When To Stop Adding To Cellar

[gervais]

People can do whatever they want with their spare cash. If someone wants to have a stash that would potentially last them 400 years, more power to them. At that point, however, it is like @unadoptedlamp mentioned, more than likely a shopping addiction/hoarding problem. I'm not ragging on those in that boat though! Like I said, pile away! Let's call a spade a spade though.

 

[skydog]

I've definitely slowed down since I estimate that I have 20+ years of tobacco stored away already. I've gotten to the point where I have a lot of tobacco I enjoy so I'm not nearly as tempted to try the latest and greatest blends. There is definitely the possibility of getting sucked into impulsive buying so I've always tried to focus on what goals I have for my cellar and not get sucked into FOMO.

 

[Elric]

I currently have 40 pounds in the cellar which should last me about 20 years. I've built it over time so easily half of it now has 10+ years of age. That said, I'm now concentrating on "types" of tobaccos. I have enough Latakia to last the duration, but I need to stock some additional Burley and Virginia blends. I also need to trade/sell a bunch of blends away as my preferred taste profile no longer includes Perique. I still enjoy trying new blends but they would now have to be pretty damn amazing to work their way into my cellar in any depth.

 

[pappymac]

I just did an inventory of my unopened tins in my cellar and counted 39 tins plus six mason jars packed with blends that came in the jewelry box type tins. (That's what I call the tins used by Rattray's Exotic Passion or the Peterson Seasonal Blends.) That also doesn't include the 8 jars of other blends that I jarred after opening and occasionally dip into. Basically, if I smoked just what I have on hand, it would last me about five years. I'm 67 now.

I didn't buy tobacco to cellar it. In fact, prior to 2014, I never bought more than a tin at a time. Then I started reading pipe forums and such and was scared into buying more tobacco before it just disappeared. I also started reading about tobacco blends I had never heard of before and buying them. This lead to a modest buying of two or three tins a month.

So I blame all you guys for the amount of tobacco I have on hand and the nervous twitch I start getting if I don't buy more each month. I would just quit and give it away but my wife won't let me. See keeps saying, "You bought it, you smoke it." (Not really. She's more concerned about the number of books I buy every month because of the space they take up.)

 

[HitchensDog]

One thing I'd add in response to your question about when do you start smoking what you have . . .

This is something I've just started doing. I haven't figured out how I want to do it yet, but I want to make sure I'm not just forgetting about the oldest tins I have in stock and make sure I smoke them before they pass the peak of the benefits they get from aging. Not that any of us really knows when that would be.

That is something I need to sort out as well.

 

[seanv]

Really depends on the country! It'd be a big undertaking to map what's allowed where, even just in the EU, and what's allowed but prohibitive due to cost/taxes, but the main point is that it IS a big deal for some people.

Personal example: I'm in Greece and used to buy from the UK and Denmark, these countries stopped sending abroad at the same time Dunhill stopped so I was left in pipe tobacco desert.

Now I buy from Germany, and very occasionally from the US, by making orders be delivered to a cousin of mine who lives in NYC. The downside is that he visits Greece once a year or so (even before COVID), and doesn't have endless bag space to carry my tobacco, so orders can't be massive. I've never ordered from the US to be sent to Greece - I've heard from other Greek pipe smokers that while smokingpipes WILL accept and send the order, in the last 2 years or so all packages are stopped by customs so I won't chance it. I used to buy from the UK by working for a UK company, having packages delivered to our HQ and either myself or a colleague picking up my packages in regular business travel, COVID changed that too. Now I could send to friends over there and ask them to send to me, but I don't want to become annoying! Having looked at Dutch and Italian shops I know they'll send pipes (like everyone else), but not tobacco, same for Irish shops (but their prices are extreme). When German shops stop sending to Greece I'll be back in tobacco desert. My current finances can't justify a HUGE order from Germany, and am also afraid if it'd get stopped I'd be out by a lot of money.

I am in the same boat. My orders are smaller than I'd like them to be for these same reasons

 

[HitchensDog]

I don't buy tobacco anymore. It can become addictive to want to add new blends, and at a certain point (most people must feel this if they really think hard about why they keep buying more in mass quantities), you're just wasting spending money on a shopping addiction. For some people, if they weren't smoking pipes, it would be some other consumer product. It is just uncomfortable to confront this and get to the reasons why.

