YES to pete and rav: High price doesn't equal higher pleasure.
I'm not against high-price pipes. Handcrafted, beautifully grained briar can be worth a significant price. But that doesn't mean those pipes will give you any more actual enjoyment than any other pipe. To me, it's the memories associated with a pipe -- if there are any -- that enhance its true value for me.
I've mentioned a lot here that I started with an $8 "wall" pipe from Tinder Box in 1980. That pipe is still with me, still smoking fine. And I have to say that it brings me just as much pleasure as my $250 Kai Nielsen, which has the best grain of any pipe I own. I appreciate the Nielsen for the quality of the work and the wood. But I appreciate that Tinder Box pipe more because every time I smoke it, I remember a whole host of scenes from my past. And I can honestly tell you that I'd feel bad if something happened to the Kai Nielsen, but I'd be heartbroken if something happened to my Tinder Box pipe.
Scientifically speaking, the Kai Nielsen is probably a much "better" pipe. But both easily pass a pipe cleaner and smoke to the bottom; "scientifically," that's about all I'm looking for in a pipe. So they're equal in performance. The difference comes when I think about smoking pleasure. And in that regard, I don't think the dollars invested in our pipes affect our enjoyment of them nearly as much the memories we've invested in our pipes.
Bob