Initial Enthusiasm Resulted in Acquisition Disorders

[newbroom]

I started smoking pipes back in 2014 after a year's retirement, an illness, stress, and general principles. The first couple/three or 4 years were spent in a blissful exploration and acquisition of inexpensive elements of the 'hobby'.
I now have more pipes than i can smoke and enough tobacco to last awhile.
I got pipes by bidding and winning and that in itself became somewhat of a habit. To this day, I can find myself losing hours as I peruse pipe smoking content all over the interwebs.
Why did I start this thread? Oh, yeah. I have some pipes that I've never smoked. Some were just to unusable, others were unsmoked. I have only smoked new cobs and the 2 pipes Chris Besse made and gave me, as unsmoked or new pipes.
Initially, in my guilt ridden conscience I intended my purchases to be investments upon which to capitalize. I am capable of extreme self delusion and this idea gradually went wayside and my acquisitions became my collection. I gave pipes away, but I didn't sell any nor did I try.
I dug out a box I've had hidden from sight yesterday to look at some of these unsmoked pipes as one would a photo album.
I have several unsmoked briar Medico pipes I bought in a 'lot' and never smoked. I have some no named briars, a couple of straight pipes marked Borkum Riff Natural, and this unsmoked, made in Italy, Roma Select pipe that I have no name for. It looks like a Dublin to me. I may smoke it at some point. I got it because it appealed to me and other than my one Dunhill Shell, is the most I've spent on a pipe. I think it was $41.00? I have the paperwork somewhere.
I thought it was nice. Loaded with bird's eye, which was new to me at the time. I still love that part of briar graining. 7/8" top, 2" deep.

 

[rmcnabb]

I have heard of this "over buying" - certainly never experienced it MYSELF, but I know of it in others. Don't look at it as over-acquisition, look at it as under-desiring. Learn to love all of them for various reasons, like we do with our uglier children and dumber dogs.

But if you want to thin the herd you can do it here - there's a buncha fellers that are all swell sellers liquidating their cellars.

 

[newbroom]

I gave up on the pipe dream of profiting from my purchases after about one year. I was just kidding myself, as usual. I'm happy with keeping these old relics and even the unsmoked ones. It's been a ride I am glad I took and am still on. (coincidentally, one of my first briar pipes was an estate marked 'pipe dreams'. I still have it. Basically a basket billiard. Nothing fancy.
I guess I'm a bit of a hoarder. ? I have tobacco in old peanut butter jars. I'm cheap/frugal too. I snip the dirty ends off my pipe cleaners.

 

[seanv]

I also have pipes that I haven't smoked and probably won't. Some are collectors and some are not. I have a box of about 20 pipes that I am planning on sending to SP for store credit but I can't get myself to actually do it haha. In fact, this weekend I took 2 pipes outbof the box and didn't add any more to it

 

[Non-Mentholated Black Man]

a couple of straight pipes marked Borkum Riff Natural

Are these the pipes shown in the third picture?
(I like the slight forward inclination of the bowl on the pipe closest to the camera.)

 

[kcghost]

I didn't know there was a such a thing as overbuying pipes, particularly inexpensive ones. Who knew?? Really liked the small bulldog at the end.

 

[newbroom]

Yes. The insert shows the Borkum pipes.

 

[dottlejockey]

I'm cheap/frugal too. I snip the dirty ends off my pipe cleaners.

That cracked me up. I use pipe cleaners often, almost after every smoke. If one isn't very dirty, i'll reuse the slightly browned edge for the next pipe and flip it over for the following. Etc. They're not even expensive, but i was raised by very frugal parents who lived through the depression and some of that, apparently, rubbed off. And frankly, i'm glad for it. Has helped me make good financial decisions throughout my entire life.

 

[ItsKarl]

I was actually saving up for a new sword when I took a different route to pipe smoking. I'm a sword collector, but they are quite expensive and I buy a new one about every 5 years or so. My budget for my next sword was going to be around $3,000, which means the roughly $1,000 bucks I've spent so far (five pipes, two stands, the usual equipment, jars, and baccy) is actually pretty reasonable.

 

[dottlejockey]

I was actually saving up for a new sword when I took a different route to pipe smoking. I'm a sword collector, but they are quite expensive and I buy a new one about every 5 years or so. My budget for my next sword was going to be around $3,000, which means the roughly $1,000 bucks I've spent so far (five pipes, two stands, the usual equipment, jars, and baccy) is actually pretty reasonable.

I'd collect exotic cars, too, if it weren't for pipes and tobacco. So, yeah, these here purchases are all really SAVING us money! (I'll keep this line of logic for next time my wife raises her eyebrows.)

