Corey562 - I have 5 meers and a "gloved" hand has never touched them. I just don't worry about holding a meer pipe in my bare hand as long as my hand is clean. I will apply wax about once a year though. If I think about it.
While I would say that 99% of my ebay transactions have been mostly positive, the way some sellers attempt to do business does concern me. I will give a couple examples.
I purchased a nice looking GBD in my favorite shape, from a seller who had 100% positive feedback. I had never bought from this seller in the past, but everything looked positive so I was optimistic. When I received the pipe, my eye caught a slight wave in the shank, where it met the bowl. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the pipe had been broken at some point, and glued back together.
Anyone who has experience with broken wood, knows that if two pieces are glued back together, they usually need to be touched up with wood stain, or else the bare wood at the crack line will show. Since the seller was not just a pipe seller, but also restored pipes for resale, I suspected he knew that the pipe had been broken and repaired.
This issue is huge for collectors, because the collectible value of a particular pipe will be lowered considerably in a case such as this.
I contacted him, and he offered a refund, so I returned the pipe. It took three weeks for him to refund my money, and in the meantime, he relisted and sold the pipe. Most likely to some unsuspecting new pipe smoker who did not spot or care about the repair.
I realized that if a seller is willing to offer a refund to an unhappy buyer, that they can most likely maintain 100% feedback, while they sell a sub standard item to multiple buyers until one of them eventually keeps the item. Meanwhile, multiple buyers are losing return shipping costs out of pocket.
This seller is still actively selling with 99.8% positive feedback.
The other example I'll give, are sellers who photoshop pipe pics to intentionally hide flaws. One ebay seller was found guilty of this, and the online pipe community outed the seller. A few years back, I remember reading about how the seller came to their senses and changed their practices, but I don't care to take any chances with anyone who I suspect is intentionally deceptive. I had been reluctant to ever buy from this seller when I first viewed their listings, because of an aggressively worded diatribe, about what they expected from their buyers, if the buyer expected to do business.
This seller is still actively selling on ebay today, with 100% positive feedback.
In all fairness, some sellers move a high volume of pipes and pipe related tobacciania, and it can be easy to over look small details sometimes. However, sellers who go out of their way to list pipes with obvious flaws, and attempt to hide those flaws without providing full disclosure, are the type sellers we are all trying to avoid. The sad truth is, they are out there right now, selling on ebay, having found ways to manipulate the system, and still maintaining a feedback rating that is close to perfection.
A lot of people don't complain when they should, That figurative I got in such bad shape I paid $7 for it so I didn't complain and considered it a challenge on my part to make it usable. Most people however, don't have a Machinist available that I did.
The last time I tried to purchase pipes on Ebay, I watched the Savinelli for several days. While it was supposedly a '70's vintage, the price went way too high! Not all sides of the pipe were shown, but the seller made a big deal about the original box being with it! Finally decided there was something they weren't telling. I hope it was worth the $200.00+ to the buyer!
Does the Sheaffer Taranis Ferrari Red fountain pen with the Ferrari crest count? Yah, I got TWO sorta crazy "hobbies" that involve cool looking implements (pipes and pens) along with variants that one puts IN the implements (tobacco blends and brands/colors of inks...)
LOL, Got me. I used to pursue pens., but now I'm down to 2 Mont Blancs, a Pelican, a Schaefer Snorkel and a Llamy. I had no idea that there was a Ferrari Pen. There used to be a Pen Doctor near Wall Street that would repair pens and would put the rebuilds in his window for a percentage of what they were worth, it was near Wally Franks Down Town. by the time I got back to there again they were both closed.
I used to have an active trade with Fahrney's in the DC area, they had some nice collectors cases for sale but their prices were way too high. When I was dumb enough to leave my leather 4 pen case in my glove compartment at a attended parking lot on a service call and I lost my Diplomat set and orange Schaeffer I lost interest.
There are two categories of pipes offered on eBay: new and estate. New pipes are just that: un-smoked and never sold before. Estate pipes are pre-owned and offer a great opportunity to get a very good pipe for half or less of the normal price at retail. These estate pipes may be smoked or un-smoked.
