The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

**OC Richard** · 22nd April 26, 02:50 PM

Here in California we have a great piper, Erik Leiken, who used to compete solos with Gibson pipes.

At solo piping competitions there's sort of a background wash of tone set by pipers playing vintage Hendersons and newer pipes based on Hendersons, and my ears perk up when a piper brings a different kind of tone.

Erik's Gibsons were like that, they always stood out from the crowd, not better or worse but different.

Ditto when somebody shows up with Athertons.

**OC Richard** · 17th May 26, 04:50 AM

Ooooh let's see how high these go.

Lovely vintage pipes, and happily (for once) we have measurements so we can tell it's a full-size pipe.

Currently at $600 but I predict they'll go for much more in spite of the big crack in the Bass drone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13731116804...ndition=4%7C10

**OC Richard** · 19th May 26, 12:20 PM

Grainger & Campbell, should be nice pipes, $400 no bids.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15792143400...ndition=4%7C10

There are two very interesting old sets getting a lot of bids, this one looking quite old. I have seen old ivory look like that, it was a set of ivory-mounted pipes which had been left in the open for 50 years, the sides of the mounts facing up getting dull and dark, the sides facing down still an ivory colour.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18839305592...ndition=4%7C10

This set not quite that old

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13731116804...ndition=4%7C10

**OC Richard** · 30th May 26, 07:53 PM

1972 pipes, possibly by RG Hardie (Glasgow).

If these were Catalin mounted the seller would be happy to get $800.

But full Sterling Silver with full 1972 hallmarks, and clear military provenance, not so much!

We shall see how high they go. Will it be around £4000?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15794927539...ndition=4%7C10

**User** · 30th May 26, 08:05 PM

I'm not a piper, so I don't have much to say in this thread. But, I enjoy hearing about the pipes you find and watching the auctions progress. So, thank you!

Also, ouch that one is pricey!

**OC Richard** · 3rd June 26, 09:18 PM

Just a hair under $4,000 now, and going up I think.

Lovely silver mounts but 1972 was hardly the "golden age" of pipemaking.

Still and all they might sound good too.

**OC Richard** · 26th June 26, 04:20 AM

Almost certainly Scottish-made pipes for $525 Buy It Now here in the USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33665673001...ndition=4%7C10

Once again the Country of Origin is listed as "Pakistan", once again it was probably auto-filled, and I doubt that the seller has noticed. (They're always surprised when I point it out to them.)

The seller says the pipes are probably "McCloud" but he probably means MacLeod Highland Supplies Glasgow.

**User** · 28th June 26, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Almost certainly Scottish-made pipes for $525 Buy It Now here in the USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33665673001...ndition=4%7C10

Once again the Country of Origin is listed as "Pakistan", once again it was probably auto-filled, and I doubt that the seller has noticed. (They're always surprised when I point it out to them.)

The seller says the pipes are probably "McCloud" but he probably means MacLeod Highland Supplies Glasgow.

The pipe bag says it's Canadian. I assume it's normal for the bag to be replaced over time due to wear?

**YOJiMBO20** · 28th June 26, 06:53 PM

Yeah, bags are (or at least should be) replaced regularly.

When someone is buying pipes, they’re really just buying the drones and stocks. Everything else is pretty much replaceable.

**OC Richard** · Today, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by YOJiMBO20

When someone is buying pipes, they’re really just buying the drones and stocks.

Exactly so. That's the thing so many Ebay sellers don't understand.

The people buying the pipes are almost always pipers who intend to play them.

Each piper has their own favourite type of bag, reeds, valve, blowpipe, and case.

If they play in a pipe band their band will issue their bag-cover, cords, and chanter.

Yet Ebay sellers will include numerous closeup photos of the bag, the cover, the case, and whatever junk is in the case but only have one blurry photo of the pipes!

On many occasions I've advised Ebay sellers like that to add more photos of the pipes themselves. I tell them that one blurry photo won't be sufficient to sell the pipes. But they don't, and the pipes sit on Ebay for months and never sell.