Pipe club??

[cburke111]

I would like to start a pipe club here in Maine but i have no idea how to go about it! any hint, tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[daveinlax]

Good Luck! Being a member of a (in my case, three) pipe club is a lot of fun. We celebrated the first anniversary of our The Coulee Region Area Pipe Smokers at The Briar Patch Thursday night with a full house. Our founder Adam has written about the club in NASPC'S The Pipe Collector. I really look forward to and enjoy our monthly meetings even if we don't have a program. IMO the big thing to having a solid club is having a good, profitable relationship with your host shop. 8O

http://www.naspc.org/Archives/pipeclub.html

http://iapsc.net/html/start.html

http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=91672

http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=101744

 

[dajibash]

Is there a Pipe Club near DC?

 

[maineyachtie]

@cburke111: I'm in Maine, Houlton area. Where are you?

 

[tokerpipes]

I am the founder of a new pipe club as well. First thing you want to do if you want to start a club is get in good with the B&M. Next is find a place that allows pipe smoking to hold your meetings. Once the club gets established a bit the group should decide and make the moves to how it progresses. B&M visits in the area, Cookouts, Raffles, etc.
Good luck with the new club.

 

[tokerpipes]

Also some cigar smokers puff pipes so you could check out a few cigar shops and ask around, never know what you could find.

 

[shaintiques]

Hey I started the West Georgia Pipe Club we have been meeting the first thursday of the month at the local B&M. Ask them when is good fr them, I picked Thursday because they have a poker game on fri and saturday and the lounge area is full. Make it the same day every month. This is easier to advertise. Ask them if you can put a sign up or have them give out cards with your contact info, club name, etc. to every person who buys something pipe related. I have gotten my B&M to do both. Also see if they have a facebook or mailer they send out to customers and get them to add the club to that out going announcement. Tell them Pipe clubs are good for brining in new people and you will buy products. The guys in my club by tobaccos, lighers, pipe tools, sodas, etc. They way I run my club is I buy an ounce or two of a good houe blend or a tin of something they have for the club to try each month. I put it out in a decorative bowl or something. If they like it they normally buy some. My B&M doesn't know a lot about pipes and what pipe smokers want, but they are learning and they want to learn and have begun to stock accordingly. Ask them for flexibility to have guests, pipe makers, tobacco reps or whatever. Our club is going so well that we are expanding to two meetings per month and we are going to meet in two different B&Ms in order to meet other smokers, grow the club, and get our name out to more smokers in the area. Pipe clubs are a win win for B&Ms more people in the store, more people buying products and smoking in the lounges that were created for customers which is what you are. I made an email just for the club too to keep stuff straight. Also once you get going start sending emails to tobacco companies asking for samples for your club, it works! We don't charge dues but are giong to have a quarterly pipe raffle. Guys buy tickets which pays for the pipe and the extra buys tobacco for the club to try. And somebody gets a cool pipe in the process. Have any other q's hit me up.

 

[moses]

This thread seems to have died out. Although i DID come to this party a bit late.
@cburke111: Any progress? I too have been yearning for a pipe club in Maine. Preferably close to Biddeford as my vehicle is becoming increasingly unreliable lately.
@maineyachtie: How's the piping up in the county?