A Change Of Focus... And More Enjoyment (Warning! Long Post)

[tschiraldi]

Over the past five years or so, my focus has been on collecting. The all too well known affliction of PAD has affected me as it has so many others. Literally hundreds of pipes have passed through my hands. Not wanting to use our "budget money" to support my hobby / passion, I began by buying pipes at good deals on Ebay and flipping them for a profit, which allowed me to then purchase more expensive, and collectable, pipes, which then got flipped themselves. Eventually, I was able to buy many of the pipes I thought I couldn't live without. My racks and cases were filling up with Castello, Ashton, Sasieni, & Jesse Jones pipes. I thought I had "arrived", but I still wanted more and my focus stayed on finding the "next one".

Well, a few months ago, I realized I wasn't getting my pleasure, satisfying my itch, by smoking anymore. I was getting it by searching for, and buying, yet more pipes. I missed the special enjoyment I got from just sitting and smoking, getting to know a pipe well, and keeping it simple. The solution? Well, I have sold or traded off almost all my pipes, keeping just a handful of my very favorites. I declare myself cured from PAD and I am enjoying my pipes much more now! I completely understand the lure and pleasure of collecting. I get it. But, for me, I find keeping the focus on the act of sitting down to fill, light, tamp, and smoke my few pipes much more satisfying. So now, I think I have truly "arrived". Maybe I'm turning into an old codger, but I am certainly enjoying the hobby more now. Thoughts?

 

[Chasing Embers]

My PAD and TAD are both exhausted. I look over pipes on websites and the excitement is gone. My collection satisfies my wants and needs. A few weeks back I threw out several pipes that hadn't been used in months and years and am now down to the ones that see regular active use. I understand completely. Now I just have to get that through my wife's head so she'll quit buying me pipes and tobacco.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Thoughts? Nicely written, well thought out. Glad for you. I suppose I'd be pleased to cull some from my 100 mas o menos but just can't seem to get a round Tuit for that task.
How did you sell the purged pipes?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I just counted my remaining pipes. Forty-two left, that really is the answer to everything! :rofl:

 

[tschiraldi]

How did you sell the purged pipes?

I threw some up on Ebay, sold a few to pipe club members, and traded the rest to Blue Room Briars. I took them to Jesse and got a trade value for them. He is now making a couple more of my favorite shape which will be part of the handful I keep. My first commission was an 1/8 bent, oval shank Brandy that has always been my favorite pipe. I had him make another for me last year. It has become my shape, I'm afraid. All said and done, I will have 5 of Jesse's pipes (4 Brandies and a Billiard), a Sasieni One Dot, A Sasieni Four Dot, a Sasieni Mayfair, and a Comoy's Sandblast. I also have my father's favorite pipe, an old Caminetto, but that only gets smoke about once a year.

 

[milehighpiper]

Excellent post!
I have a few pipes that I have been looking at but with the fear of the tobacco apocalypse, I have focused more on getting the blends I want to try rather than trying to buy more pipes. I have 12 pipes, one more on the way, and I promised myself no more than 15 pipes in my possession. The original number of pipes was 7. My promise was that if I wanted a pipe, after I have 15, I would have to sell one. That is a lot harder to do than it sounds. So I am with you. I want to enjoy the hobby but found that I have focused more on my TAD addiction than enjoying the hobby. I hope to one day reach a state of bliss like the one you describe!
Stay lit!

 

[irishearl]

Am a believer in reaching a "pipe saturation" point where a person figures they really don't want any more pipes. Thought I was already there til I just bought a Pete that I hade been craving a bit recently as a 65th B-day present to myself. I can say with about 99% certainty that, even with pipe buying funds, there's really only 1 other pipe I particularly crave.

 

[instymp]

tschiraldi good post.Welcome to Codgers.

 

[jaytex1969]

Sounds like a good place to be. Still newer to piping, I'm probably many stages behind you but will likely one day arrive to a similar spot.
I already feel I have all the pipes I could need and am now mainly stocking the tobacco shelves ahead of our beloved Deeming date.
Once I feel I know more what I like, I can see consolidating and reorganizing as a logical next step.
Save me a seat on the Codger Express....

 

[workman]

I fail to understand why pipesmokers find more pleasure in pipes than tobacco. I totally accept it, but I don't get it.

