What Prices Could Justify Contraband?

[Yambo]

Title edited for capitals and brevity.

I complain a lot about the speed at which tobacco prices are going up in my country (Spain) and Europe in general. But when I look at prices in Canada, New Zealand and Australia I feel that things might get even uglier in the future.

I don't want to give anybody ideas nor judge. I'm just curious and not talking about law or morals. Is pipe smoking too niche for old style contraband to be economically sensible? And I'm talking about the good old boat coming ashore at night or the crossing of a frontier through mountains and rivers and not some individual customs shenanigans.

Here there's a lot of cigarette contraband from Gibraltar, and I understand that a lot of tobacco used to enter ilegally some ports from the USA in the 90's. I don't know about now.

The thing is, with prices as high as those in the countries mentioned above, I'm surprised to hear no stories about it, not even sotto voce.

Obviously, I'm not looking for specific information on actual things happening. I Just don't think I'm smarter than all the illegal entrepeneurs and most likely I'm seeing as a "business" opportunity where there isn't one. But why isn't it?

 

[Servant King]

Is pipe smoking too niche for old style contraband to be economically sensible?

Probably yes. But desperation has a way of rendering the word "sensible" somewhat irrelevant.

 

[Sigmund]

I’m no expert but in places like Australia organized crime must be looking really close at tobacco. The prices invite large scale illegal activity.

 

[AroEnglish]

I definitely think it would be too niche. I once heard someone describe cigarettes as an elephant, cigars as a mouse riding on that elephant, and pipe tobacco as a flea riding on that mouse.

 

[AroEnglish]

I’m no expert but in places like Australia organized crime must be looking really close at tobacco. The prices invite crime.

Australasia Pipe Cartel.

 

[elvishrunes]

Mostly it is too niche, and contraband would generally have to be similar quality, unlike in canada with native produced cigarettes that are much cheaper, it requires more skill to make pipe tobacoo, and the market is too small.

However smuggling from a low tax region to high tax one could work, like the US to Canada, if you had customers, but it still pretty niche even for that…

I have a FB pipe group that would buy tins if I drove through the border with a stuffed trunk of tins, but I have better safer ways to make money than that…

 

[Sigmund]

Oh. I hasn’t paying attention. No not enough cash in pipe tobacco but in cigarettes $$$

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The writing is on the wall. Tobacco's days are numbered. Tobacco production is 1/10th of what it was just 20 years ago. I hardly ever see any cigarette smokers these day. And, when the cigarette companies go down, pipes goes down with it. Because we benefit from the cigarette industry to get our tobaccos. No farmer is going to grow the drop in a bucket amount of tobacco that we require.

My advise, is that instead of stomping feet and talking like spoiled three year olds, buy as much tobacco as you can afford and set it back. Then you too can grin as you watch the tobacco ship sink into the cold cabbage sea.

And, stop acting like you think it won't happen. Open your damn eyes, it is happening.

 

[AroEnglish]

The writing is on the wall. Tobacco's days are numbered. Tobacco production is 1/10th of what it was just 20 years ago. I hardly ever see any cigarette smokers these day. And, when the cigarette companies go down, pipes goes down with it. Because we benefit from the cigarette industry to get our tobaccos. No farmer is going to grow the drop in a bucket amount of tobacco that we require.

My advise, is that instead of stomping feet and talking like spoiled three year olds, buy as much tobacco as you can afford and set it back. Then you too can grin as you watch the tobacco ship sink into the cold cabbage sea.

And, stop acting like you think it won't happen. Open your damn eyes, it is happening.

What about grow our own? Is that possible? Is anyone doing that?

 

[jpmcwjr]

What about grow our own? Is that possible? Is anyone doing that?

Of course it's possible. Anywhere tomatoes grow well it's easy.

And, yes, a number of members here have done just that.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What about grow our own? Is that possible? Is anyone doing that?

I did for seven or so years. I have a couple of hundred pounds set back from just that.

