Where to Buy OTCs Over an Actual Counter?

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GothPiper

Might Stick Around
Jun 28, 2021
99
264
Las Vegas, NV
I realize this may be highly region-dependent, but I never see OTC/codger brands (or as one poster here called them, "American classics", which is a term I appreciate) for sale in a brick & mortar stores.

Drugstores stopped carrying them. Any high-end tobacconists I've been to, if they have pipe tobacco at all, don't carry them. And "smoke shops" are entirely devoted to vaping and MJ pipes.

Any tips on where one can buy an OTC over a real counter these days?
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,700
16,210
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
The big drugstore companies are/have severly reduced tobacco products. Often because of local laws. Smaller companies, some grocery stores, and such still vend tobacco products. And, a lot of such depends entirely on the location in the US. In your locale I'd also check any of the tobacco vendors. Even "upscale" vendors will have them if there is a demand.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,435
Grocery stores and drugstores have become spotty for pipe and tobacco sales, depending on the region in the U.S. My Walgreens hides a few Dr. Grabows and one or two MM cobs behind the candy counter in front of the cashier. You can see them if you peer over the top of the candy and look at the shelf at floor level. There are a few pouches of low-end tobacco as well. Groceries mostly don't carry them. Smoke shops are the best bet, despite their catering to cigarettes and MJ pipes, and if you can pressure them a little, they may stock them. Continuing to carry them would depend on sales. But over-the-counter/OTC are misnomers now.
 

Aomalley27

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 8, 2021
763
1,699
Chicagoland area
If you’ve an Albertson’s nearby; they should carry Capt Black, Borkum Riff And Prince Albert.
As far as West Coast druggists, Walgreens should carry a few blends behind the register, they’ll be in the general vicinity of the lighters. A lot less now than they used to offer.
I used to pick up Kentucky Club and Walnut at my druggist/Walgreens around 2013/14 (before Middleton discontinued them?). They used to offer KC, Walnut, Carter Hall, PA, SWR and Capt Black.
Now they offer three varieties of Capt Black pouches only. (They used to sell the tubs, and with Walgreens points, I’d get $15 off)
And Walmart might have some, either at service counter, or the dedicated tobacco lane.
 

Bax Burley

Can't Leave
Jul 20, 2021
307
3,238
Pennsylvania
Rite Aid in PA/DE always has Captain Black White, some in DE have Gold. There are also several of those awful smoke shops that are mostly vape/bongs/CBD dreck, but even those sometimes have Captain Black White, Gold, or Royal. That's about it for OTC stuff in the tri state area for me. I'm pretty sure Jersey is the same as PA/DE.

Oh, Walgreens has Captain Black White once in a blue moon. I think I've found it twice in the past year. They also have that Gambler stuff which I'm pretty sure is just RYO cigarette tobacco.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,790
Humansville Missouri
Let’s face it, we were all told not to, but we started using the leaf anyhow. Smoking tobacco is a sin. It’s a petty sin, but Jesus ain’t a smoker in any of His pictures I’ve ever seen.

So, if one would like to sin, there are stores in every town devoted to a much greater sin, that of guzzling booze.

Find an independent family owned liquor store.

The owner will be happy to order you any old time tobacco that his tobacco vendor carries.

While you’re there, you might be tempted to buy some really hard core sinful stuff.

I know about a thousand songs against the evils of liquor, none against Prince Albert.

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,150
32,942
Detroit
Times have changed. If you are in Michigan, I would bet Paul's in Flint would have them. I would not be surprised If Iwan Ries in Chicago does, as well.
Some of the smoke shops around my area have a limited selection. They do much more with cigars.
 

canucklehead

Lifer
Aug 1, 2018
2,863
15,323
Alberta
Here it is illegal to sell tobacco products from a pharmacy, and most grocery stores here have pharmacies in them so they're not allowed to sell tobacco. The only place I've found OTC pouches (other than tobacconists) is at a convenience store that also sells wierd imported beverages, bongs, and unidentifiable wood Gandalf pipes.
 
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Here in Alabama, they are still behind the counters of most convenience stores and grocers.
I asked The Briary if they carried any when I first started going there, and got laughed at.
But, those tobacco stores that sell discount cigarettes and RYO bags and tubes usually have a pretty good selection of OTC tobaccos.