'twist, it is a can of worms. Ultimately I think the problem lies not in the price, but in the effects of past altercations (real or perceived) with people putting down others for their purchases. If they paid what they paid, then so be it; it's their money. Yes, there is a "too high" pain threshold that for some is a lot higher due to many factors, but many are also perfectly happy with being one-blend, non-artisan smokers. Is it an investment or is it a tool to YOU?
If a person should come here and ask, "did I get a good deal on XYZ?" and generally they get an honest (but still ultimately subjective) answer, then I think the forum has fulfilled the more useful side of its existence. If people lord it over each that they smoke "only expensive/cheap pipes and anyone else who doesn't agree is inferior" then, well, you are just having an argument for argument's sake. The price for the work is on a sliding scale and the maker and the buyer are not always aligned, nor is the market for the ones with big names, artisan or otherwise (e.g. Bo Nordh vs. Dunhill). I think it points to a larger problem with inflation of goods in society today, but that's a discussion for a different part of the forum.
I don't think it's right for people in their idiom to feel bad that they only buy "expensive/cheap" because others make them feel that way. It's what you can or are willing to afford vs. your level of acceptable quality. I think you'll find many here are somewhere in between. Some were lucky, some were patient; most would say they knew what they wanted when they went looking for it and the money was already earmarked for that baby. Unfortunately sometimes with the internet's distortion of things, it ends up feeling like an escalating arms race or some chest-pounding show-and-tell. Hopefully you don't get put off by those who are just trying to show off new acquisitions.
I'd been buying several "cheap" to mid-range pipes this year (quite a lot actually for someone just starting a collection). I was doing so knowing that the higher-end stuff may be worth trying eventually, but may not be the be-all-end-all. However, I finally bit the bullet recently in Sept & Oct due to forumites/pipe makers offering sales and from my limited ownership in artisan pipes so far, I know that the few I do have are superior to cobs. And I would gladly buy more, but I can't afford a stable full of them. I happen to be fortunate to afford
some and will (eventually) liquidate the ones that are not being used so I can afford more. This is not to say that the "cheap" ones are bad, but that I would prefer to enjoy fewer, higher quality pipes. Am I a fat-wallet sellout or elitist here? I don't think so? :scratch: I would say I've seen the reason why by projection some makers can command higher sums.
But if I knew I could never buy anything over $200 or what have you--new or used--then I'd have stuck to estates or started making my own (yet another can of worms). There is nothing ignoble in owning Kaywoodie or Falcon, especially if take great pleasure in smoking them. (I don't own any, but that's besides the point.) I think generally, if you conduct yourself with respect here, we can continue to agree to disagree. Just keep calm and puff on.
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