After riding and upgrading my old school Hardrock for years, I may finally succumb to the lure of +1 and get something easier to pedal. One of the choices has drop bars (note, I'm not planning on switching the bars on my current bike to drops), aside from the obvious answer of they should be comfortable what should I look for with regard to fit when faced with multiple choices?

The right width is important for comfort. Ask to try bars with different widths to see what you like best. Depth of drop, if you plan to spend any time in the actual drops, is also important. Be sure to try all the major hand positions before deciding.

If commuting, you probably want a drop bar road bike where the drop isn't extreme - you still want to be looking around, instead of in an extreme aerodynamic riding position.

I like my Deda RHM-02s for inexpensive drop bars - short drop, shortish reach, and plenty of hand positions. Though truth be told, I'm kind of interested in some Salsa Woodchoppers too.

First, a for trying drops. (in before the "drops vs upright for commuting" ****storm)

And then, I would have the bars set roughly level with the saddle for your first go-around. That will give you a good amount of aero/power benefit and feel more "weird" than "painful" from the amount you're bending over. In time, your flexibility will improve and you can consider going lower if you want.

I'm hoping to avoid that one too!

seems like a personal question. meaning some older people like higher bars, sloped top tubes, etc. also, urban environment you might prefer a staright bar road bike, even though I personally think higher drops are the answer. These are examples of the relationship I prefer to the height of saddle and bars, but this is just me.

If I remember right, you made the switch a while ago and seem pretty happy with the results. is this what you did?

I have drop bars on one of my bikes. I set them relatively high- the top of the bar is just above saddle height. This means all the hand positions are useful and comfortable, which is the main advantage of drop bars for non-racing use. I have old-style extension levers on the brakes, so I can quite safely navigate traffic with my head up and using the top of the bar. The drops aren't too low, so they're actually usable, but still offer a slightly more 'aero' position.

Correction: "drops vs upright vs bullhorns for commuting" ****storm.

I've suggested Origin8 drop bar ends to those individuals who have flat bars but would like to get into the drops every now and again.

Walk into the bike shop and see what is on the floor.. they can see your fit in person.
stand over stuff, test ride it..

3TTT Ergonova is a nice shape, shallow drop in several widths.
42cm is med. I like narrower than normal for cutting through gaps.