Would You Pay?

[Perique]

A couple of recent for sale threads made caused me some interest on this subject. One man’s average is another’s spectacular, and it sure sucks to have a favorite discontinued. So what are some of the blends you would pay a premium for? And how high would you go over then-current retail?

A few that I would, for sure, at least 2-3x:

-Wilke No. 10
-MacBaren Burley London Blend
Dunhill London Mixture
-and the McClelland Grand Orientals, particularly Drama Reserve, Classic Samsun, and Black Sea Sorkoum.

How about you?

(I’m now trying to stockpile favorites hand over fist so I’m never in this position again)

 

[condorlover1]

Original War Horse Plug from the 1970/80s, Condor Plug from the 1990s/2000s and Warrior Plug in either the foil square or the red pouch. Whilst I have a lot of the above I will always add to the pile as you can never have too much.

 

[Casual]

Revealed preference: I’ve passed on every aftermarket expensive blend except for one. I paid $60 for 100g of Vintage Syrian. Just to try it once.

 

[davidintexas]

Hi Simon. Your first remake, the War Horse Ready Cut, if that had been a plug instead of loose cut, was that one intended to be more like the plugs from the 70s/80s, flavor-wise? Because the old plugs didn't have the added flavors that are in the current War Horse Red did they?

 

[tobefrank]

I have recently paid a relative premium for SG Full Virginia Plug and St James Flake, $100 Australian per 50 g each.

I say relative, because it was a normal price here in Australia (same price as Captain Black for example) but relatively expensive compared to what I bought online from the US in the past.

The price has gone up to $120 Australian last month due to a further increase in tobacco tax, so it still kinda feels like a good deal...

 

[ashdigger]

I’ve definitely played the Unobtanium Premium game, but I have no interest in that anymore. If I run out of a favorite I’m just going forward and enjoying something else.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I will pay a modest premium but not the significant premium I normally see. Not saying the prices aren't reasonable, they obviously are because people pay it. Just not worth it to me when I have so much great tobacco to smoke that I purchased at regular prices.

 

[jaytex1969]

I'm such a tightass, I could shove a quarter in my bum and squeeze out three dimes.

My goal is to cellar decent or better quality tobacco for $3 per ounce. I often concede to $5 an ounce for the right deal. Once or twice, I soared to about $8 per ounce out of morbid curiosity.

So, I guess the answer to your question is no... ?

 

[pantsBoots]

I've paid going rate for a few Frog Morton just to catch the fuss. Glad I did, but I'm not going to keep collecting tins of it - I'm going for quantity vs trade bait in my collection. I'd love to try some McClelland Orientals just to see what the benchmark is that so many people swear by. Alas, I'm not quick enough when they come up and many times the pricing is beyond what I consider reasonable, compared to widely-available blends.

The only place in the tobacco world where I have readily paid going rate involved well-aged Havana cigars. Many simply require age to be at their best and up until recently, aged stock wasn't priced too horribly. I got a box of 08 El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme last year for $240/ box 25. That's a world class cigar when aged and I blew through them.

 

[jpberg]

My days of shooting the moon are long over. That being said, if I saw some Irish Roll or a couple other old twists or plugs I’d think about it.

 

[olkofri]

Can't think of any, really. When you're on a tight budget you learn to just let them blends go.

 

[Perique]

I'd love to try some McClelland Orientals just to see what the benchmark is that so many people swear by.

Don’t bother bidding on McClelland Orientals. They’re complete shite. And they’ll ghost your pipe. And come with tobacco beetles baked in. And they smell like horseshit. And taste like ass anyway. Avoid them at all cost. They’re awful. Awful, I tell you.

 

[warren]

Nothing comes readily to mind. Some 1960's Dunhill's perhaps. Original War Horse Plug just once maybe. Well, maybe more than once. I'd pay what the vendor asked if not too exorbitant, twice maybe three times value.

 

[condorlover1]

Hi Simon. Your first remake, the War Horse Ready Cut, if that had been a plug instead of loose cut, was that one intended to be more like the plugs from the 70s/80s, flavor-wise? Because the old plugs didn't have the added flavors that are in the current War Horse Red did they?

You got to ask Jim Inks about that. We fed Jim a whole bunch of original WH Plugs from the 50s through to the 80s so that he and Russ could get it as near as perfect as possible. On the other hand Weezell and myself have smoked plugs from the 70s that get you truly twisted. As to what the guys in PA do with the stuff today I have no clue but people seem to like it. Sadly it was never a whole leaf plug so we will never know what could have been. Dan may chime in as he had a lot to do with that part of the process.

 

[Casual]

Once or twice, I soared to about $8 per ounce out of morbid curiosity.

I bought a tin of John Cotton Double Pressed Va for $16, to find out what I was missing.

Turns out I am now missing $16.

 

[rajangan]

Tobacco in Canada is at the very least 20 metric dollars an ounce for the crappy bulk stuff. Australia and New Zealand are twice that. When I started smoking it was $4.95.

Seriously, buy anything you can. Your free ride ain't going to last forever.

 

[rajangan]

I have recently paid a relative premium for SG Full Virginia Plug and St James Flake, $100 Australian per 50 g each.

I say relative, because it was a normal price here in Australia (same price as Captain Black for example) but relatively expensive compared to what I bought online from the US in the past.

The price has gone up to $120 Australian last month due to a further increase in tobacco tax, so it still kinda feels like a good deal...

I think about how I won't hesitate to buy a cigar for $20, but $50 for a tin of tobacco that holds enough for 12ish smokes seems overpriced, and I wonder if it's all just relative.

It reminds me of the tea merchant I visit. I was asking about some of the super premium Chinese stuff and she said tea drinkers are cheap and won't pay more than $20 for 100g. But coffee drinkers will shell out 5 bucks for garbage.

 

[The Clay King]

You got to ask Jim Inks about that. We fed Jim a whole bunch of original WH Plugs from the 50s through to the 80s so that he and Russ could get it as near as perfect as possible. On the other hand Weezell and myself have smoked plugs from the 70s that get you truly twisted. As to what the guys in PA do with the stuff today I have no clue but people seem to like it. Sadly it was never a whole leaf plug so we will never know what could have been. Dan may chime in as he had a lot to do with that part of the process.

Do you mean me?
I've never smoked plug in my life!

 

[jaytex1969]

Do you mean me?

@woodsroad This Dan, I think.

 

[PipesRock]

I paid 2-3 times retail for the Frogs, Christmas Cheer, 40th Anniversary... basically up to 50.00 per 100g (a couple I paid more for) but I'm done now... too far above the 50 dollar mark for me. I'll pay 15-20% above mail order sites from B&M's for blends in production (even if so called unicorn status) but not much more than that.