Personally, I'm okay with variations on a theme or repetitions. You can't reinvent the wheel each time and, when you hit on something unique that is handsome and highly sought after, like Tao has with his chubby bulldogs, you can't blame him for running with it.
Wolfgang Becker has a couple of unique shapes—the wasp and the driver—that he renders in many different sizes and finishes, and even in olive wood and strawberry wood on occasion. They are beautifully executed and very popular. There are carvers who do more whimsical and creative shapes, and use exotic materials. I have a few beautiful pipes by Eder Mathias that I like but they are a bit more of an acquired taste. They probably also take more time to complete, which makes them relatively less profitable.