Need Some Advice, Please!

[camaguey]

Ounce you get the sickness , there is no cure.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Reviews and marketing don't tempt me. Blend content is what I go by but there's been nothing remarkable in the past few years to grab my attention.

Ha ha, so true... guys at C&D are like discussing it like, "what if we added that cheap ass shitty tobacco from Toscano cigars? I've seen that a few nitwits on the forums said they liked it." I mean, I have smoked them, and they aren't bad, and I'm guilty of saying that I like them on here.... but COME ON!!! Ha ha... adding that shit to a blend doesn't really tempt me enough. They need to send some bushwhackers down into South America and find the source of those black gummy ropes that will kill you fast. I want muscle blends that reminds me diesel exhaust and tractor pulls. Vroom vroooooom.
It's like they don't even know us anymore. I feel forgotten. And, who in the hell are they trying to appeal to. I'm feeling in the mood to write Jeremy a Karen letter, ha ha. I want spins, black teeth, and gut wrenches. Not some mamby pamby Italian gas station cigar.

 

[Choatecav]

Ha ha, so true... guys at C&D are like discussing it like, "what if we added that cheap ass shitty tobacco from Toscano cigars? I've seen that a few nitwits on the forums said they liked it." I mean, I have smoked them, and they aren't bad, and I'm guilty of saying that I like them on here.... but COME ON!!! Ha ha... adding that shit to a blend doesn't really tempt me enough. They need to send some bushwhackers down into South America and find the source of those black gummy ropes that will kill you fast. I want muscle blends that reminds me diesel exhaust and tractor pulls. Vroom vroooooom.
It's like they don't even know us anymore. I feel forgotten. And, who in the hell are they trying to appeal to. I'm feeling in the mood to write Jeremy a Karen letter, ha ha. I want spins, black teeth, and gut wrenches. Not some mamby pamby Italian gas station cigar.

As the OP on this thread I want to encourage you to not "hold back." Please voice your views in a straightforward manner.....
Seriously, thanks for commenting.

 

[PLANofMAN]

Stick to one or three blends for a long long time. Variety of choice is the killer of contentment. I tamed tobacco purchasing a lot by focusing my smoking on a few same blends for a while now. Now, other blends don’t do it for me.

I have an everyday (codger) blend that I smoke when doing stuff, driving, etc.

The gourmet smokes get smoked before I leave for work, and after. Seems like a good way to not go overboard with my spending.

Granted, my last tobacco purchase was $140... So, maybe I'm not the best advisor.

 

[Servant King]

how do the wise and venerable members of this august body deal with this temptation?

Depends what you mean by "deal with."

Is there any counseling I can get?

Depends what you mean by "counseling." (would it cut into valuable funds allocated to tobacco purchases?)

Perhaps a sponsor to call in times of weakness???

Depends what you mean by "perhaps."

 

[Big John Shea]

I have somewhat got my urge to buy more pipes under control (although my wife would like a few minutes for rebuttal...). However, I have gone just "ass over teakettles" in the buying of tins of tobaccos. Seems every time I read a good review or watch a video on a new blend and hear the description of the enjoyment "this or that" blend delivers, I am caught up in a whirlwind of temptation to order just a tin or so. The cost is relatively modest and it is so easy for the camel to get it's nose under the tent and before you know it..... I've ordered a couple or a dozen.

I am judicious to seal the blend up in canning jars once I have opened the tin, so at least none of this treasure is going stale.

So the question is, how do the wise and venerable members of this august body deal with this temptation? Is there any counseling I can get? Perhaps a sponsor to call in times of weakness???

First, everyone here is addicted to nicotine, and that addiction does not manifest by just lighting up another tobacco product. Even if you only smoke one pipe a week, you look forward to that moment for many reasons. Physiologically you will not be addicted to tobacco after a week. The half-life of the actual chemical nicotine is too short for that to be true. Behaviorally though, you are addicted. It may manifest as taking solace in the moment you sit to relax and light your pipe, or enjoying the opportunity to share your selfie with the pipe community, etc. Neither of those things are bad in any way, but they are manifestations of behavioral addiction. For people who smoke every day it is a physiological and behavioral addiction. For those who smoke less frequently, it is mostly behavioral. Unless you plan to resell hard to find blends, then overbuying and hoarding tobacco is just one behavioral manifestation of nicotine addiction.

