Pondering difficult choices
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 10:30AM | Neill Archer Roan | Permalink tagged Artisans, Collecting, Marketplace | in Artisanal Pipes, Collecting, Marketplace 
When I made the decision to collect the work of North American artisans, I began with pipes made by Jody Davis and Michael Lindner. It wasn’t long before I had added Tyler Lane, Todd Johnson, Trever Talbert, and Brian Ruthenberg to my collecting agenda.
During this time, I was watching the development of Jeff Gracik and Brad Pohlmann. Their work blossomed so I added their work to my collection. About a year passed before I began collecting Jack Howell’s work.
About the same time, I started buying pipes from Rad Davis, especially zulus. Then I discovered the work of Alex Florov and Will Purdy. Not long after that, I started collecting Adam Davidson’s work.
Along the way I’ve also added pieces by Maigurs Knets, John Crosby, Michael Parks, Stephen Downie, Scott Anderson, Mike Butera, Randy Wiley, and Ed Burak.
There are many other North American carvers whose work is either progressing remarkably or who are already crafting extraordinary pipes. Bill Shalosky and Bruce Weaver are showing excellent work. Charles Cole made an impressive showing at the Chicago Show, and the amazing Arizonan auto-didact Adam Remington has come onto the scene at a comet’s pace. Scott Thile - I bought a new smooth bent brandy from Scott in Kansas City - made a pipe that has quickly become a favorite. That is saying something given the company it keeps.
Evidence to the contrary, it is not my point here to list every artisan making pipes here in North America. It is to demonstrate just how crowded this dance floor has gotten. There are elbows flying everywhere and I have had to acknowledge to myself that it is not possible for me to assemble the best work of everyone for whom I have some interest. There are too many artisans from which to choose.
More to the point, even though my income places me in the top one-half of one percent of Americans, I can’t afford to collect every established carver’s work currently in my collection any longer. Most everyone has decided that their best work should sell for North of four figures. Experience suggests that those carvers who are making better work that is selling briskly will soon price their work at four-figure levels.
If you didn’t count, I listed 25 artisans in the previous paragraphs. Those whose work I started collecting early are selling their top-graded work at prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per pipe. As someone who approaches pipe collecting like art collecting, I’m not interested in entry-level sandblasts, rusticated pipes, marginal-wood smooths, or simple shapes. The great thing about art collecting is that - even if you’re a Rockefeller, a Vanderbilt, a Gates, or a Buffet, you run out of wall space sooner or later. I’ve run out of rack space, but that hasn’t stopped me.
So, even if I could get astounding deals on every pipe I bought, if I bought just one pipe per year from most of the makers whose work populates my collection, I’d be looking at spending between $35,000 and $50,000 a year, something that would get me castrated, committed, divorced, or murdered. I’ll leave it to you to decide which would be worse, but I suspect that most of these things would be done to me in the most unpleasant order imaginable.
There are a lot of pipemakers who I once could afford to collect who I can only watch and admire now. One part of me applauds their ability to command high prices for their work. Certainly the money-centric culture we live in reinforces people selling at the most they can get. Another part of me feels sad and left behind.
For me, the act of building a meaningful collection is exciting. Unfortunately, it just isn’t possible to build an in-depth collection with everyone, at least not in my income bracket.
Money is not the only barrier, either. Time is also a barrier in that a good relationship is necessary to build a good collection. There has to be a meaningful exchange between the artisan and the collector if the collection is going to grow in a way that isn’t haphazard. It has become increasingly obvious that I am going to have to start selling off some of my collections because I can’t afford to further build or update them. I’m going to have to choose and it isn’t going to be easy.
So what is a meaningful collection? It is a collection that demonstrates the technical and aesthetic range of an artisan. It is a collection that reveals how imaginative, innovative, and craftsmanlike an artisan can be. It shows mastery in working with a range of materials and woods that are used in a variety of combinations that makes a pipe more beautiful without unduly restraining its functionality. A meaningful collection demonstrates that an artisan can place the pipe perfectly in the block so that the wood grain enhances the shape and vice versa. A meaningful collection also reveals the development of an artisan’s eye and skills.
