Pipes at Flea Markets and Antique Stores

[mso489]

I've been intrigued by some accounts in the Forum, and photos, telling and showing

pipes that have been purchased at flea markets and antique stores, and maybe some

at yard sales. Having been married in 1976, widowered, and married again in 2010,

I've done some antiquing as the hubby companion, and yard sales in the same way.

I've done some flea market prowling on my own too. I can't ever remember seeing

pipes for sale anywhere. Maybe the area was just especially cigarette focused, with

the huge Lucky Strike factory and others right up the road. I'm afraid the prices on

used/estate pipes may have risen now that they are more acceptable. Where have others

found these? Are they still at low prices, or has this market been "discovered?" Seems

like e-bay must pick up a lot of these.

 

[nsfisher]

Dirt cheap here in Nova Scotia Canada, but one must be persistant to find them. Every yard sale I attend in the Summer, I always ask one of the "Old Fellers", "Hey, where are all your pipes?" Sometimes I get lucky, but more often than not, I don't. I picked up a few last summer this way. One in particular, that stands out in my mind is a Butz Choquin that I got for a buck.

 

[cajunguy]

I have found a few estates in flea markets, but not many. I've not found any at a yard sale in my area. There have been a few estate sales with pipes available, but farther away than I was willing to travel at the time. In my limited experience of actually finding estates at markets, however, the prices have been lopsided. For example, the shop owner wanting $60 for a Kaywoodie, but taking $15 for a Lane-era Charatan. I bought a '63 Dunhill Cherrywood for $10. This suggests to me that the market for estate sales is limited enough to where the shop owners price for looks only, not really understanding what they're selling. As it constitutes such a small part of what they sell, they don't see a point in researching things.
This of course is different from area to area, and is only an example of what I have come across. As such, I really think finding them is a matter of pure luck and, if you do, don't be afraid to haggle a bit.
Good luck in your search! This reminds me: I need to check the local flea markets here soon. :puffpipe:

 

[lumberjakpipester]

Here in New-Brunswick, canada, we see mostly Brighams in flea markets and antique shops, I found around 20 through the years. Great pipes and most of them for less than 10$.

 

[voorhees]

I find most if not all my estate pipes at antique shops or at a great little cigar shop in a nearby town. I have not found any Dunhills, but many of the ones I find are usually GBD's/BBB/Kaywoodie/Sani/Ben Wade varieties. Usually I buy on condition and price as I clean them up and smoke them, not for resale.

Some are interesting and smoke great.

 

[nightmarejones]

Around here it's both Flea markets and Antique shops.I once got a lot of 4 pipes for $5 at the flea and just recently got a deal from the local-ish antique shop I get most of my pipes from, 2 no-name pipes and an old GBD Ebony for $25

 

[nsfisher]

Yup true nuff rothnh. On the bike in the summer weekends, we may stop at 20-30 yrd sales in a single afternoon.

 

[captainsousie]

How hard you look, how much time you spend, how much you know, is directly related to what you find.

I agree up to the point where there is just not the supply in the area. I have to travel a couple hundred miles to find tolerable to good picking ground for pipes. I picked the local scene clean in about 3 days. Sure, I keep an eye out but a town of 18,000 just doesn't generate a lot of new stock.

 

[fnord]

My job keeps me on the road and I cover the eastern half of Kansas and a slice of western Missouri.
Thanks to Mistress Suri on my iPhone, in the past twelve months, I've bagged a six pack of Tracy Mincer "Doodler" burners, a very vintage three dollar Dunhill from the late 30's, three Comoys of varying grades and smokeability and a Savinelli Estella that butts heads with my Nording, GBDs, Josts and Danish Ben Wades for prize bull status. (Thank you, Old Cajun, for telling me to buy the damned pipe!)
Yard sales, normally, won't generate a decent return on investment if you're after estate pipes. But the stores that handle their aftermath will pay dividends. Build up a relationship with the clerks who service your local antique shops and flea markets. Greasing them a five dollar bill, from time to time, next to a two hundred dollar find is pretty cheap insurance.
Cheers.
Fnord

 

[fishnbanjo]

I always hit yard sales with books, pipes, bamboo fly rods and Nikon camera lenses on my radar. Here in Maine the majority seems to be Peretti, Perkins and Ehrlich pipes (all local tobacconists in Mass). My best pipe find consisted of a cased Peterson pre-republic with an amber p-lip, a Shamrock inscribed Peterson pre-republic with hallmark silver band and a pre WW I Dunhill group size 1 with a real ivory spot for $1 each.

 

[fnord]

Killer finds, Fish. Isn't it a gas making scores like those?
Fnord

 

[jeffboyrd]

I never thought of garage sales, Are you telling me I have to figure out how to balance my Saturday morning trout fishing with yard sales this summer

 

[fishnbanjo]

Killer finds, Fish. Isn't it a gas making scores like those?
Fnord

Yes and all at the same yard sale and only 5 pipes total the others were broken.

I never thought of garage sales, Are you telling me I have to figure out how to balance my Saturday morning trout fishing with yard sales this summer

Well there's always night fishing!

 

[mso489]

Lots of intriguing ideas here. You need an area that has had a population of pipe smokers in

the past, which varies geographically, yet an area where there isn't already a brisk market in

estate pipes. Old used pipes become estate pipes once they encounter pipe smokers. If I turned

up an fine old Dunhill, let alone a classic Danish or Italian handmade, for garage sale prices,

I'd be beside myself. Thanks for some good ideas on how to go looking. Any other ideas?

Anyone else out there?

 

[drwatson]

I have found some nice ones at places like this, but far a few in between. Usually some junk pipe that someone is asking way more that its worth.

 

[teufelhund]

Actual estate sales are fun; you can find lots of cool stuff in junk drawers and bins that people just sell in bulk. I bought a whole drawer that was full of pipe stuff only a brylon and MM pipewise but also a super sweet Nimrod lighter. Also it pays to help people clean out relatives or friends houses a lot of people would just throw that kind of stuff away. Save the pipes! Happy hunting.

 

[andrew]

All but one pipe I own come from an antique shop and the most I've spent is 28$ for a meershaum. All the rest have been 12$, my latest best find was a Stanton #88 for 12$. I only buy pipes in good shape.

 

[rhogg]

Here in Via Beach they want premium money for dirty old beat up pipes.

 

[rhogg]

Here in Via Beach they want premium money for dirty old beat up pipes.

 

[krizzose]

I've been striking out as well. I've been to 2 of the biggest permanent flea markets in town, the local farmer's market flea market, and a couple of big antique stores in the past few months and have found very little. The handful of pipes I've seen were all complete junk. I suspect these dealers are all well aware of the estate pipe market and know that online sales (either Ebay or consignment dealers) is the best way to maximize price.