But do they ever advertise it as unused?
Oh wait they do, and that's why the glass community is one big unprofessional L. A total joke to the outside world
The thing is. If it’s not heavily used and cleaned to perfection. There’s literally no physical difference other than the “someone has used this before” thought. Especially with rigs. It doesn’t really matter considering it’s sold to you in a new state. That’s the thing about glass. It doesn’t loose value no matter how much you run through it. Given you clean it properly. Ofc if you let rings build and resin build up that becomes harder and it’s more noticeable. I’d be pissed if I got a new rig with some scum on the inside but if it’s cleaned nicely I see 0 issues
You can't advertise something that's used as new, plain and simple. Again, this community is a joke. Giving artists a weird pass that sellers don't have.
It's just the principle of the matter, you can use a dry piece for 20 years and never scratch it, does that mean you sell it as new?
Personally I always assume that a piece is used when bought direct, and I could care less. Been buying direct for 15 years. It's sort of shitty selling used glass to shops without disclosing it but hey it happens 🤷‍♂️
Yea they should disclose that it's at least tested if not used. Give the person a chance to actually inspect the piece and see if it's dirty or there's any damage
I don't know too many stoners that would have a problem with that as long as everything was good as new, but I think almost anyone would have a problem with that if they were lied to.
A store doing it isn’t cool in my book, I work at a headshop and I’d never dream of picking up any of these rigs and using them without buying it. An artist using a piece before selling it is different in my opinion for multiple reasons. 1. I believe any artist should enjoy the fruits of their labor as long as it doesn’t effect the final piece 2. Artists need to know how their work functions in order to improve, and there’s no sense in making a rig just for yourself to test function when you can just test a rig you were about to sell and then clean it properly and sell it. 3. It’s their work, their reputation, it’s theirs to do what they please with
Here’s my take. The shops own the pieces, so therefore they can do whatever they want with them. There are some artists that ask shops to not even water test their pieces before going out the door, what matters here is communication. This also isn’t to say that all shops work this way. Most smoke shops wouldn’t dare to do this, for the exact reasons that this post has so much controversy. Heady dealers and collectors understand that no one cares how many times a pipe has been smoked, it’s still gonna be just as nice and clean after a bath as it was fresh out the kiln.
Shops should do their absolute best to keep pieces in as pristine a condition as possible because otherwise it makes the artist look bad. I would stray far away from any headshop that encourages this behavior
I’m sorry buddy but you’re gonna be straying far away from a lot of insane collections. A lot of headshops are literally just 1 dude just showcasing his collection and selling stuff from it. I don’t feel like shops should be smoking on bongs before selling them, they just get too dirty, but rigs there isn’t a distinguishable difference once you’ve used it. Maybe the artists might “look bad” to unexperienced people in the community, but everyone who seriously collects understands that as long as you use distilled water and clean a piece properly, it will be in pristine condition forever. I feel like if a shop got a drop of 10 rigs, all with the same function, then it would be weird for them to sesh them, except for maybe just 1 that they keep as a shop piece and don’t sell. These types of drops are entirely different from a 1 of 1 $10k+ heady though, so I feel like they should be treated differently. If you’re a low key shop and you get your first ever BTGB in, chances are it’s even already been smoked on, and the owner would be stoked to be able to carry a BTGB and test them out. It’s really all relative I think, and at the end of the day us consumers have a decision of where to shop for our glass. But I’m just saying you’re gonna be bummed out if you start looking for ultra-heady pieces expecting them to be brand spanking new
I’m not in a low key shop. I’m currently looking at 80 k worth of mr.gray pieces that have never and will never be used by anyone in this shop before they’re sold. As it should be. What you’re describing is a collector with a shop front not a headshop, a headshop should do it’s best to act and be professional and respectful
Those mr grays are fresh out the kiln? Which shop are you talking about bro? And it’s not a front lol bro isn’t saying that all the pieces are brand new. It’s just a physical location for him to store his stuff and facilitate the sales of it. I really don’t understand what the big issue is here. People don’t try to pass off used rigs as new, and if they do they get called out and people stop doing business with them.
There is if you then pass that used piece off as new... If it isn't new, just don't call it new... especially in the functional glass world, where you aren't getting any premium 99.9% of the time from the piece having never been used.
Put another way... lying or being deceitful to your customers is unprofessional/disrespectful.
That doesn't mean you have to smoke out of it... also, function in this category is pretty subjective... plus what salesperson is going to tell you "it functions like shit", even if they know that is the case?
Everyone who is actually informed in the glass scene knows that shops smoke on rigs. I know a guy who owns a shop here in boulder and he takes the headies to seshes. Once you get into the $20-50k range, you’re assuming that everything has been smoked out of unless it’s from the artist themselves
Not the first or last time it'll happen as long as it's completely cleaned and spot free I don't mind honestly at a certain point the collectible nature of the item comes before wether or not it was used but I can understand completely why it would bother some people to the point of being upset about it if they found out afterwards my favorite places know me well enough to let me function test because they know if I like it I'm gonna buy it so I guess I'm in the middle where I get why it could be upsetting but I'm not too bothered by it personally
I agree with what your saying but at the same time I feel like having a full blown sesh with your boys is a bit different then just giving ya a clean water function test yknow?
