New Iwan Ries Catalogs

[mso489]

Just recieved the Iwan Ries catalogs for 2018, celebrating their 161st year. A young pipe smoking gent on the cover emphasizes that pipes aren't just for retirees. The catalogs have expansive listings for tobacco pipes and blends, and cigars. If you don't receive one by merit of past purchases, you can probably request one by email or phone, while supplies last. IR is one of the grand old retailers of pipes, tobaccos and cigars, and has a vast inventory of pipes. If it is not in the catalog it may be available if you phone and ask about it, whatever you have in mind. Incidentally, the pronunciation on this retailer -- I hope I have this right -- is Ivan Reese.

 

[hawky454]

Cool, I didn’t know they gave out catalogs? I’ve ordered several times through them in the past but I’ve never received a catalog. Where’s my catalog? I want a catalog! Catalog, catalog, catalog!

 

[markus]

I got one and I have never ordered anything from them, but I am on their email list.

 

[joeman]

I’ve ordered several times through them in the past but I’ve never received a catalog

I got one and I have never ordered anything from them

 

[saltedplug]

Despise spam.
Last year I called them and told them to keep their d*mn catalog out of my mailbox. The venerable Mr. Ries took the call and acted amazed that I objected. smokingpipes same same, but they also feel they have the right to call you and try to close the deal that you just declined. Greed greed and more greed. Retailers can't quite understand declining their cr*p, being all about spamming and usually have no mechanism to selectively turn it off. They have the right to spam, but the recipient of same has the final right over receiving it.
Despise spam. If I get their catalog this year I'm going to sear an ear.

 

[mso489]

My wife does some shopping on line, so we tend to get a bundle of catalogs and flyers. My objection is they tend to obscure business mail and bills I need to see. Fortunately, we have a fairly rigorous city recycling system in rolling carts by the curb, so I quickly fling most of the delivery right into recycling. I'm always glad to get pipe catalogs, for prospecting for pipes and learning a little about blends, reminding myself of the constituent tobaccos, etc. But most of the commercial mailings get flung to the pulp mill.

 

[cortezattic]

The venerable Mr. Ries took the call and acted amazed that I objected...

Must have been an imposter. Iwan Ries' daughter, Rosalie, married Stanley Levi in 1929. Their son, Chuck Levi, has been the owner since 1968.

 

[hawky454]

^^^ You read my mind, Joeman.

 

[pianopuffer]

Placed my first order with them a few days ago but never received a shipping confirmation.

Called them up, and sure enough, my order slipped through the cracks in their online system.
I spoke with Chuck who was delightful and helped track my rogue order down and upgraded my shipping and threw in some pipe cleaners to boot. Great customer service, glad I gave them a shot.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

I have gotten tremendous personal service from Iwan Ries. The Levi's run a great family business. Have not been in the shop since the late 80's when I was in Chicago on business, but they had the best inventory I have ever seen in a tobacconist's shop.
I welcomed getting their catalog even if they didn't ask my permission to send it.

 

[pipestud]

Despise spam.
Last year I called them and told them to keep their d*mn catalog out of my mailbox. The venerable Mr. Ries took the call and acted amazed that I objected. smokingpipes same same, but they also feel they have the right to call you and try to close the deal that you just declined. Greed greed and more greed. Retailers can't quite understand declining their cr*p, being all about spamming and usually have no mechanism to selectively turn it off. They have the right to spam, but the recipient of same has the final right over receiving it.
Despise spam. If I get their catalog this year I'm going to sear an ear. - saltedplug

+1 on what old geezersmoker said. Plus, why would any pipe and tobacco collector not want a really well done catalog featuring their hobby to appear in their mailbox with the compliments of the sender? If anyone here wants to send me some unsolicited cash in the mail I promise not to call the sender and tell him to keep it out of my mailbox and I also promise not to sear an ear.
And finally, I think Iwan Ries has been dead for about a hundred years, so yes, Cortez, whoever talked to saltedplug was an imposter :wink:

 

[saltedplug]

I get salespeople knocking on my door, but only from time to time.

But I get sales crap in my mailbox at least three times a week. I don't want any of it and throw it away immediately. In fact, if someone spams me I never do business with them.

I get 2-4 robocalls a day, and these degenerates could give a f*ck whether my name is on any no call list. What works best is if I don't know the caller, I engage the call and immediately hangup.

I rarely get spammed by email as I'm careful about my main address. But I have two other email accounts that I use if the organization is suspect.

smokingpipes sends me their disgusting Christmas Cards, entirely besmirching the highest holy day in the West. We are the most capitalist society in the world and that has ever been. That system has destroyed the true message of Christmas which has nothing to do with materiality, yet in the West materiality has been made to be its its reason for being. Who taught us such a custom? the degenerates at the top who own the concerns that profit so handsomely, who control the media. Its very sad and despicable that not only Christmas but daily life has been defined by what we own and how much we earn.
smokingpipes called me to close a sale. I had called customer service about a $300.00 pipe but declined to buy. They called me back on entirely their own initiative to overcome my objections. Invasive greed.
Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear

Greed/fear greed/fear greed/fear
So getting back to Iwan Ries catalog, I loathe it because it is just another instance of having sales crap rammed done my throat in what amounts to an onslaught everyday. Over f*cking money. I despise it.
I went to Atlanta last week, and on the 285 north corridor, where all the tech firms have their bright and shiny buildings, where the money is, there was one f*cked billboard after another, probably 200? messages drawing my eyes in a 15 mile stretch. I can just hear the beaners, "Well, everyday 10K people making $50K+ will see the ad. We'll pay this for the rent and this for our fancy ad and we'll make $100K. It's a go!" The problem is that its an assault and that although being poor sucks, all we need is sufficient money. For the West, especially ultra-capitalist America, to define human life or the good as material is a fundamental distortion of human life. And I despise it.
For all the people that I will piss off with this post, I apologize in advance. YMMV, and if it does and you want to post about what a beaner I am, please do, but if so you should know that I regard the matter finished.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

The early immigrants to our country who came of their own free will came because they bought a dream. Somebody sold it to them.
Herman Melville did indeed, IMO, write the Great American Novel, but it wasn't Moby Dick. It was The Confidence Man. Not an easy read, but well worth it.
While they can't compete on prices with some of the on line specialists, Iwan Ries service is absolutely impeccable and personal, and of all the tobacconisrs catalogs I have received since Thanksgiving, it is the only one I have kept.

 

[cortezattic]

Despite the likelihood that it is driven by crass commercialism, I enjoy receiving catalogs -- especially in product areas in which I am interested. I makes me feel wanted. :lol:

 

[jpmcwjr]

Despise spam. If I get their catalog this year I'm going to sear an ear.

Really? A moment's inconvenience having to recycle an unwanted catalog and you're going to waste their time and yours over the matter? And be a bitch about it?? Really?

 

[alan73]

I think salted needs an adult beverage and a nice full pipe of his favorite blend . I got 2 delivered a week ago. One of the tsuge pipes I liked. Well done catalogue.

 

[saltedplug]

On a good day I curse buzzard spam, trash it and go on my way.

On a bad day if I can hunt down their phone number, I call and loose the beast.

Not entirely rational, I admit, but that's me.