Is That You Outbidding Me On Ebay?
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Despite the trilling siren song of the $37 Dunhill, ebay creeps me out. When I'm buying a pipe, I want all of
my attention focused on that -- its traits, provenance, comparative price, etc. etc., and where it will fit with
my other pipes in the rotation. It would be fun to play the lottery for pipes on ebay, but I think the chase would
take my mind off the item in question. I think I'd have to buy a lot of pipes I didn't like that much to learn enough
not to get gamed.
my attention focused on that -- its traits, provenance, comparative price, etc. etc., and where it will fit with
my other pipes in the rotation. It would be fun to play the lottery for pipes on ebay, but I think the chase would
take my mind off the item in question. I think I'd have to buy a lot of pipes I didn't like that much to learn enough
not to get gamed.
+1 with escioe
Having watched thousands of auctions over the years, I know better than to harbor any expectations on the outcome. I'll bid what I think the dingus is worth to me and if I win, great, and if not, "next!"
Great deals are not what eBay is about. There are a few, precious few, usually the result of a seller doing a really bad job of listing so that his item goes unnoticed by its potential market. But even in that instance a lot of people know how to look for mistakes to take advantage of them, with the result that the price spirals up anyway.
I haven't scored any super deals like some that get mentioned here, but I've had a few good ones, like a beautiful Barling Quaint that I picked up for around $90, and a group of 12 pipes that I bought for $400, which included a Barling straight grain, 3 Sasieni 8 dots, two Sasieni 4 dots, two Comoy Blue Ribands and four lesser pipes, all in pristine condition. Thousands of auctions tracked, only a few great deals.
Having watched thousands of auctions over the years, I know better than to harbor any expectations on the outcome. I'll bid what I think the dingus is worth to me and if I win, great, and if not, "next!"
Great deals are not what eBay is about. There are a few, precious few, usually the result of a seller doing a really bad job of listing so that his item goes unnoticed by its potential market. But even in that instance a lot of people know how to look for mistakes to take advantage of them, with the result that the price spirals up anyway.
I haven't scored any super deals like some that get mentioned here, but I've had a few good ones, like a beautiful Barling Quaint that I picked up for around $90, and a group of 12 pipes that I bought for $400, which included a Barling straight grain, 3 Sasieni 8 dots, two Sasieni 4 dots, two Comoy Blue Ribands and four lesser pipes, all in pristine condition. Thousands of auctions tracked, only a few great deals.
Well, I did get the Barling Regency Exel TVF for $44.80 plus $6 shipping tonight. It is a bent apple with bird's eye grain. Seller stated that the pipe has been refurbished and the photos of it looked like it was a very good condition. One really never knows until it's smoked.
I look for "ugly duckling" pipes near the end of their listing time with no bids. Then, with less then a minute to go I'll plug in my highest bid. If I get it, great. If not....oh well, there will be many more listings. I never want to get into bidding wars for shiney pipes everybody wants.
"...but I've had a few good ones, like a beautiful Barling Quaint that I picked up for around $90, and a group of 12 pipes that I bought for $400, which included a Barling straight grain, 3 Sasieni 8 dots, two Sasieni 4 dots, two Comoy Blue Ribands and four lesser pipes, all in pristine condition"
Hmmm...I think I would definitely call those two "good" deals!
Dave
Hmmm...I think I would definitely call those two "good" deals!
Dave
I used to write sellers and give them info if they were lacking with a poorly informed listing, like a guy who had a very old unsmoked Barling's Make and had no idea what he actually had --- I thought the good karma would come my way, and indeed it has a few times, but I don't do that anymore, a seller who is too lazy to do simple research deserves what they get, just about anything regarding old pipes is easily online now, much to the detriment of enthusiasts because that means really good deals are more scarce, but the info is also helpful to enthusiasts 'cause that's what it's all about--- I guess it's a double edged sword.