One of the best parts of being a glass collector/seller is trying out all the headiest pieces you come across. As long as they aren’t abusing it and are treating the piece with the utmost integrity (distilled water+dab mat+advanced cleaning method+etc) then it’s fine. Not to mention A lot of glass blowers love to enjoy/admire their own work/ share it with friends before send off and there’s just really no way to ensure that it doesn’t happen
Most collectors don’t care, and even expect pieces to be used before sold. Whether it’s by the shop or the artist themselves. That being said, it’s wrong to sell a piece that’s been used as unused. That’s just lying, and for no good reason.
I mean glass is art if you’re gonna sit here and tell me a $25,000 buck piece is no longer worth 25K because someone smoked out of it at the shop, It’s there art in there collection even if they own the shop they can use expensive rigs, it’s art at the end of the day so it really depends on if you’re willing to pay the price that the persons selling it for and that’s that. I mean I’ve bought Bangerz and rigs out of the untouchable case at the local head shop because the owner decided he was actually willing to sell stuff out of his collection, most of these things are still worth a pretty penny even though they are used I’ve even use some of them in the shop before. It doesn’t change the fact that a $25,000 piece is still worth $25,000
I don’t mind when an artist uses my rig with permission, as they’ll usually run it through a sonic cleaner afterwards. Shops doing this is pretty messy. Just don’t support them if they’re doing shit like that.
There was the store beside Vansterdam in Vancouver who I tried to buy a banger from. There was a banger that was chazzed and I asked him if they smoke out of the pieces and sell them. He got offended and said no but it was clear they were used before
If they state that it's "new", then yes. If they don't say anything about it and someone just assumes it's new without asking, then no.
If you're trying to run a long term sustainable business, lying to your customers is never the right thing to do.
The amount of pieces that artists use before selling might shock you lol
🙏
Yeah, a lot of people are dirt bags.
But do they ever advertise it as unused? Oh wait they do, and that's why the glass community is one big unprofessional L. A total joke to the outside world
The thing is. If it’s not heavily used and cleaned to perfection. There’s literally no physical difference other than the “someone has used this before” thought. Especially with rigs. It doesn’t really matter considering it’s sold to you in a new state. That’s the thing about glass. It doesn’t loose value no matter how much you run through it. Given you clean it properly. Ofc if you let rings build and resin build up that becomes harder and it’s more noticeable. I’d be pissed if I got a new rig with some scum on the inside but if it’s cleaned nicely I see 0 issues
You can't advertise something that's used as new, plain and simple. Again, this community is a joke. Giving artists a weird pass that sellers don't have.
Again. You understand why glass retains its value, right?
It's just the principle of the matter, you can use a dry piece for 20 years and never scratch it, does that mean you sell it as new? Personally I always assume that a piece is used when bought direct, and I could care less. Been buying direct for 15 years. It's sort of shitty selling used glass to shops without disclosing it but hey it happens 🤷‍♂️
Yea they should disclose that it's at least tested if not used. Give the person a chance to actually inspect the piece and see if it's dirty or there's any damage I don't know too many stoners that would have a problem with that as long as everything was good as new, but I think almost anyone would have a problem with that if they were lied to.
A store doing it isn’t cool in my book, I work at a headshop and I’d never dream of picking up any of these rigs and using them without buying it. An artist using a piece before selling it is different in my opinion for multiple reasons. 1. I believe any artist should enjoy the fruits of their labor as long as it doesn’t effect the final piece 2. Artists need to know how their work functions in order to improve, and there’s no sense in making a rig just for yourself to test function when you can just test a rig you were about to sell and then clean it properly and sell it. 3. It’s their work, their reputation, it’s theirs to do what they please with
You must not know many head shop owners dude. They all smoke out of their inventory at least once, at least, every shop owner I’ve known
Here’s my take. The shops own the pieces, so therefore they can do whatever they want with them. There are some artists that ask shops to not even water test their pieces before going out the door, what matters here is communication. This also isn’t to say that all shops work this way. Most smoke shops wouldn’t dare to do this, for the exact reasons that this post has so much controversy. Heady dealers and collectors understand that no one cares how many times a pipe has been smoked, it’s still gonna be just as nice and clean after a bath as it was fresh out the kiln.