Some of the scare about pipe tobacco disappearing because of what the United States is doing is responsible for some of this uptick in buying habits we've seen over the past few years. There should be no doubt about that. But only to a logical point.
Even if the United States banned the sale of tobacco tomorrow, you would still have access to many great blends in quantities and prices where you would have more than enough to smoke in a lifetime. And I don't believe the sky is falling. Even if I'm wrong, I know there are still plenty of places to get tobacco that is very good.

A lot of members here only have exposure to the U.S. market; they don't tend to realize that there is a huge amount of pipe tobacco available in other countries that is largely not even talked about here, aside from a few limited trends that we see with some brands.

To anyone who is not a U.S. member, they know that getting tobacco across international borders is not such a big deal. It's been the norm for well over a decade now.

I think Cosmic nailed it. The whole "cellar" thing is great marketing. I think some people just ran with it, on gut instinct. It sort of made sense on the surface, but really, it's impossible to say what is going to be better, what will be riddled with mold, or what will just flat out taste awful because it is well past the prime. There are few data points available for an objective response. Some swear up and down that it is 10x better at 5 years, 15x better at 10 years, and -1,000 points at 20 years because it's basically sawdust. And still others can't even tell a difference.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've got shit for brains in my gut. The reality is a bit out of line with the perception, in my opinion.

Of course, there will be people who disagree with this. I just have a different experience.

My main blend of choice is Haddo's. I have stockpiled some of this just in case. And it's probably irrational. Still, I find it much better fresh!

It's all a mixed bag. I think the main reason to cellar is because blends may go away. But then I had a look at which blends I smoke the most (aside from Haddo's) and they're not even made in the United States. So what's the point?

Thanks for your response. This is very helpful and has given me some things to consider.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

I think Ive got enough, I smoke 2-3 bowls a week... and have about 6-8 pounds in my stash.. I now only buy stuff that I want to taste immediately.

 

[HitchensDog]

Really depends on the country! It'd be a big undertaking to map what's allowed where, even just in the EU, and what's allowed but prohibitive due to cost/taxes, but the main point is that it IS a big deal for some people.

Personal example: I'm in Greece and used to buy from the UK and Denmark, these countries stopped sending abroad at the same time Dunhill stopped so I was left in pipe tobacco desert.

Now I buy from Germany, and very occasionally from the US, by making orders be delivered to a cousin of mine who lives in NYC. The downside is that he visits Greece once a year or so (even before COVID), and doesn't have endless bag space to carry my tobacco, so orders can't be massive. I've never ordered from the US to be sent to Greece - I've heard from other Greek pipe smokers that while smokingpipes WILL accept and send the order, in the last 2 years or so all packages are stopped by customs so I won't chance it. I used to buy from the UK by working for a UK company, having packages delivered to our HQ and either myself or a colleague picking up my packages in regular business travel, COVID changed that too. Now I could send to friends over there and ask them to send to me, but I don't want to become annoying! Having looked at Dutch and Italian shops I know they'll send pipes (like everyone else), but not tobacco, same for Irish shops (but their prices are extreme). When German shops stop sending to Greece I'll be back in tobacco desert. My current finances can't justify a HUGE order from Germany, and am also afraid if it'd get stopped I'd be out by a lot of money.

Wow. That is quite a dilemma. I had no idea how restrictive it could be in some countries.

 

[geopiper]

When it's not fun anymore.

 

[Casual]

I have enough to stop. I should stop. But they’re having a sale right now. It’s never going to be cheaper. Etc, etc.

 

[mso489]

Some guys on here have enough for all day pipe smoking on their 425th birthday, if it matters.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

Really depends on the country

That is true. There will always be some examples like Greece, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

I live part time live in a very restrictive country. No tobacco imports allowed, no exceptions. You can't even pay a duty to get it in by mail. Usually I bring enough with me when I go there, but sometimes I've been caught out without enough and have had to order some in. I live in 2 other places with varying degrees of difficulty in regards to imports. North America and the EU.

What I can tell you, from my experience, is that with just a little bit of creativity and research, the border issue can magically disappear. Sure, it is a little more hassle than simply clicking "buy" and having it show up. But it's not all that difficult either.

