To Sell Or Not To Sell

[shaintiques]

That is the question I'm pondering. I think I have been asked at least twice this week how many pipes I have. And the more I smoke the more I realize that my rotation on the whole is pretty small, problem is I love pipes. There are some that don't get smoked much but when I do smoke them I enjoy it and enjoy looking at the grain or the shape. There are other acquisitions that have little sentimental value to me but I still enjoy their look. All that being said I have been considering selling some mainly to use on stocking my cellar, but I think I may regret the sales later. So I'm stuck contemplating. The other side of it is I don't want good pipes going to waste on my shelf. They were made to be smoked and enjoyed. Time will tell which way the scale will tip.

 

[hugodrax]

If I may add something, I'd say that a bunch of pipes isn't as important as many make it out to be. Oh, I've acquired a lot, but I only smoke a few. I'd say keep the things that make you most happy.

 

[elbert]

I have only four briars, and already I can tell that if my collection expanded much more that some just wouldn't get smoked. So I'm slowing down. I'll start to buy less frequently and spend more when I do, knowing that I'll end up with something I'll be happy to have as a friend for life.
Sell.

 

[snagstangl]

I am trying to remember when i asked my self last time in sold off a bunch. I think one question is how much would you spend to get that pipe again? Also can I get that pipe again? Then how much does aged tobacco cost?
I know some of the pipes I kept were a small blasted barlings make billard pipe, with a replacement stem, and a 3 digit shape code. I paid 40 bucks for it, no way in heck i would be able to replace it for even close to that price as far as I can tell. Smokes effortlessly.
Also another was a comoy london pride, again replacement stem, bent bulldog. smokes well, and i can feel the awesome grain when I hold it.
I think you have more sentimental pipes than I do. Don't sell those. But I have a few i bought that are sitting, and I dont use them. Im getting ready to sell those my self. I know this isn't an answer but just some factors i used.

 

[warren]

Some need to amass, others need only what they use. You'll have to decide who you are. Sorry! Maybe you are a combination of both. Interesting position to be in. Kick back and enjoy!
If I was in your situation I'd slow down on buying pies, get more selective and work on the cellar. Or, I might forget about the cellar and concentrate on the pipes. Still yet I might sell only the pipes I really do not enjoy and buy blends. On the other hand I could . . .

 

[mrenglish]

If you think you might regret it later, then do not sell that piece. Otherwise, sell them or trade for tobacco. I have gone through many pipes over my two decades of smoking but only regret a few I traded.
Otherwise, I am with Warren.

 

[gloucesterman]

If you feel an attachment to a pipe or pipes then don't sell. As has been said it might never be able to be replaced. Just enjoying the shape or look of a pipe IMHO justifies its existence in your collection. I have about 50. Some get smoked a lot, some only once in a while. I still have the first pipes I ever bought just because they bring back great memories. I like Warren's advice, slow down on new purchases and focus on your cellar. When you sell off a pipe it's not just an object, it's part of your journey.

 

[philobeddoe]

You can never get them back! If you are on the fence with a pipe, then keep it, it doesn't cost you anything to keep it racked. If you really believe that you've outgrown one or more pipes then you might try this; put the pipes you are considering selling into their pouches and place them in a shoe box near the rest of your pipes. Give it three months and see if you miss any of those pipes, if you took them out and smoked them or if you were fine letting them go, at least you will have given yourself a chance to reconsider letting them go.

 

[misterlowercase]

If you really believe that you've outgrown one or more pipes then you might try this; put the pipes you are considering selling into their pouches and place them in a shoe box near the rest of your pipes. Give it three months and see if you miss any of those pipes, if you took them out and smoked them or if you were fine letting them go, at least you will have given yourself a chance to reconsider letting them go.

That's some great advice Philo!

