The Value of Brick and Mortar Tobacconists...?

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bonneville

Lurker
Aug 14, 2013
17
0
Hey guys! I've just been thinking lately about local B&M's and want your take on them. A lot of people here seem to strongly advocate the online retailers and discourage buying from B&M's. What is your reasoning on this, other than avoiding local and state tobacco taxes? I know where I live there is a strong culture of ordering online for pretty much anything pipe or cigar related and the local B&M's are largely used as "tasting stations". I've always been an advocate for small business and supporting local so this saddens me. Just wanting to hear what the consensus is out there!

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
I support my local B&M as much as possible. Some things I have to order online, but I try to buy local as much as possible. It does usually cost a few bucks more at my B&M, but I'm ok with that. It's worth a few more dollars to support and interact with the owner, not to mention getting to examine my purchase first hand. Melvin, the owner of my local B&M, also lets me buy on layaway, which allows me to indulge in my PAD more than I would get to otherwise. Internet retailers are great, and I do use them, but I prefer local shops.

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
I would more, but prices are double if not triple that of online, selection for pipes is low, bulk baccy sits in shelves in ziplocks for who knows how long, and the owner really isn't that personable. It's mostly there for guys to air around and puff cigars, and look at you oddly when you walk on. No one talks or chats. It could be so great but, alas...

 

delkhouri

Can't Leave
May 4, 2013
446
22
Columbus Ohio
Those of us who are located in central Ohio are fortunate to have 2 or 3 B&M choices. We have Smokers haven (excellent knowledge and pipe selection with an OK tobacco selection that is improving), Pipes and Pleasures (with a very good tobacco selection and an OK pipe selection) and even barclays (with an OK tobacco and pipe selection) We also have a few other places in town with limited tobacco selections. I support them as often as I can, especially in the case of smokers haven where I have spent a lot of time hanging out with my friends Ben, Premel, and Bill.
The problem, as others have stated is that due to taxes and other reasons tobacco/tins are much more expensive at local b&ms. At my B&M a tin usually cost between $12-15 for 50g and online the same tin is $7-10. If I am picking up a couple tins then I will support them, but if I am making a big order then it is so much more cost effective to do so online. Plus online there is TONS more selection. None of the local B&M's come anywhere close to the availability found at some of the online retailers.

 

lostandfound

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 30, 2011
924
44
I would restrict all of my tobacco related purchases to my B&M if he carried more than two non-aromatics. He sells roughly 15 blends in bulk, all but two are aromatics. He has also only had three tins available for purchase at any given time. Usually there are no tins available. He sells probably 10 pipes, all no names from Holland, with the exception of the occasional Peterson, and a Charatan that he's had for at least a year. I've surmised that he makes most of his money from coffee, cigars, cigarettes.

 

plateauguy

Lifer
Mar 19, 2013
2,412
18
The only B&M even close to my home is about 45 mins away thru ugly traffic. I would love to be able to "drop by" and do business, but it has to be a planned event. Washington is just not a friendly state to tobacco, on the other hand Seattle is having a Pot Ralley today - go figure.

 

delkhouri

Can't Leave
May 4, 2013
446
22
Columbus Ohio
Do you think B&M's are trying to gouge their customers?
I guess that depends on the B&M, but I would say much of it has to do with local taxes. I however don't understand enough about tobacco taxes to pretend to explain it.

 

yaddy306

Lifer
Aug 7, 2013
1,371
502
Regina, Canada
I'm in Canada so the disparity between b&m prices and online prices is much greater. But it's hard for a b&m to compete - that's why the nearest one went belly up about 5 years ago.

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
Do you think B&M's are trying to gouge their customers?
No. Taxes are killing local suppliers. That coupled with the fact that the overall market for pipe tobaccos vs. something else is quite low- and there you have it.

 

85royals

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 5, 2012
224
0
I like mine.. But for $100 bucks at the store I can get one pipe and 2oz of tobacco for the same $100 I can get a pipe two tins and 1/2 a pound of tobacco.. or some combo of all the above its all about bang for my buck.. I do buy my local B&M Dunhill 965 match and a Cavendish blend called topsiol. They dont even have a selection of OTC blends just bigger cans of SWR and Capt. Black. Dont get me wrong its a nice little place I just need bang for my buck..

 

wnghanglow

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2012
695
0
I do support American businesses but I do so online. If I spend 100 dollars in a store I made my local shop about 30 bucks, if I spend 100 online I made that retailer 60 bucks. So I try to make sure more of my money goes to tobacco retailers and not the government.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
I've been a patron of my local B&M for well over 30 years. My kids have known the guys all their lives.

While it is a little higher than online, to me the extra coin is well worth it.

Come to think of it, The Briary is the only business around here that actually knows ALL of its customers by name.

 

wilson

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2013
719
1
If I had a decent B&M nearby, I'd shop there. But, I don't, so it is online for me.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I used to support my local b/m a great deal until the tobacco tax went up 85% and he now only carries 10% of the inventory that he used to. The state of Florida is too blame, not my local guy.

 

dochudson

Lifer
May 11, 2012
1,635
12
Those of us who are located in central Ohio are fortunate to have 2 or 3 B&M choices. We have Smokers haven (excellent knowledge and pipe selection with an OK tobacco selection that is improving), Pipes and Pleasures (with a very good tobacco selection and an OK pipe selection) and even barclays (with an OK tobacco and pipe selection) We also have a few other places in town with limited tobacco selections. I support them as often as I can, especially in the case of smokers haven where I have spent a lot of time hanging out with my friends Ben, Premel, and Bill.
The problem, as others have stated is that due to taxes and other reasons tobacco/tins are much more expensive at local b&ms. At my B&M a tin usually cost between $12-15 for 50g and online the same tin is $7-10. If I am picking up a couple tins then I will support them, but if I am making a big order then it is so much more cost effective to do so online. Plus online there is TONS more selection. None of the local B&M's come anywhere close to the availability found at some of the online retailers.
amen brother..
smokers haven (high st close to osu) - great pipe selection decent tobacco selection. large lounge area and great owners/employees.
pipes and pleasures (whitehall) - decent pipe select (many made by the owner), great tobacco selection, great cigar select and a good lounge area. the owner is great, one employee is very good at tobacco recommendations. the other guy either doesn't know tobacco or doesn't want to commit to making recommendations.
barclays - (upper arlington/dublin) small selection and one location no lounge and the other very small lounge.
timba - (powell) great owner. small but good selection of pipes, tobacco and cigars. upstairs lounge is nice, big screen tv and card tables. front porch even better and lots of friendly guy to bs with.
tinder box (easton) - very high rent area, nice guys always busy, chairs out front to watch the candy go by and next door to an irish pub that lets you smoke down at the end by the cigar shop. good selection cigars, small selection of tins but some hard to find stuff and small pipe selection but again some nice stuff.
tinder box (dublin) - good selection of pipes particularly Pete's you don't often find in stores.. ok tin and cigar selection. owner isn't mr. personality.
governors (formally uptown cigar) great cigar selection, decent pipe and tin selection. an odd mix of folks from college folks to old grumps like me. great place to watch a game and have a smoke. owners are great young guys.

 

aikatal

Might Stick Around
Apr 10, 2013
75
0
I enjoy visiting my favorite local B & M and being able to sniff the bulk tobaccos (and sometimes receive a small sample of one or two) and hold the pipes in my hand, and I like being able to buy something and not have to wait for it to come in the mail. They'll usually try to order things I want that they don't have in stock, and it's when they can't that I go to the online tobacconists.

 
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