A couple years ago, Paddy Keenan told me he’d been offered $50,000 USD for his old Crowley/Rowsome chanter set. Dave W. was restoring them (I think) and they were to be for sale, I wonder what ever became of that. Keenan said 50 Grand would go a long way towards the house he was building in Ireland.
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I wouldn’t imagine 1993 to be too big a risk as Geoff had been making pipes for some 15 years or so. $315 seemed to be a risk-free price as, even with a completely accurate description, someone would likely go for it if you were to resell it.
I don’t really want to single out Geoff for these discussions as all makers factor into market pricing (as well as the buyers).
The rule in an auction is that there is no limit to the price as long as two people want the same item!
Jim,
please re-read my posts. 
Cheers,
DavidG
Unsure on what you’d be referring me to. Most people would take a chance on a Wooff chanter of any vintage and, most likely, try other reeds in it and maybe consult with Geoff about it. Re-plugging a tone hole is not the end of a chanter necessarily - reboring usually is.
Thart has always been done under the influence of market forces. How can you react when, as happened, you are charging 4K for a set of pipes and a guy starts buying sets at auction for 12 K? From there on prices went up.
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Pipemakers have, on occasion, re-bored their own stuff to take advantage of their new design and eliminate their problems in the old design as the pipemakers experience grows with seeing sets come back for a visit over time. When someone else does a modification, anything can happen including voiding your warranty on the set - the original maker wouldn’t touch it again.
10 years worth of gold huh?
300 or so US dollars was a steal for that chanter… filled in and re drilled tone hole and all.
A century from now, demented and sorry nerds without a life (such as ourselves) will be studying this chanter, checking its lineage, evaluating its construction and tone and bestowing upon it, not only our seal of approval but a mighty price tag to boot… much in the same way we oggle a Kenna, Taylor, Coyne or Harrington set today.
IMHO, Geoff’s work will stand the test of time…from beginning to end, and will only increase in value and demand…even the early stuff…perhaps ‘especially’ the early stuff.
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…You can buy a Pakistani chanter for more… :roll:
Crikey, that’s gotta be the fastest response I’ve seen yet. 
Captain Joseph E LightningFingers.
Says something about true value versus market value I guess.
I just got back from the Highland Games in Wintersprings Florida…and my mind is racing…as are my fingers…