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Nicotianas

Lurker
May 16, 2022
3
8
Hello all!!
Im new here although i've been smoking for about ten years.
I am from a part of the world where pipe tobacco is hard to come by (i'll fill you all in with details later). I therefore have decided to start a pipe tobacco store. I have gotten all the paperwork in order which required by the authorities and im ready to start importing. I have hit my first hurdle. Thank God its not a huge one but i want to be careful and not make a fool of myself. So I've come to ask for a helping hand:

Say i want to order some tobacco from Samuel Gawith. I know they are the Brand, they are the blender and they are the Manufacturer. So if i want FVF i email and place an order.
Now all the above changes when you have a Brand with another as blender and possible a third entity as a manufacturer. Lets say Rattray's Marlin flake. The manufacturer and blender is Kohlhaase & kopp. The question is who do i contact in order to order? The brand or the manufacturer and blender in this case? What if all three are different? Who supersedes the others?

Much obliged pipesmokers!!
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,831
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Hello all!!
Im new here although i've been smoking for about ten years.
I am from a part of the world where pipe tobacco is hard to come by (i'll fill you all in with details later). I therefore have decided to start a pipe tobacco store. I have gotten all the paperwork in order which required by the authorities and im ready to start importing. I have hit my first hurdle. Thank God its not a huge one but i want to be careful and not make a fool of myself. So I've come to ask for a helping hand:

Say i want to order some tobacco from Samuel Gawith. I know they are the Brand, they are the blender and they are the Manufacturer. So if i want FVF i email and place an order.
Now all the above changes when you have a Brand with another as blender and possible a third entity as a manufacturer. Lets say Rattray's Marlin flake. The manufacturer and blender is Kohlhaase & kopp. The question is who do i contact in order to order? The brand or the manufacturer and blender in this case? What if all three are different? Who supersedes the others?

Much obliged pipesmokers!!
Who's the distributor where you are located? If you don't know, contact K&K and ask them what company distributes their blends in your country. If there isn't one, then you can start making arrangements yourself
 

ofafeather

Lifer
Apr 26, 2020
2,769
9,044
50
Where NY, CT & MA meet
Who's the distributor where you are located? If you don't know, contact K&K and ask them what company distributes their blends in your country. If there isn't one, then you can start making arrangements yourself
As @sablebrush52 mentioned, each brand/manufacturer will have an importer/distributer for the markets they are sold in. Some distributors represent multiple brands. Each manufacturer can point you in the right direction if they are already represented in your area or will help you get started if they are not. Good luck!
 

Latakia Dave

Lifer
Mar 4, 2021
1,666
20,964
Shenandoah Vally Virginia
Hello all!!
Im new here although i've been smoking for about ten years.
I am from a part of the world where pipe tobacco is hard to come by (i'll fill you all in with details later). I therefore have decided to start a pipe tobacco store. I have gotten all the paperwork in order which required by the authorities and im ready to start importing. I have hit my first hurdle. Thank God its not a huge one but i want to be careful and not make a fool of myself. So I've come to ask for a helping hand:

Say i want to order some tobacco from Samuel Gawith. I know they are the Brand, they are the blender and they are the Manufacturer. So if i want FVF i email and place an order.
Now all the above changes when you have a Brand with another as blender and possible a third entity as a manufacturer. Lets say Rattray's Marlin flake. The manufacturer and blender is Kohlhaase & kopp. The question is who do i contact in order to order? The brand or the manufacturer and blender in this case? What if all three are different? Who supersedes the others?

Much obliged pipesmokers!!
Welcome from Virginia
 
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Nicotianas

Lurker
May 16, 2022
3
8
Edited to remove duplication. Please capitalize all proper names, such as blends, manufacturers, etc.
Who's the distributor where you are located? If you don't know, contact K&K and ask them what company distributes their blends in your country. If there isn't one, then you can start making arrangements yourself
Hello Sir,

I'll be the first one. We haven't got a pure pipe tobacco store here. Maybe some Borkum Riff and Erinmore floating about but thats it.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,831
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
If you have Erinmore and Bokum there then Maybe contact the Scandinavian Tobacco Group?
Especially for STG products, since they will be able to supply the name of their distributor. For other blenders, like K&K, if there is no distributor, the OP will have to start the process to become the distributor.
 

bassbug

Lifer
Dec 29, 2016
1,112
905
I mean no offence but if you're going to sell a product, shouldn't you know where to to buy it in the first place?

Starting a business is fraught with enough risks, let alone a business in a declining market. Not that I'm trying to discourage, but I'd think you want to maximize your chances of success.
 

alexpor

Lurker
Mar 21, 2022
2
1
Czech Republic
I mean no offence but if you're going to sell a product, shouldn't you know where to to buy it in the first place?

Starting a business is fraught with enough risks, let alone a business in a declining market. Not that I'm trying to discourage, but I'd think you want to maximize your chances of success.
Yep, you're right. Many business owners think their particular family business conflict is unique. As a business owner, you probably realize that operating and owning a business can be fraught with pitfalls and risks. I just got my set up in Texas by hiring an agency to set up it for me and also going through a Texas SOS process.
 
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gawithhoggarth

Can't Leave
Dec 26, 2019
322
2,219
46
Kendal, UK
www.gawithhoggarth.co.uk
If you wish to sell our tobacco you will need to contact the distributor for that country.
If you are intending to be the actual importer then you will need to deal with all the registrations, licensing etc and ensure you can accept the tobacco into bond when it arrives. We will require all due diligence to be done and if there is already an importer for that country then it won't usually be possible.
 

bluegrassbrian

Your Mom's Favorite Pipe Smoker
Aug 27, 2016
5,970
51,325
41
Louisville
Good luck getting FVF.
Many distributors don't let you totally cherry pick blends. You have to take a variety and they'll try to accommodate you on what you'd like the most.
The more you're able to sell, the better they'll accommodate.

Distros like Arango here in the US also want you to push their pipes. They'll send you some lower level BC, Savinelli, etc that you won't be able to make a profit on because most people know they can get it cheaper online. If you can't push enough of those, good luck getting the more desirable Esoterica blends (or any at all depending on the current availability).

If you don't have a distributor for a certain brand in your country, I don't know if it would be easier or more difficult to get ahold of certain things. It would require (I assume) more paperwork, legal mumbojumbo, and capital.
 

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,140
21,408
77
Olathe, Kansas
Don't over complicate things. Sometimes blends are sold to another company (like K&K) but they still put the original name on the label because original owner did. So if you want any Rattray's be sure to order from K&K. And when they buy the blend from someone they can put any in the blend or take it out and still market it as the original blend.
 
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Nicotianas

Lurker
May 16, 2022
3
8
I mean no offence but if you're going to sell a product, shouldn't you know where to to buy it in the first place?

Starting a business is fraught with enough risks, let alone a business in a declining market. Not that I'm trying to discourage, but I'd think you want to maximize your chances of success.
hi, no offence taken. Thas's what im trying to figure out, where to and from whom to buy it from.