Mine was European stuff that wasn’t sold in the States, stuff like Erinmore Plug, Revor Plug, Velvan Plug, Warrior Plug & Condor plug.
Rare Tobacco
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This.
A lot are rare for various reasons, including not being produced anymore, but as many already said rare doesn't mean anything other than being hard to find/get. It doesn't mean you'd like it. As for myself, as a fairly new pipe smoker (3 years daily, about 10 years on and off) I had no idea about any tobacco besides Dunhill's Nightcap, now I am actively avoiding "rare" blends, partly because I don't want the hassle and stress and mainly because there are lot of great tobaccos I can get my hands on fairly easily. The catch is that I am in Europe, and my favourite tobaccos are European so supply is not really a problem, unlike members who're in the US.
Where in the Hell has he been?.......................
Think the new site ran him off! I miss him though! He did some great tobacco tastings!
Let’s see if the bat signal will get him back...Ohhhh @ashdigger where you at?
^^ Yeah, miss him too. One of the most generous guy's I've ever met.............. I'm going to Vegas at the end of the month....... hopefully that BatSignal will work. Tim's a helluva guy!!..........
I gotta admit, It took me a looooooooooooooong time to get used to this.......... I'm so not into change, and this is the only forum I've ever been on.........
Forget about rare blends, unless you have time and a deep pocket. Try what's available, and you will find plenty that you will love and enjoy.
It’s good for the noggin to change things up from time to time, get outside our comfort zones. I understand though, damn change, it’s a sneaky lil bugger.
You just have to be on the lookout and be ready. There are unobtanioums/famous tobaccos for sale right now in Curly Block. Buy some and 10 years from now you will have a gem.
There was a period of a couple of years ago when everything was available on EBAY and cheap. Only about a 25% premium for aged stuff. Never paid more than $30 for a tin including 20 year old Xmass Cheer. That was my base for 30+ pounds of aged stuff. Then I bought 100lbs ish new to cellar and age for the future. Worked out that I rarely am smoking anything with less than 5 years on it.
There was a period of a couple of years ago when everything was available on EBAY and cheap. Only about a 25% premium for aged stuff. Never paid more than $30 for a tin including 20 year old Xmass Cheer. That was my base for 30+ pounds of aged stuff. Then I bought 100lbs ish new to cellar and age for the future. Worked out that I rarely am smoking anything with less than 5 years on it.
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Curly Block sucks a Curly C____
just because a blend doesn't show up often doesn't mean it's good.
I've got a bit of a "rare blend" collection entirely on accident just because I stocked up on a few McClelland blends I enjoy a couple years before they went out of business. I think rarity, rather than quality, is the main ingredient in making a unicorn blend. Of the handful of unobtainium / unicorn blends I've smoked, some of them merit the high regards in which they are held, but there are readily available blends out there that approach or even possibly exceed the unicorns in quality.
Think about Dunhill for example. If Peterson did not pick up the blends, and they did in fact go off the market forever, then blends like Nightcap would be sought-after unicorns within a few years, and possibly right now. However, there are readily available blends on the market in the same genre that I think are objectively better than Nightcap - in particular, GLP Quiet Nights which is Pease's Nightcap-inspired blend that blows the socks off of Nightcap.
Think about Dunhill for example. If Peterson did not pick up the blends, and they did in fact go off the market forever, then blends like Nightcap would be sought-after unicorns within a few years, and possibly right now. However, there are readily available blends on the market in the same genre that I think are objectively better than Nightcap - in particular, GLP Quiet Nights which is Pease's Nightcap-inspired blend that blows the socks off of Nightcap.
Tim shows up from time to time. Running the family business, which is arson investigation, keeps him busy.
It's the Psychopathy of Scarcity. If something is really hard to find, and people whine over it, it must be good. I've smoked many of these lusted over blends, and they're good, but not better than anything else. They're just not widely available.
Who knows? Maybe they're not widely available because they sucked!
It's human nature to want something that is hard to get and to conflate scarcity with quality.
You know what's really, really, rare? Dunhill Navy Rolls. You wanna know why? "cause Dunhill NEVER MADE NAVY ROLLS. Murrays created the product and slapped the Dunhill name on it.
totally..
a lot of the Dunhill blends went away IMO because no one ever bought them. They languished on shelves and in warehouses for years without action. As soon as they are "discontinued" people come out of the woodwork wanting to buy them.. smoke them.. relish in them. People who had never even thought of trying them now want to. Praise is sung. Before, when they were readily available no one cared about them.
Exactly. I will add that I think there is usually something to it beyond scarcity, but scarcity is the key component. IMO, unicorn = good + scarce. That's why I just usually avoid unicorns and stick with "good" as my only requirement
However, in all fairness, I have seen some blends becoming unicorns due solely or at least primarily to scarcity, presumably... like certain old codger burleys that have gone out of production, for example. A couple years ago when people were still selling "vintage tobacco tins" on eBay, I saw unopened cans of Ready Rubbed going for unicorn prices. I'm sure it was a good codger burley (if you like codger burleys) but there are tons of good burley blends out there. I'd be bummed if Carter Hall went off the market, but if it did, I would not go seek it out and pay $150 for a tub.
Nor I, but little of this is logical. We're all susceptible to suggestion. Were that not true there would be no marketing. For some of us, the desire to possess what others say is desirable is strong while for others, not so much.
In my experience there is no holy grail of pipe tobacco. Even some of the most sought after blends when you finally obtain them they're 4/4 star blends, but "average" 4 star blends nonetheless. There's plenty other readily available ones that are just as good if not better.
The fun is in the treasure hunt, the mystique, the legends, the rare finds, the bragging rights that the collector loves. Its part of the hobby of pipe smoking that I enjoy.
The fun is in the treasure hunt, the mystique, the legends, the rare finds, the bragging rights that the collector loves. Its part of the hobby of pipe smoking that I enjoy.
I agree that this is true of latakia blends, putting aside the Syrian leaf issue. There are many that are similar enough to be fungible. True of Va and Vapers; they're a dime a dozen. There are unique blends though. There's no replacement for Ennerdale. And certainly none for Holly's Non Plus Ultra!!!! I won't even mention the XXX black ropes from the Gawiths (OK, both Gawiths make a version).
+1
Mimetic desire. Consult Rene Girard. And the anger vented at flippers, guys who have bots, backdoor shop connections, etc., is a classic example of his classification of such emotions as scapegoating.
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