I've noticed something about some estate pipes I've gotten off ebay......ghosting. I'm not just talking about tobacco ghosting, especially when gramps was not so diligent in his cleaning of said pipe(s). No, I'm talking about Perfume Ghosting. Yep, that's right, perfume. Here's how I see this in my head:
Gramps keels, granny now has 2, 5, 28 pipes of gramps that she has no idea what to do with. She sticks them in a box with this and that....say, old perfume she doesn't wear any longer (you know, the crap that comes in one gallon jugs). These pipes sit in the box for days, weeks, months, years even. All the while being subjected to the horrific onslaught of drugstore perfume. She or grandchild(ren) get around to cleaning out attic and lists pipes on ebay.

Pipes get sold and upon delivery you open them up and take one whiff and BAM! Like a wet sponge to the face....GAAAAAAAAAAAAA, that horrid old lady perfume reek!

Now, what do you do? Well, if you're me, ream them until there is bare wood and run them all though eight (8) salt and alcohol treatments. Ultimately, attempt to smoke them, gag on the offensive perfume that has a stranglehold on your estate pipe, become exceedingly pissed off at the twat that burned you on ebay. Eventually, you toss them in the trash with the agonizing realization that you spent 12 hours trying to recover them, cursing the whole time.

So why am I posting this? Well, it's a question I ask of all prospective amateur pipe sellers on ebay should I consider bidding on a decent estate or a small lot of estate pipes. It's something that absolutely no one would ever mention. If it's a respectable seller, no problem, I know their pipes aren't going to be drenched in perfume. However, if it's some average Joe on ebay, irrespective of their rating, I always ask. The reason - unless you happen to have a handy dandy ozone machine in your basement you will NOT be able to remove perfume from a briar pipe. If someone has a home remedy that actually works, and I mean WORKS, I'm all ears.

I wouldn't be posting this if this was one pipe, one time. Rather, this is something that I've personally had to deal with on two separate purchases that affected 4 pipes. I had to throw 3 of the 4 away.

So, buyer beware on ebay estate pipes.