The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[OC Richard]

I got my first set of pipes in 1975 and have bought and sold a large number over the decades.

I've been a daily Ebay bagpipe watcher for many years. Both of the Highland sets I currently play are great-playing pipes from the 1940s that I got off Ebay for a fraction of what a new set would cost. In my opinion my vintage pipes play circles around new pipes costing three or four times more. I see tremendous bargains get zero bids all the time.

That being said, Ebay is fraught with dangers for pipers who haven't developed a sense of the used pipe market, pipers unfamiliar with vintage pipes, and pipers who haven't developed an eye for the sometimes subtle indicators of Pakistani pipes. I see people wildly over-pay for horrible Pakistani pipes all the time.

So let's look at some pipes on Ebay now. One set is particularly instructive, as it doesn't fit the usual perceptions.

First is a vintage Lawrie set "refurbished by Dunbar". For those not aware, the further you go back the more alike Lawries and Hendersons become, both in look and sound. Early Lawries like this one will be fine-playing professional instruments. Looks like Rick Pettigrew at Dunbar Bagpipes removed the original mounts (probably Catalin) and replaced them with the very strong and durable imitation ivory that Dunbar has used for many years.

This set has a minimum, it has already cycled through without reaching it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bagpipes/11...QAAOSwltBgDGR2

Speaking of Dunbar, here's a delrin/polypenco Dunbar set for a very low price. This set will never crack or break and can withstand any weather and almost any abuse and give you a terrific vintage Henderson sound, the ideal set for a beginner, a youth, or for a piper's parade or backup set. Many pipers play poly Dunbars as their only set.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunbar-P3-B...UAAOSwt1Zeo5jU

Sometimes sellers don't understand what vintage pipes are worth, and wildly overprice a set. Just don't be the newbie who wildly over-pays! Here's a Gillanders set from c1950 to c1980 fully mounted in Catalin, the much-hated "pumpkin" imitation ivory of that era. Gillanders are very good pipes but sets like this, sturdy Catalin-mounted African Blackwood sets from good Scottish makers from a half-century ago, usually sell on Ebay for well under a thousand dollars. I've see this exact Gillanders model sell in the $700 range.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/bagpipe-of-...AAAOSwf1xgEAKL

Here's a very nice set that would do any piper proud, for a fair price. But beware that it's mounted in Ivory which is illegal to ship across International borders. If a US buyer gets this set they're in danger of losing their entire investment, if US Customs seizes it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Afr...8AAOSwLxpbjZhC

Lastly the set that got me to do this post, for it has much to tell.

Many pipers will look at this and see a vintage Catalin-mounted African Blackwood set from a legitimate UK maker. That was my first-glance impression! But a closer look reveals multiple red flags. Look at the tartan of the bag-cover. Gordon yes, but obviously not real UK-woven tartan. There's something not-quite-right about it. Next, and this is going to sound nitpicky, are the little rubber donuts or fat O-rings that hold the cords onto the drones. These are a telltale sign of Pakistani pipes. Happily the seller shows us the bag and it's a characteristic Pakistani leather bag.

So, you say, why isn't it a nice vintage UK-made set which has had a Pakistani bag, bag-cover, and cords added? It's possible but extremely unlikely. I can't imagine an owner of a legit set going out of his way to acquire a suite of Pakistani accessories. In fact I don't think I've ever seen that. What I have seen is the opposite, a Pakistani set dressed up with a UK-made chanter, bag, bag-cover, and cords.

To know 100% that the wood parts are Pakistani I would need some more closeup in-focus photos of the wood, or better yet a photo showing one or more of the internal bores. I suspect the pipes are of Sheesham wood (tan colour) which has been painted black. However Pakistani pipes made of Ebony or African Blackwood do exist, so the wood itself isn't necessarily diagnostic.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-Set...QAAOSw2QlgFy0K