To each his own, but....have any if you ever kissed a girl or shagged a girl sans prophylactic? I can assure you that there were waaaaay more germs exchanged then, than any estate pipe carries.
I was wondering how long it would take for this salient point to be made. When you're being physically intimate with another person, you're being intimate with that person's entire sexual history.
Back to pipes. I have new pipes. I've commissioned new pipes. I have estates. It's all the same to me. My favorite pipes haven't been made for over 50 years, so I'm reliant on estates. Once I've cleaned and sanitized I'm all set. I like the styles and shapes from times gone by. I like the history surrounding pipes, so having vintage pipes is a natural for me. Since my oldest working pipe is from 1882, it's highly likely that one or more of its previous owners is dead, dead, dead. Croaked out. Biting a dirt sandwich. Worm food. So what.
I use previously used things all the time, from aforementioned GF to theater seats, bus seats, public crappers, cars, airline seats, vintage dishes, my grandmother's mixing bowls, DVD's, CD's, antique furniture, etc. I'll happily buy second hand if what I want is no longer made, or if the item is in good working order. Just because I have the money doesn't mean I need to spend it. I don't care. I have nothing to prove. Period.