You can find good used pipes at a small fraction of the price on eBay. (I did!) You should have no problem with an estate pipe once you've properly cleaned and sterilized it with alcohol. (I prefer rum.)
Purchasing pipes on eBay can be fun, with many possibilities of finding a bargain, but purchases should be made with caution. A lot of the pipes offered on eBay are crap.
1. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Reputable pipe brands like Savinelli, Peterson, Dunhill, Stanwell, and others offer great value if they're authentic and the pipe is in good condition.
4. Look for pipes made from Briar and Meerschaum only.
5. Examine photographs carefully, read the description, and determine whether the seller is reputable by his/her rating.
6. Before bidding or buying, do some research -- ask for advice here on TPL.
I have about 20 pipes, and about half are from eBay. I have only received one that was less than described and I was able to fix that one to my satisfaction. I'm smoking it today. Disregard pipes in ads with poor, fuzzy photos. Unless you're spending large money on a used pipe don't worry about returning it.
Comments
While I would say that 99% of my ebay transactions have been mostly positive, the way some sellers attempt to do business does concern me. I will give a couple examples.
I purchased a nice looking GBD in my favorite shape, from a seller who had 100% positive feedback. I had never bought from this seller in the past, but everything looked positive so I was optimistic. When I received the pipe, my eye caught a slight wave in the shank, where it met the bowl. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the pipe had been broken at some point, and glued back together.
Anyone who has experience with broken wood, knows that if two pieces are glued back together, they usually need to be touched up with wood stain, or else the bare wood at the crack line will show. Since the seller was not just a pipe seller, but also restored pipes for resale, I suspected he knew that the pipe had been broken and repaired.
This issue is huge for collectors, because the collectible value of a particular pipe will be lowered considerably in a case such as this.
I contacted him, and he offered a refund, so I returned the pipe. It took three weeks for him to refund my money, and in the meantime, he relisted and sold the pipe. Most likely to some unsuspecting new pipe smoker who did not spot or care about the repair.
I realized that if a seller is willing to offer a refund to an unhappy buyer, that they can most likely maintain 100% feedback, while they sell a sub standard item to multiple buyers until one of them eventually keeps the item. Meanwhile, multiple buyers are losing return shipping costs out of pocket.
This seller is still actively selling with 99.8% positive feedback.
The other example I'll give, are sellers who photoshop pipe pics to intentionally hide flaws. One ebay seller was found guilty of this, and the online pipe community outed the seller. A few years back, I remember reading about how the seller came to their senses and changed their practices, but I don't care to take any chances with anyone who I suspect is intentionally deceptive. I had been reluctant to ever buy from this seller when I first viewed their listings, because of an aggressively worded diatribe, about what they expected from their buyers, if the buyer expected to do business.
This seller is still actively selling on ebay today, with 100% positive feedback.
In all fairness, some sellers move a high volume of pipes and pipe related tobacciania, and it can be easy to over look small details sometimes. However, sellers who go out of their way to list pipes with obvious flaws, and attempt to hide those flaws without providing full disclosure, are the type sellers we are all trying to avoid. The sad truth is, they are out there right now, selling on ebay, having found ways to manipulate the system, and still maintaining a feedback rating that is close to perfection.
The last time I tried to purchase pipes on Ebay, I watched the Savinelli for several days. While it was supposedly a '70's vintage, the price went way too high! Not all sides of the pipe were shown, but the seller made a big deal about the original box being with it! Finally decided there was something they weren't telling. I hope it was worth the $200.00+ to the buyer!
Tuxedo007
LOL, Got me. I used to pursue pens., but now I'm down to 2 Mont Blancs, a Pelican, a Schaefer Snorkel and a Llamy. I had no idea that there was a Ferrari Pen. There used to be a Pen Doctor near Wall Street that would repair pens and would put the rebuilds in his window for a percentage of what they were worth, it was near Wally Franks Down Town. by the time I got back to there again they were both closed.