:clap:
I'm currently in the middle of thinning my herd.
I thought it'd be depressing, but it's actually liberating.
I even sold the first pipe I bought, a Stanwell Bishop, yet that pipe somehow lives on and it lives in my memory forever because for a long while I only had one pipe and that was it and it got taxed pretty hard and withstood it all with a forgiving grace. I like to imagine it now as serving someone else well and giving the same pleasure it gave me.
But, as many have said,

go with your heart for it tells all.
The conflict between logic and romance can be a intriguing battle,

but the contemplative nature of the inner-dialogue may also be fruitful.
::

 

[allan]

I'm not sentimental when it comes to objects. I've just sold the first dunhill I ever bought and I'm happy it's gone. When I purchased it off of fleabay, I knew less than nothing about pipes and just knew that dunhill was the best
Yeas later, well...
I agree with Philo, but I think we all know which pipes we reach for every day
I say, get rid of those thar are occupying space and time and let someone else enjoy them!

 

[voorhees]

Dave, I am also contemplating thinning the herd of some less used pipes. Namely my 1926 Dunhill. I never smoke it as I am afraid of possible damage to it at any time. I really want a birth year that I'd actually smoke and enjoy. That 1926 is a collectors item. I have reached just over fifty pipes and have slowed down purchasing any. I want a commission Lovat, but that's it. I rarely smoke more than 6-7 pipes on rotation, but smoke the others once in a while.

 

[jkrug]

That's a tough spot to be in?? Let them go if you can get by without them but keep them if you think you will regret it later. Sounds simple but maybe not so much? ::

 

[mranglophile]

SO timely...I have 12 pipes in a box right now...debating on trading to smokingpipes.com for a Dunhill or sending to Senior Pipestud for cash...so many decisions.

 

[seacaptain]

My philosophy is that less is more. I'd rather have a fewer things of high quality than many things, pipes or otherwise. I'm just getting started and only have 3 pipes. I can't see myself ever having more than a 7 day rotation and 5 will probably be my limit.

 

[smoothsailing]

I recently asked myself the same question,with a little push from my wife.

I have been restoring for my own smoking/collecting purposes going on 5 years now and realized my collection was far more then any one man needed.In the beginning it was a spare time/weekend hobby but in the past two years my body began to break down and was unable to work any longer,so my hobby became my daily escape and my collection grew to a ridiculous 200+ pipes .I started off selling unfinished projects that I lost interest in or pipes acquired in lots ,then moved to a collection of Sasieni Two Dots

that I bought from an estate 3years ago unsmoked in their original boxes.I kept the two out of the eight I most liked and passed the rest on to people who would use them for their purpose.Im down to 80 pipes now and still selling each weekend.

I haven't regretted parting with any and now have a bit more cash on hand for the tobacco/occasional pipe I can't live without.

 

[xrundog]

I am constantly acquiring pipes. But I want to keep a manageable number. So for some years the number hovered below a hundred. As I bought more pipes, I'd identify others I probably won't smoke again for one reason or another. Pipes don't always work out as well as one hopes. I didn't, and don't, have a problem passing those pipes on.

 

[cigrmaster]

If a pipe of mine does not get constant use then I get rid of it. I deplore looking at a pipe that just sits in my rack and barely gets used. I say dump them if you are not smoking them on a regular basis.

 

[mso489]

I like philo's suggestion, put the "maybe's" aside for a few months and see how you do without them. I've culled my pipes twice about two years apart, and after long consideration, and felt good about both experiences. I traded them to smokingpipes.com for store credit and bought pipes I enjoy regularly. The only pipe I regret sending away was a gift to a friend, who gave up smoking (Luckies) years ago but just wanted a few pipes for his bachelor pad. One of them, a no-name "Made In London" had a cracked stem and I now I wish I'd had it repaired, but I'm also glad he has it. Usually, trading five or six pipes toward one you have considered for some weeks/months is a good swap. On the other hand, gift pipes, your first pipe(s), and anything with memorable association, keep 'em, and if possible, smoke 'em.

 

[allan]

My philosophy is that less is more. I'd rather have a fewer things of high quality than many things, pipes or otherwise. I'm just getting started and only have 3 pipes. I can't see myself ever having more than a 7 day rotation and 5 will probably be my limit.

Seacaptain
Talk to us in a year or so. Lol

 

[pruss]

Less is not more.
More is more.
But a collection is about nuance, aesthetic, mood, spirit and so much more than more, and more than less. I do get caught up and invested in things....
Dave, if you have pipes that you don't like... Move them on to new homes. If you have pipes that you still like, but don't smoke, I vote for putting them into deep storage. Your tastes may change, and you might find those old friends bring new joy down the road.
-- Pat