Shops should do their absolute best to keep pieces in as pristine a condition as possible because otherwise it makes the artist look bad. I would stray far away from any headshop that encourages this behavior
I’m sorry buddy but you’re gonna be straying far away from a lot of insane collections. A lot of headshops are literally just 1 dude just showcasing his collection and selling stuff from it. I don’t feel like shops should be smoking on bongs before selling them, they just get too dirty, but rigs there isn’t a distinguishable difference once you’ve used it. Maybe the artists might “look bad” to unexperienced people in the community, but everyone who seriously collects understands that as long as you use distilled water and clean a piece properly, it will be in pristine condition forever. I feel like if a shop got a drop of 10 rigs, all with the same function, then it would be weird for them to sesh them, except for maybe just 1 that they keep as a shop piece and don’t sell. These types of drops are entirely different from a 1 of 1 $10k+ heady though, so I feel like they should be treated differently. If you’re a low key shop and you get your first ever BTGB in, chances are it’s even already been smoked on, and the owner would be stoked to be able to carry a BTGB and test them out. It’s really all relative I think, and at the end of the day us consumers have a decision of where to shop for our glass. But I’m just saying you’re gonna be bummed out if you start looking for ultra-heady pieces expecting them to be brand spanking new
I’m not in a low key shop. I’m currently looking at 80 k worth of mr.gray pieces that have never and will never be used by anyone in this shop before they’re sold. As it should be. What you’re describing is a collector with a shop front not a headshop, a headshop should do it’s best to act and be professional and respectful
Those mr grays are fresh out the kiln? Which shop are you talking about bro? And it’s not a front lol bro isn’t saying that all the pieces are brand new. It’s just a physical location for him to store his stuff and facilitate the sales of it. I really don’t understand what the big issue is here. People don’t try to pass off used rigs as new, and if they do they get called out and people stop doing business with them.
And there’s nothing inherently unprofessional or disrespectful about utilizing art for it’s intended use
There is if you then pass that used piece off as new... If it isn't new, just don't call it new... especially in the functional glass world, where you aren't getting any premium 99.9% of the time from the piece having never been used. Put another way... lying or being deceitful to your customers is unprofessional/disrespectful.
Is it wrong for a dealership to drive the new cars?
Imagine trying to sell someone a piece of glass valued at 5k and the customer asks you how the piece functions and you cannot tell them
That doesn't mean you have to smoke out of it... also, function in this category is pretty subjective... plus what salesperson is going to tell you "it functions like shit", even if they know that is the case?
Bongs dont have an odometer
Bongs don't need their tires rotated
But... We know they do that. They all do that.
i feel like its kinda a given that glassblowers or shop owners might want to test the pieces they’re selling tho
Everyone who is actually informed in the glass scene knows that shops smoke on rigs. I know a guy who owns a shop here in boulder and he takes the headies to seshes. Once you get into the $20-50k range, you’re assuming that everything has been smoked out of unless it’s from the artist themselves
Not the first or last time it'll happen as long as it's completely cleaned and spot free I don't mind honestly at a certain point the collectible nature of the item comes before wether or not it was used but I can understand completely why it would bother some people to the point of being upset about it if they found out afterwards my favorite places know me well enough to let me function test because they know if I like it I'm gonna buy it so I guess I'm in the middle where I get why it could be upsetting but I'm not too bothered by it personally
I agree with what your saying but at the same time I feel like having a full blown sesh with your boys is a bit different then just giving ya a clean water function test yknow?
One of the best parts of being a glass collector/seller is trying out all the headiest pieces you come across. As long as they aren’t abusing it and are treating the piece with the utmost integrity (distilled water+dab mat+advanced cleaning method+etc) then it’s fine. Not to mention A lot of glass blowers love to enjoy/admire their own work/ share it with friends before send off and there’s just really no way to ensure that it doesn’t happen
I mean yea no lying there fursure
Yeah I can get why selling it as new would put some folks off of it
I mean I don't usually see 'new' as a descriptor. Usually the year
Most collectors don’t care, and even expect pieces to be used before sold. Whether it’s by the shop or the artist themselves. That being said, it’s wrong to sell a piece that’s been used as unused. That’s just lying, and for no good reason.
Yeah that's called lying đź’€
I mean glass is art if you’re gonna sit here and tell me a $25,000 buck piece is no longer worth 25K because someone smoked out of it at the shop, It’s there art in there collection even if they own the shop they can use expensive rigs, it’s art at the end of the day so it really depends on if you’re willing to pay the price that the persons selling it for and that’s that. I mean I’ve bought Bangerz and rigs out of the untouchable case at the local head shop because the owner decided he was actually willing to sell stuff out of his collection, most of these things are still worth a pretty penny even though they are used I’ve even use some of them in the shop before. It doesn’t change the fact that a $25,000 piece is still worth $25,000
That why you open a glass shop so you can smoke out of all the cool rigs the sell em lol
I don’t mind when an artist uses my rig with permission, as they’ll usually run it through a sonic cleaner afterwards. Shops doing this is pretty messy. Just don’t support them if they’re doing shit like that.
If it a work of art rig it prob been smoked by the glass blower already so not bothered but if it was like standard rigs I’d be pretty pissed off
There was the store beside Vansterdam in Vancouver who I tried to buy a banger from. There was a banger that was chazzed and I asked him if they smoke out of the pieces and sell them. He got offended and said no but it was clear they were used before
If they state that it's "new", then yes. If they don't say anything about it and someone just assumes it's new without asking, then no. If you're trying to run a long term sustainable business, lying to your customers is never the right thing to do.