If you have shopped around on eBay, you have probably found Rosewood Bagpipes ranging anywhere from $60 to $200 US. Every one of them claiming to be the best quality, professional quality, better than the others, etc. etc. etc. Note also in the eBay ads that most claim to be "Brand New and Unplayed." The main reason that they are "Unplayed" is that the merchants who sell them have no idea how to play them, or test them.

Why such a variety in prices?

Sialkot, Pakistan is the "garden spot" of Middle-East Bagpipes. It is the home of MANY, MANY Bagpipe companies. The quality from company to company varies greatly, from complete garbage, to very high professional quality. Some of these professional quality companies actually sell Bagpipes and Bagpipe parts to some Scottish Bagpipe makers. Bargain-hunting merchants who sell many different instruments, none of which they actually know how to play, will purchase the cheapest Bagpipes they can find and sell them to you. All Bagpipes look pretty when they are brand new. To someone who does not play Bagpipes, cheap junk looks pretty much the same as high standard Bagpipes. So, quality is not an issue. Only price.

What sort of quality can you expect on eBay?

Well, since the goal of eBay power sellers is to make as many sales as possible, and to try & beat the others' prices, the quality will range from garbage to mediocre. The exceptions being individuals who are selling their used Bagpipes, or their Grandfather's Bagpipes.

How does this compare to the Poor Piper Store?

We are not eBay power sellers. Our goal is not to make as many sales as possible, at the sacrifice of quality. We are Bagpipers, who know and appreciate good quality, and wish to supply good quality Bagpipes to folks who otherwise cannot afford it. The "Top of the Line" Bagpipes you will find on eBay are made by the same companies that make our "Budget Line" of Bagpipes. Our Premium Bagpipes are of much higher quality than that!

What eBay sellers say, and What they mean:

Say: Beautiful quality.
Mean: They're shiny & new.

Say: Comes with a bottle of seasoning.
Mean: We don't know how to season a bag, so we're just going to send you the seasoning & let you figure it out.

Say: Comes with 2 sets of reeds.
Mean: We have no idea what good reeds look like, so we're going to give you 2 sets & hope that one of them works.

Say: Never been played.
Mean: We have no idea how to set these things up and test 'em. You do it.

Say: .....Long page of hype & glitter, pictures of their store, .gif animations, fancy colours and graphics.
Mean: Don't bother looking for any sort of actual description. We have no idea what we're selling, we just want you to buy it.

What do we mean?

Of course they're shiny, silly, they're brand new. But our Bagpipes are more than just shiny. They are of high quality. Even our "Budget" Bagpipes are of a quality that I would personally feel proud to march with, leading any of our annual parades, leading my local VFW post.

Our Bagpipes don't come with a bottle of seasoning. We season every stand of Bagpipes before they leave our store. We also sell bottles of seasoning, as it is necessary to season a bag every 6 months to 1 year, depending on your climate and frequency of practice.

Our Bagpipes come with 1 complete set of TESTED reeds so you don't have to fiddle around with finding the ones that work. (If there are any) Plus an extra soft Chanter reed made by Duncan Soutar of St. Andrews.

Every stand of Bagpipes that leaves our store has been played. After we do the seasoning, setup and reassembly, we will temporarily install our own mouthpiece and play a couple of tunes, just to make sure that everything is working the way it is supposed to, before we pack them back in the box for shipping.

No hype & glitter! The fanciest graphics you will find on this website is the cute roll-over buttons. We don't need to sell you with hype. The quality of our merchandise will speak for itself.

What is a bargain?

Is paying $1,200 for a stand of brand new Scottish made Bagpipes a bargain?

No. This is fair market value for a high quality stand of Bagpipes.

Is paying $80 for a stand of Rosewood Bagpipes on eBay a bargain?

No. The price may be cheap. But the quality is even cheaper. Many parts will have to be replaced before they will stand up to the rigors of actual playing.

Is paying $300 for Premium Rosewood or $800 for Premium Blackwood Bagpipes at PoorPiper.com a bargain?

Absolutely! Paying $800 for Bagpipes that are every bit as good (In some ways even better) than Bagpipes that sell for $1,200 is a bargain.Paying $300 for quality Bagpipes that come tested and working properly is a much better bargain than paying $80 for Bagpipes that will kind-of, sort-of work. But will need many parts replaced before you feel safe to play them in public.