Are There Brakes on This Thing?

Oh you have it BAD! Not so much a newbie (bought my first pipes right around 18 years ago)...But those pipes can add up fast. What I try to do now is if I see one I like, I think on it for about a week. If I still can't get it out of my brain then I get. But for usually I find something I like better and the whole wait week thing starts all over again.

I'm not seeing the problem here. Everything looks normal to me. When you have to move because you no longer have space for your pipes and tobaccos, then maybe you got a problem. ;-)

I'm pretty sure with a membership to this forum you agree to cut the break lines hahaha. I always find it amusing when people say smoking a pipe is cheaper than cigs or cigars. That sure ain't the case in my world haha

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation.

I guess I do have no brake like you as normal.

So I do planning not only rotate for smoking but for sale.

Sell your pipes and get another new one for you and keep the balance of pipe numbers.

Always you can enjoy yours as a hobby.

BTW I do have 76 so far and really love to cleanning and give new life to pipes.

I would take it easy and slow down. The hobby is a marathon and not the 100m dash. I regret some of the pipes I purchased early on when I didn't really know that much about pipe. I had a similar experience with tobacco and recently gave a way pretty much all the aros I purchased when I was first starting out after I realized that I hated them.
Wait . . . was I just preaching moderation there?

After 500 posts the gift pack includes brake line cutters.

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:rofl:

monty, it's full speed ahead. Put the pedal to the metal. You have a lot of catching up to do. anything worth doing is worth doing all the way. You can always sell blood for pipe money.

I feel your pain, brother. I put the brakes on when I realized I had a number of pipes that I don't just not smoke, but I don't even want smoke for one reason or another. I also counted up all the many blends I haven't even tried yet, while ordering even more.
Now I'm finishing up tins before opening new... And then there are all the bulk blends in jars... Aaaarrrrrrgggghh!
That said, I had to kick myself earlier today when I found myself shopping for another Meer. The addiction is definitely in the acquisition, not the nicotine. 8O
Fun, huh!?

Everything looks wonderful at first, because it's all new, new, new! Like you, I bought a whole passel of pipes before I learned what I enjoyed. It's part of the process.
There are thousands of pipes of every possible description and at a huge range in prices.
There are thousands of tobaccos, many of which are nearly identical in flavor. There are lots and lots of fad tobaccos that people sell their organs to buy.
People are sharing on their latest pipe purchase or commission, or sharing about how many tons of a particular blend they've managed to squirrel away against price increases or outright bans.
It's a complete wonderland and quicksand for the OCD among us.
But, at some point, you will do better to slow down and really be critical about what you are acquiring. It's like driving past an interesting neighborhood. You really don't get to appreciate or enjoy it.
There have been some good suggestions already given. Take a break and get off of the gerbil wheel. Go for a walk through the neighborhood and appreciate what you have right now.

Monty, I've had a similar experience. I've posted this before, but here's what I've done:
-unsubscribe from all the automatic e-mails from the online vendors.
-I got "leech block" for mozilla firefox and "stay focusd" for google chrome. Both are free. Haven't had any problems with my computer since installing them 6mo ago. I also downloaded "Rescue Time" which runs in the background and provides you with a weekly summary on how you spend time on your computer.
-the 2 add-ons for your browser can outright block a site, only allow you on it for a certain length of time, or only let you on it during a certain window. I've added this site and the online vendors I frequent so I am using my time wisely
That's helped me alot. I think I've only made 2 purchases since I've done that. Ok, maybe it was 3, I can't remember.
Learn to appreciate what you have. Take the time to get to know your pipes. They might smoke better if you get to learn their nuances. And take the time to get to know the tobacco too. I'm finding that it's better for me to smoke nothing but one blend for a week or so. Granted, I don't smoke as much as I did when I first started out. Once a day, 7 or even 5 days a week, doesn't even happen for me anymore. But I still focus on one blend at a time.
Since this is a hobby, treat it like one, rather than a woman buying shoes (or purses). No offense to the ladies out there. Peruse your cellar on occasion, wax up your bowls, polish your stems. Spend time doing that sort of thing rather than surfing the internet.
I'm not sure how much you smoke, but maybe you should at least try and match the time spent smoking to the time spent browsing/surfing. If you spend more time on the internet reading about / looking at / reading reviews on pipes or tobaccos, or even lighters... than you do with the pipes you HAVE, that sounds like a problem.
For me, the ideal would be to spend much more time with my pipes than my computer. Personally, I'm not big on smoking my pipe while using my computer. I'd rather read a book or a magazine. Sometimes, I might watch a movie on my computer while smoking a pipe. But, I havent done this since I stopped smoking inside. And I really don't feel like taking my computer outside while I have a pipe.