Second, and this is just my opinion based on years of observation, but there is currently more tobacco in the world than there are people who will actually smoke it. We no longer live in the world where a pediatrician will light up a pipe in the consultation room with their patient. We no longer live in the world where a businessman on the commuter rail line coming home from work will light up his pipe and read the paper. Tobacco growers rely on volume, and for that reason manufacturers do as well. However, pipe tobacco manufacturers really only produce two categories of blends: 1) Blends they know will sell well and therefore will be made regularly. 2) Blends that are limited edition, and therefor they will HYPE THE F--- OUTTA them.

In an effort to try and limit my comments to the content of your original post though, (probably failing at that already) I will focus on the following idea, make sure you know why you are buying something.

Are you buying something you KNOW that you will enjoy smoking? If yes, go for it, but consider first how much of it you already have. If no, reconsider it. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy it, I’m just saying know why you are really buying it. Rarely can we say that we are buying this or that tin because we want to smoke the whole thing down to the bottom of the tin. If that were always true then we wouldn’t all have cellars full of jars.

Are you buying something because you just want to try it? If yes, maybe consider buying some or trading some from a trusted friend’s jar first.

Are you buying something just because it’s on sale or it’s a great deal? If yes, reconsider it.

Are you buying the image of the blend or the label of the blend? If yes, reconsider it.

Are you buying the hype? If you are, reconsider it. There is too much hype in the tobacco world. Every new pipe tobacco blend, every new cigar, etc. is branded with many variations of hype. People reselling things they have will also rely in part on hype. Don’t buy a blend just because you’ve bought into the hype.

In conclusion, you came here to ask your question because you have recognized that your behavior is having some form of negative impact on your life. That is what the world of Behavioral Sciences calls “insight”. I do not mean to imply that you are suffering from some kind of psychological illness, and it doesn’t mean you need to quit, but you do need to use that insight to change how you approach the world or you will continue having the same problem. IMO, understanding why you are buying something and what role (if any) that choice plays in the negative impact on your life, will be an important part of that process.

Best to you in everything!

 

[sablebrush52]

So the question is, how do the wise and venerable members of this august body deal with this temptation? I

Wise and venerable? Who the hell are they?

Speaking as neither, I'd say it kind of depends on where you're at with pipes and tobaccos. Are you in the discovery stage were you haven't smoked a wide variety of blend types and are learning about them? Then it seems natural to buy a bunch of samples to broaden your horizons. When you have spotted some favorites, stock up on those so you'll have them to enjoy in future.

Take a look at your rate of consumption and calculate how much you smoke in a year, and look at your holdings. If you have 500 years of stock, like some do, you can probably stop buying.

I made the decision a few years ago to stop buying more tobacco, and am enjoying my cellar. I probably should have stopped years before, but I just didn't realize just how much I had accumulated. In any event, largely done buying. I have asked my son to pick me up some more Momoyama from Japan while he's there. Still, a few packets of Momoyama is nothing compared to the monthly poundage I was buying at the height of my own mania.

It's easy to get caught up in all of the hype over this or that blend. It's also easy to decide not to do that. Once you have some faves at home to enjoy, it's much easier to avoid the circus. Will you miss out on some new experiences? Sure, but for me it doesn't matter. I'm happy with what I got.

 

[krizzose]

I used to be much the same way, and I’m glad I was. I experimented and learned what I liked and didn’t like. I stocked up my cellar with my favorites. My curiosity greatly exceeds my smoking rate, so completely separate from my cellar of sealed tins and bulk jars, I’ve accumulated about 75 “open” tins in jars.
I keep a detailed and carefully updated list of what I have in my cellar, but no list at all of what’s in the “open tins” cabinet. I often completely forget about things for years at a time until I browse through them all when I’m not quite sure what to smoke or if I want something different from my recent rotation choices. It’s like a little tobacco treasure hunt

 

[Oddball]

I did not read any replies.

I had the same affliction.
Then I began honing in my favored blends.

Now I just stick to those when buying more and know that I have a cellar fully stocked of those blends with a couple hundred tins of the other must have reaction buys that might not be total favorites but are still epic smokes on their own.


collecting is part of the fun after all....