I'm just saying it's not as bad as a lot of people say, if they're willing to look around for some alternative options for securing tobacco. I won't disclose my methods, but they're not high tech and you're not going to wind up in jail over it. It's just a numbers issue, really. And pipe tobacco is still cheap, in my opinion. Even if it doubled in price tomorrow... hell, a lot of people spend more on coffee per day.

Americans import thousands of pounds of illegal Cuban cigars with great success! I know they could also do it with pipe tobacco if the need arose. And it would still be affordable, because it's not a status symbol.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That is true. There will always be some examples like Greece, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

I live part time live in a very restrictive country. No tobacco imports allowed, no exceptions. You can't even pay a duty to get it in by mail. Usually I bring enough with me when I go there, but sometimes I've been caught out without enough and have had to order some in. I live in 2 other places with varying degrees of difficulty in regards to imports. North America and the EU.

What I can tell you, from my experience, is that with just a little bit of creativity and research, the border issue can magically disappear. Sure, it is a little more hassle than simply clicking "buy" and having it show up. But it's not all that difficult either.

I'm just saying it's not as bad as a lot of people say, if they're willing to look around for some alternative options for securing tobacco. I won't disclose my methods, but they're not high tech and you're not going to wind up in jail over it. It's just a numbers issue, really. And pipe tobacco is still cheap, in my opinion. Even if it doubled in price tomorrow... hell, a lot of people spend more on coffee per day.

Americans import thousands of pounds of illegal Cuban cigars with great success! I know they could also do it with pipe tobacco if the need arose. And it would still be affordable, because it's not a status symbol.

Exactly, Everytime I hear people complain about this or that laws, I just laugh, because a real American just does what he wants.
In my state, there has been a long-standing law against being able to ship or receive wines. If you go to any online wine seller, when you check out it will show that "We do not deliver to...." and there's my state... because, you know... all of the trailer park kids getting junked up on their online Pinot Grigios. But, I make a phone call... and I just sliced open my fifth case of verbotten Albariño. There is absolutely no one at the post office going through your boxes. Hell, a buddy of mine found out his teenage son had been making online pot orders to Colorado and just getting the shit in the mail like an Amazon order for over a year. He just happen to come home one day and open his box by mistake.

Just do what you want. Just don't post your techniques. That would be a forum violation... because... well... some rules/laws are worth following, ha ha.

Hell, I probably break six laws every morning before breakfast.

 

[briarbuck]

In the highway of life, the point I should have stopped was about 3 exits ago.

I have over 150lbs cellared, so my buying is very very specific these days to fill in some holes.

 

[timt]

I stopped adding pipe tobacco probably 6 months ago after accumulating over 100 lbs and realizing it will take a good effort to smoke it all before I croak. I must admit though, I just placed order #2 for some nasal snuff. Lovely stuff I must say.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

I just bought some twists from KBV. Add another 150 grams to the stash.

 

[--dante--]

By my estimations, if I just keep smoking as I do now, I can make my 400 lbs cellar last another 20-30 years. And, as smoking is my main past-time, and I am nearing 60, I don't think I will out live my cellar. So, no more buying. Hell, I am not even impressed with how aged tobacco is turning out. I was promised that it was going to improve, and 90% of my cellar is unchanged at all. You'd hope that when you reach a certain level, that there'd be some rewards to all of this. Hell, smokingpipes.com didn't even give me the option of picking a sticker out of the treasure chest.

I'm not about to start telling folks that cellaring this stuff was a marketing ploy to keep a dead pasttime alive. I won't mention that if they hadn't of duped everyone into this cellaring this stuff back in hoards that they'd have all went tits up by now. I won't even mention that I like to check the mailbox while wearing my boxers. But, you didn't hear it from me.

You have a good point there (about the affects of aging). I have a lot of 10-15 year old tins as a result of having quit pipes for about 10 years or so. I'm not really impressed with any of the one's I've popped. They're good, but many of them I actually didn't like the smoothing out effect some had, and I could swear the stronger ones seemed to lose some of their nicotine punch. I found that simple burley, burley/VA blends were just fine, and I did like the effect aging had on the latakia for some. I do still cellar, but just to have it down the road, more so than for trying to improve blends with age. That said, I do think some blends are a little too fresh, and could use a year or two.

 

[--dante--]

When I have 2000lbs I'll stop.

How close are you? lol

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

How close are you? lol

Pathetically not close.