Obama Administration renders all ivory-decorated pipes worthless.

If you own any pipes with ivory decorative insets or flocs, these pipes are effectively rendered valueless within the United States. An executive order issued by the White House and the Department of the Interior bans the sale, resale, import, and export of ivory. According to “The New York Times,” the order will take effect this summer, but with its announcement, it has essentially already done its damage.

This order was created to strengthen the Endangered Species Act protection for African elephants. Ironically, it will continue to be legal to import two freshly killed elephant trophies (with ivory tusks) per year into the United States, but selling Grandma’s Steinway piano could land you in prison.

This order renders valueless teacups, knives, snuff boxes, dice, pool cues, pianos, musical instruments, pipes, tampers, guns, walking sticks, chess pieces, netsuke, boxes, jewelry, and other items too numerous to mention.

Click to read more ...

Some of your favorite pipes along with Grandma's Piano is about to become contraband.

Scott Kline Blowfish Tomato with Ivory shank decoration.If you are like me, you have a number of fine smoking pipes that have ivory shank decorations. The value of these pipes is about to be rendered zero. Read on.

A Presidential Advisory Committee tasked with considering strategies to reduce trafficking in ivory plans to recommend a total ban on the sale of all ivory. This will include pre-ban ivory and antique ivory, even fossilized mammoth ivory.

What this means is that your ivory-keyed Grandma’s piano will be illegal to sell. Antique ivory in knives, guns, guitars, basses, musical instruments, pool cues, smoking pipes, netsuke, furniture, etc., will all be illegal to sell. This recommendation will reduce the value of precious collectibles and family heirlooms to nothing.

Click to read more ...