 

[Choatecav]

First, everyone here is addicted to nicotine, and that addiction does not manifest by just lighting up another tobacco product. Even if you only smoke one pipe a week, you look forward to that moment for many reasons. Physiologically you will not be addicted to tobacco after a week. The half-life of the actual chemical nicotine is too short for that to be true. Behaviorally though, you are addicted. It may manifest as taking solace in the moment you sit to relax and light your pipe, or enjoying the opportunity to share your selfie with the pipe community, etc. Neither of those things are bad in any way, but they are manifestations of behavioral addiction. For people who smoke every day it is a physiological and behavioral addiction. For those who smoke less frequently, it is mostly behavioral. Unless you plan to resell hard to find blends, then overbuying and hoarding tobacco is just one behavioral manifestation of nicotine addiction.

Second, and this is just my opinion based on years of observation, but there is currently more tobacco in the world than there are people who will actually smoke it. We no longer live in the world where a pediatrician will light up a pipe in the consultation room with their patient. We no longer live in the world where a businessman on the commuter rail line coming home from work will light up his pipe and read the paper. Tobacco growers rely on volume, and for that reason manufacturers do as well. However, pipe tobacco manufacturers really only produce two categories of blends: 1) Blends they know will sell well and therefore will be made regularly. 2) Blends that are limited edition, and therefor they will HYPE THE F--- OUTTA them.

In an effort to try and limit my comments to the content of your original post though, (probably failing at that already) I will focus on the following idea, make sure you know why you are buying something.

Are you buying something you KNOW that you will enjoy smoking? If yes, go for it, but consider first how much of it you already have. If no, reconsider it. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy it, I’m just saying know why you are really buying it. Rarely can we say that we are buying this or that tin because we want to smoke the whole thing down to the bottom of the tin. If that were always true then we wouldn’t all have cellars full of jars.

Are you buying something because you just want to try it? If yes, maybe consider buying some or trading some from a trusted friend’s jar first.

Are you buying something just because it’s on sale or it’s a great deal? If yes, reconsider it.

Are you buying the image of the blend or the label of the blend? If yes, reconsider it.

Are you buying the hype? If you are, reconsider it. There is too much hype in the tobacco world. Every new pipe tobacco blend, every new cigar, etc. is branded with many variations of hype. People reselling things they have will also rely in part on hype. Don’t buy a blend just because you’ve bought into the hype.

In conclusion, you came here to ask your question because you have recognized that your behavior is having some form of negative impact on your life. That is what the world of Behavioral Sciences calls “insight”. I do not mean to imply that you are suffering from some kind of psychological illness, and it doesn’t mean you need to quit, but you do need to use that insight to change how you approach the world or you will continue having the same problem. IMO, understanding why you are buying something and what role (if any) that choice plays in the negative impact on your life, will be an important part of that process.

Best to you in everything!

John, I want to thank you for all of the thought and time you put in constructing your answer. It is very well crafted and seems heart felt.

Many of you have given some really solid replies and some have gravitated towards foolishness which, frankly, is more in line with my own twisted sense of humor. However, I must admit that I do have a tendency to be a bit over zealous when it comes to collecting things (ie. guns, saddles, guitars, cigars, knives, paintings, etc.).

But I appreciate all of the replies and interaction.
Seems to be a really fine group of folks on this forum and I am happy to chat with you all.

 

[DanWil84]

I can not tell you how or what to cellar or not to cellar. Some cellar deep and narrow, some shallow and wide, some deep and wide. I think thats up to what you like and how much you smoke.

For me the first 1.5 years where exploring what I like. The first idea was to go the deep and narrow path, I liked 2 blends straight out of the gate so I have the "most" of that blend in my cellar, a kilo each. Then I came to realisation I have to explore more blends so I ordered a bunch of different single tin blends which i've testen or now testing and cellaring 500 grams of the blends I like. Everytime I open one I put a new tin on my orderlist. I calculated I would smoke about 2 kilo's a year with a bit of slack for when I have more bowls. When I cellar wide and shallow with about 20 blends (if I even reach that point, im now at 6) open I know the last tins of the first order is 5 years old, so I would be sitting on a bunch of aged tins from that point. If I haven't discovered a blend I like enough to invest 500 grams in I order another bunch of singles or order some more of a blend I already like.

