I see we're back to bashing P&C, this time over a small brand with a handful of blends, most of which are available because they don’t sell. So this brings us to the two blends this is really about -- Penzance and Stonehaven. My estimates are that a third is picked up by the B&M retail shops, shop employees and friends. The second third by people who buy up Stonehaven and Penzance as a investment (like me), to sell them for profit. The last third are pipe smokers that actually smoke these blends themselves. For some reason other "retail" vendors are mentioned who allegedly haven't raised their prices on Esoterica, but few, if any of them have any in stock. Some people here claim inside information from vendors saying there won’t be a price increase on Esoterica. Show me who has Penznace or Stonehaven on their shelves now, or when it's restocked for under $30 and I will buy every bag.
Bashing P&C, as I have seen in this thread -- a PM Forums sponsor and vendor that has done more than any other company, in so many ways, saddens me. P&C offers us what no other company does. They sell more pipe tobacco then all the others combined. They take back orders locking in the price, shipping back ordered items as they come in with no extra charge for shipping. I know that two of my orders for $100 required three shipments, with P&C taking a loss completing those orders. They have more brands and blends than any other vendor. Many posts here on PM Forums mention Russ Ouelette as a great Master Blender and Russ' hand blended Hearth & Home pipe tobaccos with over 80 blends, all at great prices, who also became the backbone and the face of P&C to many of us. Russ stayed with P&C as the company was sold and relocated from NY to PA. So the price is raised on a small brand that actually is two blends for most of us, available a couple times a year in small quantities. What about P&C for a while now offering Hearth & Home Signature Series blends at $24 a pound (buy two 8oz. cans, the third is free, mix or match)? BTW, this sale is good until tomorrow (Nov. 14) just in case you want to buy some, even if a blend you want is on back order. In December all H&H brand, cans or bulk, is 20% off. P&C constantly is running one or more promotions on brand name pipes and pipe tobaccos, brands that most of us actually smoke and enjoy. Their customer service, which in all my purchases have had two problems that were from production, nothing under their control. Did I need to send the product back first? No. Replacement items were sent out the next day postage paid along with a pre-paid shipping label to return the problem tins. When I was unhappy with this large multiple tin buy, all it took was an Email and a five minute phone call. I received much more in dollar value to make up for this; they even sent along a surprise. I had a problem with my order and P&C took care of it -- My word was good enough.
So there is my rant thread on this “big viral” attack on P&C. I don't believe we should all jump on a band wagon because of a few people making a mountain out of $25. If Esoterica makes your blend and it's sold at some B&M or online vendor for less, buy it, that’s what most people do. I've delineated a bunch of reasons why P&C is my #1 choice for pipe tobacco. No vendor is perfect, but P&C has gone the extra mile for me, I love their back order policy with no additional shipping, so I am and will remain a loyal P&C customer.
Craig
