We Americans live in Pipe Tobacco Nirvana

[aldecaker]

"And for those of you over that side of the pond who do have it so good. Don't get complacent because they are coming for you and yours and I'm almost sure that eventually, they will get the damned lot."
This is exactly what I'm talking about.
Jesse, I'm afraid I phrased that rather clumsily. Apologies for that. What I mean is if we are merely saying, "Accounting for farming, production, transport, and retail marketing costs, we sure are overpaying for this product", then yes, we're just being crybabies. But in the context of saying, "We pay way too much of this product in ridiculous, arbitrary taxes and punitive, behavior-modifying nanny costs", we're absolutely correct. Saying we have it good because some other country's thieving shitbag government rips them off more than our thieving shitbag government currently rips us off is going down the road to ruin. People are looking at this with a larger view than just the dollar cost of a tobacco product.

 

[robcapp]

September 1st every year brings another tobacco duty hike here in Australia.

The current duty rate is now $1079 per kg.... Plus GST tax!

This will make a 50g tin of tobacco about $95
Tobacco consumers are easy targets here.... The government ostracize us, tax us to death.... and the general public support any government policy that is anti tobacco.....Which is strange, because in this golden age of political correctness, the general public seems to support minority groups like its the cool thing to do.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Aldecake, I wholeheartedly agree with your point about needing a frame of reference, but in this case, federal taxes on pipe tobacco are really quite low at $2.83 per pound. That's about 31¢ per tin. The real kick the teeth comes at the state level. In my home state of Illinois, it's 36%, then another 7.75% sales tax on top of that, making a $10 tin that I buy at Iwan Ries $14.65 after taxes. To your point, aldecake, to someone living in Washington, whose excise taxes are 95%, Illinois' 36% sounds like a relatively good deal, but in reality, it's still an astounding high rate.

 

[pipeanddrum]

Agreed. I was recently in Ireland where a tin of tobacco averaged 30 Euro. Additionally there seemed to be a very limited variety of blends. I visited M Cahill and Son in Limerick where I was hoping to purchase some of their house blends but the very lovely woman behind the counter explained that, due to regulations, they are no longer allowed to sell loose tobacco and that Peterson controls most of the market. So, when I did find tins it was only of their blends. In Dublin you can find James Fox tobaccos. This being said, I was able to find pouches of Condor, Yachtsman Plug, Mellow Virginia, and luckily, a stash of Mick McQuaid and Velvan Plug.

 

[warren]

"People! People! People!" Quoting the sainted Chill Wills. You will pay the asking price, you cannot do anything about it so ... sit back, fill a bowl and watch your money waft to the ceiling. Enjoy! It's only a hobby to some here, an addiction to others, I fail to see the need for the angst. Remember, the pipe, conscious choice, is all about relaxation, taking one's ease, kicking back and enjoying life, forgetting one's cares, forgetting the pressures of life, etc. etc.
Do not get me wrong, it is very human to complain about one's lot in life and envy those who have it better in one respect or another. And I do enjoy reading about us, we who made a conscious decision to smoke, complain about the costs. What the heck was the expectation? That tobaccos and pipes would get cheaper as the years went by?
So ante up and ... relax. (Spoiler alert!) It's not going to get any cheaper.

 

[aldecaker]

"Aldecaker, much as it pains me to agree"
Dogs like me, so I can't be all bad! :rofl:

 

[pepesdad1]

Warren said it all. Nothing else to bitch about. We've got it good...for now. If you haven't cellar-ed it is your own damn fault.

 

[sablebrush52]

If you haven't cellar-ed it is your own damn fault.

Well, that's a bit severe. What about people just getting into pipe smoking? I'll agree with you after 8/8/21 if anyone begins whining about not being able to buy a blend because it's off the market due to FDA Regs. Unless, of course, they're just getting into pipe smoking at that time.
I listened to the warnings of doom, which is why I no longer have to buy any more tobacco. But I didn't buy it all in a day.

 

[weezell]

It's all very simple really, pay the price or quit smoking

Yes! That's like the people bitching about gas prices. Don't like, walk...

 

[weezell]

September 1st every year brings another tobacco duty hike here in Australia.

The current duty rate is now $1079 per kg.... Plus GST tax!

This will make a 50g tin of tobacco about $95

F*%^kin nuts! Got to be a hell of a black market there. If there's not, someone has a hell of an opportunity! The hell with smuggling dope, do tobacco... :twisted:

 

[aldecaker]

Gas prices
Which is why the people of Venezuela have it so much better than us. They're probably laughing their asses off at us poor suckers even as we speak. :wink:

 

[foursidedtriangle]

Australia has a war on tobacco and tobacco will soon be more expensive than gold

 

[npod]

Great trip report, Craig. Good discussion. I don't have much to add, but enjoy learning about prices elsewhere compared to here.

 

[warren]

G

ot to be a hell of a black market there.

Australia is a huge place. What do you think the ratio of pipe smokers per acre is? Or, the ratio to the general population? There's gotta be customers before a "black market" is viable.

They're probably laughing their asses off at us ...

Not very clean asses I presume, terrible toilet paper shortage there. Gas could be a penny a gallon there and, if you don't have a penny ...
Bolivar to USD .0000040 to $1.00. I'd need five or six wheelbarrows full Bolivars to fill my car. $1.00 USD will get you nearly a million, yes a million, gallons. Now, how to get that to the house? I wouldn't walk around anywhere in Venezuela with a dollar sticking out of my pocket.

 

[aldecaker]

They've solved the toilet paper issue. They're using Bolivars.

 

[weezell]

Which is why the people of Venezuela have it so much better than us.

No TP and long lines for food.Communism at its finest...

 

[warren]

They've solved the toilet paper issue. They're using Bolivars.

Snappy! :worship: You've made me feel inadequate. I'm letting my mind get lazy.

 

[aldecaker]

See, you need to spend more time on the forum. Keeps a fellow in harness!

 

[aldecaker]

"No TP and long lines for food.Communism at its finest..."
Yep. Sad to see, isn't it?

 

[warren]

Cheap gas though. Gotta count for something .. if you can afford a vee-HICKLE.