hi all
what in your opinion would be a fair price for a fully mounted concert D set with a fully keyed chanter,along with a keyless chanter plus an extra set of bellows,just asking as i might be letting them go for the right price.
Are they Northumbrian Smallpipes? or Scottish Smallpipes? or Uilleann Pipes?
Well if it is his standard style and in plated bright and shiney nickel plated brass then your best bet for a good price would be to find a Trekkie 
Personally I prefer the look of solid metal rather than that of a Cadillac - the main advantage of solid metal is that if the acids from the hands , wear and tear remove the surface it is still the same metal all the way through. Maybe it was just a bad plating works but have seen some well used sets were the plating has worn through and it just doesanot look nice.
Also more importantly plating should be discouraged as the chemicals used in the process are harmful to the enviroment. Avoid having sets where the maker resorts to this practice just as you should with those who use elephant ivory and wood from non sustainable sources.
A true professional maker would always go for solid metal and aquire the skills necessary to make their own ferrules if the material used is not available ready made. Have watched my maker roll up tubes of all sizes and he makes it look simple.
I wonder if this will set things off - been orfely quite around here lately other than the ‘wack the Hunter’ makers thread
John
what in your opinion would be a fair price for a fully mounted concert D set with a fully keyed chanter,along with a keyless chanter plus an extra set of bellows,just asking as i might be letting them go for the right price.
What you should do is have a look at the Uilleannobsession.com site and look and the pipes for sale section.
You can compare the second hand price vs. the makers brand new price.
You’ll probably see a runing pattern in the % difference in prices.
It might help.
A true professional maker would always go for solid metal and aquire the skills necessary to make their own ferrules if the material used is not available ready made. Have watched my maker roll up tubes of all sizes and he makes it look simple.
Hmm, so you’re kinda hinting that if you use electro-plating your not really a top class ‘professional’ maker.
Well that would eliminate Leo Rowsome, Alf Kennedy, Johnny Bourke, Dan Dowd, Tom White, Kevin Thompson, etc.
I’d go so far as to say 90% of all Irish makers, since the 1940’s (I just don’t know enough about UK or US makers) have used electro-plating on their pipes.
After all it is the sound thats important isn’t it…
Tommy
hi all
it is an uilleann full set,three regs fully mounted
Perhaps badly worded as ‘professional’ just means it is there means of earning a living so lazy is probably the better word.
Making ferrules is the way the masters did it eg Coyne, Kenna, Egan etc. and several modern makers have carried on the tradition such as Peter Hunter (and Sam), Chris Bayley, Davy Stevenson (and probably his pupils) David Quinn, Geof Woolf. Davy has his method on his website and both DQ and GW have published their own methods in piping journals
Whatever you think it is still enviromentally unfriendly as the process uses harmful chemicals and we shold all be doing our bit to save the planet and plating should be avoided
And as you so rightly say it is the sound that is important so plating is totally unnecesary
John
And as you so rightly say it is the sound that is important so plating is totally unnecesary
Exactly. So a set with electro-plated metal work will look different and nice to some, but as you say, the sound is more important.
In an effort to keep the thread on track.
Please send values of said fine Sloan set of pipes to tramaluk.
I’m sure he’d value the info rather than this ‘he said, she said’ rubbish about metal plating.
Tommy
How old is the set and what is the condition? Like new, lovingly worn, dinged but nice playing?
If it’s in excellent condition and not too old it ought to fetch about what a new one is going for. Sloan sets seem to move a bit more slowly than some due, mostly I think, to aesthetics (folks seem to really love the look or really don’t). They look a bit Northumbrian (no surprise there).
Pipers (as we’ve seen on this thread) tend to be sticklers for tradition.
Unless, of course, they’re playing a D set or one with artificial ivory or one with synthetic or bronze reeds, or one that has a curved bass reg, etc, etc, … 
Doc