I'm the Pipe Sergeant of the Louisville Pipe Band, so I play the pipes. Don't worry about getting a full set of pipes right away. Start with the practice chanter (a modest investment of about US$70-80 should get you a good quality one: look for Delrin/polypenco) and start lessons before deciding if you really want to continue. Some people find that while they love the idea of playing the pipes (or drums), it takes a lot more work than they expected and stop within a couple of months.