Great responses guys. I really enjoyed reading every one. Woven into
each response was the thing that I like most about this group, we all
seem to be very individualistic, very decisive, and at the same time,
no one takes themselves too seriously. I find that combination
sublime. I wish I would find it more in the workplace.

OK, let me try to summarize this "research." There appears to be
several schools of thought:

The Sansabelt School - This school sets their pipe limit at "What I
have now + the next pipe I wish to acquire." This is basically the
idea behind Sansabelt pants, you have good intentions, but you know
that waistline is headed irrevocably in one direction. I suppose an
argument could be made that the Sansabelt School using their +1
methodology places no limits on their collection, but this argument
won't be made by me because I have carefully reviewed their case as
presented, and understand the background math. Interestingly, I find a
correlation between the Sansabelt School of Pipe Collecting and the
Big Bang Theory. The universe is ever expanding and it is only
reasonable to assume that our pipe collections would be following
suit.

The Goebel, Escher, Bach School – This group believes while there may
not be a numerical underpinning to the universe, there certainly
exists a numerical basis for the perfect amount of pipes but, they are
divided on the perfect mathematical expression to create this elusive
number.

The We'll Know When We Get There School- This school builds on the
mantra we all heard from our fathers when riding in the back seat of
the 56 Olds, the answer to "Where are we going?" is of course, "You'll
know when we get there." Asking this group for a stop number really
isn't fair, because they simply haven't stopped yet. Once they stop, I
feel sure that they will be forthcoming.

The Fence Builder School- like a fence builder in the free-range days
of the West, these folks cannot allow their pipe collection to expand
in pockets and drawers scattered around the house (free range). . Like
a mother hen, these people need to see all their pipes in one location
so that they can "keep track" of their chicks. The unfortunate souls
in this group, and I count myself in this number, have a finite limit
on how many pipes they can maintain and this sets the limit to their
collection. At a certain point their collection becomes unwieldy and
their size limit presents itself.

This is all that I can see at this point but, I am sure other schools
will surface. I find myself firmly entrenched in the Fence Builder
School but, with definite leanings toward the Sansabelt School.
Although I do understand and appreciate the logic and thought behind
every school.
Regards,
Ed