Unopened Balkan Sobranie 759. Fair price to pay?

[sablebrush52]

1996 they might still be viable, so they could be worth some decent money. If you can examine the contents, that would be worthwhile, though there's no telling if the blend itself has faded.
With my experiences buying vintage tins, it's such a crapshoot. I won't touch anything older than 10 years of age that's tinned in a square or rectangular tin, and won't go over $15 to $20 for anything over 20 years of age. Way too risky. Latest disappointment? A 100g tin of St Bruno from the late '90's that I picked up at the WCPS. The tin looks mint on the outside. The seal had failed, the inner walls corroded with rust, the contents mummified. St Bruno is not a blend that rehydrates well. That's my last vintage tobacco purchase.

 

[lawdawg]

With my experiences buying vintage tins, it's such a crapshoot.

I hate to do it, but I might go ahead and pop my Frog Morton Cellar and Christmas Cheer tins and jar the tobacco. I know I won't smoke it all for quite a few years at least . Not to raise the specter of the tins vs. jars argument, but it seems like jars are the only (or closest thing to a) guarantee.

 

[jguss]

For what it’s worth the tobacco in this case isn’t really tinned in the sense we usually mean. It’s more like an Esoterica pouch sealed and placed in a not-very-airtight canister. The question isn’t the integrity of the tin, it’s the integrity of the foil pouch. I honestly think it’s more likely to be ok than if the tobacco had been sealed directly into a tin, regardless of shape. Certainly the Throwdown canister tin yielded great tobacco. But as Jesse says it’s a crap shoot and vintage tobaccos are always purchased at the buyer’s risk. As long as you provide good pics and disclose what you know it’s caveat emptor baby.

 

[jguss]

Here’s a picture of what the interior of your tin should look like:

 

[sablebrush52]

Not to raise the specter of the tins vs. jars argument, but it seems like jars are the only (or closest thing to a) guarantee.

Well, as you know, Greg Pease has been a long time advocate of keeping tobacco in the tin for long term aging. But, he's changed his mind on this after suffering a number of disappointments in his cellar. In a letter he posted to the Briar Blues YouTube channel, he advocates jarring ASAP and then letting it age for the long run.

 

[jguss]

As far as preservation goes I think that's right. Marketability is another matter. Jarred vintage tobaccos, for obvious reasons, run the risk of substantial discount on resale. Irrelevant if you're definitely keeping it to smoke; very relevant if you want to preserve the possibility of selling it on Ebay or through a credible broker like Pipestud.

 

[dorianc]

Here are my pictures:

 

[condorlover1]

Good old James B Russell. They had some amazingly old tins that a fellow was selling off on Ebay for ages a while back. Some of the tins went back to the 1940s. I guess he must have purchased them from the company when they ceased trading. One or two of the S.T.o.P trade marks were formerly owned by James B. Russell before they were abandoned in the early 1990s. Thats very interesting. Thank you for posting these pictures.

 

[dorianc]

So no telling what it is worth, I guess.

 

[mso489]

What a saga with the 759. I hope to hear what it is like when smoked, if possible. My only contribution to the discussion is to say that PC has Blackhouse on sale, which was modeled after 759 for a Chicago pipe show "throw down" competition in 2011 by PC's own master blender Russ. Eight dollars and change might give you a glimpse of what all the excitement is about, or more specifically give me a glimpse.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Beautiful! You should be able to sense whether the tobacco in the sealed pouch is dried out or not- gentle squeeze of the pouch should feel soft, with no sound.
Pipestud knows what it's worth, but maybe only if you're selling through him.

 

[oldtoby]

@dorianc, I'm insanely jealous.... :mrgreen:

 

[dorianc]

Oh, I know what it is like to smoke it from when I smoked in the 90's. I smoked a lot of this blend and really liked it. That is why I had two tins and the pouch. I have been tempted to light up some from the pouch to see what it taste like. It still smells great and was fun smelling those spices on my hands the other day.