Docsknotinn
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As many of you already know Paul Spaniola passed at the end of August this year at age 100. His favorite pipe which is a very rare Dunhill with a Gold Umbrella was stolen at the end of October. Police have recovered the pipe and it's back Home at Paul's Pipe shop in Flint, Mi.
Score one for the good guys! :cheers:
FLINT, MI – A rare $10,000 pipe known as the "Cadillac of pipes" is back home after it was stolen from a Flint tobacco shop the day before Halloween.
The curved Dunhill pipe was one of only 100 made when former Paul's Pipe Shop owner Paul Spaniola bought it for $5,000 sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s, said Dan Spaniola, who now runs the store.
"He just wanted it for his collection," said Dan Spaniola.
The pipe is outfitted with an 18-karat gold umbrella over the bowl and Spaniola figures the pipe has doubled in value over the years.
The pipe sat in a display case at the downtown Flint store for decades but was discovered missing Oct. 31.
When he realized the pipe was gone, Dan Spaniola had an employee call around to pawn shops to see if anyone had tried to sell it.
Sure enough, Dan Spaniola said a pawn shop on Dort Highway told them a man had come in and pawned it for
$400.
The pawn shop took the man's thumb print and information, according to Spaniola, who said he paid the pawn shop $400 to get the pipe back.
Police continue to investigate and there have been no reports of any arrests.
Dan Spaniola said he was upset because the pipe was so special to his father, who died in August at the age of 100.
Paul Spaniola would often show off the pipe to his customers, and thought it was important that it would be displayed. It was among the most valuable and special of the nearly 2,000 pipes he collected over the years, his son said.
"He used it more like a promotion thing," he said.
Spaniola said the theft apparently happened when they were helping other customers. The police report said video surveillance shows two men opening the case and taking the pipe.
Despite the theft, Spaniola wants the pipe to remain in the case for people to see.
"I thought about putting it under lock and key, but that pipe has been in this case since I was a kid," he said. "It feels naked without it."
Score one for the good guys! :cheers:
FLINT, MI – A rare $10,000 pipe known as the "Cadillac of pipes" is back home after it was stolen from a Flint tobacco shop the day before Halloween.
The curved Dunhill pipe was one of only 100 made when former Paul's Pipe Shop owner Paul Spaniola bought it for $5,000 sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s, said Dan Spaniola, who now runs the store.
"He just wanted it for his collection," said Dan Spaniola.
The pipe is outfitted with an 18-karat gold umbrella over the bowl and Spaniola figures the pipe has doubled in value over the years.
The pipe sat in a display case at the downtown Flint store for decades but was discovered missing Oct. 31.
When he realized the pipe was gone, Dan Spaniola had an employee call around to pawn shops to see if anyone had tried to sell it.
Sure enough, Dan Spaniola said a pawn shop on Dort Highway told them a man had come in and pawned it for
$400.
The pawn shop took the man's thumb print and information, according to Spaniola, who said he paid the pawn shop $400 to get the pipe back.
Police continue to investigate and there have been no reports of any arrests.
Dan Spaniola said he was upset because the pipe was so special to his father, who died in August at the age of 100.
Paul Spaniola would often show off the pipe to his customers, and thought it was important that it would be displayed. It was among the most valuable and special of the nearly 2,000 pipes he collected over the years, his son said.
"He used it more like a promotion thing," he said.
Spaniola said the theft apparently happened when they were helping other customers. The police report said video surveillance shows two men opening the case and taking the pipe.
Despite the theft, Spaniola wants the pipe to remain in the case for people to see.
"I thought about putting it under lock and key, but that pipe has been in this case since I was a kid," he said. "It feels naked without it."
