Do you consider yourself a pipe or tobacco collector?

Well, I can't say anything about the people of Oklahoma as I have never met or even seen one. Never been to the state, or had a reason to go there. I have been to the surrounding states and I am quite fond of them. They never talk about Oklahoma either.

Depends on the pipe.  That circa 1900 unsmoked pipe that someone fires up might just crack on the first bowl.  Why?  Because the uncoated briar inside the chamber has had decades to oxidize, and lose some of it's imperviousness (the things we learn from master restorers...).  So the pipe is no longer a rare unsmoked vintage pipe, it's now just another old cracked pipe.  There is something that can be done to protect the bowl before firing it up, but why would I share that?

I smoke almost everything I own, and I'm a collector, primarily of Family Era Barlings.  My oldest working pipe is from 1872.  But I do have a few museum pieces that I don't smoke and don't need to smoke.  They're neat just to have.  And that first match would be a very very very EXPENSIVE one.  And for what?  Like I don't have other great pipes to smoke.  So my 1907 unsmoked Barling set is going to remain unsmoked by me.  I enjoy the history and lore of pipe smoking as much as I enjoy a good smoke.  The unsmoked vintage pieces satisfy that part of my interest.

I've put a number of years into building up a cellar, which now feels complete for my needs, and am now more engaged in preserving it, which means that I'll be jarring a bunch of stuff rather than leaving it in tins.  What I bought, I bought to smoke.  I do have a few blends that I dislike, like Penzance, that I use as either gifts or barter.  But the rest of the cellar is for smoking, and I've limited my further purchases down to a trickle, just replacing my everyday bulk mindless smokes as they run low. 

At this point, I'm pretty much done buying pipes and tobaccos, especially pipes.  However, one can never have too many pipe cleaners.

I know. It was the Pipe Fairy.

I have a bunch of pipes and tobacco, but I never considered myself a collector. I'm a pipe smoker first, last, and always.

I have 3 pipes in my current rotation, with 2 cobs in the mail. When I hit 1 year sober next month I plan on buying another pipe for the occasion. After that, I intend to only buy 1 pipe every year to mark another year of sobriety. The keyword is "intend." I'll buy cobs here and there when needed in the mean time.

I just started smoking a pipe about a month ago and have at least 3 lbs of tobacco already jarred up, some set aside to smoke, and 2 more orders coming in the mail. I see myself hoarding tobacco for the most part.

We'll see how my plan and "intentions" play out in the near future.

...I haven't read everyone's comments yet, but IMHO the tobacco is the thing, not the pipes...

To me a pipe collector is someone who collects pipes and smokes them. I'm not sure what to call the people who spend excessive amounts of cash on an Ivarsson, Nordh, etc. just as a status symbol and to display their wealth. Perhaps art collector?

"Collector" is probably too weak of a word for me. Maybe "obsessive compulsive addict" for both pipes and tobacco? I've got about 85 pipes on the racks that get smoked from regularly. Another dozen or so that get dusted off every now and again. Then there is the collection of about 40 Malaga pipes... Probably 150 or so pipes hanging out here. I consider all of my pipes to be my collection. Most are smoked and some are pure collector pieces. Then there is the 150 lb cellar...

I consider myself to have very low sales resistance on both fronts and freely admit that I am my worst enemy.

I am a pipe smoker with alot of tobacco

I really enjoy jarring sessions - cracking open new tins, cutting open bags, amazing scents wafting around the room!  

Apparently many of us subscribe to the belief that books and pipe smoking equal nirvana. I've also been a book collector my whole life, have a library of about 3,000 books. The sofa in there is placed so I can see most of the books when on it.

Words to live by.