Dunhill - prices?

[Mister Moo]

So part of the question was:

Originally Posted by SidRox7

... if you can pick an estate Dunhill up on ebay for less than 100 bux are you doing pretty good???

I am thinking not.

[Mad Hatter]

You guys are a bunch of enablers

[parkland1]

I do agree with Dub's larger point, that these ebay prices, especially for Dunhill pipes are largely a function of collectors' rather than smokers' demand. The fact that new Dunhill pipes on their own are one of the most high-end pipes on the market, this gives ebay sellers some credence and necessary rationale to charge a greater price for a product that is (by all accounts) average in quality and mediocre in functionality.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by parkland1

I do agree with Dub's larger point, that these ebay prices, especially for Dunhill pipes are largely a function of collectors' rather than smokers' demand. The fact that new Dunhill pipes on their own are one of the most high-end pipes on the market, this gives ebay sellers some credence and necessary rationale to charge a greater price for a product that is (by all accounts) average in quality and mediocre in functionality.

Agree with the first point but the second could not be further from the truth. I know of nobody - not one soul - that is familiar with Dunhill pipes that would use the terms "average" and "mediocre" to describe anything about their form or function. I'm no huge fan of them personally - usually too small and if big enough, too expensive - but I have yet to find a pipe marque that pays more attention to minute details and churns out more functionally perfect pipes than Dunhill. Their "seconds" look like perfect pipes to most people, but their seconds, by definition, are not Dunhills. I'm curious what accounts you've heard to the contrary. Certainly there are other pipes out there that many find preferable to Dunhill but for reasons other than form and function, so far as I know.

[parkland1]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

Agree with the first point but the second could not be further from the truth. I know of nobody - not one soul - that is familiar with Dunhill pipes that would use the terms "average" and "mediocre" to describe anything about their form or function. I'm no huge fan of them personally - usually too small and if big enough, too expensive - but I have yet to find a pipe marque that pays more attention to minute details and churns out more functionally perfect pipes than Dunhill. Their "seconds" look like perfect pipes to most people, but their seconds, by definition, are not Dunhills. I'm curious what accounts you've heard to the contrary. Certainly there are other pipes out there that many find preferable to Dunhill but for reasons other than form and function, so far as I know.

Obviously, a clarification is needed here. When I used the terms 'average' and 'mediocre', in the context of my response, was not used to describe Dunhill as a maker of exquisite pipes as a whole, but rather, the types of vintage pipes that are at times sold on ebay. My apologies if I did not make this clear. Otherwise, I stand by what I have said, and will reiterate once more, that folks on ebay often tend to price their pipes more on the side of the brand name (Dunhill) then they do on the true quality of the pipe. This is MHO.

[AcworthAl]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

Agree with the first point but the second could not be further from the truth. I know of nobody - not one soul - that is familiar with Dunhill pipes that would use the terms "average" and "mediocre" to describe anything about their form or function. I'm no huge fan of them personally - usually too small and if big enough, too expensive - but I have yet to find a pipe marque that pays more attention to minute details and churns out more functionally perfect pipes than Dunhill. Their "seconds" look like perfect pipes to most people, but their seconds, by definition, are not Dunhills. I'm curious what accounts you've heard to the contrary. Certainly there are other pipes out there that many find preferable to Dunhill but for reasons other than form and function, so far as I know.

While I do not have the knowledge and experience of others on this forum, I do believe that most pipe experts would describe Dunhill pipes as some of the best pipes made, if not the best in the world.

[parkland1]

Originally Posted by AcworthAl

While I do not have the knowledge and experience of others on this forum, I do believe that most pipe experts would describe Dunhill pipes as some of the best pipes made, if not the best in the world.

Again, I don't think anyone would dispute this. The point is that ebayers tend to rely on the sole fact that Dunhill is a holder of the status of 'one of the best in the world', to overprice these items in many trades.

[MarkC]

Well, you can't blame the sellers if the buyers are going bid crazy.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by MarkC

Well, you can't blame the sellers if the buyers are going bid crazy.

