I might be imagining things, but there seems to be a general drop in interest in pipes and piping over the past few months - not just on this forum but in the real world too 
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There seems to be fewer newbies asking newbie questions. EBay pipe auctions are almost exclusively for mass produced junk. People are selling good sets of pipes saying āI finally realised itās not for meā. It seems that enthusiasm is waning. Are we witnessing the beginning of a piping depression?
I hope so, good sets cheap!! 
No PJā¦less talking and more playing! 
How would you know whats going on in the real world way down there in baychimo
RORY
I donāt think so. Based on pre-registrations to the SoCal TionĆ³l, weāve got more beginners than ever coming to this yearās event (Nov. 2-4). I think the reason for the drop in volume on E-Bay is that pipers have come to the conclusion that E-Bay is a lousy place to buy or sell a set of pipes (I know I have).
YMMV,
No E
I agree that there is still significant interest. I receive random, but regular emails from people looking to get onto the pipes in the Long Island area. I will note that many people are frightened off by the cost commitment. Many are already GHB pipers and the cost is relatively modest, so they are certainly put off. One thing that I would not underestimate looking forward however, is the impact that the potentially weakened economies of the worldās pipers will have. There is usually a lag, like for buyers and sellers of homes, surrounding the impact on sellers willingness to sell at lower price points. However, I would expect that big ticket items like UPs are close to affordability decisions like buying a new car or renovating the basement or bathroom. So downward economic pressure will most certainly affect pricing for pre-played (I hate the word used when referring to a fine set of pipes) pipes, as there will be for cars, bathroom renovations, expensive artwork and Strad violins. All these things cycle.
Neil
Hey PJ,
Who made your pipes?
How much do you want for them?
Oops, I forgot to add one of these
I said there was a general down-turn in interest, not that Iām losing interest.
Cāmon, PJ, donāt be a wuss. Youāre backing out and want to sell your pipes off. Man up to it and confess. We know thereās an alto recorder in your future.
djm
Worse ā¦ a piano accordeon 
We had a pipers tent at the Irish Fair here last August. We had a sign up sheet for people interested in leaning more about the pipes and got about 30 respondents. Weāll see how many follow up and come to our next club meeting, but there seemed plenty of interest especially from some teens.
Of course they havenāt been exposed to this surly bunch. That could scare anyone away.
The uilleann pipes are not the most accessible instrument, or even one known outside the circles of irish trad/folk music. I honestly never heard of them until a few months ago, and iām 32 and have been playing classical/jazz music since i was 13. There are no music shops that you can go to in my area, maybe not many even in the country, that you can go to to try a set out, (Maybe in places like ireland or brittain this is not the case) and except for the few budget practice sets, there is a considerably higher cost associated with starting up as opposed to many other instruments. Also there is considerable wait time for a lot of pipe sets, things which combine i think to make it really an exclusive instrument.
I have been dreaming of having a practice set of pipes for a few months now but know that with my teacherās salary and familial responsibilities coupled with wait times for construction/shipping it will be at least a good six months or so before i can try some out. I could go to the music shop and try out a guitar this afternoon though.
Iām not saying that this factor is contributing to the possible lack of interest in the pipes, as the accessibility of pipes now is probably greater than it was in the past (i wouldnt know, pure speculation) but i do know itās why i personally have no newbie questions to ask other than the possible āwhere can i try out the pipes in or around tampa, Florida?ā