Estervals To Recommence Shipping to USA [5.23.21]

[Gus]

Well, this is the longest thread I have ever seen being discussed on PM, If it were me,I would not bother sending emails to various vendors across the EU,asking specific questions about DHL and so on,I reckon these vendors do not like answering queries nor do they like being on the headlines on various forums ,I'd simply put my order in ,and if it gets processed in two -three days time frame,,thats nice, if not ,then please mind you returning my funds ASASP, and thats about it, case closed.

Yes, I think you are absolutely right, I had not thought about this, better leave the subject here for my part

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Well, this is the longest thread I have ever seen being discussed on PM, If it were me,I would not bother sending emails to various vendors across the EU,asking specific questions about DHL and so on,I reckon these vendors do not like answering queries nor do they like being on the headlines on various forums ,I'd simply put my order in ,and if it gets processed in two -three days time frame,,thats nice, if not ,then please mind you returning my funds ASASP, and thats about it, case closed.

You don’t understand FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) frenzy in the US. Guys who acknowledge they have only been smoking a pipe for a few years are wanting to “complete their cellars” this year.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

You don’t understand FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) frenzy in the US. Guys who acknowledge they have only been smoking a pipe for a few years are wanting to “complete their cellars” this year.

You boys in the US have nothing to worry about, take my word on it,,

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

You boys in the US have nothing to worry about, take my word on it

Since August 2016, I think, when the FDA first issued proposed deeming regulations, the frenzy has, contrary to every prediction I have heard from anybody in the industry, only increased.

Unless one of a number of doomsday scenarios on the regulatory or legislative fronts happen, my prediction is that the only thing that will stop it is a bone crushing recession, like 2008-9.

 

[Gus]

You don’t understand FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) frenzy in the US. Guys who acknowledge they have only been smoking a pipe for a few years are wanting to “complete their cellars” this year.

frankly with the amount of mixtures and online stores it has in the country ... I do not understand why fear ... only a possible tax increase, of course

but we are used to that in Europe ...

 

[fireground_piper]

From day 1 of my pipe smoking, I hear at least once per week one or more of the follow from the longer term pipe smokers:

-It will never be as cheap as it is today
-It will never be as available as it is today
-Buy as much as you can reasonably afford to protect against cost/availability/tax increases
-Blends can disappear tomorrow so if you find something you like, buy how much you think you'd want as soon as you can so you can have it until death
-Online or flavored productions will slowly be restricted or disappear little by little as some states are doing, so stock up.
-Deeming Regs

If the goal of circulating those statements like clockwork was to not encourage rapid cellar building by everyone, I don't think anyone saying those things thinks before they speak. That should be the exact reaction response expected.

 

[tfdickson]

Since August 2016, I think, when the FDA first issued proposed deeming regulations, the frenzy has, contrary to every prediction I have heard from anybody in the industry, only increased.

Unless one of a number of doomsday scenarios on the regulatory or legislative fronts happen, my prediction is that the only thing that will stop it is a bone crushing recession, like 2008-9.

I‘m not sure that even a terrible recession would slow it down. I think people have figured out that pipe tobacco, on an absolute basis or relative to other forms of tobacco, is absurdly cheap. Even though prices have increased quite a bit over the last 10 years it’s still dirt cheap. I can smoke the best commercially available tinned tobacco for less than $1 a bowl, 90 minutes of enjoyment. A poor quality cigar (or a coffee drink at Starbucks) costs 5 times as much.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

From day 1 of my pipe smoking, I hear at least once per week one or more of the follow from the longer term pipe smokers:

-It will never be as cheap as it is today
-It will never be as available as it is today
-Buy as much as you can reasonably afford to protect against cost/availability/tax increases
-Blends can disappear tomorrow so if you find something you like, buy how much you think you'd want as soon as you can so you can have it until death
-Online or flavored productions will slowly be restricted or disappear little by little as some states are doing, so stock up.
-Deeming Regs

If the goal of circulating those statements like clockwork was to not encourage rapid cellar building by everyone, I don't think anyone saying those things thinks before they speak. That should be the exact reaction response expected.

Personally, I am more influenced by the cost side of the equation. The other factors you mention are of course valid.

