Even MORE luck! ... I hope.

[BanjoBob]

Well ... I couldn't stop looking at the "Newly Listed" Pipes
and I found another listing I had to buy.
I hesitated, but went back momentarily and bought them.
What do you think?
Am I getting reckless?
David

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300642270671&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:1123

[sparrow]

What do you think?
Am I getting reckless?

Nah, you'll make your money back on those. Probably some for your effort as well.

[Max1a]

Those little gems are selling at the Smoke Shop in Concordia for between $18.00 and $24.00 depending on the style. They look like pretty darn good everyday pipes too. You did alright!

[BanjoBob]

My local smoke shop would probably price them between $32 and $48.
I'll buff them up and take a dozen pics of each and probably get anywhere from $25 to $35 each.
My photography when combined w/ my buffing creates a desire in the viewer.
Of course a closer inspection after they arrive may make me decide to offer them for under $15 each.
I never brag about how nice a pipe is unless it IS a nice pipe.
Today I'm negotiating w/ the gal that's selling the M. Schulte pipes.
She just got another 70 in and has 11 listed for $14 so I've asked her for a price for 11 or more pipes in one large shipment.
I think after buffing and photographing they should bring at least $20 each.
I told her my intentions so she might not want to make a deal with me because I could be competition.
BanjoBob (affordable pipe merchant)

[NoseWarmer]

BanjoBob (affordable pipe merchant)

Well... You say you're not here to sell any... But how about letting us know when they go on the auction blcok...???

[BanjoBob]

Wouldn't it be better if I just sent you an email when I listed more?
I'd never want anyone think I was here to solicit.
I don't need to, I have millions of people on eBay for that and after selling well over 200 pipes there, I have many buyers following my auctions.
Oddly ... many of my buyers are people like myself buying to re-list.
Sometimes I buy from them because I think my methods will be better than theirs.
My pipe sales have made me many good friends.
Some people I've sold to would write me and start a dialog.
I still visit daily with several people who bought a pipe from me.
One buyer sent me 14 of his pipes he didn't like as a gift.
He said it was either me or Goodwill.
He was shocked when I sent him a PayPal payment for $250 after I sold those 14 pipes on eBay.
He then sent me 9 more of his better pipes.
I'm waiting to hear if the last one was delivered to China.
I made another friend in Norway and now I'm supplying him and his buddies with 1Q.
I just sent him a pound of it and He (Lennart) and his buddies are using it to roll cigarettes. They love it. That all started when he bought a used pouch from me and He smelled the 1Q I'd been keeping in it. He's so far North that in the Winter the Sun never comes up and in the Summer it never goes down.
I now have a friend in Brazil, Spain and Rome all named Luca.
This is much more than business, it's social.
David

[Max1a]

IToday I'm negotiating w/ the gal that's selling the M. Schulte pipes. She just got another 70 in and has 11 listed for $14 so I've asked her for a price for 11 or more pipes in one large shipment.
I think after buffing and photographing they should bring at least $20 each.
BanjoBob (affordable pipe merchant)

Bob, I know a bit about Max Schulte's pipes. I own two of his rare handmades. A huge classic Danish freehand and a 7 1/2 inch Canadian. Max was instrumental in starting the careers of Jack H. Weinberger, Mark Tinsky, Curt Roller, Mike Kabik, and others as he would sell their pipes on commission. He made a very few pipes of his own in his tobacco/repair shop in New Jersey and all of the ones listed on ebay are actually British or Italian pipes that Schulte bought for his shop trade. He would buy them un-marked and put the logo on himself. I heard he also bought unfinished stummels and added stems and finished them out . The lady has those listed for just about what they are worth on today's ebay market. My 2 cents.

[BanjoBob]

Thanks Max.
I sent her $155 yesterday for 11 more pipes.
That's $14.09 each delivered.
That will make 16 I'll have.
I'll polish them up and make them look better and probably get
$19.99 each delivered.
It's really hard to find any pipe worth smoking for 20 bucks.
After they're buffed my pictures should make them sell well.
If these were being sold at my local shop, they'd probably be $40+.
My local shop asked me to sell hundreds of pipes for Him.
He showed me a thousand pipes he's put back that he wants me to sell for him.
I saw two I'd love to have for myself.
I didn't accept his offer because when he showed me Savinelli Autographs that I knew would bring no more than $175 he gushed over them saying they were worth at least $300.
He's out of touch w/ the reality of eBay prices.
eBay won't bring the prices his naive customers have always given him.
I used to be one of those customers.
He said we'd both make a LOT of money, but I know he'd be disgusted with me after a couple of sales.
The ones I wanted were really long Canadians w/ huge bowls.
He hinted that those would be over $400 each, I was thinking $175.
David

[Max1a]

I think you could safely list them for $24.99 and charge $4.00 First Class mailing and sell them all in week or two.

[BanjoBob]

Last night I was checking the "Newly Listed: under the pipes category and found THIS!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Tobacco-Pipes-/220928801643?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337061fb6b

It was just listed and I bought it.
3 brand new brand name pipes.
Each retailed at $125 or more.
Each is brand new in box W/ sock and unsmoked.
$50 delivered.

After I bought them the seller said these were given to him by his bro-inlaw and he had no idea what to ask for them.
I'm thinking I can at LEAST quadruple my money.
When they arrive I'll have to decide whether one or two stays on my rack.
Banjo

[raftergtex]

Last night I was checking the "Newly Listed: under the pipes category and found THIS!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Tobacco-Pipes-/220928801643?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337061fb6b

It was just listed and I bought it.
3 brand new brand name pipes.
Each retailed at $125 or more.
Each is brand new in box W/ sock and unsmoked.
$50 delivered.

After I bought them the seller said these were given to him by his bro-inlaw and he had no idea what to ask for them.
I'm thinking I can at LEAST quadruple my money.
When they arrive I'll have to decide whether one or two stays on my rack.
Banjo

Now that's a steal. It pays to be vigilant, I guess!