Sugar Mountain . . . mmmm . . . tasty . . . especially with the barkers and the colored balloons.
Are Tobacco Shops Ripping off Newbies
- Thread starter willisk
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If you think $10.50 for 3oz of tobacco is too much, you are in for a surprise. Yeah, you can get crappy 'Smoker's Pride' tobacco for cheap, but it tastes like (expletive) . If you want premium tobaccos, from great makers, expect to pay $10-$15 a 1.76oz or 2oz tin. C&D, GL Pease, Samuel Gawith, Rattray's, Peterson, Dunhill, Escudo, ETC.
As far as paying more at a B&M: they have local and state tobacco taxes to add into their tobacco sales that online retailers don't pay. For instance, there is a reviewer on YouTube that lives in Washington State, the same tin he can get from SPC for $12 costs him locally $25 because of state and local tobacco taxes, not to mention sales tax.
As far as supporting your local B&M: I wish I had a local shop I could throw a few bucks at now and again. It would be great to walk in and get advice from and shoot the shit with someone about pipes and tobacco.
In closing, $10.50 is not rip off for 3oz of good tobacco. Now, that said, I have no idea who makes the blend for them, more than likely it's made by Lane or Sutliff. If you find something you like online that's cheaper, go with it. But to me Smoker's Pride tastes like a bag of lawn chemicals mixed with artificial sweeteners and radiator fluid.
As far as paying more at a B&M: they have local and state tobacco taxes to add into their tobacco sales that online retailers don't pay. For instance, there is a reviewer on YouTube that lives in Washington State, the same tin he can get from SPC for $12 costs him locally $25 because of state and local tobacco taxes, not to mention sales tax.
As far as supporting your local B&M: I wish I had a local shop I could throw a few bucks at now and again. It would be great to walk in and get advice from and shoot the shit with someone about pipes and tobacco.
In closing, $10.50 is not rip off for 3oz of good tobacco. Now, that said, I have no idea who makes the blend for them, more than likely it's made by Lane or Sutliff. If you find something you like online that's cheaper, go with it. But to me Smoker's Pride tastes like a bag of lawn chemicals mixed with artificial sweeteners and radiator fluid.
My first pipe last March was a basket pipe from Tinder Box for $29.95 plus I bought a couple of ounces of Honey Maple tobacco. The owner showed me a couple of pipes on the wall display for $45-$50. He didn't try to talk me into a $150 pipe. I walked out of there with a pipe, tobacco, czech tool and some pipe cleaners for under $50. He treated me well, answered all of my questions and made me feel welcomed. I now go to that same Tinder Box 1-2 times a month and I always get the same friendly service. I wish they sold some tins besides Tinder Box Reserve 1928.
I understand how it is a bit of culture shock going from $9 cartons of RYO to pipe. But that is the first time I have ever heard of someone having sticker shock moving to pipe tobacco. Especially considering you paid less than $4/oz. In WA, the STATE tax alone is $3+ dollars/ oz. And it is illegal here to order pipe and RYO tobacco online.
All vices cost. This one is reasonable, given the reward... until you get neck deep into pipe acquisition disorder (PAD).
All vices cost. This one is reasonable, given the reward... until you get neck deep into pipe acquisition disorder (PAD).
I appreciate all the feedback even the criticism!! I am learning as I go!! Sorry if my post sounded ignorant
But I am ignorant in this arena!! As far as sticker shock I have learned a lot in the last 24 hours. Like I can buy bulk lane or sutlif and be cheaper then
Local which I have in my cart ready for checkout!! In retrospect I was sold a fair tobacco!! But ask yourself this
When you first started blind without this site or any friends that smoked a pipe and no internet research
Did you have all the answers? Did you know if you could get it cheaper? Did you know fair prices for pipes?
We all start somewhere and I know from other areas it is hard to look back with newbie eyes and mind!!
I am thankful to have found this site and others!! Thanks again for the schooling!!
But I am ignorant in this arena!! As far as sticker shock I have learned a lot in the last 24 hours. Like I can buy bulk lane or sutlif and be cheaper then
Local which I have in my cart ready for checkout!! In retrospect I was sold a fair tobacco!! But ask yourself this
When you first started blind without this site or any friends that smoked a pipe and no internet research
Did you have all the answers? Did you know if you could get it cheaper? Did you know fair prices for pipes?
We all start somewhere and I know from other areas it is hard to look back with newbie eyes and mind!!
I am thankful to have found this site and others!! Thanks again for the schooling!!
Locally, I expect to pay $3-$4 per ounce for actual pipe tobacco. Tins if available would be $10-$15 each for 1.5-2 ounces. So $10.38 for 3 ounces is a very fair price.
