Many of my favorite Tobacconists, like Gus' and Copley's, have long since departed and not too many are still around here in LaLa land. But one of my haunts, The Cigar Warehouse in Sherman Oaks, is still going under new management after nearly closing last year. I decided to pay a visit as it had been awhile, and to my joy, the previous owner Larry Wagner, was in the shop, marketing some cigar lines that he now represents as well as representing Ser Jacopo. He gave me a very warm welcome and introduced me to some of his other old time clients who had stopped in the shop to see him.
One of these gents was a collector of Charatan, with almost 200 in his collection, going back to the 1920's and who also was sitting on what I was told were several shelves of Balkan Sobranie in the 4 OZ tins that he started cellaring in the 1960's. When I told him what people were paying for that stuff on eBay his eyes widened and he smiled, then said "Good to know that people are crazy". He then told me that a number of his tins still bore the price tag of $2.67. (He's not selling any. He likes to smoke it.) We talked about Charatan, its history, about Herman Lane, about other makes, including Upshall and Ashton, tobaccos and other such pleasant topics.
Larry asked me to look at and evaluate a seven day set of unsmoked Barlng Brigadiers, as well as GBD Uniques, and some other rare pipes that he was going to place in the store. It was all great fun, and a nice break from the rat race. I also found a few tins of old stock, including a 20 year old tin of McClelland Bombay Extra, that I picked up for a very reasonable price.
You can't get that from an online store.
One of these gents was a collector of Charatan, with almost 200 in his collection, going back to the 1920's and who also was sitting on what I was told were several shelves of Balkan Sobranie in the 4 OZ tins that he started cellaring in the 1960's. When I told him what people were paying for that stuff on eBay his eyes widened and he smiled, then said "Good to know that people are crazy". He then told me that a number of his tins still bore the price tag of $2.67. (He's not selling any. He likes to smoke it.) We talked about Charatan, its history, about Herman Lane, about other makes, including Upshall and Ashton, tobaccos and other such pleasant topics.
Larry asked me to look at and evaluate a seven day set of unsmoked Barlng Brigadiers, as well as GBD Uniques, and some other rare pipes that he was going to place in the store. It was all great fun, and a nice break from the rat race. I also found a few tins of old stock, including a 20 year old tin of McClelland Bombay Extra, that I picked up for a very reasonable price.
You can't get that from an online store.
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