Harlock999":j46hrfh0 said:
glpease":j46hrfh0 said:
the prices being asked by relative beginners is both ludicrous, and insulting to those who have worked long and hard to establish their position in the market. In too many cases, I've seen copycat work with copycat pricing.
I was looking at the very decent work of a new pipe maker at a show once, and shocked by the arrogance of his pricing. I enquired over things like whom he had worked with, and the names he offered were other relatively new pipe makers, some of whom also price their work according to what better-known makers charge. Interesting.
If you really want to look at price and market silliness, look at electric guitars...
Is there market speculation going on, with collectors wanting to get a piece by a hot new talent before his/her prices really go through the roof? Do pipe collectors see themselves as patrons, nurturing the talent of young artists, and willing to spend large sums on unproven talent to do so? And by unproven, I mean someone who may not even be making pipes in the near future.
I believe this is exactly what is happening.
In addition, recently a well known author has stated that the reason some artisan pipe prices have gone the roof, is that artisan pipe collecting has become a popular fad among wealthy Chinese businessmen. He also speculates that when they tire of the flavor of the month, and possibly move on to another hobby as they have done in the past, the bottom may fall out of the market.
Couple this scenario, with other popular authors speculating on a particular up and coming pipe carver who's pipes they favor, and you have a situation that is ideal for some opportunistic entremanure to come along and try to capitalize on the situation.
However, the reality is, that there ARE some very talented up and coming pipe carvers, who are selling pipes currently, that are a fantastic bargin at their current pricing. As they mature, their work gets appreciably better, and there will be a transitory phase in their work, when some of their best work can be had for a song.
The fact that there are these type opportunities being offered at pipe shows, and some collectors are buzzing about specific carvers, means that there are opportunities for mediocre carvers to sell mediocre pipes at outlandish price points. I'm sure that seasoned pipe collectors can tell you many stories about pipes that were sold for exorbitant prices in the past, only later to see the bottom fall out of the market on a particular carvers pieces.
It's really no different than people buying electronics and such, and then only 2 years later seeing that same product sold for 30% of what they paid. The value of a dollar is relevant to the person who earns it, or never earned it, as the case may be.
In spite of the fact that some pipemen with poor judgement will lose thousands of dollars while enjoying the hobby of pipe collecting, I believe overall this is a fantastic time in the history of the hobby to be a pipe smoker and pipe collector.
Good old common sense is always useful in any endeavor, and the reality to it is, that a pipe is a piece of wood with a hole drilled through it, that you take one end, and set on fire. I expressed this sentiment to the owner of a pipe shop recently, and he looked at me like I just kicked his elderly mother in the stomach.