That's here in Michigan.
RYO that is deliberately mislabeled as pipe tobacco is not actual pipe tobacco. You can smoke it in a pipe, but the experience will be way less than optimal.
Smoker's Pride is a little confusing as a brand because they make both actual pipe tobacco, and 3 blends (Mellow, Rich, and Menthol) that are meant to be used as RYO.
Of the Smoker's Pride blends the Black Cavendish is probably the highest rated.
That's here in Michigan.
RYO that is deliberately mislabeled as pipe tobacco is not actual pipe tobacco. You can smoke it in a pipe, but the experience will be way less than optimal.
Smoker's Pride is a little confusing as a brand because they make both actual pipe tobacco, and 3 blends (Mellow, Rich, and Menthol) that are meant to be used as RYO.
Of the Smoker's Pride blends the Black Cavendish is probably the highest rated.
Willisk, no harm, no foul. You sound very humble and down to earth. Welcome to the forum. We are like a pack of dachshunds sometimes, all bark. I hope you enjoy the forums.
I did. But I was asking myself the wrong questions. LOL Looks like you've passed the Noob Screening Test with flying colors. Good to see some younger folks pursuing pipe smoking. Hang around here and you'll learn a lot. If you'd like, PM me your address and I'll send you a sampler of some decent tobacco to try in the next week or two (when I go to the post office next). We're not all A-Holes here, some of us just act like it occasionally. Even Cosmic has his good moments. :roll:
First of all, welcome to the forums.
No
You will find both (well, maybe not a blend called sugar mountain) cheaper online. Not because they were trying to rip you off, but because of the additional costs (rather than an online retailer) they are paying to keep the business going (rent, taxes, etc.)
Somewhat true. If you can afford it we always mention a pipe between $70-150 range. If not, you may also find some nice new or good estate pipes for $40-70 range. If not again, Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe is a go.
No. There are some members who have been smoking pipes for more than 20-30 years on this forum, the guys know which tobacco costs what on which online retailer but in order to keep their local tobacco shops alive, they shop there once in a while (even though they are paying $30-40 for a tin of tobacco that they can purchase online for $10).
I knew nothing when I started. Still do, but now with a pipe, and that makes some people think I know more than I do :laughat:
Willisk, if you think you have sticker shock now, just wait until you see what us Canadian pipers are expected to pay at our local shops.
Petersons Irish Flake for example
"Sorry if my post sounded ignorant But I am ignorant in this arena!"
Brother, don't worry, we uz all iggernt at one time or another.
Some of us stayed that way -evyl grin- (NO, Mike & ccw, this time I'm NOT talking about y'all! :twisted: )
But seriously, don't worry about people coming off snarky; some of us (Yeah, *US*), it's "just our way." We've got, shall we say, "decided opinions" about stuff & a lot of times it comes out more cranky than we really mean it. Like hoosierpipeguy said, I think ya done good. Worry not -- you'll catch on quickly.
Bill
Brother, don't worry, we uz all iggernt at one time or another.
Some of us stayed that way -evyl grin- (NO, Mike & ccw, this time I'm NOT talking about y'all! :twisted: )But seriously, don't worry about people coming off snarky; some of us (Yeah, *US*), it's "just our way." We've got, shall we say, "decided opinions" about stuff & a lot of times it comes out more cranky than we really mean it.
Like hoosierpipeguy said, I think ya done good. Worry not -- you'll catch on quickly. Bill
thanks y’all for the support! Just got back from the local shop and some were right the guys working the counter don’t know a lot about pipes
I was describing one of my latest estate finds and was talking bout it having a stinger that I removed and he had no clue what a stinger was!!
But I picked up a few tins of c&d to try out till my online stuff gets here! Btw I know a lot of y’all said not to do a lot of bulk ordering till I figure out my tastes but I’m a hoarder when it comes to tobacco!! Been that way for 26 years lol always afraid of running out or the apocalypse lol
I was describing one of my latest estate finds and was talking bout it having a stinger that I removed and he had no clue what a stinger was!!
But I picked up a few tins of c&d to try out till my online stuff gets here! Btw I know a lot of y’all said not to do a lot of bulk ordering till I figure out my tastes but I’m a hoarder when it comes to tobacco!! Been that way for 26 years lol always afraid of running out or the apocalypse lol
Hoard away. If you don't like it now, you may later. And most gets better with age, so get some jars and save it all up.
