My Visit to My Local B&M

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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
Never watched those Toxic Hell commercials.

Since I like Van Cleef I actually prefer to remember him as Mortimer, the good guy of the movie. ;)

Angel Eyes was quite the despicable character.

Then again, good acting. My grandpa used to say that if an actor playing a bad guy makes you hate him in a movie, that's masterful acting!
 

Idahojoe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 30, 2019
168
232
62
Wilder, Idaho
I live in a rural area 40+ miles from the only city in Idaho (Boise); and it's not what most would generally consider a city -thank God. Aside from a few small chain B&M's like Tobacco Connection or Big Smoke, there is only one store that sells pipe tobacco that's not Prince Albert, Half and Half, Captain Black or bulks like 1Q.
Unfortunately for me, it sits right square in the middle of downtown Boise. Did I mention I hate going to town?
Anyway, the tobacconist there is very helpful and offers a decent variety of bulk and tins. And once, I even saw someone actually smoking a pipe in the small lounge; usually populated by one or two cigar smokers. Once....
 
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Shawnboy

Lurker
Dec 31, 2019
12
27
54
Central Missouri
I live in a rural area 40+ miles from the only city in Idaho (Boise); and it's not what most would generally consider a city -thank God. Aside from a few small chain B&M's like Tobacco Connection or Big Smoke, there is only one store that sells pipe tobacco that's not Prince Albert, Half and Half, Captain Black or bulks like 1Q.
Unfortunately for me, it sits right square in the middle of downtown Boise. Did I mention I hate going to town?
Anyway, the tobacconist there is very helpful and offers a decent variety of bulk and tins. And once, I even saw someone actually smoking a pipe in the small lounge; usually populated by one or two cigar smokers. Once....
Wow your a real uptown city folk! Captain Black and Super Value is all I have here! The one B&M I did find forty miles away had 1!!! can of GLP Maltese Falcon, and I bought it. Only ”bulks” to be found here are bags of cigarette tobacco.
 

Idahojoe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 30, 2019
168
232
62
Wilder, Idaho
Wow your a real uptown city folk! Captain Black and Super Value is all I have here! The one B&M I did find forty miles away had 1!!! can of GLP Maltese Falcon, and I bought it. Only ”bulks” to be found here are bags of cigarette tobacco.
Damn! And I thought I had it bad. At least we have the internet..... for now.
 
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Johnny_Pipecleaner

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 13, 2019
583
2,984
Mill Valley, CA
Still cheaper than $50.

My way of supporting my local B&M is by buying bulk. Not a fan of Lane's, but they don't sell 1 oz tins of anything, so a small purchase of bulk HGL or what have you for $25 is something I can do.

I don't understand what you mean by that $50 remark.

And fyi, I did buy the tin. I just don't plan on going back there. I understand if my local shop can't match internet prices, but $30 for a $15 tin is quite a difference.
 
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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I don't understand what you mean by that $50 remark.

And fyi, I did buy the tin. I just don't plan on going back there. I understand if my local shop can't match internet prices, but $30 for a $15 tin is quite a difference.
I meant that your B&M is still selling for less than ours. Not their choice, but with tobacco taxes an ounce here is $25 on average, and that's before sales taxes.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
I don't understand what you mean by that $50 remark.

And fyi, I did buy the tin. I just don't plan on going back there. I understand if my local shop can't match internet prices, but $30 for a $15 tin is quite a difference.
I think it's local tobacco taxes that drive up the price, but I'm not sure.

I've noticed it here too there is no way a tin of three nuns should be $25..... even with any local taxes. I mean I live in IOWA... our taxes are not that high here.

well maybe they are.. it's 67% of the wholesale price in tax! so if they pay say $8-9 for a tin wholesale (probably not) they would pay $4-$4.50 just in tax. So their wholesale price on the tin is then $13.50 before ever marking it up.
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I think it's local tobacco taxes that drive up the price, but I'm not sure.
That's a big 10-4. Online is indeed cheaper, but you can get dinged with duties that follow no rhyme or reason—one time they ding you with $40 for your two tins of 7 Seas Royal, and the next time they're dinging you with $120 for the same tins. It's a crapshoot.
 

Johnny_Pipecleaner

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 13, 2019
583
2,984
Mill Valley, CA
The price on the tin is $30, and then they add tax at the register.

I'm not crying about it, just saying I'm not wealthy enough to purposely pay 2x+ for tobacco just to keep a local shop in business. I live paycheck to paycheck, so I buy online.
 
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BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
The price on the tin is $30, and then they add tax at the register.

I'm not crying about it, just saying I'm not wealthy enough to purposely pay 2x+ for tobacco just to keep a local shop in business. I live paycheck to paycheck, so I buy online.
that's sales tax bro.. not the tobacco tax.

but I agree.. I'm the same way.

I would bet your tobacco tax there is even more than here in Iowa.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
well I'll be damned.. I guess it says that CA is 28.97% of wholesale price.. so our tax here is twice that of yours in Cali!!!

so for your shop I'm sure it's overhead cost.
 

BROBS

Lifer
Nov 13, 2019
11,765
40,026
IA
That's a big 10-4. Online is indeed cheaper, but you can get dinged with duties that follow no rhyme or reason—one time they ding you with $40 for your two tins of 7 Seas Royal, and the next time they're dinging you with $120 for the same tins. It's a crapshoot.
they don't do that here with duty. yet. luckily.
 

Bowie

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 24, 2019
980
4,352
Minnesota
well I'll be damned.. I guess it says that CA is 28.97% of wholesale price.. so our tax here is twice that of yours in Cali!!!

so for your shop I'm sure it's overhead cost.
95% of wholesale just across your northern border in MN aka The Land of 10,000 Taxes.
 

Johnny_Pipecleaner

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 13, 2019
583
2,984
Mill Valley, CA
well I'll be damned.. I guess it says that CA is 28.97% of wholesale price.. so our tax here is twice that of yours in Cali!!!

so for your shop I'm sure it's overhead cost.

The shop I'm talking about is in a fancy neighborhood and is owned by the creator of Esoterica tobaccos. I just assumed the prices were high because of the prestige. That's a bummer if local laws force them to charge so much to remain profitable. I don't know the exact details. Didn't ask. Doesn't have any bearing on my available funds, therefore doesn't have any bearing on my inability to pay those prices to help keep them up and running.
 
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