 

[AroEnglish]

Of course it's possible. Anywhere tomatoes grow well it's easy.

And, yes, a number of members here have done just that.

I did for seven or so years. I have a couple of hundred pounds set back from just that.

Yes I know; that was the joke Although to be fair I didn't realize it was a couple hundred pounds worth. That is very impressive.

 

[Yambo]

The writing is on the wall. Tobacco's days are numbered. Tobacco production is 1/10th of what it was just 20 years ago. I hardly ever see any cigarette smokers these day. And, when the cigarette companies go down, pipes goes down with it. Because we benefit from the cigarette industry to get our tobaccos. No farmer is going to grow the drop in a bucket amount of tobacco that we require.

My advise, is that instead of stomping feet and talking like spoiled three year olds, buy as much tobacco as you can afford and set it back. Then you too can grin as you watch the tobacco ship sink into the cold cabbage sea.

And, stop acting like you think it won't happen. Open your damn eyes, it is happening.

Believe me, I know. I'm currently around 15 kilos and going up every week. And I'm also going to grow my own sometime in the near future. What I don't really get is where did act as a spoiled three years old. Maybe I expressed myself wrong as English is not my primary language. I think complaining about an issue is important to let it be talked about and discussed. Maybe we can do nothing or maybe we can, but shutting our mouths would certainly get us nowhere.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Believe me, I know. I'm currently around 15 kilos and going up every week. And I'm also going to grow my own sometime in the near future. What I don't really get is where did act as a spoiled three years old. Maybe I expressed myself wrong as English is not my primary language. I think complaining about an issue is important to let it be talked about and discussed. Maybe we can do nothing or maybe we can, but shutting our mouths would certainly get us nowhere.

Oh, I did not mean that you were acting like a spoiled three year old. I was just referring to men at large and in general, when this topic comes up. They start lashing out and blaming liberals, commies, whoever they can blame.
I’m sorry that I wasn’t clearer.

 

[Yambo]

Oh, I did not mean that you were acting like a spoiled three year old. I was just referring to men at large and in general, when this topic comes up. They start lashing out and blaming liberals, commies, whoever they can blame.
I’m sorry that I wasn’t clearer.

I'm sorry I misunderstood.
Yeah, I like to be realistic and it's very likely that tobacco will most probably turn into a luxury good. So, I prepare for the pipocalypse and so should everyone.

Reasons and motivations constitute another issue and sometimes are different from country to country. I really wish for pipesmoking to have a future beyond my lifespan, but I really don't know what can we do in order to contribute. Maybe the scene will be totaly different in fifty years and growing your own gets to be the norm, but it really saddens me to think about the richness of todays blends and knowledge being partially or totally lost forever.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

More importantly, people in those countries need to be raising holy hell with their politicians. It's ridiculous to tax cigars and pipe tobacco out of usage.

 

[mikethompson]

There is definitely NO Australian-Canadian pipe tobacco ring right @Ahi Ka ?

 

[makhorkasmoker]

Have pipe tobacco prices gone up a lot in Spain? I was there a couple of years ago and I thought the prices surpringly reasonable. I’m going again in October. I hope to stop by a tabacos shop or 2 in Madrid to see if I can find something unusual…

I know if prices get ridiculous here in the u.s. I’m just going to plant a burley patch.

 

[kcghost]

I don't know of any organized group doing this, but you never can tell. As in all thing money talks and bull dumping's walk.

 

[Yambo]

Have pipe tobacco prices gone up a lot in Spain? I was there a couple of years ago and I thought the prices surpringly reasonable. I’m going again in October. I hope to stop by a tabacos shop or 2 in Madrid to see if I can find something unusual…

I know if prices get ridiculous here in the u.s. I’m just going to plant a burley patch.

It's still comparatively cheap, but going up every month. You can get Capstan for about 10 euros, Condor for less than 6 and Rattray's for 22. I hope that gives you an idea.