For example, my Jody Davis collection reveals remarkable development in Jody’s skills, even though Jody has always been a subtle artisan. It may not be obvious, but to build a collection that meets these criteria takes resources and it also requires that I have not only the money to buy but an opportunity to buy, too. Because artisans have relationships with more than one collector, it’s not always easy to buy the piece that makes a collection sing. The artisan may want to sell the piece you want to another collector. Timing may work against you, or you may not have the resources. Sometimes, other relationships trump yours. For example, I would love to be able to buy one of Will Purdy’s Rome pipes, but another collector staked out that territory long before me and I have to respect that.
I don’t know how this is all going to shake out. In nearly every category, a free marketplace simultaneously improves quality while lowering prices. This has certainly happened in the art world, but it is not happening in the pipe world. People making great work at lower prices increase pressure on higher-priced sellers to reduce prices. Will the lower-priced young Turks slow or stop the upward climb of pipe prices? I’m not sure. Will a sputtering economy combine with too much inventory result in lowered prices? I doubt it.
Speaking personally, I have some difficult choices to make in the days ahead. I’ll be writing more as I make them.
Reader Comments (8)
WOW !! I think your thought process follows mine. I have made some hard decisions in reference to my personal collection. There are many carvers I would enjoy having in my rotation...I have seen their craftsmanship and find it to be second to none...but I have to decide what makes me purchase a carver's work. This is the most difficult part for me. There are several questions I must answer to my own self...when I get them all answered it will let you know. Right now I am focused on two carvers that I have a personal relationship with...and for the time being making purchases from them brings great enjoyment to me...and that is part of the equation in my book.
Lawdog
Neill,
When my collection of pipes had topped 500, I knew that there was a problem. It is one thing to collect and quite another to hoard. My pipes give me pleasure and it had become progressively more difficult to derive that pleasure while dividing my attention into infinitely smaller slices. As much as I was proud of accomplishing the amassing of my objects d'art, The d'art part was vanishing. Is it art if it is not being appreciated?
Rather than wholesale slash and burn, I chose to focus on my favorite core of pipes. What was the "bestest" part that made me happiest? Those were my pipes. While the others were fabulous in their own right (or I would not have bought them, right?), they were no longer part of the core. Rather than just cash out for all, I chose to start sending specific pipes to folks who I *knew* would be able to enjoy them more than I could. This has given, and continues to give, me pleasure and a sense of peace.
As for wondering what would be your fate if you continued on such a meteoric path, I think that you may have made a mistake on just one word. "Castrated, committed, divorced, or murdered"? Change that 'or' to 'and' my friend...
Neill, a very thought provoking blog entry. As a relatively new pipe collector, I wrestle with similar issues. Do I want to be a collector (which to me infers some sort of theme or focus eg the evolution of Italian Neoclassic Rhodesians) or do I want to be an "accumulator" purchasing anything I like based on my aesthetic leanings of the moment subject to my budget of the moment? Should I be conscious of issues related to brand/artisan name and resale value or go with a present value sort of approach focusing on "undiscovered" artisans? Do I like collecting pipes because of the artistry of the pipes themselves or because I love the "chase/hunt" of collecting in general?
Ultimately, I think I will give myself permission to vacillate on these issues at will. Life is stressful enough without stressing over a hobby ;-)
Hi Neill,
While not in the same league I have found that I'm in the same boat.
For some unknown reason I started thinking along the lines of reduction for the last 3-10 months, off and on. Suddenly about a week ago I realized that my birthday is coming up here at the end of August. Thinking that this is a special one (if the number's bigger than the last one, I guess that's special), I sort of decided to get myself a nice pipe.
Separately I've noticed that I've stopped buying pipes because I like the shape or maker. Lately I've only been acquiring pipes that have a shape or design that I am interested in from a pipe-maker's standpoint. Something I've never seen, some idea that I'm also experimenting with, simply a beautiful shape that I want to study, etc. I continue to follow my normal shopping technique of allowing my extra picky neuroses free reign in the area of making a selection. While this normally lets me save money by walking away from something very desirable but not perfect, (grain not centered enough, too big, too small, I don't like gold -which actually saves me money anyway, etc.) it also narrows down the choices to a few usually very expensive pieces.