I'll never forget the guy who popped up on SmokersForum who had found an old unopened cutter-top of Marcovitch in an attic somewhere or something, looking online he likely got the info that a Marcovitch tin like his was worth something, he was astute enough to note that none of the other tins he had seen online were striped like his, which made it an earlier example, but he totally mangled the thing, he opened it with a dull butterknife or something, I mean it was sad looking! I told him that the best thing about opening a cutter-top is using the actual knife-lid to open it with LOL I guess that's why some cutter-tops included instructions for use LOL duh? The really hilarious thing is that he still thought his tin was worth a million dollars or something, somebody probably did end up buying it from him, but I doubt for very much, I think he also wrote to both Fred Hanna and Neil A. Roan about it all --- that's the thing when esoteric info is at fingertip, some people misinterpret things and think they've hit the jackpot, like all those ever-hopeful hucksters with rusted empty Sobranie tins asking a ridiculous $100 or something LOL
Like this poorly listed item, it may get noticed or it may not, at least it's got a 9 day span, and I'm sure folks will take notice, but his traffic would be alot better if the listing title was improved...
QUANTITY OF WOODEN PIPES AND SMOKING ITEMS
...somebody might get lucky on some nice Dunhills,
free shipping in country, so UK brothers might wanna keep an eye and see how it goes,
maybe I'm spoiling it for someone by talking about it? I hope not.
I'll never forget the guy who popped up on SmokersForum who had found an old unopened cutter-top of Marcovitch in an attic somewhere or something, looking online he likely got the info that a Marcovitch tin like his was worth something, he was astute enough to note that none of the other tins he had seen online were striped like his, which made it an earlier example, but he totally mangled the thing, he opened it with a dull butterknife or something, I mean it was sad looking! I told him that the best thing about opening a cutter-top is using the actual knife-lid to open it with LOL I guess that's why some cutter-tops included instructions for use LOL duh? The really hilarious thing is that he still thought his tin was worth a million dollars or something, somebody probably did end up buying it from him, but I doubt for very much, I think he also wrote to both Fred Hanna and Neil A. Roan about it all --- that's the thing when esoteric info is at fingertip, some people misinterpret things and think they've hit the jackpot, like all those ever-hopeful hucksters with rusted empty Sobranie tins asking a ridiculous $100 or something LOL
Like this poorly listed item, it may get noticed or it may not, at least it's got a 9 day span, and I'm sure folks will take notice, but his traffic would be alot better if the listing title was improved...
QUANTITY OF WOODEN PIPES AND SMOKING ITEMS
...somebody might get lucky on some nice Dunhills,
free shipping in country, so UK brothers might wanna keep an eye and see how it goes,
maybe I'm spoiling it for someone by talking about it? I hope not.
I've done that any number of times. I hate to see someone shoot themselves in the foot. Two sellers actually thanked me by sending me pipes from their dad, or granddad's collection!
That $90 quaint was one instance where I read that the seller was listing the pipe for a friend, the first of what he said would be many, and I contacted him with a couple of suggestions regarding how he could do better for his friend, including better photos and correct naming.
His photos were dark, bad angles, and not appealing. He didn't refer to the pipe as a quaint. The seller essentially did nothing right. He responded with a "thank you" and said that he was happy with the listing as it stood. Seven days later, I bought the pipe for $90.
He went on to badly list another pipe, which sold for next to nothing. Evidently his friend decided to stop the bleeding as the other promised auctions were never listed.
The $400 dollar deal happened because that seller, a deacon of a church in the Chicago area, took a couple of very bad photos of the group. I recognized the shapes even before I saw the stampings. I contacted the seller and asked for more pictures, which he was happy to supply, shooting exactly what I asked him to shoot. For whatever reason, he didn't post those extra shots to the listing. Seven days later, I bought the lot for $400.
There have been a couple of other good deals, like a barely smoked Blue Riband Canadian that I picked up for $6. But in general, those kinds of deals are almost nonexistent.
You're much more likely to find very bad deals on ebay.
I think the best deals I ever got on "collectable" pipes, were a Blue Riband, in excellent condition,listed with a BIN price of $100, and a Barling's Make with a small exterior burn mark, not a burnout, but a left in the ashtray with a cig, for $37. Both within the last year. I've also informed sellers about certain listings, and what needs to be shown in the pictures. A Sasieni One Dot comes to mind.
I was fortunate to find a Dunhill in a 3 pipe lot this week...the seller didn't list any pipe descriptions...I emailed and asked for the names on the sides of the pipes..once he verified it was a Dunhill...very poor pictures...I clicked the buy it now button and got the lot for $15....doesn't happen often, but I got lucky on this one...waiting for it to be delivered this weekend
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