Purchasing from China

jjm1 · Sep 23, 2014

I am an expat in China and recently purchased a few pipes online (and some tobacco) in the hope that I have a new relaxing hobby. Pipe tobacco does not seem available here as readily (nor have I located an online suppliers in a neighboring country) so it seems the most cost effective way is to ship from the states. The situation I would like some suggestions with is this- Many US suppliers will not ship here, and if they do shipping cost (and possible customs processes) can be relatively expensive. In addition, I am in a very low income situation. So, I am wondering if there is someone who has had experience in Asia dealing with this kind of scenario and what the best option was that they found. Similarly if any know of a supplier that can give a discount with shipping as does happen on occasion with continental state shipping.
Related to this I am thinking it will be most cost effective to order in bulk. What are the top 5ish bulk tobaccos I should try that are on the lower end?
Thanks in advance for the ideas.

mso489 · Sep 23, 2014

There is a huge selection of bulk tobaccos available in either aromatic or non-aromatic blends, scores of great

Virginia and Virginia Perique blends, old burley favorites and new burley blends, and on and on. So you really

have a huge choice. Aromatics I'd recommend, among others, are Lanes 1-Q and LL-7; Altadis Queen Anne's

Revenge and Dark Obsession; Sutliff The Great Outdoors (tinned). Non-aromatics in bulk include Dunhills

Nightcap and Early Morning Blend; Altadis Fox and Hound; and if you like burley, Cornell and Diehl's

Billy Budd, Big 'n Burley, Pegasus, Golden Ash. Just a few suggestions. But there are hundreds of others

in those and other categories. If you have a relative who knows how to shop online, you might get them to

send you are package of tobaccos.

onepyrotec · Sep 24, 2014

Try contacting JJ at Hopark. He is a cigar importer/dealer in HongKong so he may know who to contact in regards to pipe tobacco for you.
HOPARK CIGARS LIMITED

E-mail: hopark@netvigator.com

Tel: (852) 27393368 / (852) 27243287

Fax: (852) 23118592

粤ICP备06074056号

saltedplug · Sep 24, 2014

Pipes and Cigars has one of the biggest bulk selections out there.

carver · Sep 10, 2015

Some bigger cities have tobaccos shop. I live in Wuhan, there is a guy and a shop. He has a nice collection of pipes, and some tobaccos. Exclusively in tins, not bulk.
I bought some tobaccos from "Justforhim" and from "smokingpipes" ... but indeed, import regulations limit purchases to 500 grams, around 17oz.

Shipping fees go up to $22, it's a little steep, I know.

I am trying to know in advance people from the US, coming to Wuhan so that I can contact them, as ask if they would be willing to take the pouches with them.

That could be a solution in reducing fees.
cheers.

shawnofthedead · Sep 11, 2015

Hi carver, I was actually from Wuhan, and now living in a different city. I buy my tobacco from a seller on Taobao. Of course I have to contact the person not directly on the website because it is apparently illegal to sell tobacco online here. I think the price is fairly reasonable and he would mail them to me sometimes free of shipping charge.
His shop in based in Beijing though, and I think he speaks not a word of English so...

carver · Sep 12, 2015

Hey Shawn, that is very very interesting!!! Would you mind help me find him on TaoBao?

I know that one can't buy tobacco online but that way can totally work.

How well stocked up is he? Does he have a lot of brands?

Thanks for your reply.

shawnofthedead · Sep 13, 2015

It's a shop called 风行烟具 (I'm not sure if this site can display Chinese), I think it's one of the highest rated pipe-related seller on TaoBao. You will have to contact the person on WeChat if you want to enquire about tobacco. The person's WeChat ID is "Dram1214". Like I said, you will either have to be able to type Chinese, or get someone to help. The person will send you a few pictures of all the tobacco he has in store for you to choose. You could either pay on TaoBao, the person will send you a link to an unrelated item and change its price to the price of your purchase. Or you could pay via Alipay, which is far easier.
I have to be honest, the choices are very limited, but you can always find common tobacco like Dunhill's EMP, My Mixture 965, Nightcap etc. And there are some Frog Morton's... Most of the popular stuff are sold out very quickly, but they do get new stock in every once in a while.

andrew · Sep 13, 2015

4noggins ships anywhere in the world, they even have Vatican city in the pulldown menu.

mso489 · Sep 13, 2015

I'm surprised that pipes and pipe tobacco are such a rare item in China, given its vast population and array of different ethnicities and cultures, despite the predominance of the Han (majority ethnic population). But most especially, in light of China's long and intense romance with tobacco. Chairman Mao and his leadership cadre was never without a logistical supply of cigarettes and other tobacco products on The Long March, and the consumption of tobacco in China is unimpeded by restrictions in other parts of the world. How pipes and pipe smoking missed that vast transcontinental nation bewilders me. Perhaps it is because they associate tobacco pipes with the British who ran against the cultural grain (The Opium Wars and such). Still, I would have thought the Chinese would have their carvers, blenders, and retailers, as vast and multi-cultural as they are. Somewhere there may be a Chinese entrepreneur who can grasp this opportunity.

shawnofthedead · Sep 14, 2015

Hi mso489, pipe smoking is rare all around the world, but especially though in China. Most people here smoke cheap cigarettes that's made in China. There is a ban on imported tobacco in general, I think that's the reason, or at least part of it; it's one of the many schemes of the Chinese government to make money for themselves. I know from the internet there are people who smoke pipes in China, and I've even heard of a few master pipe craftsman, but I've yet to meet any of them in real life. You have to understand that the communist China is a nation built unity and comformity, doing anything that makes you stand out is frowned upon. Yet that doesn't stop a few like myself who care more about enjoyment than what other people think of us.

carver · Sep 14, 2015

Hi Shawn,

Yet that doesn't stop a few like myself who care more about enjoyment than what other people think of us.

Are you a Chinese ?

I didn't know there was a ban on imported tobacco.

Thanks for sharing your view on it in China, that was quite interesting.
Thanks for the TaoBao shop, I'll look it up !

shawnofthedead · Sep 22, 2015

Yes, I was born in China, lived abroad for many years, and returned here a few years ago. I think I've read somewhere that China banned foreign tobacco companies from operating in this country, although you can still find imported cigarettes and stuff occasionally in shops, they are not mass imported.

Oh I had a look on 4noggins website, their tobacco is certainly much cheaper than buying in China, even with priority shipping. I shall try buying from US next time I get TAD. Don't know how reliable is international shipping though.

carver · Sep 23, 2015

I bought from JustforHim ($22 shipping) and SmokingPipes (choice between $12 and $22 shipping) and it went well. Around 10-15 days for things to arrive.

It's handled well.

Never bought from 4noggins though.

Too bad theweight limit to importing tobaccos without tax is that low though, we could manage buying in bulk for several people and share the shipping costs.

shawnofthedead · Sep 23, 2015

I will have a look at smokingpipes, thanks. I guess I can handle the wait, if it's a large batch. Just how much tobacco did you buy?

carytobacco · Sep 23, 2015

"4noggins ships anywhere in the world, they even have Vatican city in the pulldown menu."
The Pope hoards Penzance and Stonehaven.

carver · Sep 23, 2015

@shawn: The maximum amount without paying extra import taxes is 500 grams (16-17oz).

Purchasing from China

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