Bless My Local Tobacconist

[rmbittner]

I admit to almost always preferring Internet shopping to visiting physical stores. But I recently realized that doesn’t apply to pipe shops. There, you have the aromas. surprising chance conversations…and you never know what might be sitting on the shelves.

So after years away, I visited my closest pipe shop on Saturday. And I’ve vowed to make this a monthly trip…because in addition to good conversations with the people there, I found these desired tins:



BTW, before my visit, I had set a 4-tin limit for myself. Then I saw everything on the shelf and couldn’t stop. (I could have bought more…)

 

[Coreios]

Supporting the local businesses is important. BS is good stuff! Nice haul!

 

[trudger]

We need to keep the local shops in business in readiness for the end of internet sales.

 

[ykw5264]

Nice tobacco tins

 

[AcesAndEights]

The only B&M in my town is 90% cigars. It’s been about a year since I’ve been there. May need to drop in just to peek at the one pipe tobacco shelf he’s got.

 

[kcghost]

Most places have a preponderance of cigars to pipe tobacco. The shop I go to once a week doesn't carry any of the tobaccos I like. So, I smoke cigars there.

 

[Elric]

All the stores in my area are primarily vape/head shops, so I haven't stopped in.

 

[reloader]

I admit to almost always preferring Internet shopping to visiting physical stores. But I recently realized that doesn’t apply to pipe shops. There, you have the aromas. surprising chance conversations…and you never know what might be sitting on the shelves.

So after years away, I visited my closest pipe shop on Saturday. And I’ve vowed to make this a monthly trip…because in addition to good conversations with the people there, I found these desired tins:



BTW, before my visit, I had set a 4-tin limit for myself. Then I saw everything on the shelf and couldn’t stop. (I could have bought more…)

Great haul. No pipe shops in my area. I love seeing what others find at their local shops. When I travel I always like to purchase from local shops to make sure they stay in business.

 

[rmbittner]

I wanted to add this:

Nearly all of these blends have been long out of stock at my favorite online store (SmokingPipes.com). So the fact that I could find them here helped to make up for the sticker shock.

Because I live in Michigan, we have an additional excise tax on tobacco (which is already figured into the sticker price). And then, of course, there’s sales tax on top of that and the fact that the store still needs to make a profit on each tin. So every one of these tins was priced at $23.95; $25.39 with tax.

I wouldn’t be happy with the prices if the B&M were my only option for pipe tobacco. But I’m okay with paying a little more on occasional visits if it means I can get blends I can’t find elsewhere. And, man, I really like hanging out in pipe shops!

(And, yes, I do realize that in some countries, $25 for a 2oz/50g tin sounds like a gift. I do appreciate the relatively inexpensive pipe tobacco we have here in the States.)

 

[pappymac]

I wanted to add this:

Nearly all of these blends have been long out of stock at my favorite online store (SmokingPipes.com). So the fact that I could find them here helped to make up for the sticker shock.

Because I live in Michigan, we have an additional excise tax on tobacco (which is already figured into the sticker price). And then, of course, there’s sales tax on top of that and the fact that the store still needs to make a profit on each tin. So every one of these tins was priced at $23.95; $25.39 with tax.

I wouldn’t be happy with the prices if the B&M were my only option for pipe tobacco. But I’m okay with paying a little more on occasional visits if it means I can get blends I can’t find elsewhere. And, man, I really like hanging out in pipe shops!

(And, yes, I do realize that in some countries, $25 for a 2oz/50g tin sounds like a gift. I do appreciate the relatively inexpensive pipe tobacco we have here in the States.)

We hold our monthly pipe club meeting in a local B&M and I always buy at least one tin of tobacco when there. It's cost an average of $5 more than on-line but they have a decent selection and they maintain a list of tobacco customers are interested in and will order it if available.

Fortunately, I'm in Louisiana and the cost of a 50g tin at the B&M I go to starts around $16 and goes up depending on the blend and availability. SPC Plum Pudding Barrel Aged was $23.95 the last time I bought a tin. for example.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yep, bless the B&M's

If your local B&M doesn't carry what you want. talk to them. I haven't had as much time to hang out at The Briary in a while, but I still like to drop in and buy a tin or two when I am passing by... and I can catch the lights on in there. The owners of these places are all starting to age out. We lost one other pipe shop close by when the owner passed. It would be nice if some crazy person who likes to work hard and doesn't care much about money would take it over one day. But, I'm not holding my breath.

It has just been nice living so close to one of the largest high end pipe shops in the Southeast.

