Last Thursday evening I loaded my car and drove down to Richmond, Virginia for the 27th Annual CORPS Expo and Celebration, which is the biggest pipe show of the year in the US, next to the mammoth Chicago show in the spring. I took a supply of the Illustrated Pipe 2012 calendars and 2012 Chicagoland Pipe Show collector's edition posters hot off the press, along with a few framed original drawings and photographic examples of furniture pertinent to pipe collectors. From Friday afternoon until Sunday night, I spent more time talking with people than I normally do in an entire month. Got myself lost in Baltimore on the way home and finally rolled in just after 2:00AM. All of this is really just a lame attempt to build a lame excuse for putting up a lame post instead of the intense, insightful, blah blah that you no doubt were hoping to find here. But don't give up! Look at the pictures, and I'll try again in a day or two.
Two pipes from Michael Lindner's case, the night before the show.
High grade pipe dealer Bobby Nesbitt smoking a Lars Ivarrson.
My table on the show floor.