But here is a scenario that makes absolutely no sense to me:

(1) a relative newb asks people’s opinions on blend X
(2) amidst all the great, awesome and spectacular comments he gets, someone will offer to send him a sample
(3). a month later, when all he has ever had of Blend X is two or three bowls from the sample, there is a drop of Blend X, newb gets back on a forum or Facebook and brags he scored 10 tins of blend X.

I have seen this time after time after time.

 

[fireground_piper]

Yeah, that's a certainly a bit different of a scenario and it does play its own part without a doubt. I got caught up in buying drops in 2019, realized how crazy the entire cycle is and focused on things I enjoy, that are regular production and started to make scheduled purchases of those favorites with extra purchases during sales.

There is definitely a social media influence that messes up purchase averages.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

There is definitely a social media influence that messes up purchase averages.

Strictly by coincidence, I returned to pipe smoking in or around July, 2016. I couldn’t find any Esoterica And So to Bed. I called Iwan Ries, where I had done lots of mail and phone order business pre 2001.

One of the Levi’s patiently explained that part of the reason for its absence was that it was “well blogged.” Huh? They graciously agreed to let me have two tins.

In those days, I felt like Rip Van Winkle, except I had only slept 15 years, not 20. Keep in mind that I was not on social media at all during those years. Not just tobacco, not at all. The changes that had occurred between 2001 and 2016 may have gradually snuck up on many of you guys, but they hit me like a ton of bricks. And they have only accelerated since. Today’s social media is orders of magnitude more influential and pervasive than anything we had back then, like Alt Smokers Pipes, or even further back, CompuServe Interest Groups.

But I have concluded that today’s newer pipe smokers are having lots of fun, even if their purchasing decisions aren’t ones I would make. So, have at it!

 

[sablebrush52]

From day 1 of my pipe smoking, I hear at least once per week one or more of the follow from the longer term pipe smokers:

-It will never be as cheap as it is today
-It will never be as available as it is today
-Buy as much as you can reasonably afford to protect against cost/availability/tax increases
-Blends can disappear tomorrow so if you find something you like, buy how much you think you'd want as soon as you can so you can have it until death
-Online or flavored productions will slowly be restricted or disappear little by little as some states are doing, so stock up.
-Deeming Regs

If the goal of circulating those statements like clockwork was to not encourage rapid cellar building by everyone, I don't think anyone saying those things thinks before they speak. That should be the exact reaction response expected.

This advice has been going on for years. Frankly I'm happy that I heeded it because every one of those points has come true, with the exception of curtailing online sales in the US.

And, one other piece of advice has also been circulating, which is to take some time to figure out what you like before buying a mountain of it. FOMO is real, but so is buyer's remorse.

There are tons of tobaccos in the cellars of geezers who will be falling off their twigs in the not too distant future. Assuming they are cognizant of the investment they made they will have left instructions regarding monetizing it. Be patient. That tin of McClelland/Sobranie whatis may soon be yours.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

There are tons of tobaccos in the cellars of geezers who will be falling off their twigs in the not too distant future. Assuming they are cognizant of the investment they made they will have left instructions regarding monetizing it. Be patient. That tin of McClelland/Sobranie whatis may soon be yours.

Ever seen a funeral procession with a forklift behind the hearse?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

When you compare the upsides of building a cellar to the downsides, there's overwhelming support for the former. I wish more decisions in life were as straight forward.

 

[anotherbob]

seriously I don't have a big cellar but it's nice to know that I have quite a bit of my favorites and don't have to worry about running out of those any time soon. Though my dark twist is now at the half way point. I often smoke that for a week at a time. The funny thing is even if I buy jars for every single pound of tobacco I get it's still cheaper and better then from a tin. (I don't know if aging is the correct term, but they're just more agreeable and easy to smoke if they've been sitting in a jar for a while.)

 

[PipesRock]

Wrote to Andreas, Estervals CEO, regarding this issue.

He knows about the situation. His opinion is that the buyer should have contacted DHL to pay the customs fees. Whether or not customs fees are actually the issue, the buyer has chosen not to contact DHL to attempt to have his package released so we will never know exactly what the issue is beyond the scope of the explanation given in the email that was posted.

Furthermore, Andreas has indicated that this instance is the only one of its kind, and that all other new shipments to the USA have been successful.

I think at this point it's a matter of personal judgement whether you consider purchasing from Estervals (or anywhere else in Germany) a safe and viable option.