 

[renfield]

Like most serious hobbies pipe smoking is a journey as much as it is an activity. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the stops along the way, keep it enjoyable and keep it from controlling you. Or don’t, there is no right or wrong.

 

[jmsmitty6]

The best part about this hobby for me is that everyone can enjoy what they like and that is completely fine by me. You want to collect high grade Danish pipes that never get smoked, awesome. You enjoy sitting down with your cob and smoking OTC blends, good on you.
Within the last two years, I've completely turned over my collection. I have parted ways with dozens of pipes that I either no longer enjoyed or never really enjoyed in the first place. For my smoking habits I don't need more than 10-15 pipes. Of those, I've managed to find the ones that I enjoy smoking. I must be honest though, TAD is a completely different story and I'm going to plead the fifth on that one

 

[recluse]

The solution? Well, I have sold or traded off almost all my pipes, keeping just a handful of my very favorites...Thoughts?

I've done something similar in the past, but with a lower volume of pipes. I've often sold off pipes I had previously purchased and focused on a small handful of my favorites. I consider it a natural part of the hobby.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I too have kind of hit the wall on buying pipes and tobacco. I can't think of any more pipes I'm interested in nor tobacco. Yes there are blends I'd still like to try, but I have so much variety of both opened and unopened tobacco now I just can't see buying more.
I first came to this type of behavior in the 1980s and 1990s when I was all into audio equipment. I had to try all kinds of amps, pre-amps, turntable/tonearm/cartridge options. Not to mention speakers, cd players, tape players and the endless choices of interconnects and speaker cables. Finally about the mid 90s I realized I wasn't listening to music much anymore, I was listening to equipment, always trying to find the next best thing. Once I stopped buying equipment and started listening to the music, I enjoyed the hobby much more, like I used to with my KLH model 11 record player I bought in 1966.
I'm sure we all go through changes in our interests over the years, and yes the journey is fun, but after awhile it's just nice to sit back and smell the tobacco...

 

[hawky454]

There is nothing like getting to know a pipe intimately, it’s a relationship that takes time to build. It’s also nice to get to know a blend intimately, from time to time it will still surprise you too. I’ve never had the PAD, mine has always been the dreaded TAD... it’s never enough, I need MORE! Anyway, it’s good to hear you’ve slowed down and remembered how to enjoy your smokes, it’s so easy to get carried away and get distracted. I’ve slowed down a lot on the need to try new blends, I’m more focused on cellaring DEEP these days and honestly, if I never bought another tin again, I’d still be set for life.
Actually I say that I’ve never had PAD but lately I’ve been itching to add a Castello and/or a Radice to my collection but the way I see it is, I’ve got plenty of time.

 

[dunnyboy]

I like the idea of culling the collection as you get a better and better idea of what you like. And I like the convenience of selling to smokingpipes vs consigning, or selling on eBay. Considering that SP gives you cash or credit, I think their prices are pretty fair but you still take a substantial loss. If the pipe is a decent smoker, I'm inclined just to keep it. So culling is always less than I intended.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If they fall into disuse, I just throw them away. Once they fall into that category I just see them as clutter.

 

[hawky454]

Man, you should be gifting those pipes to needy pipe smokers rather than just tossing them. I’m sure the recipient would be happy to pay for the shipping cost. If you’re getting ready to throw one of your Weaver’s away you can consider me a needy pipe smoker. :mrgreen:

 

[mrmachado]

Man, you should be gifting those pipes to needy pipe smokers rather than just tossing them. I’m sure the recipient would be happy to pay for the shipping cost. If you’re getting ready to throw one of your Weaver’s away you can consider me a needy pipe smoker. [:mrgreen:]

[2]
I am definitely a needy and poor pipe smoker.
Send it to me too if you will. I pay for the shipping!

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I am certainly aware that I have far more pipes than I need, but there are still a few that I WANT to acquire before I'll feel like my collection is complete. There are a few more Petersons I want to add, a few more Savinelli 320, a few more Stanwell 139, and perhaps a couple 143, a couple more Moonshine Deviled Eggs, a nice smooth Castello, an Ardor, at least another Yanik meer, a few more Nording high grades, at least one nice Preben Holm freehand, a Mark Tinsky, a Bruce Weaver, maybe a few Randy Wiley, A Don Carlos (one with the treble clef on the stem),maybe another L'Anatra, a Morta, a...... oh FORGET IT!!!! I'm doomed!!!!