Penzance at P&C

[sablebrush52]

Care to share?

For starters, not all places list it on line when they have it because of the obsessed frenzy by the many crazies. You have to call. That's how I got some from 4Noggins last year. I got other bags by calling L. J. Peretti, who don't list it when they have it. As I also order their other products and have an account, they tell me if they have it when I ask. And I've bought it from other stores that I will not mention, even in private, because some people here lack any semblance of control.
I'm not saying that it's easy, but it's certainly possible to find the stuff when you make an effort.

 

[gloucesterman]

My last few trips into Peretti's weren't very productive. It wasn't so long ago I could walk in just about anytime and get a couple of tins. Thanks for the heads up. I'll keep trying. I like a little Penzance every once in a while. I share your view on purchasing, but it would be nice if you could just find it. Hoarding doesn't help the situation much.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I had a chuckle at tarheel's and Sable's comments. When I got back into the hobby in 2012 I recall that I was looking for Stonehaven but could never find any.
Harris (cigrmaster) told me about a little B&M that had no internet presence and sent me their phone number and told me to give them a call.
Here's basically how that telephone call went:
Me: Hello, I am looking to buy some Esoterica Stonehaven and heard that you may have some.
Salesperson: Why yes, we have five bags of the stuff.
Now, at this point I was giddy with delight, but didn't want to be a pig. So, I decided that I would only buy two of the five bags.
Me: That is fantastic. Can I get two of the bags?
Salesperson: Absolutely. That stuff has been sitting there since the summer. I was beginning to wonder if any of it would ever sell.
Me: Ah . . . er . . . well, tell you what, I would be happy to take all five bags then.
LOL.
So the first point is you should try some of the small B&Ms that don''t have much of an internet presence, if any at all. Often they, and their frequent customers, are oblivious to the hype.
The second point I would make is that you have a much better chance of success if you develop a relationship with the store, and don't just phone occasionally seeking to buy only the unicorn blends.
I make sure I always throw other business to those B&Ms even if I could get the same stuff a little cheaper elsewhere. You are much more likely to get a chance to buy those hard to find blends if you are seen as a regular patron and not just a person who wants to buy the rare blends, never to be heard from again.

 

[tarheel1]

It was my local b&m back in Texas. Had a great relationship with them. That's how I knew they usually had the esoterica blends. Town has a large enough pipe community to keep blends stocked yet not too big they sell out.

 

[iamn8]

I'm all done buying the stuff. I'm stocked up. Hope that helps someone

 

[jpmcwjr]

Whew! Thanks, Nate. It will help, unless offset by, well, I won't call names.

 

[shanelktown]

Jesse the guy looked and said oink! Haha that is too funny. Honestly though there comes a time one should realize they will not get to smoke all the tobacco they have in their lifetime.... A reminder you can't take it with you.

 

[Snow Hill]

Peck hit the nail on the head, being a good customer - having an established patron/shop owner relationship - of a B&M goes a long way when trying to locate hard-to-get blends.

 

[aggravatedfarmer]

Usually when a store knows me by my first name it's never good. It means I spend wayyyy to much money there. At least it ain't a strip joint!

 

[gogosamgo]

I totally agree with the relationship aspect. I recently moved and the store near me, which I've only visited once and had some good conversations and made some mall purchases, just let me know that they received a few 8oz pages of Penzance and would set it aside two bags for me to puchase/pickup in a couple of days. I've tried some other hard to find blends, but never any Esoterica blends, so I'm really excited!
Also interesting side note, as we were talking he informed me that Esoterica released very limited tins compared to 8oz bags, and that rumor has it that they are going to stop selling tins all together and only sell larger bags. Not sure if this is true, but thought it was interesting and wanted to share.

 

[yazamitaz]

I totally don't understand the hunt. I, like others, either personally or over the phone frequent smaller shops. I buy cigars, cleaners, and other tobaccos and pay a bit more for those things but have established a relationship with theses folks. Having been in sales for the past 20 years I know that relationships matter. I poke into a shop weekly and pay $12 for $9 cigars and fire it up in the shop and smoke with the owner. I pretty much get whatever I want at not much of a markup because when I ask for certain blends I buy the whole lot. It never hits the shelves. I get a call when it comes in and I buy my lot and a few cigars and fire one up while I'm there, deepening the relationship. It's really simple if you put in some effort.

 

[sablebrush52]

Yep, having a working relationship with a B&M is essential. The problem for me is that there are few stores left in L.A. hat stock pipe tobacco, and the one that I frequented for the bast 20 years changed hands a couple of years ago. They have a good stock, but it just doesn't move, so the new owner isn't that interested in adding to it as cigars are the rainmaker there. The Esoterica stock is pretty much depleted and I doubt that they will be adding more any time soon. And, the kid behind the counter doesn't know me from a hole in the ground, so my relationship is a thing of the past.
This was a bummer, as I was looking to find a bag of Stonehaven to break up for gifting to several smokers I know who can't ever obtain any. Fortunately, a member here has gifted me with a bag, so there will be "Christmas" this year for several folks. In turn, I'm sending my benefactor a couple of hard to find items that I have which he wanted but didn't have. It's a friendly exchange. That's another kind of relationship.