Selling Off Bulk Aged Loose Tobacco Query.

[mawnansmiff]

I might take a table at a pipe show to sell it

I can reliably confirm that there are no pipe shows in south west Cornwall and there never have been. I doubt there are any outside of London.

I think pipe shows might be an exclusively American thing.

But thanks for the input.

Jay.

 

[jaingorenard]

Jay, if you can pay for postage online with the Royal Mail website (you just need a set of kitchen scales to weigh the parcel), your postie can pick the parcel up from your door and bring the label with him or her.

 

[jaingorenard]

Also, I would second @Terry Lennox 's suggestion of asking the Pipe Club of London to put the word out. There is a UK pipe show each year in Nottingham as well (October).

There are a few consignment sellers in the UK, but I have never known them sell anything that wasn't still in tins.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Jay, if you can pay for postage online with the Royal Mail website (you just need a set of kitchen scales to weigh the parcel), your postie can pick the parcel up from your door and bring the label with him or her.

I never thought of that. Something else to think on so cheers.

I do however think that interest in buying 750g in one go might be pretty thin at best so may have to revert to 100g packets.

Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Also, I would second @Terry Lennox 's suggestion of asking the Pipe Club of London to put the word out.

I did consider that too but as I don't know anyone there I might have to establish some king of rapport with the club over many months to earn trust. To be honest that's just too much work.

Jay.

 

[seanv]

I think this is being overthought. I would list the jars as they are and ask about half of what the retail price is to begin with. If they sell, great. If they don't sell then offer to break the jars up into custom amounts. Only do this one jar at a time. Someone will buy this, hell if you lived in Canada, i would buy it jarred. Set a minimum and sell as much as you can.

 

[mawnansmiff]

It would probably be easier and much more fun if you just started smoking your pipe again

Believe me, I only wish I could!

In a way I'm hoping I will be able to sell in small packages as then I'll have a good reason to pop a jar open and enjoy what I can only guess would be a delightful aroma. All of the various tobaccos have really darkened over the last few years which experience tells me it is maturing nicely.

I have one remaining sealed tin of Limited Edition FVF that was part of an experiment by the makers. They wrapped up a couple of slabs of FVF and aged it 2 years afore tinning it. I believe there were 250-300 tins only. They were offered to the Pipe Club of London and are labelled as such. That was in ~2015 so goodness knows how that has matured

Jay.

 

[jaingorenard]

If it wasn't the run up to Christmas and I had a bit more spare money in general, I would definitely be happy to purchase large jars. You might get more interest than you think!

 

[mawnansmiff]

Here's three sizes of jar that most of my loose tobacco is stored in.

The #2015/Dark Navy Flake is likely a one off, I didn't even know that one existed. Most are FVF pure, or FVF blended with SJF or #2015.



Jay.

 

[jguss]

Selling bulk in jars is problematic. Aside from the perennial concern about what the buyer is actually getting when he buys untinned tobacco (a concern largely mitigated in your case by your long tenure and reputation on this site) there is or ought to be concern about damage en route. There was another post here a few years ago from someone who bought bulk in mason jars and received a box of tobacco mixed with glass; the pictures he posted weren’t pretty. Shipping glass is tricky and only partly addressed by packaging, which you can control; the handling your box receives by the shipper is another matter. When I sold some bulk tobacco a year or two ago I transferred purchases from glass to labeled 7ml mylar bags immediately before shipping and had previously informed potential buyers that this would be done. I did offer to send the tobacco in the original glass jar but made it clear that it would cost more (weight is substantially higher) and be at the buyer’s risk. Nobody asked for glass. Honestly using mylar makes sending easier, cheaper, and safer.

I should add the obvious; a transaction where someone is willing to pick up the tobacco in person is another matter entirely.

 

[Sigmund]

Bag it and ship it. Glass is just a bad idea and its heavy.

You are not in the US where easy and cheap tobacco is easily accessed.

It will sell and probably quickly. Offer it in large lots and a higer price for smaller.

If I smoked those bends and it didnt have to cross customs borders Id buy it. It doesnt cost you to list it. If its been stored properly putting it in double baggies for a few days isnt going to hurt it. Its tobacco, not raw seafood.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It takes a pretty good impact to break a mason jar. I drop them all the time. I've even went as far as tossing them up and batting them like a pop fly, with no issues to make a point on here many years ago. Of course, they will break given enough of a direct hit, eventually. But, we aren't talking champagne flutes here, but even those, I wouldn't hesitate to order from amazon.
Just wrap them well in old newspapers or any paper and pack them snug. We have enough things to worry about over breaking a borosilicate Mason jar under pressure from aged tobacco.

But, on the other hand, do what you want. I'm not twisting arms, just pointing out that these jars don't break easily.

 

[mawnansmiff]

There was another post here a few years ago from someone who bought bulk in mason jars and received a box of tobacco mixed with glass; the pictures he posted weren’t pretty.

Good advice indeed and one that I foresaw some while ago. As I buy the bulk of my spirits from Amazon, I occasionally get a single bottle shipped in a double thickness, very sturdy cardboard box. These I immediately thought might be useful should I ever get around to selling my jars so I always hung onto those boxes. Alas I only have about 5-6 of them, the rest came in triple or quad boxes which would be useless.

I think bagging up might be the best way forward.

Jay.