Sell or keep?

[ssjones]

Schrier mentions this in his book, "Confessions of a Pipeman". He advocates buy the pipes you enjoy and smoke them, and not to look at them as an investment. If you decide to smoke a little used pipe and get half back from your original purchase, consider yourself lucky. That sounds about right to me.

 

[yachtexplorer]

Keep the ones you love to smoke, sell the others and buy some more...repeat...repeat...repeat

 

[stogie37]

Although they would not qualify as true high end ($$) pipes, I certainly was aware that my Ashton collection would likely maintain very healthy resale values if & when my tastes changed. I purchased them due to the smoking quality, the legacy and the beauty. The small spread in new purchase price to what they were realizing on the estate market at the time, just meant that my pipe purchasing dollars had "legs". I built my collection through the late 90's to mid 2000's, and when I sold the majority of them, I was very pleased with the return.

 

[zanthal]

+whatever the count is now for ohin’s statement.
I have more pipes than I need, admittedly, but I like them all.

 

[barkar]

How would one know what a future worth of his pipe is?

 

[superbob]

It will soon be discovered that Dunhills have actually been made in China for the last 75 years! :twisted:
Nah. I can't answer because I smoke all my pipes.

 

[ssjones]

How would one know what a future worth of his pipe is?

Thats where the speculation set in...
Big names, Castello, S. Bang, Dunhill, etc. are pretty safe bets to hold a good value.

 

[saint]

Like everything else, a pipe is worth what somone is willing to pay for it.

 

[rigmedic1]

Sell my pipes? NEVER!!!! I would give them away first.

 

[matchstickman]

I think the most that I have ever paid for a pipe was $40 for my brand new Wellington. I am not big on buying high end pipes because I believe that after a certain dollar amount, you are just paying for asthetics. My pipes are instruments for smoking tobacco, not collectors pieces that I hope to profit from. I like my pipes and like smoking them and dont think I could ever bring myself to get rid of them.

 

[nightmarejones]

I personally am in both boats...Sort of....I have recently started to buy estate pipes that I like and restore them and if I don't fall in love with them in the first bowl I put them in the sell rack...Is this weird?

 

[bigvan]

In my opinion, there’s a HUGE difference between “functional” and “well made”. In a well made pipe, the bowl and draft chamber are properly drilled, the walls are of sufficient thickness, the mortise depth is almost EXACTLY the same as the length of the tenon, the briar has been sufficiently aged and cured, the bit is thin, comfortable and of quality material, etc. All of this takes more time, skill and material than what’s available at the lower end. And that doesn’t even take into account the artistry of a carver.

 

[nightmarejones]

I agree Bigvan unfortunately I have yet to smoke a "high-end" pipe so I don't really have room to talk although my OTC estates are fine for now

 

[stogie37]

....I have recently started to buy estate pipes that I like and restore them and if I don't fall in love with them in the first bowl I put them in the sell rack...Is this weird?

I run along the same lines as this nightmarejones, I give them more than one smoke though! usually, after about 6 smokes if they are consistently difficult/unenjoyable - off they go.