Sheesh, I just looked at some brass pipe nipples at my local hardware store (Orchard Supply Hardware – a California hardware store chain now owned by Sears) and the price of a 1/2″ x 5″ brass nipple was $8.49. I think that is about double what I paid a year or so go. I though copper prices had leveled off a couple of years ago, so I was really surprised by the jump. Perhaps it takes a while for prices to work their way through the supply chain. I did check on-line and found some the same size for $5.45.
My 1957 vintage house uses copper pipe throughout except for the 5″ galvanized nipples from the “eared T” to the fixture shutoff valve. Unfortunately, there has been quite a bit of corrosion in the galvanized pipe, but I guess if they have lasted 50 years, there is enough left to last another twenty or so…