Bagpipe prices c1950

[pancelticpiper]

Just saw this full imitation ivory set on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Graing...p2056016.l4276

The seller says he's the original owner and that he paid around $500 (CAN) for the set new in 1949.

The problem is that that price is totally out of line with bagpipe prices at that time.

In Highland Bagpipe Makers the closest price list is the Sinclair 1952 list.

A full imitation ivory set is 24 pounds.

The exchange rate in 1953 was 1 Pound = 2.79 US Dollars/2.76 Canadian Dollars so $67/$66 for a full imitation ivory set.

Heck a full engraved sterling silver set was 95 Pounds = $265 US Dollars or $262 Canadian Dollars.

[Texas Gael]

In 1982 I paid $300 for a new Kintail KB-3 full imitation ivory set I ordered directly from Greig Sharp at Kintail. Real ivory and engraved silver sets were not that much more expensive. Guess those were the "bagpipe bargain" days, but then wages were far lower and it was the era of high inflation, so money was pretty tight. Same goes for previous eras.

Cheers -

Wes

[Jim Fogelman]

Strange. Not on topic of price, but the seller also says "it seems as though two pieces have been replaced at some point with plastic and have since yellowed" after saying that this seller is the original owner.

If you were the original owner, wouldn't you know if such a repair had taken place, not "it seems" like it had taken place?

Seems fishy...

[OldPipes]

Pancelticpiper, my old band was started in 1948, the Grove City Highland Band, Grove City, PA. I joined the band in 1977 and we still had a few charter members at that time.

They often talked about buying their pipes in 1948, basically they paid $75.00 USD for a set of imitation Ivory pipes and they also talked about full Ivory pipes at $125-$150.00 in those days, with engraved silver and Ivory being $175-$200.00. Big difference in what they are going for today but wages are a heck of a lot more these days too.

This set of G&C pipes should have a pretty nice sound from that time period. I notice that the mount on the bass mid section appears to be a different material, looks to be catalin and the other trim looks to be celluloid, if the age of the pipes are really as stated.

[propuckstopper]

Originally Posted by Jim Fogelman

Strange. Not on topic of price, but the seller also says "it seems as though two pieces have been replaced at some point with plastic and have since yellowed" after saying that this seller is the original owner.

If you were the original owner, wouldn't you know if such a repair had taken place, not "it seems" like it had taken place?

Seems fishy...

I am certainly not sure on the pricing or authenticity either, but I think there might be some confusion on the term "original owner" and "one owner".

Coming from the classic car world, these terms are definitely different. In this eBay ad, the seller refers to these pipes as being "one owner". This tells me that the seller might have acquired these pipes in an estate sale or is selling them on behalf of someone who is either deceased or incapable of selling them personally. So, they really could be "one owner" pipes, they are just not being sold by the "original owner". This is why the seller might not know about the possible repairs.

An "original owner" sale would involve a scenario where the original buyer of said goods is selling those goods on behalf of himself. Obviously, this is the preferred scenario as the original owner should be aware of the exact history of the goods in question.

[OldPipes]

I agree with Jim Fogelman, something looks fishy here. The blowpipe mount appears to be natural material. The bottom mounts on the drones appear to contain a dish configuration which is not typical on the 2 sets of G&C pipes I have owned. Also, the ferrules on mine contained 2 machined grooves at the bottom, these are plain below the bead.

[Leong]

Originally Posted by propuckstopper

I am certainly not sure on the pricing or authenticity either, but I think there might be some confusion on the term "original owner" and "one owner"....,snip.

I think you might be right. In re-reading the listing description, I can see that the seller doesn't say he is the owner; we are assuming that he is. In fact, the "it seems as though two pieces" bit would tell he is either re-selling the set or selling on behalf. It's just too clumsy a mistake if he is really trying to pull a fast one. Of course, the original selling price is way off.

[piper01888]

FWIW my dad bought my blackwood/ivory Robertsons in 1963
for $195.00 Canadian c/w wooden case.
Cheers

[Toxpert]

For a seller whose seller identity is “bagpiper_guy”...the selection of terms to describe parts does not appear to reflect a working knowledge of the instrument.

The replacement elements like the mount, bush, blowpipe ...indicate someone had access to misc bagpipe bits and bobs. Too bad the parts do not match the set.

[Glenurquhart]

Originally Posted by Texas Gael

In 1982 I paid $300 for a new Kintail KB-3 full imitation ivory set I ordered directly from Greig Sharp at Kintail. Real ivory and engraved silver sets were not that much more expensive. Guess those were the "bagpipe bargain" days, but then wages were far lower and it was the era of high inflation, so money was pretty tight. Same goes for previous eras.

Cheers -

Wes

Indeed. If I remember correctly a friend paid £370 around 1980-1981 for a set of full real ivory Kintails in chalice-top style. How much would have this been in USD?