Who Are The Real Tobacco Snobs?

[HawkeyeLinus]

Happy to see Steve pop in and I think it's a fair response to a pretty disappointing, stir the pot with expletives thread starter that pointed a finger unfairly in one direction for sure, and questioned motives to provoke "debate" - not really in the spirit of having a discussion.

It wasn't a thread started in the spirit of what I see @sablebrush52 identifying as a distinction and I'm not sure his well spoken point is really all that much in conflict with the post that started this thread, based on Steve's definition of the term and the context provided, but I understand his point as well and forums are for opinions, maybe it's not so much don't be a "Tobacco Snob" as just kind of not being a dumbass on purpose --- I've wished for a much longer window for editing on a couple of occasions.

Thanks to Steve for what he provides as a service and he does it the right way, IMO. Anything supporting outlets for obtaining tobacco and pipes and whatever goes with them should be celebrated --- folks should pick or choose whatever gets them what they want or need and not really care what or how others pick or choose. Sort out the ones you want to deal with, learn from your experiences and the shared experiences of others, which this place helps to do, usually in pretty constructive and often simultaneously entertaining ways.

Pretty much just like anything else.

 

[craig61a]

These secondary market tobacco prices will not stand, man...

 

[K.E. Powell]

Kinda mixed on this one, not going to lie. I'm pretty sure the "real snobs" thing has been something the OP has posted before, but I could be mistaken; but I swear I've read something like it almost word-for-word before.

I do agree in a general sense: a person disparaging others for paying too much for tobacco, considering it is a basic consumer product and not an actual necessity, is a bit rich. I don't know if I would call it snobbish, as snobbery has more in common with classist notions and this is more an argument about the relative and personal value of a particular kind of consumer good itself.

Still, I wouldn't necessarily question the intelligence or character of a person who spends $80 on a tin of rare tobacco or somesuch. Pipe smoking can be and often is a pricey hobby to begin with, after all. But I can see why someone would see those prices and find themselves saying, "Who would pay those? The prices listed are crazy high!" That's not a dig at a person, but a question of pricing itself. It's a distinction worth acknowledging. It's something I think everyone does.

But in a niche market such as this, the consumer largely sets the prices. If people are willing to pay big money for a tin, then it is hard to blame the seller. Though I understand the frustration with people who purposely buy things up only to scalp them later on Ebay or whatever. That shit is pretty uncool, but hey, capitalism, I guess.

 

[K.E. Powell]

These secondary market tobacco prices will not stand, man...

View attachment 202147

Just because we are bereaved doesn't make us saps!

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Don’t sweat it Steve, it is what it is.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

I have always looked at tobacco cost as enjoyment per bowel vs cost. I get 20 to 25 bowls per tin and if you do the math, that’s less than a Starbucks coffee most of the time. it takes me around an hour to smoke a bowl. So…I think that’s a reasonable enjoyment return on a cost of a new desirable tin no matter where I buy it.

This is my stance as well. I've bought a few $100 tins of Christmas Cheer which sounds insane to some, mostly outside our little hobby but still. Would I love to go back in time and buy them at $15? Yeah of course, but life doesn't afford us that luxury so I pay the price that they are today.

I've got friends in to cigars and in comparison it's almost laughable. For a single smoke I'm paying $3 a bowl to smoke one of the most high end expensive single purchases in pipe tobacco. If it was cigars instead a single $3 smoke would be a tremendous bargain. It's all relative and that's the way I look at it. I try and keep my spending within my means and do my best not to judge other people doing the same.

 

[OSOBUCO]

Jealousy and/or envy most likely. And, a lot of people simply demean anything they can't get the heads around. So, ignorance also.Thoroughly enjoyed your post. Sad though that you felt the need to defend/explain. It will be over the heads of most of the so-called "snobs."

This 100% - It's envy/jealousy IMHO. Same goes for people who hate on others who buy Lambos, Versace and all the high end luxury stuff - likely even Castellos and Dunhills. My advice to such folks, move on and don't let it rile you up, you are just ruining precious moments of your life with unnecessary angst.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I am just glad that you are in business. Pipes and tobacco have so few users spread out and so many enemies making us an easy target. I wish you well. I wish all those in the pipe and tobacco industry well.

 

[rmbittner]

I would just ask the general population, if you were going to sell a pipe, or a tin of tobacco, would you go wrong asking Steve to handle it for you?

I didn’t go wrong. Steve was helpful enough to purchase around $6,000 worth of tins from me, for resale on his site. It came at a time when we were facing an unexpected debt, and no one else here was interested or equipped to take hundreds of tins at one time. He was friendly, thoroughly professional, and very fair in his assessment of what I had.

The only issue: I don’t know how anyone smokes Royal Yacht.

 

[kcghost]

I guess I get more than a little tired of the guys who claim they are being robbed because tobacco costs more than they are willing to pay for it. And people that pay more than X dollars for a pipe must be crazy is another line of theirs. Yeah, they have a right to say it, but I have a right to blast them when they do.

 

[craig61a]

Just because we are bereaved doesn't make us saps!

I'm talkin about drawing a line in the sand, man, across this line you do not...

 

[sablebrush52]

Yeah, they have a right to say it, but I have a right to blast them when they do.

Exactly.

 

[Chasing Embers]

even Castellos and Dunhills

My issues with both are having owned both. Castello had to be saved and promoted by a drugstore pipe mogul before buyers took notice of them and I find their buttons uncomfortable without having to file them. Out of the five Dunhills I've owned, four were horribly drilled. The price isn't an issue for me, only the quality.

 

[sablebrush52]

Kinda mixed on this one, not going to lie. I'm pretty sure the "real snobs" thing has been something the OP has posted before, but I could be mistaken; but I swear I've read something like it almost word-for-word before.

It's on Steve's site.

 

[sablebrush52]

In my opinion, the definition of a snob (whether we're talking about tobacco, or wine, or whisky, etc) is one who believes that their own preferences are objectively "correct" while shitting on the preferences of others.

Sometimes, though, that might just be expertise without any social skills attached.

 

[sablebrush52]

It could be equally true that tobacco snobs are people who get off on buying only rare and desirable blends. And then there are tobacco snobs who make apriori conclusions about the quality or worthiness of a particular brand of tobacco. We used to have a cadre of commentators who would disparage anything Sutliff, the dumb bastards.

Of course, I have no opinion regarding this.

 

[canucklehead]

Steve, I just realised I’ve only ever typed your store name and never said it out loud. Should I be saying “pipe stud” or “pipes tud”? Chur.

I always have that problem when I read posts from @Nomadorb my mind always says Noma-Dorb.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

Thank you for your words, Pipestud. While I have never splurged on the more pricey blends, I do not begrudge those that do. I am just a penny-pincher at heart, and find plenty of enjoyment with my various “budget-friendly” (to me) varieties….. and still find ample enjoyment in my “codger” blends too.

 

[Jacob74]

What's the point of being a grown up, with a lifetime of working to gain prosperity, if you can't frivolously spend once in awhile?

 

[AJL67]

Well said. I have tuned out the "it's not fair" group, as we all know not one ever said life is fair and those that bitch and whine and complain, under whatever pretext they claim, only alienate themselves in the end or draw others like them into their warped little fold of time and space, misery loves company I suppose, good luck to them.