Does A Brand Name Matter?

I am curious about brand names on pipes. Do brand names matter?; even if you don't know the name?

If you came across the same exact pipe, one with some random name and the same pipe without...which one do you choose? Do you have to know the name?

I ask because I make pipes, but I don't brand them. I have been thinking of branding them to help start my business to be more recognized in the industry, but not sure if it really matters.

Would love to hear your input. I am a wholesaler so I don't interact with customers on the retail level, so I have no other way of finding this out.

Thanks all.

Peace.

Oh, and do you care if its american made? Would you be more likely to buy a piece if you knew if was made in the US?
 

Gastanker

Well-Known Member
People pay big bucks for brands, it's kinda crazy. I picked up a nice clean 5mm locally blown bong for $90 at a local shop. The same exact bong made overseas with the name Roor sandblasted into it would have cost me $350+. Pretty silly imo, especially when you have the option of supporting local economy.

If it's a no name brand then it goes back and forth whether the logo/signature is desirable - mostly to do with how ascetically appealing the logo is. I don't want an ugly logo and for people to know I paid less for my bong, but if it looks cool then I will proudly rep the local guys.
 

GotYouLooking

Active Member
To me brand has no meaning unless its proven quality stuff. In your case I would brand your merchandise just so it can be distinguished from all others. An I know many who will pay a Lil bit extra if stuff is made in the good ol USA, just a little satisfaction knowing your money is going to stay local.
 

gopherbuddah

Well-Known Member
I personally don't care about whose name is name, if any, is on my bong. I recently bought a Pure Glass piece that I've been told is a Roor knock off made in China. So. Still smokes like a champ and saved about $250. I smoke alone 90% of the time so I don't need to impress anyone, I just want a nice piece to smoke out of.
 

HellaBlunts

Active Member
i usually buy my pieces from the local shop, we have pretty good quality homeblown stuff around here, i only have 2 pieces i bought online and they arent even any certain name brand haha and they all have been working great since the day i bought them.
 

Total Head

Well-Known Member
i bought my bong because i wanted a nice glass on glass bong. it was thick glass and i liked the way it looked, and it was only 175 bucks (i haggled from 185 and got 10 bucks off the ashcatcher i got for it). i later found out it's a hvy made by wrkd. technically name brand i guess but not a brand you hear people talk a lot about. it hits like nothing else and i don't think i could break it if i tried (9 mm thick). everything about it is quality, down to the thickness of the ice catcher dimples. for that price i'd be lucky to get a decent slide piece of something name brand. it's just not worth it to me.
 

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
I like Wal-Mart. I like Whole Foods. Two totally different places. You get what you pay for. :)

As a glass blower myself, I think that the artists who made the piece does matter, tremendously! Would you rather have an El Hefe slide or one that looks kinda like it? I'd pick the cheaper one usually, but not with glass! The better the name the better their work will be. The less imperfections you will find. The better the welds are. The better the mibs are melted in. The proper pulling of dichro without burning it out. Extremely even wall thicknesses. Few, if any bubbles.

Real glass masters can make a piece that will last a lifetime. The newer guys stuff is good too, but there's a *lot* to learn in glass to improve for decades.........
 
I buy hand blown perfume bottles xmas ornaments vases ect from diffrent glass artest and they all put their name or mark on the bottom of their work these guys sell all over the U.S. in hi end stores ect. So it is better to put your name or something on your work. When work gets better I plan on getting so pices from researchkitty,fdd ect. I have seen some very nice work on here and I enjoy collecting glass.
 

