I have owned pipes that would sell for 2500-3000 in today's dollars. They were about 1000.00 over 20 years ago, gotta love the back of a trunk sale especially when I could trade Cuban cigars that I was into for short money. . I learned that you cannot smoke grain so no matter how beautiful the grain is, it will not make a pipe smoke better.
All of my pipes today are American artisan made and sell for around 300.00-385.00 and they all smoke better than those pipes from years ago. Some of the names I owned were Former, Reiner Barbi, Kurt Balleby, Peter Matzhold, and some really high end Castello's. There were others I am forgetting but the point is there for everyone to see.
I buy pipes to smoke. I smoke flakes, plugs and a rope 99% of the time and I want my pipes to smoke great and to also look like a pipe. I don't buy Blowfish or Dolphins or Elephant Feet. I buy billiards, Dublins, Rhodesians and other classic shapes. I like my pipes to be a good representation of the shape it is supposed to look like. When I see some high end guy unable to make a decent Billiard, I just pass him buy and would never buy a pipe from a guy like that.