FAQ's

Mike's Pipe Cleaning Service is now closed!!!   Briar Blues is NOT closing. However as of late a number of people have been sending pipes in need of serious cleaning. I no longer have the time to spend doing this service for you.  Stems that are oxidized, rims that are heavily layered with patina, shanks and stems full of gunk will find themselves en route back to their owners.  NO exceptions.   If you are unable to send pipes in near ready condition I strongly suggest you send them to someone that can take care of this for you.   Yes, I fully understand that this may and I am sure will cause a number of you to choose to send your items elsewhere to be sold.  While I will be sad that this will occur, to be fair to the others that send pipes in near camera ready condition it must be the way of things. 

What should I do prior to shipping any items to Briar Blues?

You MUST contact me ( via email )  PRIOR to shipping a single item. NO exceptions.  Packages arriving with no prior notice shall be shipped back. 

You MUST  include a packing slip, listing contents and prices.  If no packing slip the package will be shipped back.  If prices are not listed I will assume you want me to "make up" the prices. 

Separate stem from bowl.  Place stem in small zip lock ( sandwich size ) bag.  Place bowl in similar sized zip lock bag. Place stem bag ( air squeezed out ) in the bag with the bowl, also with the air squeezed out.  Use a packing box large enough to allow these bags to be placed in the box with a healthy supply of styro peanuts.    If you have the box for a pipe or for pipes, with the prior method you should be able to place 2 or sometimes 3 pipes in a box. This will save space and save you money.  Also make sure you insure the package.  Never, never never, send a pipe with the bowl and stem separate in a bag or sock in which either is loose.  A stem rattling around WILL make marks in the bowl of the pipe.   With the above method all items should arrive in tact.  They will be very easy for me to un pack and carry. 

For anyone wishing to have their items sold via E-Bay I shall no longer be able to assist.  Well I should re phrase that. I am able, but not willing, as it is not in your best interest.  If you want to have some items on E-Bay I will be more than happy to send them along to someone else that is willing.  I suggest Steve Fallon ( pipestud ) or Rob Cooper ( coopsersark )  I believe that their fees for E-Bay are the same as mine and due to volume they tend to garner higher totals at auctions end.   So for your maximum return you are better off having one of these two gents handle your item/s.

 This is not aimed at any one person, so please no one take this personally.  From now on I am no longer able to accept multiple pipes in for a, lesser number of pipes.   Why?  When  pipes are sent on trade I must sell all the pipes that arrive.  At the same time the owner of the pipe leaving expects to be paid for their goods.  I am not a bank, so financing multi pipe trades is a problem.  I will however accept a single pipe for a single pipe, IF the pipe coming's value exceeds the pipe that would be leaving by 30% in re sale value.   To avoid getting caught seeing something you want and only have pipes to trade, it might be better to have these tradable pipes sent here to be sold on your behalf.  The monies that accumulate can be held for a future pipe or pipes, or a check can be sent. 

 Also IF a trade possibility is agreed upon, I will only hold the wanted pipe for 7 days.  If your pipe/s do not arrive within 7 days, the deal will be nullified and the pipe on hold will go back as available.

On either Friday or Saturday evening I shall send out an email with a link to this page.  It will offer a "light" description or list some of the items that have arrived.  From the time you receive the email you may preview these items.  I will also in the page post the url to the update page.  This page will stay "hidden" for 5 - 6 days.  ONLY those on the update list are permitted to purchase pipes from the page during these days.  DO NOT post the url on ANY boards of any kind.  DO NOT email collector friends that a pipe they may be interested in is on the page.  If they are NOT on the update list, they will not be able to purchase the pipe until it goes to the full public area.   If you have friends you believe might find interesting items on the site, feel free to contact them and let them know how to get on the update list. If is then up to them  send me and email asking to be added to the list.  I will NOT add someone to the list unless they ask.  I will not add someone to the list, that you ask be added.   

At 9 am ( Pacific Time ) on the Sunday of the update I start to accept orders for items. It is on a first come first serve basis. This in a first arrived order.  This meaning arrived at MY pc first.   If you are new you may find it will take a few weeks to find out how quickly your email server and mine communicate. Yes sometimes emails feel like they arrive within seconds, but this is not always the case. Sometimes they may take several minutes.  As other members of the update list will tell you , the first 10 - 15 minutes is very hectic and many pipes can become reserved within a heart beat.   If you've seen the movie Trading Places and recall the stock exchange opening mayhem,  imagine it in email format.  You get an idea what it's like at my end.  As emails arrive I try and reply as quickly as possible with a "yes the pipe is yours " reply, or" I'm sorry it's already been reserved" reply.  Once it begins to slow down I will reply further to those that have reserved a pipe.  

Please only send one email asking about an item.  If you send multiple emails, they will be ignored. ALL will be ignored and you may loose out on the item you would like. 

 I do the first page update after about 10 minutes. 

If you are not confident in your email servers abilities speed to arrive at my end you may phone at or after 9 am Pacific Time.  Understand though that many do prefer to call as opposed to email and you may find the line busy. In that event do not leave a message as I will not have an opportunity to listen to your  message for near an hour.  If it is busy, just hang up and try and re dial.

1 604 626 8858

 You may use  either

mike@briarblues.com

or

 info@briarblues.com

 Both arrive through the same email server at my end and nether is faster than the other.

If you have particular questions about any item you are free to email prior to the 9 am opening.  I will do my best to reply well before the update is "live".