Pipe Prices On The Rise???

Subject: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:38 am

Has anyone else noticed that e-bay pipe prices are on really the rise now? Pipes that were selling for $100- last year are now in the $125-$140- range! Also, pipes on carver's sites seem to dissapear within hours of their posting. Estate pipe dealers seem to be doing well too as several pipes I was interested in the piperack's reminder last week went very quickly!..

It seems that we're back in a definite "seller's market" again folks!

Best,
Dock

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Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:27 am

Tax return time.

Weak dollar also.

I did get a reasonable bargain on eBay last night. Those Dunhill Murray tins selling for huge sums. A few went much more reasonable last night. I bid on a couple. Got one. But I made minimum bids, so I was easy pickings for a snipe.
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Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:15 pm

Naw Carlos,

everyone read this post from Dock yesterday and reacted accordingly...

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:24 pm

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:35 am

As Carlos said, a weak dollar. Anything coming out of Europe is over inflated!
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Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:58 pm

Well, according to what I sold both here and on e-bay they certainly are on the rise! I'll give an example.I bought a large new and unsmoked Italian pipe at a show three years ago for $200-. I smoked that pipe once and sold it for $225- last week. That is nothing short of amazing! affraid

We are most surely in a seller's market now folks! This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it means that pipe smoking is on the rise and there is a renewed intrest in our little hobby...

Best,
Dock

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Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:30 pm

Joined : 10 Mar 2008 Posts : 7

Am I missing something? Does a $25 profit in 3 years make it a sellers market? Just wondering--I'm kinda new at this.

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:26 pm

Considering it was smoked, yeah probably. Pipes are kind of like cars..most lose half the value as soon as you drive em off the lot. There are a few 'investor' grade pipe makers but Dock really isn't offering this type o pipe. The screwy thing is he is giving these pipes away, most of what he has offered have been snapped up within 24 hrs.

Joined : 10 Mar 2008 Posts : 7

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:02 pm

Joined : 14 Dec 2007 Posts : 10 Location : Canada

Good day all;

As Rad has pointed out pipes are not a wise investment. There are other " goods" that will garner a far better return.

Now to the topic at hand. Are prices on the rise? IMHO I would say no. With the US economy as it is, it is more a buyers market. Yes, on occasion you will see something sell for a high price, but over all prices are down. Your basic group 3 - 4 Dunhill Shell is still a $100.00 - $125.00 pipe, unless in show condition, or very old. A Castello Sea Rock 3 or 4 K is still in the $100.00 - $150.00 range depending on shape, size and age.

A week ago I sold a number of Castello's and some went for UNDER $100.00. That does NOT a sellers market make. I am not complaining either. I am glad that buyers have some great smoking machines.

I would say that right now, IF you do a little looking around and bide your time, you can scoop some awesome deals.

Now if we wish to discuss new pipes, the answer is indeed yes. Prices are on the rise. The Euro value compared to the US dollar has forced a number of over seas carvers to increase prices. So how does this affect the US market? A few ways. First buyers in Europe have a buying advantage as their currency carries a value higher than the US dollar. So a $150.00 US priced pipe is a 100.00 Euro priced pipe. I have seen a dramatic increase in buyers from over seas. Second it slows purchases of Euro carvers goods and US buyers start to look at home. Thus the US carvers sit poised to have some banner sales. IF they offer good quality. Many do. I can look at a number of top US carvers work and IF these were stamped by a noteable Euro carver the price would be close to double.

If you use E-Bay as your ruler for prices, you are getting a false reading. All it takes is a bidding war, a shape to get "hot", or a brand / carver to get "hot", and it appears values increase. The opposite can happen also. If anyone recalls the 1980's and the name Baldi they know what I mean. Here we are in 2008 and Baldi prices have come back to 1980's prices. Prices move up and own. Pipe buyers can be a fickle group. So can pipe sellers and collectors. I can't count how many times I've altered the direction of my collection. These also affect the market. A notebale collection of a certain maker comes available and prices can change. Sometimes up and sometimes down.

I can say this as over the past few years I've been fortuante enough to have gone through this for clients. 40 + Barbi's at one time. 30 + Ruthenberg's at one time. Over the past year 100+ high end Castello's with more to come. Each from a single ( but different ) client.

There is no real buyers or sellers market. There are bargains and there are also not bargains. Those that do their homework will find the bargains.

Regards
Michael J. Glukler

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:33 am

I agree 100% with Rad & Mike G.

If it came of as me saying pipes are good investments, it was unintended.

I was refering to the UberGrade Pipes that rise in value,usually after the carvers death(Sixten and Bo come to mind). As I said the vast majority of pipes lose value as soon as you touch them.

FWIW: if you haven't checked out www.briarblues.com do so. Mr G's site is like getting the Uptowns Estate Catalog everyday.

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:16 am

MG & Rad........Thank you for the informative input. Especially coming from two suchhighly-esteemed gentlemen!!! Gracias, FTRPLT

Subject: Re: Pipe Prices On The Rise??? Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:35 am

If anyone could comment accurately on pipe prices it would be Mike as he's one of the net's leading sellers of highgrades...

My view may be slightly skewed as most of the estate pipes I sold were purchased when prices WERE quite low in 2003-2004.

Of course anything new coming out of Europe is higher than this time last year as the dollar is so weak vs the Euro.

So, perhaps it's a bad time to buy new european pipes and a good time to buy American & European estates...

Dock
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