Since it seems to be common knowledge that B&Ms can no longer allow someone to sample pipe tobacco (I wonder when they will start disallowing simply smelling the tobacco), perhaps the B&Ms can now take the approach of charging for the sample. A penny or a nickel ... whatever small change a guy has in his pocket. I understand how, in the beginning, it would have been seen as rude for the B&M to request money for a sample when the day, week, month or year before it was given away ... but now ... and at even a penny, money would have changed hands for the product.
Free Tobacco Samples ... (not)
- Thread starter Ray Popp
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In the early 2000's, there was a shop in the Jackson or Kalamazoo, Michigan that used to have a slogan they sell tobacco "by the penny or by the pound". I don't recall the shop name.
The owner wanted tobacco to be affordable at any income level, even if it was just enough to roll one cigarette.
The owner wanted tobacco to be affordable at any income level, even if it was just enough to roll one cigarette.
I think most B&M's a to scared to run afoul of the FDA to appear to be trying to skirt laws by charging token amounts that don't include tax.
Those were only ever given from those glass containers of artificial tasting aromatics that every retailer sourced from the same place and rebranded for himself, right?
I can't imagine a shop staying afloat giving away free sample of anything else.
If I visited a shop that allowed samples, I'd fully expect to pay 50 cents for bulk and $1 for tinned. That seems only fair, and honestly I'd be thrilled for such an inexpensive way to try a bunch of tobaccos.
I can't imagine a shop staying afloat giving away free sample of anything else.
If I visited a shop that allowed samples, I'd fully expect to pay 50 cents for bulk and $1 for tinned. That seems only fair, and honestly I'd be thrilled for such an inexpensive way to try a bunch of tobaccos.
I would guess individual B&M's know what works and what doesn't work for them. If this is a good idea, some are likely doing it, if they aren't then I'm sure they have good reasons, overall wouldn't seem to be worth messing about with. You can probably buy an ounce, big deal, of their house stuff if you want a sample - buy it!
We had a great little local hardware store at one time. The wife knocked a 2X12 askew backing out of the garage one Saturday morning and I needed a couple of good sized nails, so off I went. They had them out to sort through in bulk and divided up into sizes, etc. and I grabbed a couple and went to the counter and the owner said, "If that's all you need, just take them." LOL, I went back and filled up one of the tiny sacks with about two dozen.
24 years later I still have the sack and haven't used another of the nails, haha, but I keep it as a reminder.
We had a great little local hardware store at one time. The wife knocked a 2X12 askew backing out of the garage one Saturday morning and I needed a couple of good sized nails, so off I went. They had them out to sort through in bulk and divided up into sizes, etc. and I grabbed a couple and went to the counter and the owner said, "If that's all you need, just take them." LOL, I went back and filled up one of the tiny sacks with about two dozen.
24 years later I still have the sack and haven't used another of the nails, haha, but I keep it as a reminder.
Did you properly cellar those nails in a mason jar?
Haha, nope, just in the cute little paper sack --- they are all dried out and tasteless!
Some B&Ms still offer, and advertise, samples for 25 cents a bowl. There is a B&M near me that offers McClellans for 25 cents a bowl. Depends on where you go and possibly how well they know you.
"Is this plume or rust?"
One of the tobacco shops around me will let you try a pipeful of a blend if you want to. He will even crack open a tin for you to sample for free.
Some vegans went to Taco Hell. Then sue Taco Hell for prep meat there. Then I saw vegans at Mickey D. ordering cheeseburger without patty, but with extra cheese. Yeah, I can see non-smoker going to tobacco store and suing them.
I suddenly feel like the drive from WI to NC isn't so far...
At the Briary, I will buy a few tins and pop them and set them out in the smoking room. Other guys do this too. They're there for folks to try. Just don't be a miser. And, inevitably someone will steal the tin or take more than a bowl full. It happens, so you just gotta have thick skin with the scumbags.
Before the FDA stopped it, they would always pop one of the tins on the shelf, especially new one for folks to try.
Before the FDA stopped it, they would always pop one of the tins on the shelf, especially new one for folks to try.
Last B&M I was in was "gifting" me tobacco. It was special and old tobacco but they gave me a few ounces to sample. I was also told I could try any house blends I wanted to before buying, but none of the house blends interested me.
Guess they're all different. I usually go in with my own smoke and puff that while looking around. Ymmv
Guess they're all different. I usually go in with my own smoke and puff that while looking around. Ymmv
You do not want to get crossways with the Feds. Doesn't matter which agency either. The only way that you can even break even with those guys is to have an army of attorneys and spend buckets of money on them. And that's not even close to breaking even. A typical B&M cannot hope to stay in business if they get a case of the red ass. Be nice to those guys and you will be surprised how nice they can be.
I doubt anyone is checking up on this. I think any store that says the regulations mean we have to charge a nominal amount for samples, really mean to say they don't want to deal with the guy who treats free samples as free smoke. Now advertising free samples. But why would the fed bother. There are bigger issues they ignore.
"But why would the fed bother. There are bigger issues they ignore."
Because it is easier to persecute and prosecute honest men simply trying to make a living than to go after real criminals ... but that is becoming political, apologies ... Just saying, there was a time that as long as money changed hands, there was a legal transaction. That is still true if you are on the wrong side of the law as in selling illegal substances, still, it is easier to persecute ... excuse me, prosecute an honest man trying to make a living than it is otherwise ...
Actually there was a public memo out there at some point from the feds to the effect that looking for violations or actually prosecuting folks for giving away samples wasn’t even part of the program or a priority when all that first came out. I guess I don’t see a compelling “the man keeping anyone down” being a real issue, but I’m not a local shop owner and would defer to their opinions on how it has impacted sales.
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