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Pipeworks & Wilke: red alert

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Perique

Perique

Lifer
Sep 20, 2011
4,098
3,884
www.tobaccoreviews.com
Seriously. Is nobody going to step up and buy it?
Do we all need to pool together and form a company?
We cannot let these blends fade away. Russ? Forum members? Anyone? I can't do it alone, but I would partner.

 
aquadoc

aquadoc

Lifer
Feb 15, 2017
2,044
1,522
New Hampshire, USA
Does she need a blender, packager, shipper, etc.? Is this about labor? Or does she want to wash her hands of this aspect of the business? A cash flow issue? In any case, I am happy to send a letter of inquiry if no one else is going to do so.

 
M

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast

Guest
It's 2017 and boutique tobacco has to be one of the worst businesses to be in, and there isn't much hope for the future being any better. You have to charge a premium for your blends (hence the $9 for 2oz. price tags) and at the same time compete with large blenders that can charge half the price, and on top of it that you have to deal with a small consumer base in an industry facing strict regulations and most likely future tax increases. Good luck to all the new partners. It's never easy to see a part of the community go, but it's a resilient community that always bounces back. My hope is that Carole is okay and will be okay into the future. It's the people that need to be cared for in my opinion, when a business is forced to make tough decisions.

 
K

kanse

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2016
548
5
davet

SToP is not exactly a boutique brend, they tin their tobacco and sell it to the retailers.

 
K

kanse

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2016
548
5
davet

We still have to see whether Kramer succeeds or not.

If you are talking about tinning Wilke blends, that's whole another matter.

 
papipeguy

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
Just for the sake of clarity, our (SToP)business profile is much different than most companies. The SToP blends that were developed with Russ O. are produced at major blenders and sold through Meier & Dutch, the distribution of CI.

We receive royalties on the tins that are sold through M&D as we own the trademarks on the blends. There are a few other companies with similar arrangements.

The 800 pound gorilla is, and will remain, the FDA. Under the current Deeming Rule B&M's that blend on site and package their blends are supposed to register with the FDA as a manufacturer. It is a bureaucratic nightmare and an expensive undertaking.

If, by some miracle, the current rules are dropped or changed drastically then it will be a new day for the industry.

I encourage everyone to contact their Congressmen and Senators to push retraction of the rules.

 
rx2man

rx2man

Part of the Furniture Now
May 25, 2012
590
11
All right you heathens I messaged Carole and below is her reply. I am interested in this whole thing as well.
Robert thank you for the link. I am not registered with that site so if it okay with you I will give you the info and hopefully you can post it for me.
Let anyone interested or has more questions to email me at Pipeworks@vtpipes.com. Or call 802-661-8339
I have decided to retire, it is time and I’m actually at the age where I can collect my meager Social Security. There are several reasons:
Mostly I have decided to leave Vt and move to RI to be closer to my daughter. The other 2 are the regulations concerning remittance of the RI tobacco tax – it is quite cumbersome and will require an extensive reporting process and obviously the new FDA regulations.
Because I really want to see the Wilke legacy continue I am willing to consider any reasonable offer.
The sale will include the Wilke formulas and my email customer list of 2000 addresses. If whomever does takes it over they can have the shelving, scale, shipping counter (from the original NY Wilke store) and other miscellaneous items. I’m hoping there will not be much tobacco inventory left, but that will be negotiable.
I sell approximately 700-800 lbs a year, you can do the math.
I’m sure there is more I should say, but my mind just went blank.
Thank you
Carole
Pipeworks & Wilke
802-661-8339

 
rx2man

rx2man

Part of the Furniture Now
May 25, 2012
590
11
The only thing I can think of in getting around the FDA is to sell a nice coffee table book with all the recipes. The history of the brand etc. Now I know nothing about publishing a book so maybe that is stupider than trying to make money with a boutique brand.
@ mothernature I think you are generous with $9 covering the cost of 2 oz. Bennington wants $12.50 a tin. Maybe you are thinking of it bagged.
I know I would be interested in a book with all the info needed to blend your own. I have spent alot of time already trying to blend a basic aro using raw tobacco and flavorings and I am not there yet and I am just trying to make a basic rum flavored baccy. And just using rum does not cut it.

 
Perique

Perique

Lifer
Sep 20, 2011
4,098
3,884
www.tobaccoreviews.com
Under normal circumstances, I would be willing to spearhead this and bring in investors. My concern is the regulatory environment and what that would mean for the domestic and international marketing and distribution plan. I haven't really followed this as I'm spoiled: most of my favorites are currently and easily available. So if any interested investor is serious enough to give me a primer, please PM me your email address or just post up your take on the regulatory landscape and future viability. This isn't just a tobacco blender, it's a piece of American pipe tobacco history. Creating the partnership isn't an issue, I'm an officer of one currently and have attys who can draft it up.
What concerns me is that the Russ's and C&D's of the world aren't interested. Nor is Peretti, another piece of American pipe tobacco history (and future). So they know something I don't know.

 
M

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast

Guest
@ mothernature I think you are generous with $9 covering the cost of 2 oz. Bennington wants $12.50 a tin. Maybe you are thinking of it bagged.
Click to expand...
Pipeworks and Wilke sells bulk tobacco, so yes I'm referring to bagged. An example of what I was saying is that 2oz. of #191 sells for $9.65 while comparably 2oz. of Lane's 1Q sells for $4.89. I just think it's probably difficult to get people to pay the premium. The big companies blend and sell huge amounts of tobacco that allows them to undercut the smaller blender. It's got to be a tough market?

 
rx2man

rx2man

Part of the Furniture Now
May 25, 2012
590
11
@ mothernature, yes to all, and going up in quantity you seeing the same. I have a pound of rumcake and it is good but I dont have a lot as it is spendy. Definitely harder to compete against.....

 
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