I'm out of them and need to buy some this week.
Then I got to wondering just how important are they in many recipes that
call for them. Just how much flavor actually comes out of one? Wouldn't
think that a bay leaf or two would do all that much to a gallon of soup.

I read that they "are somewhat similar to oregano and thyme," (tastewise) so
I guess you could substitute a little of one or both of those in a pinch.
(?)

Interesting other uses for bay leaves too. 2 examples:

"Bay leaves can also be scattered in a pantry to repel meal moths,
flies, roaches, and silverfish."

"In the Elizabethan era, some people believed pinning bay leaves
to one's pillow on the eve of Saint Valentine's Day would permit
one to see one's future spouse in a dream."

All of the above quotes came from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_leaf

You might want to read that. It's a short but interesting rundown of the bay
leaf.

Gary

PS - the bushes grow wild like weeds on the Outer Banks of NC. Every time I
went on a surfing trip to Cape Hatteras, I would always stop along the road
and pick a big bag of leaves. It was a nice bonus to a fun surfing trip.