Cellaring: How Much is Too Much?

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ChonkyTonks

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 14, 2022
800
5,845
Philly
Pimpin ain’t easy.
Everything I learned about pimpin' I learned from Ice-T.

As for cellaring, since I started smoking pipes in June/July of this year, I have amassed quite the variety of tobaccos, but not too many in bulk. I am still narrowing down the blends that I will smoke on the regular and then will load up on those. It is a long process since there are just so many to try. Right now, I may have 10lbs or so of tobacco. As I narrow the scope, I am sure that number will increase, but at a slower pace.

What is too much? I would agree with those who have already stated that it is too much if you are going into debt. I use discretionary funds after all of my bills have been paid and my investments funded. If that is all covered, it is up to you as to how much is too much.

Also, one thing I am not sure has been mentioned, but I feel consumerism has become a problem from a mental health perspective. A lot of us have seen how specialized and niche certain hobbies are. In these groups, you see people buying a lot of that thing pertaining to the hobby and it really serves to fill whatever void they are trying to fill. I have done it. Still do it at times. Hell, I have shown my PAD/TAD and even found that this site can be disastrous when it comes to FOMO. Bottom line is that one should check in from time to time and ask whether this hobby is healthy and constructive for your interest and mental health, or if it is a band-aid that serves to distract you from other problems not yet dealt with.
 

Andre_T

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 17, 2018
700
2,311
48
Long Island, New York
I don't believe the majority of people who have excessive cellars consider it an investment, at least as a primary reason for purchasing so much. The investment justification is just an off hand rationalization. At $100 per pound, which is more than it actually costs, 600 pound is $60,000. What kind of second house are you going to buy with that? I think it's much simpler than that. People with hundreds of pounds of tobacco can easily afford it with purely discretionary income. And it is a real pleasure to constantly smoke well aged tobacco.

Perhaps pipe tobacco will be readily available at a fair price 10 years from now. I hope so, I'll probably still buy some. But if it's not available and/or the price has become excessive, I'll sure enjoy not having to be concerned with either issue. Those choosing an alternative
opposite strategy may be shit out of luck. I prefer a strategy that covers more scenarios and presents a win win regardless. YMMV.
What if you already have a second house?
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,642
31,194
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Everything I learned about pimpin' I learned from Ice-T.

As for cellaring, since I started smoking pipes in June/July of this year, I have amassed quite the variety of tobaccos, but not too many in bulk. I am still narrowing down the blends that I will smoke on the regular and then will load up on those. It is a long process since there are just so many to try. Right now, I may have 10lbs or so of tobacco. As I narrow the scope, I am sure that number will increase, but at a slower pace.

What is too much? I would agree with those who have already stated that it is too much if you are going into debt. I use discretionary funds after all of my bills have been paid and my investments funded. If that is all covered, it is up to you as to how much is too much.

Also, one thing I am not sure has been mentioned, but I feel consumerism has become a problem from a mental health perspective. A lot of us have seen how specialized and niche certain hobbies are. In these groups, you see people buying a lot of that thing pertaining to the hobby and it really serves to fill whatever void they are trying to fill. I have done it. Still do it at times. Hell, I have shown my PAD/TAD and even found that this site can be disastrous when it comes to FOMO. Bottom line is that one should check in from time to time and ask whether this hobby is healthy and constructive for your interest and mental health, or if it is a band-aid that serves to distract you from other problems not yet dealt with.
check out the Analog Brothers if you haven't yet. It's Ice T and Kool Keith. Pimping to eat.
 

username1

Lurker
Oct 13, 2022
12
26
People seem to forget how compounding returns work as soon as they invest in items they enjoy. Even if you can sell what's now a $7 tin for 20 dollars in fifty years, that $7 has probably inflated to 25, $I.E. before your time/effort you already lost money.

It's like investing in a classic car that originally cost $7000, and getting $20k for it 30 years later. You lost money, 6 percent return on 30 years makes $40,200

Index funds if you want to make money, gold if you want to slowly lose money to inflation, nothing wrong with a big cellar but it's not really an investment.
 

username1

Lurker
Oct 13, 2022
12
26
I don’t think the big hedge is against general cost increases. It’s against that 2000% tax that’s always kicking around. When your $15 2oz. Tin jumps over night to $150 because of a policy change.
That's totally fair, we know tobacco won't get any cheaper you may as well stock up for yourself for the rest of your life. I just wouldn't consider it an investment to retire on.
 

Chalaw87

Can't Leave
Apr 21, 2021
440
1,601
Northeast TN
I appreciate these replies a lot. I dont feel nearly as guilty for having bought so many tins.

Also Ive learned:
1. Pimping may or may not be easy, depending on the approach
2. Tobacco is unlikely a good long term investment when considering compounding returns and inflation
3. Tobacco is likely to become more expensive in the future
4. Pipe Acquisition Disorder and Tobacco Acquisition Disorder are more common than I realized
5. Even though I thought I have too many tins..., I probably need to get some more tins
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,248
57,309
66
Sarasota Florida
Back when I was buying Penzance and Murrey Made Dynhills and GL Pease products in 2001-2012 I was paying 5 bucks a tin. When I lost my taste completely of anything with Latakia or Orientals I sold all of my left over tins in 2012 and got 60-65 a tin for all of them. I am no good at math maybe some one could figure my rate of return percentage wise.

Now I sit with lots more than i ever had before and almost all of it is from 2012-2013 but I have no intention of selling. I buy tobacco to smoke, if I tire of something I can make a quick 5 grand and buy more pipes.
 

Zeno Marx

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2022
271
1,376
It's strange to me how often people invoke their family -especially kids- in these types of threads, because the cost of hoarding invariably comes up.
I only have maybe 10LBs cellaring, and I regularly think about how awful it will be if something happens to me. They'll have no idea what they're looking at and why this or that is worth their time to sell. And they will have no interest in trying to post 100 posts so they're eligible to sell on the message boards, if they even realize message boards exist or know what they are. But I have a massive record/music collection, so they're already doomed. Make a detailed will and give these people a little break from the confusion and frustration that will certainly come with it all.

*I do want to thank all you folks who have hundreds of pounds stashed away. I'd like to think you're helping keep the retail prices down, and in the case of you dumping your cellar due to health changes or whatever, my fingers are crossed that your sale price will be lower than the new retail.
 
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