James Upshall - Am I Missing Something?

[craig61a]

I usually check the estate drop twice a week to see what’s doing, and get a feel for what’s moving and prices.

I’m always interested in Upshalls.

This early 90’s ‘A’ kinda threw me for a loop. In the scheme of things this is on the low end of the grading, one step above the lowest grade that got the James Upshall name. Recall that the grading, from lowest to highest was: S, A, P, B, G, E, X, XX.

Just a few years ago I could’ve bought an E for that kind of money…

 

[lraisch]

I wonder if SP uses their marketing muscle to try and drive the pricing in the market. I noticed this when the prices of Savinelli Autographs increased sharply shortly, after the acquisition of the distributorship.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I wonder if SP uses their marketing muscle to try and drive the pricing in the market. I noticed this when the prices of Savinelli Autographs increased sharply shortly, after the acquisition of the distributorship.

It may be fuel costs and inflation. IMPs recently went up $30-$60.

 

[captainsousie]

In this case it is an unsmoked pipe from the most desirable era of Upshall production. No more of them (that era) are going to be made. Still priced about 25% too high in my opinion but SP also has the reputation to pull off the increased price.

 

[Jimmy_Jack]

Its SP. They are blasted Petersons for $225.

 

[burleybreath]

They know the market. I fairly recently traded in two pipes to SP and was embarrassed by what they offered me. Of course I took the offer, embarrassment being no match for greed. I was further embarrassed by their asking price when they finally went up for sale. I thought they had really f'ed up. One sold almost instantly, and the other within a week. These were not of a premium marque. I was thinking in two figures, they in three. Markets move.

 

[cigrmaster]

Over the years I have owned a few Upshall's. They all smoked fine, but they used the cheap sulfur laden vulcanite for their stems. If you looked at them funny they would oxidize. I decided they were too much works especially since I could get the high quality German vulcanite for roughly the same cost.

 

[simong]

There's a nearly identical A grade on ebayuk, new old stock & buy it now price of £100.

 

[kcghost]

Prices are going up a on just about everything.

 

[ssjones]

Yikes, that is way off the mark for an A grade.
On Ebay, P grades are in the $225 or so range. (but also say best offer, so the final is not known)
A rare E grade, sold by top seller, Great Estate, just went past $300 a few weeks ago.
If SP can get that kind of money for an A grade, bravo, I bet they won't have any takers at that price.
The market does fluctuate, but JamesUpshallPipeCo on Ebay, ruined that brand.

AWESOME! James Upshall E GRADE STRAIGHT GRAIN APPLE FREEHAND ENGLISH Estate Pipe | eBay

It is a gorgeous example of the legendary English HAND MADE pipemaking tradition. It is in fantastic condition, with gorgeous grain and a near perfect original stem! It has BREAUTIFUL 360 STRAIGHT GRAIN, with birdseye filling the heel and rim!

www.ebay.com

 

[sablebrush52]

Prices are going up a on just about everything.

Yes, it is, except for the Stock Market. The solution will be at hand, a recession or two, to cool down the spiral, like happened in the '70's.
The financial collapse of 2007-8 did seem to lower prices of prime Britwood a little.

 

[cigrmaster]

You couldn't pay me to buy another Upshall unless I sent it out to a repair guy who knows how to work with German vulcanite I don't care how good it looks or smokes, I don't do shit vulcanie.

 

[anotherbob]

oh and also it's amazing how much more knowledgable people are about different pipe brands these days. Collecting is more main stream then it's ever been. Heck I bet every single person who's been here for a month could name more pipe brands then most smokers I knew in the pre internet days ever could. I know I've seen more pipe brands in the last few years then I even knew existed. Never heard of Savs until this forum.

 

[craig61a]

In this case it is an unsmoked pipe from the most desirable era of Upshall production.

IMHO the glory days of Upshall were 1978 - 1989. After that Barry had to devote more time to running the business, and quality took a slight hit.

After Moti bought the business in 1996 the quality became even less and Moti capitalized on the brand name.

 

[craig61a]

You couldn't pay me to buy another Upshall unless I sent it out to a repair guy who knows how to work with German vulcanite I don't care how good it looks or smokes, I don't do shit vulcanie.

I do…



I’ve never had any issues with the vulcanite blanks Upshall used, whether they were the ones from New York or Jeantet in France. With a little maintenance and proper storage I haven’t had the issues some people have with discoloration.

 

[craig61a]

Prices are going up a on just about everything.

Except estate pipes in my opinion… Over the last couple years prices have trended downwards from what they were when the economy was going great. Inflation and your money having less value leaves a little less for discretionary spending.

 

[craig61a]

Yikes, that is way off the mark for an A grade.
On Ebay, P grades are in the $225 or so range. (but also say best offer, so the final is not known)
A rare E grade, sold by top seller, Great Estate, just went past $300 a few weeks ago.
If SP can get that kind of money for an A grade, bravo.

Funny thing about pipe grades… Sometimes “1” is at the top of the heap, sometimes it’s at the bottom.

Letter grades get even more confusing in a lot of cases.

Grade A, A number 1 top of the heap… is usually associated with just that.

 

[captainsousie]

IMHO the glory days of Upshall were 1978 - 1989. After that Barry had to devote more time to running the business, and quality took a slight hit.

After Moti bought the business in 1996 the quality became even less and Moti capitalized on the brand name.

I get what you're saying. The thing I seem to remember is that the nomenclature that is not stamped but engraved (probably wrong term) is desired by upshall collectors.

 

[lraisch]

I'm surprised at the comments about Upshall stems. Mine are from the 80s and I have had no particular problems with oxidation. In fact, one of mine has probably the most comfortable stem of any of my pipes.

Now some of my Savinellis from the 70s or 80s have stems with a high sulfur content that will oxidize faster than a bunny on a speed date.

 

[craig61a]

I get what you're saying. The thing I seem to remember is that the nomenclature that is not stamped but engraved (probably wrong term) is desired by upshall collectors.

The initial Upshalls (1978-1983) were stamped. First by hand, and then using a press they got from Sasieni in 1981.

They began using a Hermes engraver to mark the pipes in the Fall of 1983.

The briar they began getting in the mid to late 1980’s was some of the best. That’s not to say that there weren’t some very nice pipes made prior to that.