To All eBay Pipe Buyers Out There

[dongreyface]

I've been noticing some people get some pretty nice pipe deals coming from ebay, so I went looking around there and yeah, I've seen some pretty nice deals. But my question is about the descriptions. A lot of the descriptions say 'wooden pipe' so am I to believe these are actually wood and not briar? Or is it more that the sellers can't describe the products they own very well? I don't want to buy a nice looking pipe at an awesome price only to get it home and realize it's not what I thought it was.

 

[sincityjeff]

I stay away from them. Don't know anything about them.

 

[bhpdrew]

Do searches by the brand pipe you want. Jensen, Nording, Peterson, Savinelli and so on. Cuts down in the headship pipes.

 

[ejames]

A lot of sellers on Ebay are not pipe sellers. They find some pipes at a garage sale or going through Uncle Henry's stuff and think hey-I can sell this on Ebay!They know little if anything about pipes and it shoes in the descriptions and pictures,which is usually dark & fuzzy. But that can work to your advantage if you know what you are looking at and are willing to ask them with a few questions. If I KNOW what it is and can reasonably tell it is in restorable condition I don;t ask questions. They might post their answers and tip off other potential bidders! But if you do that and get a crappy pipe--you can't really blame the seller. I'm very rarely disappointed.

 

[sherlock]

Ejames has some good advise. You can also look at the pictures or ask for them and you should be able to tell if its briar or not. There are few sellers that sell pear or other wood pipes, but these are pretty obvious.

 

[bagpiper1]

Thanks for that information Coalsmoke!
By the way, as a newbie, I bought this on ebay a few days a go: 1548 KING OLAV MADE IN DENMARK CARVED WOOD TOBACCO ESTATE PIPE for $22...any ideas or thoughts on this if this was a good buy?
Thanks in advance!

 

[bigvan]

bagpiper, I'd have to see the pipe to form a better opinion, but I'm assuming that it's a no-name pipe, perhaps a factory second from one of the bigger Danish pipe makers.
I'm fairly sure it doesn't date to 1548, nor do I think it belonged to "King Olav". I'm assuming the seller doesn't know much about pipes, hence the use of the "wooden" description (but to be fair, briar IS a type of wood. Sort of.)
It all depends on the condition. If I may, what made you purchase it in the first place? Looks? Seller's reputation? I'm just curious.
Once you get it, give it a good exam, clean it to within an inch of its life, fire it up and let us know what you think.

 

[spyder71]

I buy and sell pipes on the bay and coolsmoke has the plan!

 

[bagpiper1]

Thanks Bigvan - I choose it on looks and feedback from seller (100%) for over 800 sales...and yes I realize the pipe was not smoked by any king or from the 1500s! (as if I would smoke a pipe that old!!!)
This is the seb site for the picture.: http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyEbayBeta&View=WonNext&NewFilter=WaitFeedback&SubmitAction.ChangeFilter=x&CurrentPage=MyeBayNextWon&ssPageName=STRK:ME:RMDR&f=f#wholeDiv313
Thanks, ::

 

[baronsamedi]

I've bought almost all my pipes on fleabay. Got some good ones, got some dogs and got a couple of diamonds in the rough. Like the others said. Look for known brands, good descriptions, pipe dimensions listed in proper detail and lots of clear up-close pix. Don't be afraid to ask the sellers questions and if they blow you off and don't answer, don't bid. If they act that way before they have your money, they have no reason to do you right afterwards. It's still a gamble and personally I rarely spend much more than $20 on fleabay due to fraudsters but there's plenty of good stuff to be found.

 

[baronsamedi]

Oh yeah. I never deal with anyone selling from China, Hong Kong or Korea (one exception was Anime and Asian film DVDs. The best bootlegs of ones banned in the states come from Korea)

 

[withnail]

Worse pipe on Ebay (UK)? Scroll down for pictures as bidding has ended. A "lovely" plastic pipe! :crazy:
http://bit.ly/sH7622

 

[baronsamedi]

Kind of like seeing Car for Sale, Excellent Condition, needs engine and transmission.

 

[dylan793]

On that plastic pipe withnail posted a link to, did anyone else notice this line in the description:

"-made of high-quality special materials.Not contain any harmful objects."
:lol: excellent! I prefer my pipes to be made of high-quality special materials. Sign me up 8)

 

[kcvet67]

The key to getting a good deal is to do your homework. These two sites will help you identify what you're looking at:

http://www.pipephil.eu/logos/en/index-en.html

http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

Be aware that many manufacturers have a wide range of prices. A Savinelli Duca Carlo retails for around $40, a Savinelli Autograph000 retails for well over $1000. Make sure you know what you're bidding on and don't settle for a pipe you're not sure about. There will be several thousand new listings on ebay tomorrow for pipes. And the next day. And the next. If you're patient and careful you can get some excellent deals.

 

[baronsamedi]

Also, if it says it's in the US but the entire description is written in ENGRISH, buyer beware!

 

[rigmedic1]

I bought one bad pipe, and learned my lesson. Fortunately it was a cheap lesson. Be sure to ask what the stampings on the pipe are, if the seller has not listed them. You could end up with a Cameblath instead of a Caminetto.