We all like looking at new pipes. That's a given. Opening boxes from makers around the world is always exciting. The only thing disappointing about new pipes is the obvious. I know what is in the box! My wife and I are different characters. She asks me what I wanted for my birthday. "I don't ask for presents, darling". Well...that just wasn't what she wanted to hear. For her, it is much easier to know EXACTLY what I want. Sure, it's a huge risk to spend time, and money, to give someone a present and gamble at their response. She, on the other hand, has a whole notebook full of things she wants (like all wives, I suppose). I like to play games and tell her it is something completely different from what she has in mind, but I'm smart enough to know she does NOT want to be surprised. This kind of bums me out. Even though I know she will love it, there isn't the glimmer of 'gee, I hope!" in her eyes.

The same is true for pipes, to me.

When we get a package from a maker, Sykes, Alyson, or I know what is going to be inside. Sure, there are many surprises, but EVERY box of estates holds promise. None of them belong to me, but I treat every package like it is a present. I never know what I will find. Sometimes there are hundreds of pipes that aren't worth a dollar - due to condition. Sometimes there are socks (literally, and figuratively), and then there are gems. I love to unpack them one at a time and get surprised. Sometimes there will be a bunch of pipes that are very standard, and made in the thousands. We need these, but, remember, I look at these as personal gifts. Sometimes, hidden away in the bottom of a box, inside an old sock (sometimes a real one, with grass stains), will be a diamond in the rough. Patent Dunhills, old Comoys, and antique pipes get my heart beating. Recently, among a very unusual box of packing materials, I pulled out a Jorn Micke. This is the stuff that dreams are made of! I know I can't keep all of them, but the chance to hunt and be surprised is something that I will always look forward to. Not knowing, is half the fun.