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I've come to learn from personal experience that acquiring more pipes than you need and more varieties of tobacco than you can smoke seems to be just part of the hobby. After all, what is a hobby if not something to spend your excess money and excess time on? It only becomes a problem if you start spending money that you need for the essentials of life on it or devoting so much time to it that you can't get the stuff you need to do done.

Outside of that I wouldn't worry too much about it, and that was one amazing score getting a Dunhill for $41!

 

[Terry Lennox]

Pipes can always be turned into cash. Smoked or unsmoked. I put an odd lot of 6 or 8 pipes I thought nobody would want on Ebay and it had multiple bidders. Groups of pipes tend to do well because people are looking for lots to restore and resell. You'd be amazed what a bunch of random pipes can fetch. Just start the bidding at $1.

 

[BrightDarkEyes]

I can relate but it’s been only two and a half years for me. I have stopped buying pipes for the past two months but I look every day just in case….

When it comes our turn to kick the bucket then our pipes, accessories and tobacco will move onto the next hoard. All the unsmoked estates we see originated with guys like we are and I bet most of them didn’t even have eBay or the internet.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

I just sold a lot on the Bay of E and made a decent profit. Yes they were all name brand, but none were new when I purchased them, actually most of them were beat to crap. I restored them back to as close to original as possible.smoked them for awhile then cleaned them back up and sold them. Made a decent profit, enough to pay for a new pipe and recoup the initial investment. I wouldn't say give up all hope in making a profit or even breaking even. Even a slight loss is not an issue if you enjoyed them thoroughly. The way i see it is, I am stubborn and don't want to sell anything I've come to enjoy but at the same time, I don't want to spend more then I already have. The next logical step is to sell what you like for something you love. Eventually you will only have what you love and even then will still want new or new to you stuff. It's an ever revolving door and at some point we will die and nobody but us will know why we did what we did. Our kids will thank us though, when they can put a down payment on a house with Dads/Gramps wierd pipe stuff lol.

 

[Sigmund]

@newbroom Im glad someone else snips the ends. Man... my work sissors are right there on the same table and there is only one little dirty part lol

Im cheap but my habits let both myself and wife leave the rat race in our mid 50's. Yes, I know...it doesnt really save any serious cash but old habits die hard. I will rejuvinate pipe cleaners and other things if I dont have to work until the day I drop.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I gave up on the pipe dream of profiting from my purchases after about one year. I was just kidding myself, as usual. I'm happy with keeping these old relics and even the unsmoked ones. It's been a ride I am glad I took and am still on. (coincidentally, one of my first briar pipes was an estate marked 'pipe dreams'. I still have it. Basically a basket billiard. Nothing fancy.
I guess I'm a bit of a hoarder. ? I have tobacco in old peanut butter jars. I'm cheap/frugal too. I snip the dirty ends off my pipe cleaners.

I used to feel cheap reusing pipe cleaners that still appeared white(ish). Thanks to you, I don't feel bad about it any more! Thanks.

 

[ItsKarl]

I just ordered two more pipes, a Stanwell and a Savinelli. My pipe stand had two vacant spots, and that won't do. PID? No no no, that's just OCD, nothing to worry about.

 

[bullet08]

Does it ever really go away? Even some pipes I thought were ugly grow on me. I never go to online shopping when I'm drunk.

 

[onepyrotec]

@newbroom If you are having fun, that is what counts. IMHO I have 70-80 pipes maybe more. Don't care that I rarely smoke some, don't smoke some, smoke some a lot. Will I buy more? Yes, sooner or later.

If too much clutter is bothering you, take what you really don't want,pipes or tobacco, put for sale here or ebay (pipes only). If there is a loss, so be it...personally I don't care if I take a loss on something since I am perfectly willing to slide a $100 bill in a slot machine at a casino.

Also, maybe find a new young piper and gift him/her a care package to help get rid of some of the clutter and help build theirs. I have done that several times.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

A

@newbroom If you are having fun, that is what counts. IMHO I have 70-80 pipes maybe more. Don't care that I rarely smoke some, don't smoke some, smoke some a lot. Will I buy more? Yes, sooner or later.

If too much clutter is bothering you, take what you really don't want,pipes or tobacco, put for sale here or ebay (pipes only). If there is a loss, so be it...personally I don't care if I take a loss on something since I am perfectly willing to slide a $100 bill in a slot machine at a casino.

Also, maybe find a new young piper and gift him/her a care package to help get rid of some of the clutter and help build theirs. I have done that several times.

"A" single hundred? Or more like 5 Castellos worth in 1 machine lol.

"IM NOT PROJECTING"