What's The Next Extinct Or Impossible Blend To FInd?
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No, Nate, I'm not bitter at all. If I were, it would be because I have some unquenchable desire to try blend x from Esoterica, or Germain's, and since I have no such desire, my frustration has nothing to do with being unable to find any Esoterica. If I had that desire, I would tell you which various B&Ms I've dialed up, and how often I've called them, hoping to find some Penzance. I've never done such a thing. If Dunhill Flake suddenly disappeared, THEN, I might make those calls.
There's a difference between "cellaring" what you like, and "hoarding" what someone else likes, for the purpose of making a quick buck.
There's a difference between "cellaring" what you like, and "hoarding" what someone else likes, for the purpose of making a quick buck.
Old Piedmont's Personal Responsibility blend. I think they're going to discontinue it altogether next year.
From their press release:
"Old Piedmont regrets to announce that our Personal Responsibility blend will likely be discontinued at the end of the year. Younger smokers just aren't interested in Personal Responsibility. The complex English blend requires too much effort for the newest generation of smokers. Old Piedmont does not expect the revenue loss to impact yearly sales however, since sales of their Freeloader blend are up almost 600%."
From their press release:
"Old Piedmont regrets to announce that our Personal Responsibility blend will likely be discontinued at the end of the year. Younger smokers just aren't interested in Personal Responsibility. The complex English blend requires too much effort for the newest generation of smokers. Old Piedmont does not expect the revenue loss to impact yearly sales however, since sales of their Freeloader blend are up almost 600%."
I suppose I'm fortunate to enjoy mostly blends that are commonly available. The only exception was MacBaren Burley London Blend, which has been discontinued. Once the the retailer's leftover supply runs out, I guess that's it.
I do, however, worry about what will happen to Pipeworks & Wilke once Carole decides to retire. But it's all first world problems, I suppose. So not too much thought is given. If a blend I've always loved ever disappears, then I can be like an old-timer pining for some old blend of yore & lore. Then someone will recreate it and I can bitch on-line about how it's nothing like the original
I do, however, worry about what will happen to Pipeworks & Wilke once Carole decides to retire. But it's all first world problems, I suppose. So not too much thought is given. If a blend I've always loved ever disappears, then I can be like an old-timer pining for some old blend of yore & lore. Then someone will recreate it and I can bitch on-line about how it's nothing like the original
About the only thing you can do is stock up if you find something you like. I think Germain's Brown Flake is harder to get than than Penzance or Stonehaven and the best bet, if you wish to stock up on it, is to order it from Europe. Without the VAT, it runs less than $11 a tin and that includes shipping. All of the tobaccos I smoke, I like.
If you want to see crazy, look at the limited edition cigars or those that are really freaking good but use rarer tobaccos.
If you want to see crazy, look at the limited edition cigars or those that are really freaking good but use rarer tobaccos.
I have tried Penzance, and liked it and thought I would try to get some, not "obsessing" over it. IN fact that's what I said...not worth my time. I do stock up on what I like. I have tons of My Mixture 965, EMP, Froggies, Escudo, 1-Q... and others. I want to thank Sable for answers. What is not going to be around that I should try and get before it's gone. always the mixture 79 people....
Ask a non-pipe smoker if your 50 tins would be considered cellaring or hoarding, and I am pretty sure you are going to get a look that says something like, "I don't know, but either way I think you are a bit looney."
Seriously dude, whether people decide to buy something to use or resell is none of my damn business. It is their money, and their property.
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Everything GLP. I'm astonished that these blends are still widely available given all the (well deserved) praise they get.
I don't follow the Esoterica Unicorn anymore. There are hundreds of other blends for me to collect and enjoy.
The next impossible-to-find blend? That's easy: Warhorse loose-cut from The Standard Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania.
"Isn't Mississippi River hard to find nowadays?"
It shouldn't be, as much of it is in flood stage.
It shouldn't be, as much of it is in flood stage.
I like Penzance, I love Stonehaven and I like JF Germain's Rich Dark Flake as much. But there are blends by Russ Oulette, GL Pease, and others that I love as well.