Blu3wid0w

Well-Known Member
a lot of people go for the BIG brand names, i.e. Roor, Illadelph, Sheldon Black, AMG.. etc... mostly because those brands specialize in unique and big ashcatchers, perculators, and waterpipes.. I've never boughten a BIG bong that wasn't brand name because typically I can't find locally blown bong's that satisfy my craving for giant unique pieces with lots of bubbling action. however.. i never... ever.. EVER buy a regular pipe thats name brand. as far as im concerned the best pipes, bowlpieces, steamrollers.. etc are locally blown and i wouldnt want a name on it. id rather have a design or animal or something
 

R2d3

Member
sure you can find decent no name local pieces but with a good brand name (illadelph, roor, hvy, toro, manifest, hitman) you damn sure know what youre gettin and its gonna be daaank. plus the brand names hold their value and like with toros can become hella desirable
 

rock lobster

Well-Known Member
fact is when you're buying any kind of glass piece, they will all more than likely
break when dropped from a decent height regardless of brand name...

just don't be stupid when you go to buy your shit, feel and look to see if its good quality glass. . brand name means nothin.

i got my bong at a local shop. it had 6 percs and stood like 3 feet tall, thing costed me 200. put a name on it and thats at least an extra 100
 

KidneyStoner420

Well-Known Member
I always buy my glass from the same local shop. Why support some place overseas? My local place sell great quality glass, nice and thick too.
Headlines ftw!
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
sure you can find decent no name local pieces but with a good brand name (illadelph, roor, hvy, toro, manifest, hitman) you damn sure know what youre gettin and its gonna be daaank. plus the brand names hold their value and like with toros can become hella desirable
he has a good point. with the big name brands known for small batches and highest quality, like toro and hitman, the resale value can actually go up with time. the erl market is where the $ is right now.
 

rowlman

Well-Known Member
So far the difference I've found
in price other than paying for the name, or whole sale...is the thickness of the glass....but I saw a bong for $1400...WTF!!!...it had all the bellls ans whistles, 7mm glass, I found pretty much the same one for $200 online at wholesale place...I didnn't see a measurement, but that thicker glass ain't ganna save a drop off the table...for $1400, I'd be affarid to even touch it
 

chiefpuffaloe

Active Member
Overall yes it does matter if how that product and who that product is made by matters to you. Sg is the only brand that sells for mor than new on the reg. Toro burned a lot of bridges with his bm rant and him
Trying to force the hands of his retaileres. Hitman is not in the same league IMO. They are based of bates designs which are solid but they have severed ties and no longer work together so there's the goes their only positive. They are made by zob by immigrant labor in Cali. The owner of zob doesn't really care about the industry. Plus I want an artist who makes the whole tube not some laborer who gets taught one seal and passes it down the line when I'm paying 500 +.

Buy an American made tube that is artist owned. 4.0, kind creations, dirty rico,Joel halen, worm, 2011 bc, mad rob, leisure, toro, itza. IMO they are the ones who deserve the support
 

JJFOURTWENTY

Well-Known Member
Once you start collecting it can become addictive very fast. You'll start out with the cheap shit i.e.- Pure, HVY, Medicali, etc, then you'll sell those for the real deal Holyfields like SG, Toro, Luke Wilsons, and 4.0 just to name a few. Then after that you'll sell all your nice prodos and buy only customs(we're entering the 1k dollar club now). The end of the line pretty much stops with AK and Scott Deppe. I've seen Assassins go for well over five grand in less than 24 hours on BM's auction forum.
 

Matt Rize

Hashmaster
Once you start collecting it can become addictive very fast. You'll start out with the cheap shit i.e.- Pure, HVY, Medicali, etc, then you'll sell those for the real deal Holyfields like SG, Toro, Luke Wilsons, and 4.0 just to name a few. Then after that you'll sell all your nice prodos and buy only customs(we're entering the 1k dollar club now). The end of the line pretty much stops with AK and Scott Deppe. I've seen Assassins go for well over five grand in less than 24 hours on BM's auction forum.
Welcome to RIU JJ420
 

chiefpuffaloe

Active Member
word on that jj, collecting is a slipperly slope for most.

I was talking about tube companies not artists per say. Ill agree that deppe and ak are top artsist but we cant forget the mile long list of other heady artist that slay it daily either imo. Deppe kills it but his crew as a whole litterly slays the scene beyond belief. I personally am not a fan of chaos but ill give ak some props on his bi polar work. His work is highly overpriced imo though.

Ill take some deppe for sure, however give me some CAC, Yoshi Kondo, Sable, Marcel over ak imo
 
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