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puros_bran

puros_bran

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You know I visit alot of boards, so when I say this I'm not singling 'us' out..

Why do so many guys lament the B&M's that don't cater to pipes when they buy 100% or near 100% of their pipe stuff online?
Would you cater to a group of people that won't support your business?

In other words Why would anyone spend 10-20-30-40k to set a half serious pipe section up when all they'd hear is.. "I can get this cheaper at sp.com"????????
 
B&M's have to offer more for what they have to charge. More personalized service. Comfortable lounge. Something to drink. Good conversation. A fair selection of blends. A reliable way of selling a product that will keep the bills paid. Meaning, steady traffic in, buying a few cigars every few minutes.
 
My only issue with my current b&m is the tobacco selection(its good, but...) Just seems anything to small cant hold a candle to most of the online retailers. As far as pipes they are pretty on the money!
 
My favorite B&M, Smoky's in Montvue Center, gets almost all my business. I buy online when I want something Dave doesn't carry or can't get for me. I even have him order pipes for me that I see online and like. My feeling is we should support the local guy if we want him to stay in business. It costs me a little more but in return I get the companionship of a great bunch of guys, a good friend who really knows a lot about pipes, tobaccos and cigars and a place where I can escape the stress of everyday life. Online dealers offer good deals and nothing of the other things that are important to me. :)
 
I buy most of my pipes and tobaccos from a local B&M, even if it's a bit far (30 min drive). Only buy online occasional special deals and things that the B&M doesn't carry (such as pipes from selected makers).
 
Listening to the radio, they shared a survey about book buyers. A huge percentage of the customers that go into Chapters bookstore, go to skim through the book that they are interested in and then, if they think they'll like the book, will go home and buy it online.

I've never purchased a pipe online. I couldn't imagine not looking at it carefully before purchasing it... save one exception... I purchased a couple of pipes from a Canadian maker in Ontario two or three years ago.

Tobacco is solely price for me.
 
Slow Puffs":ki9yf6n8 said:
I've never purchased a pipe online. I couldn't imagine not looking at it carefully before purchasing it... save one exception... I purchased a couple of pipes from a Canadian maker in Ontario two or three years ago.

Tobacco is solely price for me.
Click to expand...
I've only met one pipe in person, prior to purchase.
 
Hermit.. I've never heard you bemoan the local B&M not carrying any/enough pipe stuff.

Thats what I was trying to communicate. We (pipers as a group) complain that the local guy only carrys a small selection, then we never purchase anything from him because 'its cheaper online'. Wheres the logic? He's not going to lay down a huge overhead for something that never sells... I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty, just asking for a reality check.
 
puros_bran":3c899p8m said:
Hermit.. I've never heard you bemoan the local B&M not carrying any/enough pipe stuff.

Thats what I was trying to communicate. We (pipers as a group) complain that the local guy only carrys a small selection, then we never purchase anything from him because 'its cheaper online'. Wheres the logic? He's not going to lay down a huge overhead for something that never sells... I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty, just asking for a reality check.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree, and to have some sympathy for some tobacconists' view that pipe guys, from a sales perspective, cannot be relied upon to sustain a viable trade, so there is in almost every B&M a discernible bias towards the cigar trade. You'll sometimes see threads in pipe forums about perceived negative treatment of pipe smokers as "second class citizens." The flip side of this is: without the cigar trade, there would be no B&Ms, period. No place to hang out and smoke, buy pipe cleaners, or even to get cigars (as I'm betting most of us smoke at least the occasional cigar). I for one am grateful that those crass, Tommy Bahama shirt-wearing, used BMW-driving, robusto chomping cigar wankers are able to support my local hangout :D
 
Local B&M can mean many things. I rarely buy some Zippo fuel from the cigarette shacks. They are about 15 miles away. Not much else worth buying.

30 miles away is a pretty good cigar store. Some pipes and tobaccos. I get my Opus X from them.

55 miles away is two places in Champaign, IL. John's Pipe Shop near the U of I and Bacca Cigar Co. Both are pretty well stocked in pipes, tobaccos, and cigars. When I go visit I never ask how much anything is until the pile looks about right. Last trip over was to Bacca and I spend a couple hours there, and in the lounge. I made a pile of various tins, then some better cigars for my humidor. Cain, Don Pepin Garcia Blue, La Aroma de Cuba, others. Total was over $300 and with incentive discounts, less than that. I do that once or twice a year.