Part of the appeal of the Pipe hobby is collecting pipes and tobaccos. Like stamps or any other collecting hobby, there will be rare items that are hard to find and thus more expensive. Supply and demand.
But also, you can't talk about a blend knowledgeably without trying it. Most of the tobacco I try is mentioned here on the forums and I buy them to assuage curiosity, to make myself better informed and to build common experience with other members.
But I'm a hobbyist, not an investor. The most I buy at one time of any blend is usually a half pound. That might change down the road as I start to store some of my favorites, e.g., SG Luxury Navy Flake, Magnum Opus, RDF, etc.
But even if I were to buy as an investment, it is a free market.
Part of the appeal of the Pipe hobby is collecting pipes and tobaccos. Like stamps or any other collecting hobby, there will be rare items that are hard to find and thus more expensive. Supply and demand.
But also, you can't talk about a blend knowledgeably without trying it. Most of the tobacco I try is mentioned here on the forums and I buy them to assuage curiosity, to make myself better informed and to build common experience with other members.
But I'm a hobbyist, not an investor. The most I buy at one time of any blend is usually a half pound. That might change down the road as I start to store some of my favorites, e.g., SG Luxury Navy Flake, Magnum Opus, RDF, etc.
But even if I were to buy as an investment, it is a free market.
I don't chase unobtainium as there are so many blends that I like that I can keep a rotation of 15 blends going without effort, which of course is amply provided by the substantial cellar I laid in in 2012. What does bother me is that when I like something, nothing less than 10 or 20 pounds cellared gives me that rosy feeling of true tobacco hoarding. Sillem's Commodore Flake is my newest find, but unfortunately I'm not persuaded that the rise in tin count would mollify my sinking heart over my sunken financial resources. Thus I just opened a tin and have four cellared, which I must confess I find a poverty.
Wow. It has never actually occurred to me to buy tobacco in order to sell it off later. I buy it so I can enjoy it later, or at most, trade to a fellow piper who might want to sample something I have, and vice-versa. Tobaccopocalypse has different meanings to different people- taxation, price increases, blend discontinuation, etc. I just like the feeling of already having it, safe and sound, in case of any future difficulties getting it. Hell, Prince Albert is common as dirt around here, and almost as cheap. I even have a full flat of 8 oz. Ball jars of that stuff, "just in case". In case of what, I don't know. Just, you know, in case.
I casually chase the unobtainium (so happy we are using this term) but more for sport than anything else. After I posted about this in my White Whale thread a couple of forum members offered to sell me some stonehaven despite my post stating that I wasn't interested in buying it at inflated rates. That's just like fishing with dynamite: no sport in it.I just day dream about sauntering in to a tobacconist during some journey down south, chatting up the clerk, and having him wryly admit to me that he has some socked away in the back that he could sell me. That would be a glorious day.
My cellar is probably about as close to the low end limit of what constitutes a cellar as one can get but I am working on it a couple of tins at a time. The main driving force behind this is concern over changing import laws. You can not buy tobacco online from a different province in Canada, and if you are limited to online sales within one province you can't really support an online shop. If they crack down on what comes across the border I will be limited to my local B&M's offerings which is almost entirely Peterson blends of which only the Irish Flake do I enjoy.
So far I have been concentrating on building up my stock of my favorite blend: Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake. So far I have one jarred/open tin, one sealed away, and one currently in a parcel with a couple other odds and ends which is out for delivery today! It's difficult to build up a cellar 200grams (my self imposed import limit) at a time. But I'm chipping away at it!
My cellar is probably about as close to the low end limit of what constitutes a cellar as one can get but I am working on it a couple of tins at a time. The main driving force behind this is concern over changing import laws. You can not buy tobacco online from a different province in Canada, and if you are limited to online sales within one province you can't really support an online shop. If they crack down on what comes across the border I will be limited to my local B&M's offerings which is almost entirely Peterson blends of which only the Irish Flake do I enjoy.
So far I have been concentrating on building up my stock of my favorite blend: Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake. So far I have one jarred/open tin, one sealed away, and one currently in a parcel with a couple other odds and ends which is out for delivery today! It's difficult to build up a cellar 200grams (my self imposed import limit) at a time. But I'm chipping away at it!
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