I've never told this story before because I figured folks probably wouldn't believe it if I did.It is true though.It happened in a smoke shop in a well to do neighborhood outside Detroit in the mid eighties.At that time I thought 50 bucks was a lot to pay for a pipe.I walked in this smoke shop.The owner had on the counter three very large Meerschaum pipes probably 9 inches long and 6 inches high.They were carved to look like sailing ships.A fella there looking at them asked how much they were.A thousand dollars each was the answer.He said he wanted two of them but he couldn't decide which two.Then he said he was going to bring his wife in to help him decide.She couldn't decide either so she told him to get all three of them.They ended up paying $2,700 for the three.When I asked if he was going to smoke them he said no they're just for display.I bought some tobaco and left wondering where I could find a wife like that.
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