Absolutely. Demand dictates prices. On the other hand, I remember a former B&M tobacconist telling me about the tour he had through the Dunhill factory. These guys want their pipes perfect and from what I hear, the cost of a new Dunhill is not unreasonable when you consider all of the testing and inspection that goes on before one of their pipes gets to market. Is it that much "better" than a $90 Savinelli Hercules? Well... that's a whole 'nuther discussion....

[RJpuffs]

Here's my take on a "premium brand" pipe (and premium prices).

1) With any new pipe, there is a chance the pipe has flaws. With a premium name, the odds are in favor of a good smoker.

c) Lesser priced brands will have a higher chance of being a lemon.

9) If I buy one $500 Dunhill, there is a small chance, probably less than 10%, that it has problems.

d) If I buy 5 lesser pipes at $100 each, its still $500 total.

4) If less than half the lesser pipes work well, I still have 2 good pipes for the same money. Maybe more.

f) If my one $500 is a lemon, I'm all outta options.

12) Buy what you like and what you can afford

[Mad Hatter]

I just ordered a pair of Dunhills from TheSmoker, a '71 billiard (my birth year) and a '66 pot. I'm looking forward to getting them and finally seeing what all the hubbub is about.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

I just ordered a pair of Dunhills ... I'm looking forward to getting them and finally seeing what all the hubbub is about.

I think you will be surprised (in a good way).

As far as cost that dmkerr mentioned above I recall a pipemaker answering the question about why his "quality' pipes were so costly. His answer was, "Because to make a good one I throw four others away." All that other circular logic was making me buggy. Price is a function of supply and demand. If you could go to the Carolina Bargain Trader and pick the Dunhill poker you want from 40 Dunhill pokers on sale this week they'd be cheaper.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I think you will be surprised (in a good way).

As far as cost that dmkerr mentioned above I recall a pipemaker answering the question about why his "quality' pipes were so costly. His answer was, "Because to make a good one I throw four others away." All that other circular logic was making me buggy. Price is a function of supply and demand. If you could go to the Carolina Bargain Trader and pick the Dunhill poker you want from 40 Dunhill pokers on sale this week they'd be cheaper.

I'm sure I will be. It was DK's comment about the older Dunnies that let me to look at The Sokers website. I've been there lots of times shopping for my '71 but never found one available and when I did it was well beyond what i was willing to pay. As coincidence would have it, there it was when I was searching for something else. Got the two for $333.

As far as the stuff about throwing away so many blocks..... well I don't think an $8 - $20 block really justifies that but with the time involved, especially if you're looking for grain patterns as you work, high prices are the only way to make a living or profitable hobby of pipe making. Just to say, if you have a block with magnificent bird's eye, that bird's eye is only one layer of growth. If you decide on a different shape you might wipe that away and find a completely different kind of grain in just removing a fraction of an inch. Moral of the story is you don't just make a distinguished high dollar pipe, you kind of look for it during the making process. I recently worked on a big block and screwed it up using my new disk sander. After the fact I decided to wet the grain and see what I had missed out on. What was there would have been a beautiful volcano (a shape i really don't like) with tight bird's eye all down the bottom and on the sides of the bowl from 8 to 3 o'clock. You live, you learn

[Mad Hatter]

To follow up, I got my two Dunhills. I'm glad I did but to be honest they don't smoke any better than most other pipes I've bought and modified the airways on

[levallois]

I own three Dunhills: a 1960, a 1954 patent and a pre-1922 prince. I also own two Parkers; a 1933(or 1936) and a 1949 - dating these is a little trickier than the Dunhills. I also own another 13 pipes of various makes and ages. I hate to say it, but the Dunhills and Parkers just smoke "better." Easier to keep lit, less fiddling, etc. Although I admit that fiddling is part of the fun, too much is just annoying. I paid more for the five of them than the other 13 combined but they were worth it.

I'd post photos but I'm still too much of a new member.

John