I'm not a newbie but I know what you mean. I have been smoking a pipe for more than 50 years and have over 300 pipes ,nuts. And more tins then I will ever smoke ::

Monty55 and Peck--- I really can't speak for moderation since I am buying way more than I should. As far as the aromatics, so far I like them. But I have liked everything I have tried. Sometimes I felt some of the blends weren't worth the money (for just for same amount of money I would rather have something else). The variety that pipes offer is simplify amazing! Balkan blends are my favorite after that comes the English blends. Totally yummy. Then you factor in how the pipe shape affects how the tobacco tastes. Wow! So much to learn and so much fun! Enjoy it but don't go broke. Haha!

Brakes are needed. I have more pipes than I need by far. I'm a little better about tobacco, but not so much.

What brakes I do have include these: I mostly do not buy pipes on impulse. If I find one I feel I just have to have,

right now, I do a lot of research on those styles of pipes, look at alternatives, and somewhat hope it will be sold

in the meantime. The online vendors are the vortex, so limit your visits. As someone already posted, spend time

on other dimensions of the hobby, like maintaining your pipes, restoring old pipes, and learning more about pipes

and tobacco in a non-retail setting. I think I have much more resistance at an actual pipe shop, where I can see

and handle the pipes and see the pros and cons more clearly. I've walked away from a great poker pipe, which

I eventually bought when I came back weeks later and it was still there, but at least I stalled. Now I have my own

"pipe shop," and enjoy rediscovering a pipe I haven't smoked in a while. I recommend to newcomers, sometimes,

to limit the number of pipes by saving up for higher level pipes, but I have to admit I enjoy the variety of shapes,

nations of origin, finishes, stem materials, and smoking characteristics. I'm not sure I'd settle for fewer pipes even

if they were more expensive.

On a positive note, when you die you won't be alone. All of us will be online crowded around eBay waiting for the estate auctions.

@peck...Yes this is the man sitting on over 600lbs of pipeweed. Preaching moderation. ;-) I kid amigo that stash is impressive...most impressive.
@Monty...I too am in your shoes. I've only been at this since October of last year, and I can't stop shopping for pipe tobacco. I'm more of a tobacco enthusiast than I am with pipes. I'm a fan of the classic pipe shapes, and honestly could get by with about 10 to 15 pipes total in my rotation. I can only(properly) smoke one pipe at time. I don't buy expensive pipes, and currently I'm happy with cobs, and the occasional briar that appeals to me. I don't ever see myself spending more than $150(not that have yet) on a pipe. I'm sure I'll have to keep this message handy and see if that holds true another 5 years down the road.
Now tobacco that's a different story. I started like you with aro's, but once I got a taste for the non-aro's buying another aromatic tobacco doesn't make much sense to me. I smoke some occasionally because the g/f likes the smell, but most the time I smoke is at night after everyone's in bed asleep so it's good stuff for me.
There are so many offerings out there for tobacco, and while it would be nice to try all of them, I'm not in a hurry to do so. The best tobacco is the kind you already own, specifically the one in your pipe at the time. Pick up another tin here, or there if you fancy you might like it if the budget allows for it. I recently went through my stash and realized I need to smoke more of open samples I have before opening new tins. It's tough because I just got an order of about 12 tins of things I'd like to try. You might think that you're missing out on the stuff you haven't tried yet, but if you're constantly looking ahead, ironically, you'll miss out on whatcha already got.

@peck...Yes this is the man sitting on over 600lbs of pipeweed. Preaching moderation

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Yeah, that's funny
Not to mention Pecks pipe collection!!

If you can afford it, why stop?