The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[Toxpert]

Sometimes sellers try but fail for accurately listing their items. Here's a set of 1980s Hardies - flat combing/beading with marbleized-imitation ivory. Seller listed this set as Pakistan origin starting at $25. I offered $50 and the pipes arrived in a mostly-empty large box with no packing materials. The imitation ivory had seriously outgassed over the years and split on most of the pieces. Otherwise the set showed no sign of being played. The bag had remnants of old seasoning but otherwise was airtight. Cover and cords pristine. Funds from selling the bag and cover, as is, more than covered the purchase price. The pipes are at RG Hardie right now and being re-fitted with new mounts, rings caps, bushes, sole and a check/touchup of tone chambers (if needed) for a very reasonable cost. The wood has no defects, narrow bores are not the tiny bores, the original finish is unblemished, and the very dark/rich African Blackwood looks nice in the sunshine and black with inside lighting...nice tone to boot.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144086722979

[imrichmond]

Nice find. Some idiot probably told the seller that the Royal Stuart bag cover indicated that the pipes were Pakistani. I've seen this nonsense repeated a number of times on online forums over the years.