When they upgraded the platform it definitely brought with it a more youthful clientele. At first I didn’t care for it but now, I find it amusing and entertaining. Besides, we all know who gives honest reviews; and I listen to those voices when it comes to tobacco selection.
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Byronic needs to be dried out for hours. After which the flavor comes through very nicely.
I wouldn’t blow your wad on a purchase, and please don’t expect a McClelland revival. ? But, I’m happy to have grabbed 6 oz and expect it to only improve with age as with most red Virginia. Definitely more than average drying time is needed, but I believe Ken has a winner there IMHO.
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I thought he said his supply was limited by the size of the rusty washtub he uses to mix the blends.
There are few goods which provide more profit by selling fewer units than can be produced. And the mark of one of these products is the extremely high price per unit compared to its competition or substitutes. They generally sell at huge prices in boutiques and do not go out of stock.
If a blend sells out almost immediately, or is often out of stock, it’s not priced as high as it could be. If it sells out at a price that’s less than a tin of Capstan Blue, it’s not priced as high as it could be.
If it’s not priced as high as it could be, and still sells out, then it is not maximizing revenue. Byron is actually leaving money on the table. That’s right, I’m saying Ken Byron is actually subsidizing his customers by not raising his prices, quite the opposite of what’s often suggested of these types of producers. Thanks, Ken.
I blame the poor state of economics education for these misunderstandings, but the moral bent of the criticisms is usually more to do with politics, so I won’t go into it.
Or maybe he’s just a community spirited guy who likes the community and hobby. I don’t know. Seems odd to try and find some sort of baser motivation without knowing the guy.
It’s definitely modern marketing, for sure. Small batch, handcrafted, little guy marketing all the way.
Any pipe forum topic:
With fingers that can type! ?
^This. As someone who has worked in the craft/microbrew industry for the last few years, I see a lot of parallels between his MO and small breweries. While he may be leaving money on the table, he's still profiting and increasing the perception that anything he touches sells out quickly. Long established craft breweries thrive on brand recognition and a handful of well known flagship brews to pull a small chunk of the pie from the national brands, but many micros prefer to constantly make new brews because their market is always looking to try something new. At the bar I recognize the customers that want the brand new one-off hazy ipa that only 36 sixtels were produced total, and the customer that wants Fat Tire. Or a Samuel Smith. Or the guy that's pissed because we don't serve Bud. (Those seem relatively equivalent to the customers for KBV, C&D, Gawith, and Lane, in that order?) The hippest micro breweries claim to not care about those big sales #s because it would mean they have to gear up from a brew pub into a beer factory and possibly pay more for distribution. And many times after paying distributors and buying new equipment, the slight increase in profit margin isn't worth it to lose your image as a micro mini blender that can put your heart and soul into each small batch. If they jacked their price up too much they'd lose the hipster market and the bougie market is a tougher game. Also, by leaving that money on the table you secure your reputation as a producer that doesn't spread yourself too thin. The idea being you're making as much money as you "want to", and don't want to work any harder than you "have to". Being a hit producer is just your ultra cool lifestyle. Hipster economics 101.
