders being high-end collectors, or just people who buy and sell a lot of stuff on ebay. I'm certainly not a high-end collector, but my feedback is high.

 

[runscott]

Good eye looks like 9BC DNA to me!

Just arrived. It's a 9BC. Nasty though. I have it soaking in B&A briar cleaner then it will spend the night in an alcohol bath. There is no danger of damaging this stummel.

 

[sablebrush52]

Regarding his sales, and a few other sellers who handle high-dollar pipes, I have wondered if the '3' and '4' feedback bidders that we saw on this pipe are high-end collectors who almost never bid on pipes unless it's something really special, or something else. On the other end of the feedback scale you could make a case either way for high-feedback bidders being high-end collectors, or just people who buy and sell a lot of stuff on ebay. I'm certainly not a high-end collector, but my feedback is high.

Over the years I've identified a number of different species of bidders on eBay, and each species displays certain common behaviors. The type I refer to as a "generalist" buys only the finest examples of vintage items of a wide variety of types, paying absolute top dollar to make sure that they win. They're literally building complete environments to fine detail with items that are period related. An item like this one really brings them out.

The bidder who raised the price from $412 to $899 is a different type, one I refer to as a "gamester". He bids things up to reveal another's maximum bid, then bails. You can recognize them by the number of bid cancellations in their history. This one had 128 cancelled bids. I've seen them with more than 200 cancelled bids.

There are other interesting species on eBay. Keeps things amusing.

 

[AroEnglish]

Over the years I've identified a number of different species of bidders on eBay, and each species displays certain common behaviors. The type I refer to as a "generalist" buys only the finest examples of vintage items of a wide variety of types, paying absolute top dollar to make sure that they win. They're literally building complete environments to fine detail with items that are period related. An item like this one really brings them out.

The bidder who raised the price from $412 to $899 is a different type, one I refer to as a "gamester". He bids things up to reveal another's maximum bid, then bails. You can recognize them by the number of bid cancellations in their history. This one had 128 cancelled bids. I've seen them with more than 200 cancelled bids.

There are other interesting species on eBay. Keeps things amusing.

I thought there were repercussions for multiple cancellations but I guess not if you can have more than 200.

 

[runscott]

Over the years I've identified a number of different species of bidders on eBay, and each species displays certain common behaviors. The type I refer to as a "generalist" buys only the finest examples of vintage items of a wide variety of types, paying absolute top dollar to make sure that they win. They're literally building complete environments to fine detail with items that are period related. An item like this one really brings them out.

The bidder who raised the price from $412 to $899 is a different type, one I refer to as a "gamester". He bids things up to reveal another's maximum bid, then bails. You can recognize them by the number of bid cancellations in their history. This one had 128 cancelled bids. I've seen them with more than 200 cancelled bids.

There are other interesting species on eBay. Keeps things amusing.

Gotcha. I forgot all about bid cancellations. Good research!

 

[ssjones]

Gotcha. I forgot all about bid cancellations. Good research!

I don't see any cancellations on this auction. Are they shown elsewhere? (shown as "restractions" here)



I do see this bidder has a history of retractions:

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Over the years I've identified a number of different species of bidders on eBay, and each species displays certain common behaviors. The type I refer to as a "generalist" buys only the finest examples of vintage items of a wide variety of types, paying absolute top dollar to make sure that they win. They're literally building complete environments to fine detail with items that are period related. An item like this one really brings them out.

The bidder who raised the price from $412 to $899 is a different type, one I refer to as a "gamester". He bids things up to reveal another's maximum bid, then bails. You can recognize them by the number of bid cancellations in their history. This one had 128 cancelled bids. I've seen them with more than 200 cancelled bids.

There are other interesting species on eBay. Keeps things amusing.

In the book collecting world, there are some collectors that buy high spots in literature, often with no specific focus, and match what you describe as a generalist.

My own collecting tendencies lean towards the completist, where I take things to the logical extreme and try to get everything. But, I’m no stranger to grabbing prime examples of things that interest me that would make me a “generalist.”

Years ago, on eBay, there were a number of sellers that used shill bidding accounts to bump prices up higher and closer to what was desired while not employing having a reserve price. I suspect this practice may still exist as evidenced by repeat offenders retracting bids, although I don’t recall if a bid drops back down when a retraction occurs.

 

[runscott]

Early nickel-band Peterson Patent. The Patents with nickel ferrules don't seem to do well on ebay - probably because they have no date hallmark. Seller says the stem is original but cut down - the hole is at the end, as it should be on one that age, so this one could be a beauty if the bottom of the stem can be made to fit correctly (enlongated?) Hopefully someone here picked it up.

Peterson Patent 03

 

[sablebrush52]

I don't know if pipes being hungered for by the Status Bling crowd is a good thing or a bad thing...

Nor do I. So let's just say that it's a thing and leave it at that.

 

[sablebrush52]

I thought there were repercussions for multiple cancellations but I guess not if you can have more than 200.

eBay makes a big deal of overusing bid cancellations in their guidelines, but it's clear that they don't enforce them. Just more eBay BS.

 

[runscott]

eBay makes a big deal of overusing bid cancellations in their guidelines, but it's clear that they don't enforce them. Just more eBay BS.

My thinking is that if the i.d. with retractions also belongs to the seller, and that particular seller is making ebay a load of cash, ebay will leave it alone. Not saying that's the case here, but in some auctions it is 'fairly' obvious.

 

[sablebrush52]

In the book collecting world, there are some collectors that buy high spots in literature, often with no specific focus, and match what you describe as a generalist.

My own collecting tendencies lean towards the completist, where I take things to the logical extreme and try to get everything. But, I’m no stranger to grabbing prime examples of things that interest me that would make me a “generalist.”

Years ago, on eBay, there were a number of sellers that used shill bidding accounts to bump prices up higher and closer to what was desired while not employing having a reserve price. I suspect this practice may still exist as evidenced by repeat offenders retracting bids, although I don’t recall if a bid drops back down when a retraction occurs.

I don't see Todd ever employing a shill bidder, so I don't think that's the case here. But I have known bidders to "satisfy" their curiosity by bidding high enough to reveal someone's maximum bid, then dropping out.
If the retracted bid is the highest one at the end of the auction, the price will revert to the next highest bid. Otherwise, retracted bids leave a hole in the bid record without affecting any other bids.

 

[runscott]

Just arrived. It's a 9BC. Nasty though. I have it soaking in B&A briar cleaner then it will spend the night in an alcohol bath. There is no danger of damaging this stummel.

Since I can't edit to add a pic, I'll quote myself
No '9BC' stamp, but the shape is obvious.

 

[Ahi Ka]

I don't see Todd ever employing a shill bidder, so I don't think that's the case here. But I have known bidders to "satisfy" their curiosity by bidding high enough to reveal someone's maximum bid, then dropping out.
If the retracted bid is the highest one at the end of the auction, the price will revert to the next highest bid. Otherwise, retracted bids leave a hole in the bid record without affecting any other bids.

Can eBay bidders cancel their bids without seller approval? In NZ you have to ask super nicely to have your bid removed.

 

[jaingorenard]

Just finished at auction in the UK. Possibly some slight dings on the rim, but we will see!

 

[AroEnglish]

Just finished at auction in the UK. Possibly some slight dings on the rim, but we will see!View attachment 332811View attachment 332812

Those are some elegant curves.

 

[runscott]

Just finished at auction in the UK. Possibly some slight dings on the rim, but we will see!View attachment 332811

Nice. Auction link? (I dug around the UK site and couldn't find it).