Nova Scotia B&M's Are a Big Joke

[nsfisher]

I had to go to Kentville today, so I stopped into the Smoke Shop. They sell Cigs, Baccy, Cobs, Petes, Brighams, Medicos, Lighters and other odds and ends. Now by listing this, one would think that it is a pretty decent B&M for a Rural Community, but..............
I asked the Owner how much it would be per 12 oz and 14 oz tubs of Carter Hall, Prince Albert and Sir Walter Rawliegh, delivered to his shop for me, if I bought 10 at a time. He looked at me like I had 3 heads and said, "I've been in this shop for yrs and yrs, and also smoke a pipe, and I have NEVER heard of those tobaccos.
It just wasn't worth explaining it to him, so I thanked him and left.

 

[uberam3rica]

How does he work in a B&M and never heard of those?

 

[lumberjakpipester]

PA and CH are virtually unknown in Canada. My local B&M(Keating's Tobacco, in Moncton, NB)did hear of it, but hasn't been able to get any at a reasonable price in more than 20 years.

 

[ghost]

More to the point, how could he let you walk out after that? Don't tell me he gets many customers looking to order that much pipe tobacco. I'd be looking it up for you, and asking you to bring your friends next time...

 

[sparroa]

Fisher, unless you are a millionaire you wouldn't be able to afford ten 12 ounce tubs of tobacco in Nova Scotia anyway. In Canada, there is no such thing as lowbrow tobacco or highbrow tobacco. Whether it is Dunhill or Captain Black, they all end up being roughly the same price by the time the prohibitive taxes are levied by weight...
All I can say is to be thankful that you have a B&M, no matter how pathetic. This country has plenty of places where pipe tobacco is a scarce commodity.
Free enterprise is dead in Canada. Walk into your local NSLC and ask for a special order of an obscure alcohol brand. You won't find it any easier to procure than your Carter Hall...
Also, I have been in retail for years. I have always been passionate about my products and I have researched them extensively. That makes me an exception to the rule - the vast majority of retailers know precious little about their products these days, and most of them couldn't care less about the "wider world" of their industry if the items in question aren't carried by their suppliers. It doesn't help that minimum wage workers outnumber committed long-term employees, either...

 

[nsfisher]

Ya I guess. All true guys, sadly your responses are all true. (sigh)

 

[sparroa]

I feel your pain, brother.
I was in a local smoke shop recently and the only pipe tobacco was a 50g overpriced pouch of MacBaren Scottish Mixture.
There were also no handmade Cuban cigars, but only a single poverty brand of cheap machine mades, plus the usual suspects such as the flavoured Backwoods... It was a sad time for me!
Tobacco selection in Canada is headed towards the lowest common denominator cigarette brands. Nothing else will have a chance!

 

[brdavidson]

That's too bad nsfisher, I'm lucky to have a pretty great b&m here in Oshawa Ontario. Decent selection of pipes, big walk in humidor filled with premium hand rolled cigars and a growing selection of pipes tobacco. Prices are much higher than online in the US but not horrible. Peterson University Flake is $20 for a tin, once you factor in shipping its only a few dollars more than online. Hope that the guy improves for you. Simenon, my place is seeing year over year growth in sales and the pipe business is a big part of that, I hope your prediction is wrong.

 

[sparroa]

BR, I'd love to share in your optimism but I feel that the writing is on the wall. Where I live, Captain Black is $35 a pouch and you are lucky to find a hand rolled cigar in a smoke shop... Sales may be growing where you live, but Ontario has yet to catch up to other jurisdictions as far as taxation is concerned. Not only that, but imagine what flavouring bans or new packaging regulations could do to your local tobacco "prosperity" with the stroke of a pen... The current budget has increased the price of RYO and chewing tobacco so there is no bastion of inexpensive tobacco left in Canada...

 

[brdavidson]

There is a special licensing law for tobacconists in Ontario, they have to meet certain regulations and they can bypass the "hide the tobacco at all costs" laws. They don't sell cigarettes or ryo so that may be part of their criteria.

 

[judcole]

Canada has and sells it's own brands, sometimes the exact same thing, like the old Mercury car brand, was a Monarch in Canada.

When I was a kid (around 10-11 maybe), we took a family trip to Point Pelee. (I've lived in southeast Michigan my entire life, never more than about 2 hours from the border to Windsor.) I remember very well seeing American cars that I knew by appearance, with totally different names. That was the beginning of my realization that Canada is a foreign country, with not only different products, but with some very different attitudes on some subjects than we have hear in the States. I would assume that the over-the-counter pipe tobaccos would be very different (just like they are in the UK) and, unless the store is in a pretty large city, and serves a pretty cosmopolitan clientele, the owner is not going to be familiar with US blends.

 

[docwatson]

It amazes me that Canada would not have more places to provide pipesmokers with ample selections of blends and pipes, especially when there are so many outdoorsmen and sportsmen living there. Being a sportsman myself, many of my friends that spend lots of time afield or on the water are tobacco lovers. I vacation on PEI and other than some outrageously priced Cuban cigars there's nothing much for pipes and tobacco and it's extremely expensive. I love visiting Canada and always bring my allowable limit of tobacco with me to share with others that cannot enjoy the variety and prices that we have in the states.

 

[brdavidson]

I leave just outside Toronto, my city just opened a large regional courthouse and a university moved to town a few years ago. Maybe this has added to a reason for the success of my local store. Maybe out on the less populated east coast its a simple supply and demand thing. I guess I'll just count my blessings for my local shop!

 

[zonomo]

It just wasn't worth explaining it to him, so I thanked him and left.

Dang. That's the same as my guy. I have decided that I will not support his business any more. Not only does he lack knowledge but he doesn't discount the more you buy. For me, I need to drive about an hour South to the Tinder Box where they know what they're talking about and where they discount based upon volume. Sorry to hear this mate.

 

[nsfisher]

The odd time(very odd time), that I do see a pipe smoker in my area, they are always smoking either Captain Black White, Amphora, Green Sail or Old Port. During our discussions, they are amazed at the amount of different blends that I have and have not even heard of most of them. Every one of them get their baccy locally and the choices are very limited. However, Mr B's, or "Brigham" tobacco is actually becoming popular here now with many pipers. It is sold in 50g clear bags and carries the $20.00+ price tag.

 

[judcole]

It amazes me that Canada would not have more places to provide pipesmokers with ample selections of blends and pipes

Population of Canada in the 2011 census - Just under 33,500,000.

Population of the Maritime provinces (PEI, NS, NB, N&L) combined: Just a shade under 2.5 million. Doesn't surprise me at all. No population to support it.

Population of Canadian Provinces

 

[brdavidson]

That pretty much sums it up I guess Jud, just not enough people to support it

 

[sparroa]

Keep in mind that those 2.5 million people are spread out amongst 208,138 square miles - halfway in size between the smaller state of California and the larger state of Texas.
Add in prohibitive taxes and there's a formula for a terrible selection...
(In reality, Labrador skews the size figures but the point remains the same. Outside of Halifax there isn't much population density)

 

[alex87]

I have been impressed with The local B&M in Halifax for baccy selection but still i can't bring myself to buy there. I have resorted to buying baccy online and my pipes from Sieverts. Shame about the other b&m's

 

[ohin3]

I live in Nova Scotia and I just refuse to buy tobacco from my own economy. I would much rather feed the U.S. economy and order my 3 tins at a time happily.