Very Interesting Happening at Smoking Pipes

[cigrmaster]

I have been a customer for over 20 years and I don't remember a time when the list of estate pipes was so short. A year ago there would be over 100 estate pipes just in the American section. Over all there were hundreds of estates and some very nice pipes for the money, Now we are lucky to get 90 pipes listed over the entire estate pipe section.

I just checked SP Europe and they have around 350-400 estate pipes and we have 99 this update. I am guessing of course but I would imagine the profit margins are higher in Europe and Sp is going where the money is. Very interesting business decision and I cannot blame them one bit.

 

[kcghost]

Well, if that's the case then more power to them.

 

[STP]

Yup, numbers are down, but I never gave it a lot of thought as to the reason. I thought that I read somewhere that their restoration staff was limited due to COVID, and they have a pipe restorer vacancy posted on their site. So, perhaps it’s just a staffing issue… but IDK for sure.

 

[anotherbob]

I have been a customer for over 20 years and I don't remember a time when the list of estate pipes was so short. A year ago there would be over 100 estate pipes just in the American section. Over all there were hundreds of estates and some very nice pipes for the money, Now we are lucky to get 90 pipes listed over the entire estate pipe section.

I just checked SP Europe and they have around 350-400 estate pipes and we have 99 this update. I am guessing of course but I would imagine the profit margins are higher in Europe and Sp is going where the money is. Very interesting business decision and I cannot blame them one bit.

I think estate pipes have gone up in esteem and the idea of pipe collecting has spread. I mean I've always known pipe collectors but most smokers when I started would call me a collector with ten pipes. And even on forums you can see a far lower percentage of people who are adverse to the idea of owning another mans pipe. None of that's new but it's in the process of becoming more main stream and less taboo. When I first heard of estates it was you can get a nice pipe if you're poor or a rare pipe if you are lucky. Now it's it's a great deal.
I think the fact that it's easier for sellers to show how they clean the pipe and also for me or you or anyone to look up how to restore and clean and old pipe. The down sides just aren't as steep as they used to be. I would bet that the increase in the market share of estates has grown ridiculously in recent years.
See the thing is I've noticed something different. I've noticed that estate pipes move a lot faster then they did even a few years ago. It used to be you could take your time and consider if you wanted it and have a good chance of getting the pipe, now it seems like you better make your mind up fast.
Additionally Europe has more engrained pipe culture then America does. I find talking to Europeans and Americans that Americans are more likely to see pipes more like a fancy pants cigarette where not as likely with Europeans. And if you look at percentages of pipe smokers compared to the general population many European countries have a much higher percentage. Which means a lot more pipes to send in and also probably a very different collectors scene. (things that are normalized are much less likely to be collected, people collect quirks).

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

I have been a customer for over 20 years and I don't remember a time when the list of estate pipes was so short. A year ago there would be over 100 estate pipes just in the American section. Over all there were hundreds of estates and some very nice pipes for the money, Now we are lucky to get 90 pipes listed over the entire estate pipe section.

I just checked SP Europe and they have around 350-400 estate pipes and we have 99 this update. I am guessing of course but I would imagine the profit margins are higher in Europe and Sp is going where the money is. Very interesting business decision and I cannot blame them one bit.

I think this has more to do with employee shortages than anything else. If you check their hiring page they're looking for Pipe Restorers. And their About Us Staff List for Estates shows only Adam Davidson the Estate Manager and one Pipe Restorer Russ Davison.

So it seems like there's only one guy, Russ, cleaning up the estates right now. I wouldn't be surprised if they have a pretty sizeable backlog of unprocessed estates. It'll probably sort itself out once they onboard some more people.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

So, you say that their shipping all of our good American estate pipes off to the Old Countries, eh.

 

[greeneyes]

They don't sell tobacco. What the hell else would they do? Pipes, estate or otherwise, seems to be all they've got.

 

[mso489]

I've noticed that. The numbers of pipes are down, and they seem to be proportionately more higher priced pipes. When I trade in pipes, I sometimes go back to see if they are offered, and they are not. I assumed they were being sold in the store as basket pipes, but maybe they are going to overseas markets that are more profitable. I think SP is managed at a high level, both in customer service, but also as a profit making business. They are the model for how to retail pipes and tobacco, from what I can see. I'm not a Dunhill/White Spot guy, but I greatly admire the way they repositioned their products to be just about the highest priced factory pipes in the world. That's some shrewd business sense. Can't fault them. I do admire that. I still think they are wildly overpriced, but you couldn't do that for long with a shabby product.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Fortunately, I have enough. It is some new pipe smoker person's time.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I'm not sure it's just a lack of personnel. They were offering an extra 5% for trade-ins in January.

 

[swilford]

Yup, numbers are down, but I never gave it a lot of thought as to the reason. I thought that I read somewhere that their restoration staff was limited due to COVID, and they have a pipe restorer vacancy posted on their site. So, perhaps it’s just a staffing issue… but IDK for sure.

This ^

We've been short handed in restoration for the past few weeks and the update numbers have suffered.

We've also not had quite as much supply in the past eighteen months or so, but that seems to be getting better.

Sykes

 

[swilford]

I'm not sure it's just a lack of personnel. They were offering an extra 5% for trade-ins in January.

Yes, see above. Supply has been down a little over the past while, but the real immediate problem--that's harder to buffer--has been lots of people out during the most recent Covid wave (no one seriously ill, but we had lots of folks out for most of January). We were already a bit short-handed in restoration.

Sykes

 

[Brewfan]

I blew it on the extra 5% deal. I had three Savinellis lined up to go with the intent to load up on bulk tobacco with the credit, just never got around to sending them. Still ordered the tobacco though ?