Question About Tobacco Prices

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av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
I've noticed that many blends are very inexpensive if you buy them bulk but cost a seemingly insane amount in comparison if you get them in a tin or can. Captain Black for instance is $1.5 per oz but a 12 oz can is nearly $43. $1.5 by 12 is $18, surely the can itself can cost $25. What exactly would I be paying for? What am I missing?
Thanks in advance :puffy:

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
What am I missing?
You will be just missing the tin, probably. It is like plastic bottled Coke vs canned one. I will try to explain:
Advantages of bulk tobacco:

- Less packaging expenses

- Less logistics expenses

- Therefore cheaper than tinned tobacco in total
Disadvantages of bulk tobacco:

- More vulnerable for damage because of the packaging

- Some members had an experience of receiving very dry tobacco (personally I've never had a similar experience)
I am not even comparing bulk purchasing to individual (hope this is the right word) purchasing. I personally prefer canned Coke by the way.

 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
Pretty much as Javan states. The manufacturer/seller gets to shift more of their product in a bulk (250g) purchase than in a single tin (50g) purchase, therefore they can afford to charge less for bulk.
I hate Coke...give me Tizer any day.
Regards,
Jay.

 

av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
You will be just missing the tin, probably.
Hahaha that's a great response.
I think I'll stick to bulk tobacco and keep it in my air tight containers at home. I can buy a pound of tobacco and enough jars to store it for less than a 12 oz can.
Maybe one day when I'm feeling fancy I'll spring for a tin can and just refill it with bulk...

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Bulk tobacco is a big savings. The "cost" is that you provide the packaging -- canning jars or Mylar bags, etc. -- for storage. Since jars are re-usable, the cost on this is quite low. Tins are sealed for aging and come with art, and may sustain a premium presentation, remain more moist, etc. If you smoke a pipe on any regular basis, bulk is the way to go. Though I admit I buy both tins and tubs, for convenience and looks. The other big variable in tobacco is taxes, and this drives higher prices at brick-and-mortar, as well as overhead. Bulk online, right now, is the pipe tobacco bargain.

 

av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
Cans will sometimes come with a surprise inside, like a Captain Black decoder ring, or a cool Captain Black action figure with kung fu grip.
I've fallen for the decoder ring one too many times. S-M-O-K-E M-O-R-E C-A-P-T-A-I-N B-L-A... aww son of a ...

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,632
44,859
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
About the only thing you would be missing are the blends that are not offered in bulk, which is most of them. But many of the blends available in bulk are top sellers that enjoy a long term popularity with pipe smokers.

 

av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
That's a good point sablebrush, I hadn't considered blends that weren't available in bulk. I'm barely 2 weeks into pipe smoking and all of my tobacco purchases have been based on what's popular and been around for a while in order to give myself a good baseline to branch out from.
I would also wager that the tins have a small intrinsic value for collectors that goes beyond the cost of manufactoring and labor associated with the tins production. Perhaps this plays a role in the cost to customer of the tins as well.

 

dochudson

Lifer
May 11, 2012
1,635
12
Prices on tobacco are what they are.. They won't be going down. Once they crack down on internet sales, buckle up.

 

av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
That isn't the first I've read about the laws for tobacco sales online could become more restrictive. Is there any legislation currently in the works to make this happen?

 

lazar

Can't Leave
May 5, 2015
445
3
Some blenders - McClellands and Gawith Hogarth come to mind - have tons of great blends that are not sold in tins.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I much more readily smoke bulk blends in jars and blends in pouches. Because tins require the decision to open them and "start the clock," they tend to age much longer. Not rational but true for me.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
The tobacco prices in the US are the lowest in the WORLD. Canada, Australia, the UK, and many others pay 6 to 8 times as much as we do for a tin of tobacco.

 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
How very true Stan. Plus we never get the sales opportunities or money off deals that are always being advertised on the forum.
We pay (in the UK) roughly £14.50 per 50g of anything.
Regards,
Jay.

 

alexnorth

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 7, 2015
603
3
In Sweden the tax on tobacco is about 105$ per pound. Add to that 25% VAT and you've got yourself some expensive tobacco to smoke. I'm surprise it isn't illegal to ship tobacco overseas yet

 

jvnshr

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 4, 2015
4,616
3,868
Baku, Azerbaijan
How very true Stan. Plus we never get the sales opportunities or money off deals that are always being advertised on the forum.
We pay (in the UK) roughly £14.50 per 50g of anything.
Fortunately, I can take the advantage of those sales opportunities. For personal use, I can import anything with a value up to $1000 per month without paying any fee. There is also a forwarding company that ships my goods from the States. So far so good.

 

av47

Lurker
Sep 21, 2017
21
0
14.50? That's nearly $20 USD mawnansmiff. I'd be throwing tea off the docks everynight with prices like that! And its $105 tax per pound in Sweden? That's unbelievable. Suddenly 12 oz and a tin for $43 doesn't sound so bad. Thanks for the perspective.

 
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