Reviews on tobaccoreviews, YouTube or other media are more of a guideline than a definitive yes or no for what to order. Blend contents is more important. I like red VA more than yellow or dark VA for example, same with more oriental forward englishes.

 

[JimPM]

First of all I suffer from excessive TAD. I only review the tobacco's specification and do not seek others' opinions. If the questioned tobacco's description, as far as the recipe goes, is something that seems appealing to me I will purchase it. Not always winner but many times, yes they are.

 

[Scottmi]

This has been stated 2,387 times over the last five years. It is wrong.
Inflation adjusts prices upwards, but you pay in inflated cash. No market is one way forever.

I'm with Elon on this.. "things" (some things) will get cheaper in the future. may have to wait for UBI first, too. Don't know this means any tobacco will get cheaper, or more available though.

 

[sparker69]

Set up a budget with or without your spouse on what your max monthly spending on tobacco will be. Do not buy any if you don't have the money on hand to buy it immediately. Otherwise, you save til you have it THEN make your purchase.
And less online time reading tobacco reviews and going on tobacco dealer websites unless you have the money to put down on it. This will all confirm what you REALLY want to do - and that will be the first step.
And maybe remembering that the hype of the wanted object rarely lives up to what it really is, although it can be great nonetheless.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'm with Elon on this.. "things" (some things) will get cheaper in the future. may have to wait for UBI first, too. Don't know this means any tobacco will get cheaper, or more available though.

Oh, hell yeah. Computers, TVs, almost all electronics are a fraction of what they cost a decade or two ago. Autos, I dunno. Lots and lots of improvements, but not sure they are worth the increased cost of cars and trucks.

Crops generally fluctuate a fair amount year to year, but the manufacturers of tobacco add cost and value, so their prices don't bob up and down.

 

[kcghost]

TAD is a brutal affliction that is almost impossible to overcome. I have to tell you that jarring was a mistake if you ever decide to sell the stuff. Collectors will pay a real premium when the tobacco is truly authentic. When it is in a jar, they will stare at you and just move along. Sure, you know it's got the stuff in it that you claim but the buyers will not know you from Adam.

 

[Choatecav]

Many have said to ignore the reviews and not get caught up in the latest, greatest, whatever. And I completely agree with that philosophy.....

But we have just been hit by just this very thing with the recent release of C & D's Sansepolcro . It was all over all of the websites, the forums, youtube, etc. and while ignoring it at first, I noticed that they made it sound like the "nectar of the gods" and a cure for the common cold. This reviewer bought ten tins for cellaring, another bought six, etc. and I started thinking, "well, I'd best get at least one tin." So, I started looking and now everyone is sold out.

Ahhh, the power of suggestion (and advertising).

 

[Peterson314]

Every time I see a pipe or a blend that I want to buy, I put it in my Smokingpipes shopping cart. Then I'll go to my pipe shelf and spend 10 minutes deciding on which of my 20 pipes I want to smoke, which of the 40 jars I want to dip into, or which of the 40 new-to-me tins I'd like to crack. Then, the idea of making that decision harder seems ludicrous.

It works sometimes.

 

[monty55]

Time is your friend here.

You will find out that many of the tins you bought weren't as good as you might have anticipated, and slowly but surely figure out that it's just not worth the cost to continue down that rabbit hole.

It might take several years, but eventually you will find a few favorites that you tend to smoke often and start to stock up on those, and then your all settled in.

 

[Bananacaravanadium]

What has helped me temper the TAD is considering how much I have and how long it would take me to get around to smoking it. If each bowl is 3 grams, each tin/jar is 50 oz, 1 bowl a day; then each tin is 2.4 weeks; 50 tins is 119 weeks. Then you can make a choice about how much is a reasonable amount to have based on your circumstances. If I hope to smoke 20 years, I may not want to buy 40 years of tobacco; if I’m new to the hobby, it might not be in my best interest to have 40 tins of Englishes before I’ve even tried a Burley; &c.

This perspective helps me apply what feels like sounder judgment that future me won’t be too upset about me for.