Heavy Sigh

[verporchting]

Another small tobacconist that I liked has turned bad.

Stopped by the last time I was in that city and the old couple that I think bought it were there alone and clearly had no idea what they were doing.

So the other day I tried again. Even worse. Asked for Swan Vesta matches but they didn’t know what they were despite having sold them for years at the shop. Then they told me those weren’t being made or sold anymore even though they just demonstrated they had no idea what they were. The prices had been raised considerably on their stock so that bulk prices were actually more than retail tins. A sign said a blend was discontinued by the manufacturer but they didn’t know if it was Sutliff or C&D but it was definitely not being made anymore. Not at all true. Asked for a packet of pipe cleaners and they tried twice to sell me tapered and bristle and didn’t seem to grasp what I was asking for. Then tried to convince me I wanted churchwarden cleaners and that they were extra long so I could cut them in half myself.

So I just let them help the next victim and couldn’t help but hear the complete bullshit they were spouting to an unsuspecting person curious about trying a pipe. They immediately started trying to sell him 1-lb bags of the cheapest RYO shit they had in the store by making up fantastic claims about its smoking characteristics and smooth flavors, etc. They clearly didn’t know anything whatsoever about pipe smoking or the products they were selling.

Such a pity. The previous owner was very knowledgeable and hired excellent counter people who knew their stuff. You could tell they all liked what they did and spoke from personal experience and product knowledge. Knew the shop was in the process of being sold from the grapevine but ... well shit.

It was so disappointing. Seen this movie before and know exactly how it ends. Badly.

 

[sandollars]

Yeah, me too.

It ends with an entire wall of cigarette racks, glass pipes in the display cabinets and a great selection of grinders....

Oh, and incense.

 

[verporchting]

Yes, I’m afraid so. Goodbye nice pipe selection, bye bye well stocked humidor, adios pipe tobacco and friendly knowledge staff.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I like those 1lb bags of RYO. Here, many guys smoke that. It is a actually pipe tobacco.... just ready to be ground further into cigarette tobacco. But, it makes for a very good smoke. It was how I transitioned from cigarettes into pipes. Quite a few guys on here smoke it as their everyday smoke. I, personally, don't smoke it very often, because I just have access to a huge cellar of other pipe tobaccos, but I do have a few pounds squirreled away in the cellar aging. I pulled a jar out over Christmas and smoked it with six years on it. A very fine smoke.

But, yeh... I posted about the first pipe shop I visited after starting pipes. That guy had no idea what he was doing. His shop was mostly civil war memorabilia. Even his humidor was full of only cheap factory rolled cigars. The funniest thing was that when he bought the store he threw away all of the tins, because they were all past the expiration date, ha ha.

It kills me how there is no test for people before the start a business. Just down the road from me a guy started a health food store, pre-packaged crap. Then, because he was failing miserably and saw a niche that no one else was doing in town, he started also selling cigarettes. He thought he was so smart, ha ha, but now he has a healthfood store that the first thing you see when you walk in is a wall of cigarettes.

 

[danimalia]

Brutal.

I like those 1lb bags of RYO. Here, many guys smoke that. It is a actually pipe tobacco.... just ready to be ground further into cigarette tobacco. But, it makes for a very good smoke

Some of them really do work well as dual purpose tobacco like the Daughters & Ryan bags and the Stokkebye Amsterdam, Norwegian, Danish, etc. pipe cuts. But unless a new pipe smoker is specifically trying to switch from cigarettes, a bag of Gambler or whatever probably isn't going to sell them on pipe smoking. And when I switched to the pipe full time, what helped me were the real high nicotine flakes and twists. Just my experience anyway.

 

[smknron]

It kills me to see what's available now. We used to have a great tobacconist here where I live and like you guys see everywhere, its all vape stuff and glass pipes etc.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

a bag of Gambler or whatever probably isn't going to sell them on pipe smoking.

I can't speak to Gambler brand in specific, but OHM Blue is an excellent Turkish blend, and Cherokee Blue is a rather good one also. Pipes and Cigars sells them as a value pipe tobacco also.
But yeh... most people's perceptions of what smoking a pipe is all about would start with Captain Black or a fruity aromatic, because that is what most people interested in pipes thinks of as a pipe aroma. But, I'd think that an all day smoker might want to check out one of these value brands. I can get OHM for $8 a lb. Not a big waste of money if it doesn't scratch the itch. YMMV

 

[ray47]

At my local B&M all the employees are women. They have no earthly idea about pipes, pipe tobacco and pipe accessories. The only pipe tobacco they sell is OTC blends. The pipes are cheap no name briars, some cobs and overpriced Dr. Grabows. It's no wonder I only buy dip from them and their not very knowledgeable about them either. The shop is more geared towards cigarettes and ryo tobacco. Thank God for online tobacconists.

 

[smknron]

Ohm is a good smoke, another one is Bouy. I think I payed 9.00 for 8oz, I can't remember but for a good cheap smoke, hell yeah.

 

[BeardedBowlSmoker]

Urgh! That's actually the worst. Count yourself lucky it's still there at all though. All the good old fashioned tobacconist's here are now shiny new vape shops. The closest tobacconist's to me is now about 2 hours away in another city!

 

[greeneyes]

Is this in Chicago?

 

[verporchting]

Is this in Chicago?

No.

I didn’t name the shop or even the city because I’m hoping beyond hope they get their shit together and things turn around....

 

[NomadOrb]

All smoke shops have turned into head and vape shops where I live, with the exception of two cigar shops that aren't all that friendly to pipe smokers.

I don't mind them doing their thing, but it's just sad is all.

 

[verporchting]

Yes, it was just a sad feeling as I walked out thinking it was probably over forever.