Whether this particular seizure is indicative of the general untrustworthiness of future shipments, or whether this is merely an outlier in what might be a generally more-reliable shipping modality is a matter that remains for you to decide.

For my part, I've decided to chance a ~$100 order at both Estervals and Pfeifendepot for some of the "can't live without" facings before something else happens and the whole thing blows up permanently.

I bolded a section of the quote only to point out that statement isn't truly known of course. I urge caution for now as mentioned already... and here is where I'm at with my package. I have just under a 5 lb package sitting at a DHL 'big city' Gateway... been there 2 days and the package was scheduled for end of day today at my door. I'm not too near this Gateway so even if it moves tomorrow (which is certainly possible) it likely can't hit my steps for at least another two days. No communication or anything so I'm assuming and hoping it's just normal delivery delays because of whatever else.

I knew it was a risk and it's not a life changing sum so no worries there. My added vote of caution aside, thanks again to @greeneyes for continuing the work on this. Also, I'll update here when it arrives.

 

[greeneyes]

I bolded a section of the quote only to point out that statement isn't truly known of course. I urge caution for now as mentioned already... and here is where I'm at with my package. I have just under a 5 lb package sitting at a DHL 'big city' Gateway... been there 2 days and the package was scheduled for end of day today at my door. I'm not too near this Gateway so even if it moves tomorrow (which is certainly possible) it likely can't hit my steps for at least another two days. No communication or anything so I'm assuming and hoping it's just normal delivery delays because of whatever else.

I knew it was a risk and it's not a life changing sum so no worries there. My added vote of caution aside, thanks again to @greeneyes for continuing the work on this. Also, I'll update here when it arrives.

My DHL Express from Estervals was scheduled to arrive after 5 days, on a Monday. It arrived at my hub (what you probably call a "Gateway") on Saturday, i.e. 2 days early.

I called DHL and asked them to go ahead and deliver the package rather than just letting it sit there.

They said 'okay' and my tobacco was on a delivery truck within the hour, and in my hands within 3-4 hours.

Call them. Tell them to deliver your package early. This isn't the USPS. Worked for me!

 

[greeneyes]

I bolded a section of the quote only to point out that statement isn't truly known of course. I urge caution for now as mentioned already...

It might not be "truly known" but if it's a false statement then Estervals is either intentionally or unintentionally misleading me. To what possible end? So more packages can get stuck in customs and more credit card chargebacks instated?

I mean, it's within the realm of the possible but I'd partition it over with the "unlikely" outcomes.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

It might not be "truly known" but if it's a false statement then Estervals is either intentionally or unintentionally misleading me. To what possible end? So more packages can get stuck in customs and more credit card chargebacks instated?

I mean, it's within the realm of the possible but I'd partition it over with the "unlikely" outcomes.

Agree. I'm guessing Estervals isn't a big company. They're certainly not Laudisi. They only make money if they sell product. So they're motivated to ship to the USA in order to fulfill that objective. I think it may be a mistake to assume they have a shipping and logistics expert on staff. It's appears they don't have a lot of shipping options and are struggling, obviously, to figure out a way to make it work.

 

[greeneyes]

Agree. I'm guessing Estervals isn't a big company. They're certainly not Laudisi. They only make money if they sell product. So they're motivated to ship to the USA in order to fulfill that objective. I think it may be a mistake to assume they have a shipping and logistics expert on staff. It's appears they don't have a lot of shipping options and are struggling, obviously, to figure out a way to make it work.

A lot smaller company now that Europe is off the table for them so I am going to suppose they are relying on the USA a little more heavily than before.

 

[Aomalley27]

This advice has been going on for years. Frankly I'm happy that I heeded it because every one of those points has come true, with the exception of curtailing online sales in the US.

And, one other piece of advice has also been circulating, which is to take some time to figure out what you like before buying a mountain of it. FOMO is real, but so is buyer's remorse.

There are tons of tobaccos in the cellars of geezers who will be falling off their twigs in the not too distant future. Assuming they are cognizant of the investment they made they will have left instructions regarding monetizing it. Be patient. That tin of McClelland/Sobranie whatis may soon be yours.

Actually, the curbing of online sales HAS happened, just not on a national level. Washington State banned online, mail order and phone order tobacco sales. Just saying...?