Rolf Ostendorff in Chicago
(with Anne-Julie
Rasmussen)
Rolf is officially dubbing it the 2. European Pipe & Tobacco Show following a smallish event on his own premises last year, but the 2004 effort is taking on a whole different dimension and is intended to mark the beginning of an annual routine. Given such ambitions, collectors and dealers in Germany say that its success will determine whether Rolf or anybody else attempts such a project again in the foreseeable future. "We're all praying for it to be a winner," says one vendor.
Well aware of the fact that any show is a major feat, Rolf says he needs all the support he can get, "people who can lend a really strong hand." But there are variables neither he nor any number of knowledgeable helpers can assess for sure: Pipe shows are an American concept, nurtured in the land of cheap flights and minimal bureaucracy. Moreover, their appeal in the US is partly founded upon the vast distances in that country - notably between a collector and the next serious B&M.
In Germany or Denmark, where many smokers can simply hop on a tram or bicycle to pick up a Bang or a Barbi, buying and viewing opportunities at a show would need to be truly out of the ordinary in order to attract the big spenders.
US carvers could prove a magnet
That's why Rolf is pinning some of his hopes on American carvers being represented in Cuxhaven. Any fairly broad selection of mid- and high-grade pipes from the US would be a genuine novelty for European collectors and should draw a fair number of serious buyers.
Trever Talbert is considering travelling from his new home in France and may present the work of American colleagues along with his own. He says that it's cheaper for him to attend than for other US pipe makers. "I'm familiar with all their work, and it would be convenient to have one central 'USA table' at the show."
All the same, Trever cautions that shows need time to grow. "You really have to be prepared for the first year or two to be small, slow and intimate."
The primary aim, he stresses, is to make sure that any event does not end up as a one-off attempt. "It wouldn't be wise to put a lot of expectations on the first show, in my opinion - just focus on it being small and fun and friendly, and put the real effort into making sure it is ongoing rather than being cancelled after one year."
Belgian collector Erwin Van Hove has issued advice along the same lines. He thinks that Rolf and any partners he gathers to the cause would be unwise to overspend. Noting that Europe's pipe-smoking scene outside Germany, Denmark and Italy is rather marginal, Erwin doesn't expect attendance "to compete with a Stones concert."
The right man for the job
Nobody's disputing Rolf's singular eligibility as a master of ceremonies. An outgoing and popular former sea captain, he's become a regular in Chicago and has established a long list of personal contacts throughout the pipe world - all the way to Moscow. "If anyone can attract a few international highlights, it's Rolf," says German high-grade estate dealer Heiko Jahr.
Right now, Rolf is considering having the show more or less coincide with the Tall Ships' Race 2004, which ends in Cuxhaven next August. The hope is that a combination of attractions will help draw collectors and their families. Rolf says he's currently checking out the logistics and talking to the organisers of the sailing event, which will bring about 100 historic vessels to the city's port.
Attractions for foreigners - and Denmark next door
Though traditionally geared to a fairly domestic breed of tourism, Cuxhaven boasts attractions for foreigners, too. The long beach caters for families with small children while the unique mud flats of Germany's coastline provide an uncanny experience at low tide, especially in foggy weather.
There's old-worldish seaside atmosphere to be sampled over a mug of grog in one of the fishermen's pubs near the harbour. Hamburg is not too far away, nor - for that matter - is Denmark, the very heart of pipedom on earth.
The town runs a modest website for English-speaking tourists: http://cuxhaven.nordseenetz.de/tourismus/aktuelles/british/index.htm
(October 22, 2003)