I might stop in again someday if they are even still there but after two really bad experiences there doesn’t seem to be much hope.

Just another bit of something good that faded away.

I get it that things change and maybe they wanted to market to a different crowd or make the business their own. Okay, that’s cool. But to just not know what they are doing and to try and bullshit people who do...?

No deal.

PS: I bought the Swan Vestas somewhere else and Sutliff 203 coffee damn sure isn’t discontinued. Just saying.

 

[anotherbob]

Another small tobacconist that I liked has turned bad.

Stopped by the last time I was in that city and the old couple that I think bought it were there alone and clearly had no idea what they were doing.

So the other day I tried again. Even worse. Asked for Swan Vesta matches but they didn’t know what they were despite having sold them for years at the shop. Then they told me those weren’t being made or sold anymore even though they just demonstrated they had no idea what they were. The prices had been raised considerably on their stock so that bulk prices were actually more than retail tins. A sign said a blend was discontinued by the manufacturer but they didn’t know if it was Sutliff or C&D but it was definitely not being made anymore. Not at all true. Asked for a packet of pipe cleaners and they tried twice to sell me tapered and bristle and didn’t seem to grasp what I was asking for. Then tried to convince me I wanted churchwarden cleaners and that they were extra long so I could cut them in half myself.

So I just let them help the next victim and couldn’t help but hear the complete bullshit they were spouting to an unsuspecting person curious about trying a pipe. They immediately started trying to sell him 1-lb bags of the cheapest RYO shit they had in the store by making up fantastic claims about its smoking characteristics and smooth flavors, etc. They clearly didn’t know anything whatsoever about pipe smoking or the products they were selling.

Such a pity. The previous owner was very knowledgeable and hired excellent counter people who knew their stuff. You could tell they all liked what they did and spoke from personal experience and product knowledge. Knew the shop was in the process of being sold from the grapevine but ... well shit.

It was so disappointing. Seen this movie before and know exactly how it ends. Badly.

I feel your pain. Our local tobacco shop was awesome and then this yahoo bought it and acted like a brat about it not being as popular as it was before he started to run it. That dude would make customers wait for him to finish what he was doing on the computer which was playing video games. Then he'd blame the internet for his business failing. Yeah it couldn't be treating customers like their bothering you for wanting to buy your stuff. They got rid of the lounge area and then wondered why the customers stopped coming in.
I swear some idiots see a success and think it's easy and no work, then think if they buy that success it will just keep continuing. You know without taking any time to actually figure out what makes the place a success.

 

[mordy18]

If a major city like NYC can’t sustain a single pipe shop I don’t see how there is any future in B&ms anywhere. (There is still Barclay Rex downtown, but I havent been there in years and have no idea how they are doing). Lack of interest, high rents, and a few online mega sellers have put the nail in the coffin. I personally know one person (a mid twenties guy) who smokes a pipe. Everyone else I know thinks its a joke. I haven’t seen a person smoking a pipe in public since I was a kid. Its a niche business with a small and dispersed but dedicated consumer base. Not ripe for a local business.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Sadly, I've been in no shortage of established cigar and pipe stores where the Proprietor or Clerks had little to no clue of what they were talking about. And it certainly isn't isolated to pipes and cigars. Lowes and Home Depot started with the concept of having experts at DYI that would be readily available to assist the Homeowner. Now, you have to walk through half the store to find someone to answer a question and you're lucky if they know enough to even tell you which aisle the item you're looking for is located.

 

[anotherbob]

Sadly, I've been in no shortage of established cigar and pipe stores where the Proprietor or Clerks had little to no clue of what they were talking about. And it certainly isn't isolated to pipes and cigars. Lowes and Home Depot started with the concept of having experts at DYI that would be readily available to assist the Homeowner. Now, you have to walk through half the store to find someone to answer a question and you're lucky if they know enough to even tell you which aisle the item you're looking for is located.

sad part is knowledgeable staff is one big advantage a B&M can have over internet. All of the thriving local shops here have staff that know their stuff.

 

[saltedplug]

Sadly, I've been in no shortage of established cigar and pipe stores where the Proprietor or Clerks had little to no clue of what they were talking about. And it certainly isn't isolated to pipes and cigars. Lowes and Home Depot started with the concept of having experts at DYI that would be readily available to assist the Homeowner. Now, you have to walk through half the store to find someone to answer a question and you're lucky if they know enough to even tell you which aisle the item you're looking for is located.

At the Home Dept in my area customer service and product service is dismal. Employees in the aisles will tell you that they don't know and refer you to another employee.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Next time someone finds themselves in a store where the owner doesn't seem to know what the hell they're doing, ask them what got them into that situation. "Why did you buy a ----- business?" Be genuinely curious. Try not to come across as an a$$hole. Just try to get them to tell you why.

The guy I mentioned above who started the healthfood store is like 300 lbs. I am tempted to march over there and ask him. It baffles me, things like this.
This, and all of the people who start businesses who have no idea what all is involved. My neighborhood is called an "Old Town." Down here we have these quaint little store fronts with businesses constantly opening and closing. People getting into a mess because they just had no clue. For example to get utilities for a business runs 3X's more for a business. Water, electricity, cable, internet, phone, anything that you have to utilize for business purposes cost way more. That, and advertising. I don't know how many geniuses opened a biz thinking that they could rely on people driving by or walking in. It's just not gonna happen. And, capital. You have to be prepared for going at least 6 months making no money. I think some suggest a few years. If you start stealing from your store to pay your home mortgage, you are headed for that Going Out of Business Sale.
What makes these people think that just having enough money to get the doors open is enough? Do they not teach business skills in school?