Online vs B&M
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There's been a lot of discussion about this. I buy 99.9% of my stuff from the local B&M. If there is sometning I want the owner is pretty good about ordering it for me. I like to keep my money local.
However, there are times when he can't get what I want so I'll order online and usually from one of the sponsors here.
However, there are times when he can't get what I want so I'll order online and usually from one of the sponsors here.
I try to buy something whenever I go. I've starterd visiting Sir Ellitot's here in Dallas whenever I want to meet other pipers and they sell baccy and coffee. I bought half a pound of French Roasted Columbian coffee last visit and some baccy. There's more variety online, though and it's cheaper because of Texas' stupid taxes.
only thing I get online,actually this site,is my pipes but all my tobacco and cleaners I buy local
No local choices really. So online, now if I do go in somewhere I always buy something. Even if it is just some cleaners, lighter fluid or pipe tools.
Just bought 5lbs. 7 seas from smoking pipes.com. !00$ & free shipping. No B&M can. sadly, compete with that. Cost of gas getting to B&M, state tax,all adds up to online shopping for baccy. Closest B&M is over 100 miles. The internet can cut land based businesses senseless. If the system ever screws up we will be running to the nearest B&M, if any are left.
If you order enough, or go in with a buddy like I did last time, you can get free shipping.
I swear, though, if my local store only charged 12 bucks a tin, I'd buy a hell of a lot of tins from them. That's a 50% markup from what I'd pay Smokingpipes, so i'm sure a store could get at least that good of a price wholesale. I don't know -- it's hard to second-guess someone who's been in business for decades, but it seems like my store at least would make more money with slightly lower prices.
EDIT: Just checked. My state has a 24% tax on pipe tobacco. So c. $3 of the price of a $15-16 tin is state tax. If your man charged around $12.50 per tin ( a price at which I'd buy plenty) c.$2.50 of the price would be tax. That leaves the store with about $10 revenue on a tin that cost about $8. Is 25% mark-up enough for a retailer? I don't know, but I bet that gets close to money-losing territory with all the other expenses (labor, lights, rent, etc.).
I swear, though, if my local store only charged 12 bucks a tin, I'd buy a hell of a lot of tins from them. That's a 50% markup from what I'd pay Smokingpipes, so i'm sure a store could get at least that good of a price wholesale. I don't know -- it's hard to second-guess someone who's been in business for decades, but it seems like my store at least would make more money with slightly lower prices.
EDIT: Just checked. My state has a 24% tax on pipe tobacco. So c. $3 of the price of a $15-16 tin is state tax. If your man charged around $12.50 per tin ( a price at which I'd buy plenty) c.$2.50 of the price would be tax. That leaves the store with about $10 revenue on a tin that cost about $8. Is 25% mark-up enough for a retailer? I don't know, but I bet that gets close to money-losing territory with all the other expenses (labor, lights, rent, etc.).
I've bought about 30% of my pipes, tins of tobacco, lighters, lighter fluid, cigars, humidor, cigar punches and cutters from my local BM. I've bought the lion share of my tobacco online where as of now I'm averaging $6.10/50grams (including shipping as opposed to $25-$28/50 grams at the BM. Online there is also a much larger selection of tobaccos. If my BM has a tobacco I want to try I'll buy a tin but if I'm stocking up on it I'm buying online. Same goes for pipes a much larger selection on line.
I only order online, the only tobacco shop that has pipes and pipe tobacco or cigars for that matter are at least 4 hours away, if I want a good one we are looking at 6 hours. It's crazy but true. So yeah and I do like the online selections
Gunnar
Gunnar
I'm in Conroe Texas and there is not much for a pipe and cigar shop aroind here either. Its a long haul to the briar shop in Houston, so I order on line. Thats why I was thinking of opening one, but cant afford to waste the money if it were to fail.
I frequent the local shop for cobs, accessories, occasional pipe, and bulk baccy. Online for tins and nicer briars.
I buy online because there are only 3 B&M stores across the whole country, and they mostly focus on cigars with only a couple of mainsteam pipe tobaccos. And the biggest reason, price! A 50gram tin costs over $50 here, I simply cannot afford that.
that $8 tin, if bought alone, costs $15 from P&C.com, due to shipping. Just bought $11 worth of tobacco from them (1 tin of Sutliff, and 3 pouches of SWR which is on sale) and it cost me over $8 in shipping.
I buy mostly online, due to convenience and my work schedule.
I am committing to going to the Briar Shoppe a bit more often and picking up some of their bulks, though. It won't cost any different, after time and taxes, than online costs me to shipping.
I am committing to going to the Briar Shoppe a bit more often and picking up some of their bulks, though. It won't cost any different, after time and taxes, than online costs me to shipping.
My tendency is to support a local store and my country's economy, but the price of tobacco here is outrageous. Here in Nova Scotia I pay around $23.00 for a tin of Samuel Gawtith Full Virginia Flake when I can order it from Smokingpipes for 8 and change. I'm sorry but with prices like that I am forced to feed another country's economy. A pack of smokes here costs $12.00 to $15.00. I don't smoke and can't see how anyone can afford to at those prices.
While I would love to totally support the B&M I'm not independently wealthy and work hard for my money. I buy locally when i want it now or the difference is acceptable. Online is convenient and offers a selection that no local B&M could touch. If I go to a B&M and get some good advice, handle a pipe or get to try a tobacco before buying, that has a true value to me and i will pay more.
I do order from Sterling because that's the only place I can get millionaire blend. For 1Q or the other couple of blends I smoke reg, I get them from sir Elliot's in Dallas. Its an hour drive so I don't go there very often, but a phone call gets it in the mail. Price wise..8oz of 1Q and 8oz of midnight gold is about $52 delivered. Not much different.
Next time I'm in sir Elliot's I think ill take in some MB, if they've got a really close match I'll get that from them too.
Next time I'm in sir Elliot's I think ill take in some MB, if they've got a really close match I'll get that from them too.
I prefer online. Only because my b&m is almost 2 hours away and its only college students that work there and they have proven there ignorance of pipes and tobacco far to often. Such as when the young clerk insisted that killeans dream was exactly the same as Irish flake. I just shook my head and left.
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