These two elements came together in the advise of a pipe collector friend who advises to buy a few of the best rather than 10 of just okay. His example of 10 or 20 pipes costing about $100.00 each adds up to about $1000. - $2000. which is a lot of money on pipes that I don't smoke that often or even look at. So I've selected a few of these, about 10 so far, that I hope to sell or trade into one or two pipes that I really admire and will now have more time to smoke and enjoy. This is money already spent anyway, I'm just reutilizing and reorganizing. The exception to this is a small collection of Ashtons that I have. I do not imagine this collection getting much bigger, but rather keeping the best 4-5 pieces that I encounter. If I find a better example of a bent bulldog, for example I'll get that and sell the one I currently have. Maybe this idea could work for you. A "small" group of a favorite maker or two and only 1-3 of some others that you like but are not seeking more than some examples of. Interestingly and not for any type of personal rule, the pipes I've selected are all pipes that I've purchased and almost all of the ones that I've decided to hang onto for a while longer are gifts or have some sort of personal connection (souvenir of a person or place, etc.).
So I guess that while I'm not trying to create a collection of artistic progress or merit, I am collecting things that, at least from my point of view, "burn with their own heat."
Neill,
I think you're right to "focus" your collection on the artisans whose work you really want to collect. It's one thing just to buy haphazardly, but quite another to cultivate something.
One thing I might question is your assertion that there are carvers whose work you can no longer collect due to the prices it commands. I think even a conservative estimate would put your annual pipe-buying budget at 2-3 times the price of the most expensive pipes you reference. Perhaps you can no longer collect certain makers' work at the pace you once did, but you're not unable to collect it at all. I would contend that being patient and selective makes the difference between cultivating that "meaningful collection" of which you speak, and simply being acquisitive.
Regarding your analysis of prices in a free market, I think there's a distinction to be made. The equation holds when you're talking about washing machines or perhaps even television sets. As far as I know, no one really aspires to own a Kenmore as some kind of life goal. They want a machine that has X features and will perform Y tasks efficiently. If Brand Z can produce a machine that matches the features and performance of the Kenmore at $200 less, then it may put pressure on Kenmore to sell their machines for less. The difference is that, even though certain online retailers treat them that way, pipes are *not* washing machines.
Pipes *are* objects that certain collectors aspire to. No one wants an Ivarsson simply because he needs a tool that will burn tobacco efficiently. That can be had at one tenth, or conceivably one one hundredth of the price. Someone who buys one of Lars' pipes does so because of its beauty, artistry, and exclusivity. That's why $400 pipes--even truly exceptional $400 pipes--don't put a great deal of downward pressure on makers of $4,000 pipes. They are by nature, affordable, accessible, and attainable. As such, they are also less "valuable." I would contend that these are different markets, that function by different rules, for different reasons, using different variables. For instance Ferrari and Aston Martin are not affected by the latest offerings from Toyota, or even BMW. They may all be making "cars," but they're doing very different things in the end.
TJ
Not to distract from the current conversation but I just have to say that the sentence below is one of the funniest things I have read in a while...
"...something that would get me castrated, committed, divorced, or murdered. I’ll leave it to you to decide which would be worse, but I suspect that most of these things would be done to me in the most unpleasant order imaginable."
carry on.
Neill - I would never offer myselfup as an example of good sense, fiscal or otherwise, nonetheless I will comment briefly on a few things that I have mused upon that relate to this discussion. 1) When adding domestic harmony into the equation it is clear that ten $300 pipes can get you into just as much trouble as one $3000 pipe. Therefore, I recommend buying the one $3000 pipe since it is easier to hide. 2) Should things degenerate into the violent scenario you describe above, remember that practioners of our hobby are uniquely suited to create both the literal and the figurative "smoke screen". Beyond this all I can say is that if you love a pipe and can afford it....well....life is short. This hobby shouldn't create anxiety or dismay and if it does, I suggest lighting a bowl and trying to get back to what started all of this - the enjoyment of an exotic leaf burning in an instrument well suited to the endeavor.
Interesting subject and one at a far different level I addressed myself a few years back and (at the time) for slightly different reasons. I stopped buying a lot of $75 to $100 pipes hoping to get a good smoker. I found buying a few at $200, $300 and up was far more economical and far more likely to produce the same or greater number of good smokers.
That also allowed me to peer into the world of higher grade pipe collecting and now I plan to cut back even more on quantity and add to my collection pieces that i feel are worth the effort.
I also still have a lot of low to mid-grade pipes I need to sell off to help my "effort"!