Smokingpipes Estate Sale Score
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I really want to add a few pipes to my collection, but I have been directing almost 100% of my smoking-related purchases to blends that might get the axe after May 2021 because of the deeming regs.
Banjo clued me in on the sites that offer it. Good way to grab a $500-$1000 pipe before someone else snatches it.
Thanks for the info. It's definitely a good thing to know. However if I ever see a pipe that I just have to get and fully intend to buy, I'd probably just go ahead and buy it puf
Considering condition it should be more like $1600, tops.
Though in all honesty, I wouldn't be interested at half that price.
Nifty pipes at good prices, and happy smoking to all. When tempted, I lunge to my racks and spot a dozen pipes I haven't smoked lately, and get busy with that. I do like those Ashtons, and say, don't second guess the pipe's history. More than likely, it will be a fine smoker.
I’m glad to hear your Ashton’s are fine smokers! I’m not overly picky about the button, I don’t really clench so as long as it’s not massive like a p-lip then I most likely won’t even notice it. I’ve wanted a Lovat badly for a while now, I’m incredibly excited about owning such a fine one as an Ashton. I was going to go with a Peterson 53 but I think this blows that out of the water.
I'm curious how you determine whether an older pipe is in good condition to smoke. I haven't dropped a load of cash on any pipes yet, but when I'm ready to add to my collection I'd like to get a few pre-war British pipes which I'd plan to smoke regularly. Any advice on what I should look out for in particular, or any links to threads where you've spelled out this kind of thing before? Thanks in advance for any old pipe knowledge you might care to share puf
Lawdog, this knowledge comes from experience, luck, disappointment, etc. I don't think you can tell looking at a few pics on eBay. ? Believe it or not, people will lie to you. That is one advantage to buying from a seller like Smoking Pipes or a Blue Room Briars. They inspect what they sell, are far more knowledgeable than many of us and they tend to stand behind what they sell. BUT you have to pay more for that knowledge than you do spinning the wheel on sites like eBay. Usually they have cleaned the pipe and inspected it for issues. Just my two cents. I've bought from both and now I lean away from sites like eBay unless it's a brand I know a lot about and it is a model I have been looking for.
@trouttimes +1 to the costly mistake. I am in a stage where I really know nothing but still trying to buy. Thankfully no major costly mistakes yet, though it will happen any day.
We are now enemies. You bought it before I could!
I've seen enough and examined enough vintage pipes over many years to spot what is likely not noticeable to most buyers. With that set the effects of being most heartily enjoyed are very clear, there's a certain discoloration of the wood that comes from being smoked hot, significant eroding of the rim due to charring that has been buffed away. I remember the original pictures before they decided to clean them up.
I've been fortunate to be mentored by some of the most knowledgeable people in the pipe community, and I listen and ask questions.
Having bought some significant 19th and early 20th century pipes over the years, I know what I'm looking at, and I know prices pretty well. and I know what years of use can do to a pipe if the use has been less than careful.
I can spot topping, even when well done because it's almost impossible to match the color of a restained rim so that it blends right in at every angle, plus a really crisp rim on a pipe whose contours have softened with years of use is a dead giveaway, as is a restamped stem logo that's absolutely white and crisp on a pipe that's seen a buffer far too many times. I look at inconsistencies for the stories they reveal.
The only reason I deal with eBay is because I find things there that I don't find anywhere else. I'm good enough at "reading" images that I can spot an opportunity, like this one:
and feel relatively secure about bidding on it. Keep in mind that my visual acuity has provided me with a rewarding career for 50 years. I'm not your average viewer.
You're always taking a risk bidding on a pipe on eBay, which is why I never bid on a "no return" auction, or one where the seller claims that his pictures are enough. No pictures are "enough". Sometimes a pipe looks great on the outside and is cinders and ruin on the inside. It's rarely the opposite.
Overall I've done quite well with eBay by being patient. A lot get away, but the ones that I've caught have been excellent buys.
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Thanks, Sable. Seems like with many things, experience is essential to evaluating any given pipe. That one you posted is a beauty. I've seen it before in other threads. It was truly a diamond in the rough when you got it.
I about fell over when I saw that. These days I've just got a few I usually search for, & since Ashton's not one I missed seeing that. If I had I might've dropped hammer on it myself. -sigh-
God blesss Banjo. Still giving even though he's not with us any longer!
Roger that, trout. There are only a few folks I normally buy from on fleabay nowadays, either because I've bought from them before or I know their rep. Doug Valitchka, pipestud, twestpipes, colwright, mr-tvf, & a dozen or so others. I KNOW I can trust them, & in the cases of colwright, pipestud & Doug they often have styles that appeal to me. SPC, P&C, & a few other "retail" sites fall into the same category.
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