Collecting pipes is an old and established pastime. Men were collecting pipes when postage stamps had not as yet been inven­ted. Indeed, the requirements of pipe collecting are among the simplest of any hobby: any smoker can be said to have a pipe col­lection if he has more than one pipe.

A pipe collection need not be large, nor must it consist only of expensive pipes. While, admittedly, a hand-carved meerschaum may cost hundreds of dollars, a plain, three-dollar briar posses­sing special personal meaning to the smoker certainly deserves equal respect as part of his collection.

Collecting pipes differs from collecting stamps, coins, or simi­lar objects in that the pipes can always be used. The hobbyist's pipes serve a double purpose, since they are both items of special interest and instruments capable of providing an enjoyable smoke.