What are your feelings on starting prices for pipes on ebay?

[cigrmaster]

A starting price means nothing to me. Depending on the pipe I put a value on it after I have done my research. If I want the pipe, I will put my high bid in and then see what happens. I never go higher on said pipe as that starts a bidding war which I have no interest participating in.
My system has been working nicely as I have won 4 auctions and lost one in the last couple of months. I never marry a pipe before the auction, I am always prepared to lose so when I win it is a surprise.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sablebrush, that is not strictly true. As soon as one is outbid, eBay will flood your inbox telling you so and how you must put another bid in to stay in the game. Also, you get reminders of your outbid status everytime you visit the site until either you offer another bid or the auction ends.

Yeah, that's true. Since I never wait around to counter bid, just put in what I'm willing to pay and walk away, I never see these reminders. It's different from being in an auction room.

 

[aristokles]

Interesting question. I do note that well respected pipestud starts his auctions at $0.02 and seems to have no problem generating sales at far higher prices. Consignment sales might act differently though. What do I know?

 

[sablebrush52]

Given the way things are going, I expected to see at least some of the multiple thousands of worthwhile estates in various (call it by its right name) hoards showing up for whatever they'd bring long before now. Dunhills, Castellos and Barlings for $40. Not happening. Yet.

I agree with much of Billkay's post, but I wouldn't plan on the above happening. When the financial panic picked up speed in 2007, total pipe listings on eBay hovered at between 5 and 6 thousand on any given day. By late 2008 we were near 30,000. Clearly, people were getting rid of toys.
I made some reasonably good buys at that time, though even with investment firms crashing, and the world poised on the edge of a total financial collapse, vintage Britwood was selling at pretty good prices. Deals were there, but it took a lot of work to find them.
Prices have definitely risen from that time, but not much when factoring inflation. Even in the years of the "Great Recession", some enthusiasts were spending astronomical prices for pipes. Perhaps the effect is greater with average stuff - mid range. Kind of what happens in any bubble. The average stuff gets inflated much more than the high end. It if deflates, most of that will come from the mid to low end. Kind of like the coming real estate correction.

 

[cigrmaster]

I have not seen much price increase on the pipes that I buy. I have gotten great deals on pipes from the likes of Rad Davis, Brian Ruthenberg and many other artisan pipes. I even got a great deal on a Castello Collection Occhio Di Pernice. I paid 184.00 delivered on that one. I normally see these Castello's for around 350.00. They retail for around 700.00 so the 184.00 I paid was a much less than the going rate but I still see great prices on Sea Rock's and other lower end Castello's. I see the older Caminetto's that were carved by Radice/Ascorti for the same prices as back in the late 90's. Maybe the cheaper pipes are the ones affected by inflation but the middle range has stayed noticeably pretty much the same.
The Pre Trans Barlings I have been buying have all been at prices below market value. I always run the price by jesse as he is the Barling expert at this site and so far he thinks I have done quite well.
I have been buying pipes on ebay since around 1998 and honestly have not seen prices go up that much. I used to buy a lot of Winslows, Upshalls and Viprati's and they are selling for similar prices today.

 

[peteguy]

Unless the person is dead, it was gotten rid of because it wasn't a good smoker, or just quit, or the person smoking it Died.

I have turned over my collection a few times. My tastes have changed, my knowledge has changed and my budget has changed. None of the pipes I sold on ebay were bad smokers, they just didn't fit into my new collection.