I previously posted there in "The Common Sewars" social club fairly regularly. Last week I canceled my membership and left the group. I won't go deeply into my reasons for doing so but it just got sort of stale. (I didn't fire off a long and self important farewell letter giving my reasons.I just turned and walked out the door) In general the group is geared to the ultra high end collector folks and as time passes for me in this hobby I'm realizing more and more that the tobacco that goes into the pipe is more important than the pipe itself. Sorry. Your Lars filled with "tobacco X" doesn't smoke much better than my old Stanwell filled with the same tobacco. I own great pipes! I've smoked great pipes. The difference in smoking quality is miniscule at best. Anyone who pays over a couple of hundred bucks is paying for the rep of the maker. It's as simple as that. Guess I've simply become a pipe smoker rather than a collector.
I still appreciate uber highgrades as useable works of art but some of the money paid (especially in this economy) seems like a big ol' waste. I can get just as much pleasure with one of my midgrades. Also, I find that pipe related collectibles like catalogs, jars, advertising items and the like are much more important to me than another big money briar. This is where the bulk of my "mad money" is being spent these days.
I still check in Smoker's Forums classified to see who's selling/trading what but posting over there as with other sites like My-Pipes Community and ASP before it, is over and done.
