Local Tobacco Shop

[marzipan]

For some reason, when I go out of the store holding a bag of tins that I just bought, it feels like at least three times better than when I order things online. which got me curious to ask here.

What do you buy from your local shop? I buy erinmore flakes. WAY?

 

[OSOBUCO]

For some reason, when I go out of the store holding a bag of tins that I just bought, it feels like at least three times better than when I order things online. which got me curious to ask here.

What do you buy from your local shop? I buy erinmore flakes. WAY?

I buy everything online. I love mail day!!!!

 

[fireground_piper]

If I had a local shop, I would buy from it. Can’t do what you don’t have!

 

[AcesAndEights]

There is a local shop here, but it’s 90% cigars. Seems like all they ever have is a few dozen Peterson tins and some C&D bulks.

 

[mso489]

I enjoy buying from my local independent pipe shop because I feel I am supporting a local institution and the pipe community here, so I do feel good about that.

Trouble is, it takes thirty minutes to get over there, so if I spend an hour browsing, conversing, and another thirty minutes getting home, it's a two hour stint. Whereas , I can shop intermittently online, and the purchase can take as little as fifteen minutes. So if I am pressured with other activities and chores, it feels better for other reasons.

Especially smoking pipes.com can make me feel good with their good customer service even online.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Much prefer a local shop, but I am not acquiring tobacco these days.

 

[Searock Fan]

A short time ago I want in a pipe shop that I had done business with as a far back as the early 60s... it had been at least 20 years since I visited them. I walked out with just a 2oz bag of tobacco, and that was a "courtesy" purchase. Their prices on tobacco were about double what I can buy it on line.

 

[mso489]

Yes, online cost for tobacco ounce for ounce is considerably less, although you do have to add back shipping unless you spend enough to have that covered.

Also, online, you can frequently shop for pipes and tobacco at a number of sites and take advantage of sales, discounts, and other special deals that can save a lot of money.

No pipe shop can match the pages of a single brand of pipe in all shapes, sizes, and finishes, offered online. Often times the specifications are more complete as well, although of course you miss the advantages of seeing a pipe in person and hefting in hand.

 

[pappymac]

I make a point of trying to buy at least a tin at the shop where we hold our club meetings. Yes, the per tin cost is always more than I would pay online + shipping. However, the online retailers don’t provide us with a place to get together with other pipe smokers. Online retailers can buy in higher quantities and also have sweet contracts with tobacco companies. The locals have a different overhead structure due to state and local taxes and regulation.

 

[PipeIT]

No local shop(s) where I live.

I’m also one, that doesn’t care at all to go to any stores, just a waste of time IMHO.

Gas, car wear and tear, traffic, etc...

If I can buy online, I do that now instead.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I bought a tin of Flake Medallions from the Davidoff store near my office, but it was almost 3x the price as compared to online—I doubt I’ll do that again. That said, it wasn’t in stock online and I was able to get the tobacco when I wanted it. I got some Barclay-Rex Maiden Lane from Barclay-Rex, but their tins of most brands are also about 3x the cost of what I can get them for online. Tins at Cigars International in PA are reasonably priced and I’ll pick up a tin there if I see something interesting. Otherwise, I do 90% of my pipe tobacco purchases from smokingpipes.com

 

[trudger]

I buy tobacco and pipes from the shops I visit.

How long will the online purchases remain legal in your state?

 

[sablebrush52]

Local tobacco shop? What's that?

 

[Steddy]

I love my local tobacco shop, I don’t mind spending a little more to support them. They get the special releases and Esoterica if you’re so inclined. I enjoy building relationships and spending money locally. I still order online and love looking at pipes online, but there is nothing like looking at pipes in person. Tobacco shops should be regarded as historical holy places and receive government subsidies haha.

 

[monty55]

Local tobacco shop? What's that?

Exactly

If there was such a thing close to me, I would definitely buy from there.

 

[thepipesman]

I used to always buy loose tobacco in the jars of my local pipe shop years ago, and only recently when I got back into piping did I order tobacco online. I liked that method because the local shop would let me smell the jars, take a bit out to taste test it etc before purchase. Unfortunately the owner of the shop passed away and the shop closed down some years back. I am new to tinned tobacco, it was unknown to me for many years.

 

[warren]

As I've mentioned before, my "local" brick and mortar is a seven hour flight or nearly a four day drive away. So, I use the phone or their website for the most part.

 

[craig61a]

Years ago there were several shops in my area.

Now it’s just glass shops and a handful of cigar shops…

 

[Browny]

*disclaimer, I don't count the crappy stores only selling cig's/pot pipes/junk.

I often used the 2 locals I had when living in the same state, it was to support the last 2 real tobacconist that were left within 3 states, there are now less than 10 B&Ms left in this whole country and they MUST be kept working.
I usually had a chat with the staff (and other customers), ogled the pipes, then eventually bought something and headed home, I miss that a lot.
Now it's online from them, unless we travel down to catch the family.

It was hard though and there was some OS purchases naturally, I got 3 X 50g tins mailed to my door from the US for less than a single tin bought here... If it didn't meet a certain stop on it's travels.

That was around 2014-2016.
Now it's basically illegal to import tobacco so we don't get many options at all.

 

[Peter Turbo]

stopped buying at my local shop when i started getting charged $40 for a tin of deluxe navy rolls and $33 for capstan blue/gold.