Estate Purchasing Policy

Do you have any pipes that you just don't smoke anymore? Perhaps your style has changed. Maybe you've seen something exciting on our site that would better fit your current tastes. If you didn't already know, Smokingpipes.com is a great place to sell or trade in pipes from your collection. Just send us the pipes you don't smoke anymore, and we'll inspect and research each one to offer values for cash [check] or store credit — which, if you ask us, is a great way to score some new pipes!

We purchase most pipes for around 35-45% of the price we expect to recover when we sell the pipe. This estimation is based on the current condition of the pipe, as well as other factors like market demand and desirability. The only exception to this rule is low-value estate pipes. Since we have fixed costs associated with cleaning and listing pipes, we tend to reject any briars and meers that we value below €40. Between €40 and €70, we use a sliding percentage depending on the price of the pipe. Beyond €70, we follow regular percentages (typically 35-45% for cash or 55% for trade in).

A Note On Repaired Pipes:

Generally, we do not purchase pipes that are in need of serious repair — pipes needing replacement stems or tenons, for example, or pieces that feature substantial damage to the wood or stummel itself. While we do conduct some repairs in house, we usually undertake these repairs to correct issues that become evident during our restoration process. In those cases in which we do purchase an estate pipe with the intention of repairing it, a lower percentage will be offered in order to cover the cost of the repair. For more information on this exception, check out our blog post on our Pipe Rescue project.

Our Estate Pipe Trade Policy

Our policy on accepting trades towards pipes and other merchandise offered at Smokingpipes.eu is identical to the above, except we usually offer a higher percentage in trade credit — typically around 55%. This is by far the most popular choice, as the majority of the estate pipes we receive were offered to us as trades rather than for outright purchase. Of course, pipes with lower values still follow the sliding percentages we mentioned above.

Responding To Our Estate Evaluation

If you send us pipes for store credit or purchase, we spend a good amount of time evaluating and researching each piece. Once we've completed our evaluation, we'll submit our calculated values to your before we take any further action. Once we've contacted you, you may elect to:

  1. Have the pipes returned to you at no cost (domestic only).
  2. Have the trade credit applied to your House Account.
  3. Request a company check to be mailed to your preferred address.

PLEASE NOTE that we reserve the right to refuse any items for purchase consideration for any reason — examples of which include poor condition (cracked, broken, excessive alterations, missing pieces, etc.). We no longer purchase pipes with ivory. We do not negotiate your pipes values once we've assessed them, except in situations where we have obviously erred (we do recognize that we are human, after all). For more information on how we evaluate estate pipes by their condition, check out our Estate Pipe Grading Policy.

If you would like to have us evaluate your estate pipes for trade or cash value, please send them to:

Smokingpipes Europe
Unit 2B Deansgrange Business Park
Kill Lane
Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 HX50
Republic of Ireland

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at +353 1 963 7604.