Do you think the high bidder will retract?
that would be stupid
isn’t it?
Turns out this whole collection was purchased at a country autction for less than $200. The theory is that it came from a pipemakers workshop somewhere back the line. There is a chance that these are the left behind disasters that the pipemaker (White himself maybe) could do nothing with. There is also a chance that there are more parts and pieces floating around as they were originally auctioned by somebody who did not have any idea of what they were and boxes of parts may have gone into other job lots…
Oh the intrigue of it all!
a Ned White set (not) in de hands of Rob van Dijk
That set is however only partially by White. The set was reconstructed by Hubert Kwisthout out of pieces that were already by different makers: the chanter is by White maybe one of the regulators and some parts of the drones, most of the mounts on drones and regs are Hubert’s as are the stock and parts of the drones.
Tonight (at least in the UK) is the big night - whose going for it.
Chanter by Brown, Bag and possibly chanters by Crowley, C chanter by White, Double Chanter by a.n. other. Regs and drones in common stock that look like they are assembled from a makers scrap bin
Lots of bits so guess it will be mega bucks unless common sense prevails which I seriously doubt.
John
May common sense prevail. Patsy passed away in 1954 so we’re not taking antique or vintage pipes here, not by European standards anyway. Just a set that doesn’t have the quality of workmanship, art deco mystic, or glamour or exclusiveness of a bone fide Taylor Bros. instrument. It also looks like it will need some serious renovating, plus a chanter with flute style keys, I mean how much fun is that unless you have special needs or desires. E. White one reads made some fine “Taylor Style instruments”. So prehaps this chanter is a decent one as long as it hasn’t been tampered with, let’s hope so. Personally if I was after a decent, working set, and had 5-6000 dollars I’d order a brand new instrument from Seth Gallagher or Chris Bayley instead of this bunch of sticks. 
Anyway whoever is gagging for these bits & pieces, watch out, I think they’ve seen you coming 
Turns out the White chanter is indeed a lefty as far as anyone can tell which means it doesn’t go with the listed (right hand) drones and regs. The bellows is also a lefty - the seller confirmed the harp has not been moved. Also, looks like the drones may not be original to this set either.
So, if any of the bidders are reading this then they may retract their bids in the light of this information.
That means I just might win this at a knock down price 
I don’t think the White is a lefty; the keys seem to be in the ‘normal’ place for a chanter of this vintage.
that is - right index finger (side) activates the d3/c# key; left pinky activates the bflat; fnat pivot is on the RHS of the chanter.
It seems fairly clear that the White chanter does not go with the body of the set.
Bill
Someone just upped it by another 1K so it’s at $7100 now. Why do people up the price like that instead of waiting until the last moment, when it really matters.
So, they might have belonged to a Tom Ward? Maybe the Tom Ward, as in ‘Tom Wards’.
Gwan, that should be worth another $5k!
As in ‘Tom Ward’s Downfall’ you mean. Would be a nice nickname for the set then. especially if it turns out they were banjaxed by some DIY-ing piper. 
So this is what $7,100 of risk looks like…
$7100.00 US = £3550 UK so from this side of the pond not too high just yet
Of course there is the cost of restoration on top of this
Must admit to have seen better looking bits in makers scrap bins - if any makers are watching they will probably raid them tomorrow and put them up on ebay.
If ever I sell my pipes, remind me to offer them only to Englishmen .
So if I leave my pipes sitting at the bottom of a lake for years, and let them rust and corrode like that, and of course, sell them with no idea the shape of the bore…I wonder if I’d get so lucky! I don’t care who made them, they look in horrid shape. I wonder how many hedgehogs or termites have nested in the bores! Good luck to the high bidder!
auction is over
$7,600.00 US
David
Does anyone know who got them or where they went
John