Personally, I wasn't shocked. But one of the first things the lady at the B&M, upon me telling her I hadn't smoked a pipe before, was that tobacco pipe was expensive. So now I'm wondering that some newbies might express shock initially too. Who knows? The price of 25g of bulk pipe toby at the B&M a year ago was ~$20, only about $3-4 more than a 25-pack of Benson & Hedges, so again, I wasn't shocked. Prior to my visit to the local tobacconist, I had been looking at the prices of pipes, cigars, and pipe tobacco online, from Canadian vendors, as I was assuming that ordering internationally might be too much of a hassle. So, with the Canadian prices in mind, I wasn't shocked: I just assumed that was the way of it.
Later, I was pleased. I discovered ordering internationally not only wasn't that much of a hassle, but prices were cheaper and there was a greater selection. So, I took to ordering a couple of tins every month. Till last month, though, when I had no money to order any. Yes, some of us also count pennies. I am currently unemployed.
Fortunately, I stocked enough to last me for a while, since I'm a 'one bowl a day' guy, and some days I don't even touch the pipe at all.
Later, I was pleased. I discovered ordering internationally not only wasn't that much of a hassle, but prices were cheaper and there was a greater selection. So, I took to ordering a couple of tins every month. Till last month, though, when I had no money to order any. Yes, some of us also count pennies. I am currently unemployed.
Fortunately, I stocked enough to last me for a while, since I'm a 'one bowl a day' guy, and some days I don't even touch the pipe at all.
I make the tobacco hunt a game.
My goal is to cellar stuff I have confirmed enjoyable for under $3 per ounce.
That said, I, too appreciate having my B&M around, so every 2 weeks at pipe club, I pay the man for a tin of something I've been wanting to try but not found online.
This month, I added 24 ounces of Peter Stokkebye for under $2 an ounce and paid about $7 an ounce for the 2 ounce can of GL Pease Temple Bar as my B&M tithe. :roll:
Where I live, it's more a pack of chihuahua than dachshunds...
My goal is to cellar stuff I have confirmed enjoyable for under $3 per ounce.
That said, I, too appreciate having my B&M around, so every 2 weeks at pipe club, I pay the man for a tin of something I've been wanting to try but not found online.
This month, I added 24 ounces of Peter Stokkebye for under $2 an ounce and paid about $7 an ounce for the 2 ounce can of GL Pease Temple Bar as my B&M tithe. :roll:
Where I live, it's more a pack of chihuahua than dachshunds...
The most important thing to learn when anyone is exploring any new hobby, is that most of the people who sell products, don't know very much about them. There are some shysters out there, but most of the bad advice one gets is given in good faith from people who just don't know as much as those in a dedicated forum. A long time ago I coined my own maxim. "Ask the forum guys." This has helped me learn about many things! Once armed with that knowledge, you then go to the store.
When I bought my first straight razor I was told to shave with it at least 45 times before I stropped it.
This is nonsense.
This is the reason I nearly cut myself to ribbons for a month before.....checking out a forum.
I then realised that the razor I had bought was 1. Not sharp enough 2. Badly made 3. Overpriced
When people tell a salesman they "are just trying it out" they generally don't want to be seen as gouging, so they will often recommend the minimum spend for an approximate experience. But this often results in a sub-par experience, which puts people off. The alternative is to recommend a mid-tier product, such as a $150 pipe.
In the end, you can only persevere if you want to learn about something. I remember asking for pipe tobacco in a department store in China. The elderly lady looked at me...and sighed...and bent down and reluctantly put some "Finest very good vanilla fudge tobacco" which looked like it was made in the 50s. I asked her if she had any other tobaccos. She looked at me in indignation....and sighed...and pulled a few more packets of ultracheap aromatic.
I didn't know at the time that I was 3 miles from a fantastic pipe shop with an Aladdin's Cave of high end pipes and tobacco.
When I bought my first straight razor I was told to shave with it at least 45 times before I stropped it.
This is nonsense.
This is the reason I nearly cut myself to ribbons for a month before.....checking out a forum.
I then realised that the razor I had bought was 1. Not sharp enough 2. Badly made 3. Overpriced
When people tell a salesman they "are just trying it out" they generally don't want to be seen as gouging, so they will often recommend the minimum spend for an approximate experience. But this often results in a sub-par experience, which puts people off. The alternative is to recommend a mid-tier product, such as a $150 pipe.
In the end, you can only persevere if you want to learn about something. I remember asking for pipe tobacco in a department store in China. The elderly lady looked at me...and sighed...and bent down and reluctantly put some "Finest very good vanilla fudge tobacco" which looked like it was made in the 50s. I asked her if she had any other tobaccos. She looked at me in indignation....and sighed...and pulled a few more packets of ultracheap aromatic.
I didn't know at the time that I was 3 miles from a fantastic pipe shop with an Aladdin's Cave of high end pipes and tobacco.
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