When Snipers Collide
- Thread starter sablebrush52
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Well the seller is certainly pleased. Problem is the people seeing it think that's the new norm. Sable, your collection gets more valuable every day. Between Harris and who ever this person is you should be able to retire in comfort very soon.
Evidently. So glad that I bought when I did and in the manner I did it. I suppose I should be grateful for idiots.
When I saw the thread title I thought the subject might be this listing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunhill-Pipe-Army-Mount-Shell-Briar-white-dot-Pat-No-1341418-20-March-9-1915-/351682581370
Those buyers, though, were not snipers. They were more like pugilists in a drawn out slug fest.
Watching this Barling listing end added some entertainment to my breakfast.
Those buyers, though, were not snipers. They were more like pugilists in a drawn out slug fest.
Watching this Barling listing end added some entertainment to my breakfast.
Dueling bidders - a testosterone match made in heaven for the sellers. The "winner" sure wanted this here pipe and added two more bids on top just to seal the deal. At least one of them had the brains to realize that these models come up fairly often and sell for a lot less. It must be nice to have a trust fund.
I guess I have sort of a different take on that particular auction that sablebrush52 posted a link to. Having dealt with a lot of collectors over the years (from Grabow to Lars Ivarrson), I have seen or heard about very nice collections that have been acquired through many years of diligently searching for just the right pieces to add to their collections. A lot of those folks have way more patience and dedication than I do.
If he doesn't mind, I'll use daveinlax as a prime example. He's spent decades filling holes in his collection of unbelievably nice Castello Epoca pipes. Dave has really been focused on obtaining representative pieces in many styles. Such focused individuals will work hard at their collecting hobby and will sometimes spend more than any of us would be willing to fork out simply because the piece would be much more meaningful to that person for his/her particular collection. So, while I think that very nice Barling's pipe went for maybe a couple of hundred more than market value, if it is worth it to the winning bidder to get it, then I say more power to him and congrats.
As for me, I just wish I was the seller of that nice pipe. (-;
If he doesn't mind, I'll use daveinlax as a prime example. He's spent decades filling holes in his collection of unbelievably nice Castello Epoca pipes. Dave has really been focused on obtaining representative pieces in many styles. Such focused individuals will work hard at their collecting hobby and will sometimes spend more than any of us would be willing to fork out simply because the piece would be much more meaningful to that person for his/her particular collection. So, while I think that very nice Barling's pipe went for maybe a couple of hundred more than market value, if it is worth it to the winning bidder to get it, then I say more power to him and congrats.
As for me, I just wish I was the seller of that nice pipe. (-;
I find human behavior interesting, and eBay is one way to observe it. I'll track hundreds of auctions every year to see if there are patterns. There are. And over the years I've seen some spectacular over payments caused by sniping at stratospheric prices, like $2300 for a Sasieni viscount Lascelles. They usually went for about $600 in that condition.
Early in my eBay habit I got into a couple of spectacular duels, which fortunately I lost. It's easy to get caught up in the competition and forget that I'm about to pay a multiple of what the market is. The fortunate thought would come to me. "What the hell am I doing!!" and I'd let the other bidder have the prize. No regrets.
It was a nice Barling, though a very small one as it was part of a cased companion set that would fit into one's pocket, not a solitary shape. You can tell that from the proportions.
If I sell my collection, may there be similar characters lurking in the wings!
Early in my eBay habit I got into a couple of spectacular duels, which fortunately I lost. It's easy to get caught up in the competition and forget that I'm about to pay a multiple of what the market is. The fortunate thought would come to me. "What the hell am I doing!!" and I'd let the other bidder have the prize. No regrets.
It was a nice Barling, though a very small one as it was part of a cased companion set that would fit into one's pocket, not a solitary shape. You can tell that from the proportions.
If I sell my collection, may there be similar characters lurking in the wings!
jesse, admit it, you are just pissed you couldn't steal it for the 141.00 you had bid. Up until the last few seconds, you thought you had it won. lol
This example of bidding stupidity could be just as pipestud explained. If I had jesse's collection and I needed a very specific pipe like a 1927, I would over bid to get it. Who knows when next time you will see a pipe like that. I am kicking myself a little because I let a 1957( my birth year) Dunhill go for a reasonable price. The pipe was an ODA so I passed on it because I knew it was too big for flakes. I forgot about the few aromatics I have to smoke as it would have been perfect for them. I should have also been willing to over pay as the 1957's are so rare.
We also don't know if the bidders were from China or Japan where price doesn't seem to be an issue for those guys.
jesse, I feel bad you couldn't steal, since I was the winning bidder, I will sell it to you for 10% over my cost. I know, I am a great guy.
This example of bidding stupidity could be just as pipestud explained. If I had jesse's collection and I needed a very specific pipe like a 1927, I would over bid to get it. Who knows when next time you will see a pipe like that. I am kicking myself a little because I let a 1957( my birth year) Dunhill go for a reasonable price. The pipe was an ODA so I passed on it because I knew it was too big for flakes. I forgot about the few aromatics I have to smoke as it would have been perfect for them. I should have also been willing to over pay as the 1957's are so rare.
We also don't know if the bidders were from China or Japan where price doesn't seem to be an issue for those guys.
jesse, I feel bad you couldn't steal, since I was the winning bidder, I will sell it to you for 10% over my cost. I know, I am a great guy.
According to the XE Currency Converter Website 466.78 GBP is equivalent to $659.56 U.S. Dollars. In the course of just two bids the price jumped $460.34 in U.S. Dollars!
Harris, I wouldn't dream of depriving you of a pipe that exceeded your income for all of 2015.
The bidders could very well have been Asian as you say. One of the issues with these old pipe is that they represent a complete crap shoot. For example, you don't have any idea of the condition of the chamber walls.
The point is that many think sniping guarantees the best deals, and that is a myth. You and I have the same philosophy, we bid what we're willing to pay and walk away. If we win, great, and if we don't, fine. There's always more around the corner.
The only item I ever gave a second thought about not winning was a cased set of Barlings from 1915, which was my father's birth year. But when the duel reached $2500 for the set, I let the other bidder (who was from Singapore) have it. At that time, circa 2005, you could buy a nearly mint cased set for less than half that. Last year I scored a beautiful 1915 billiard for slightly less than 10% of what the other guy paid for that set.
Since you mentioned a Viscount Lascelles, I thought this one went a tad high given it's unrestored condition, but after reading your comment, perhaps not?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Estate-Pipe-Sasieni-Four-Dot-London-Made-Viscount-Lascelles-/272175087687?hash=item3f5ee64047:g:pe4AAOSwP~tW6vSk
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Estate-Pipe-Sasieni-Four-Dot-London-Made-Viscount-Lascelles-/272175087687?hash=item3f5ee64047:g:pe4AAOSwP~tW6vSk
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