 

[rmbittner]

Yep, bless the B&M's

If your local B&M doesn't carry what you want. talk to them.

Absolutely. During my visit, I asked if they ever saw G&H/SG blends. They said they do get them, but then asked which ones I was particularly looking for. They wrote down every name I mentioned. They also asked about my interest in Esoterica, since they noticed I hadn’t picked up any of the tins they had on the shelf. I explained why I’d passed on those, but then we talked about the ones I most enjoyed. Then the owner told me when they expect their next shipment to come in… (And, yes, they actually had several Esoterica blends in stock…just sitting on the shelf.)

To boil all of that down: Unless it turns out you’ve accidentally stumbled into a vape/cigar shop, take the time to talk to whoever’s behind the counter and let them know your interests. (Many of the vape shops around here actually have “tobacco” in their name, yet they don’t actually sell tobacco.) Sure, they might not care. Or they might just start stocking some of the blends you like.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Absolutely. During my visit, I asked if they ever saw G&H/SG blends. They said they do get them, but then asked which ones I was particularly looking for. They wrote down every name I mentioned. They also asked about my interest in Esoterica, since they noticed I hadn’t picked up any of the tins they had on the shelf. I explained why I’d passed on those, but then we talked about the ones I most enjoyed. Then the owner told me when they expect their next shipment to come in…

To boil all of that down: Unless it turns out you’ve accidentally stumbled into a vape/cigar shop, take the time to talk to whoever’s behind the counter and let them know your interests. (Many of the vape shops around here actually have “tobacco” in their name, yet they don’t actually sell tobacco.) Sure, they might not care. Or they might just start stocking some of the blends you like.

I know, at The Briary where they almost always have Esoterica blends, he always asks me if I want any when I am checking out, because they do not sell them online... I take a hard pass on those. Maybe some can fall at the feet of unicorns, but to me they are all still aromatics.

 

[vosBghos]

Called ahead and picked up a few tins of the new Sutliff Rustica, there was some BS on the shelf and I was all "I thought you said you couldn't get hold of this stuff was there any other Germaines?" Guy Says to me " oh yeah we had a few Esoterica tins too and a bag of Stonehaven, I just asked my distro guy if they had any laying around to send it and this time he actually did, go figure"


Moral of the story = visit and poke around often (especially around coveted drop season)

 

[anotherbob]

I admit to almost always preferring Internet shopping to visiting physical stores. But I recently realized that doesn’t apply to pipe shops. There, you have the aromas. surprising chance conversations…and you never know what might be sitting on the shelves.

So after years away, I visited my closest pipe shop on Saturday. And I’ve vowed to make this a monthly trip…because in addition to good conversations with the people there, I found these desired tins:

View attachment 200166

BTW, before my visit, I had set a 4-tin limit for myself. Then I saw everything on the shelf and couldn’t stop. (I could have bought more…)

you know I have to apologize to our one mod here. Who tells people they should list their location. Well he's right. What kind of fairy land time warp wonderful place do you live? Honestly at this point if you said the murder and mugging capital of the World and probably through to the furthest reaches of unknown space I'd think yeah but you can have a decent to good shop.
Seriously though I do suggest we have a pipes forum field trip (I think Kevin can pay for us all, he has a nice suit)

 

[vosBghos]

Yep, bless the B&M's

If your local B&M doesn't carry what you want. talk to them. I haven't had as much time to hang out at The Briary in a while, but I still like to drop in and buy a tin or two when I am passing by... and I can catch the lights on in there. The owners of these places are all starting to age out. We lost one other pipe shop close by when the owner passed. It would be nice if some crazy person who likes to work hard and doesn't care much about money would take it over one day. But, I'm not holding my breath.

It has just been nice living so close to one of the largest high end pipe shops in the Southeast.

What about someone who is financially set and just needs to move where is this place is there a shop ready to be taken over?

 

[plugugly]

" (I could have bought more…)" No truer words were ever said. Especially around here.

 

[Andre_T]

What about someone who is financially set and just needs to move where is this place is there a shop ready to be taken over?

In all honestly this is my lotto dream. Not fancy cars or yachts. a Tobacco Shop that merely has to just about break even.

 

[rmbittner]

you know I have to apologize to our one mod here. Who tells people they should list their location.

I mentioned where I live in one of the replies above.

 

[anotherbob]

In all honestly this is my lotto dream. Not fancy cars or yachts. a Tobacco Shop that merely has to just about break even.

sell something you claim lets you grow that beard. Like a lotion. As long as you get the right before picture you could make millions.