I try to stay within what I planned to spend as a total, and not be concerned at all at what any one item costs. I cannot think of a better way to treat a good B&M.
 
I shop at my local B&M's as much as possible. I like the idea of having a real physical place to go where there are knowledgeable people, products I can check out in person before buying, and the opportunity to meet and talk with people who have similar interests. I also happen to like the proprietor at my nearest - one mile from office - shop. My pockets aren't real deep, though, especially in this economy.

A while back I talked with the owner of my local store about the significant price differences I was seeing on line, particularly from one catalogue company. He immediately told me that he would sell to me at the same price as the online retailer. Ever since then he has made sure to give me price breaks from his regular list prices on all my purchases. I don't ask him for specific prices or even ask 'What is my price?' He simply takes steps to make sure I know he values my business and I make sure that he - and others - know I like buying from him when I can.

I still buy online. No shop can stock or sell the range of products available in our hobby. I am a regular at that B&M though and I think it is a win-win relationship.
 
I try to support my local B&M with an occasional (like every 2 month) purchase of a tin (he only has Peterson and Macbaron with a few older McClellend tins). I usually get my pipe cleaners and zippo fuel from him, his pipe selection is pretty slim pickins, he either has $30 no names or $120 stuff. My pipe budget usually only allows for $60-80 purchaces (when I can do that). He does have one Stanwell I've had my eye on, been sitting there for over a year.
 
I like supporting my local, but I'm fortunate that my tobacconist has an amazing legal loophole by which they operate a full bar and cafe. Their pipe tobacco selection is quirky (though they have Davidoff blends at a deal because they're imported through CT) and their pipes are overpriced, but I can just stop by for a cup of coffee or a pint or a scotch, and puff my pipe in a comfy leather chair.
 
I guess I'll use this post as a spring board for a post I wrote up about a month ago but then deleted because I don't like to "bitch".

But I'll strain out the filler and get to the heart of the matter.

I'll start by saying that about 90% of my tobacco/pipes have been purchased at local B&M's around my state, more so in my own city. I have made about 2 online tobacco purchases, 1 online pipe purchase from Boswells, and more recently 1 pipe purchase from eBay. Granted, I am a slow smoker so a single tobacco purchase may last me a few months. There's my demographics, so on with the story.

About a month ago I was jonesing for some new tobacco and perhaps a pipe. It had been at least 6 months since I had made any purchases at this point. I had an unusual evening where I had a few hours alone so off I went to hit all three local B&M's within about a 20 mile radius of my home just to check out what they have that's new. I stopped at all three shops and not only had the selection of pipe tobacco dwindled to near nothing (one shop moved their last 4 remaining tins off the shelf and hidden behind the counter until I asked), but the mis-information regarding pipes/tobacco was a worse offense than the selection and may cause me to not visit these places anymore. It's funny, because some of these guys see a young looking guy come in and looking at pipes and assumes that he has no knowledge of anything so the BS they spit will suffice just fine. If I wanted to argue with them or drop some serious truth I could have easily, but it's not my character to do so. If you want details PM me, because I am also not one to be accused of slander by publicly speaking out about a local business. But let me just say, I was very saddened by the experience and it makes me 1) want to either travel further out to another B&M that I know has more knowledge and won't BS me or 2) make my orders online which I know will save me money but unfortunately hurt local business.

This is just my $.02 so take it as you will, but I have either succumb to pipe-snobbery or we are in a sad state of affairs in terms of pipe smoking in my area.

-Adam
 
I have to give a real big kudos to the shop I visit in Reno.
Reno Tinderbox is top notch. I'm not affiliated in any way, don't
even know the guys' names. Large selection of pipes and tobac.
It's a 250 mile drive for me.(each way)
 
I am fortunate in the number of pipe/cigar related B&M's here in the Phoenix area. I frequent quite a few local B&M's, four of which do cater to the pipe smoking crowd, and 99% of the time if they have something (whether pipe or blend) that I'm looking for I will purchase from them. If they don't have a particular blend I'm looking for then I purchase on-line. I don't think I've ever "complained" about them (other than once when I purchased a new pipe and it was sour tasting). I am friends with three of the owners. The biggest problem with pipe related B&M's is the amount of inventory versus number of pipe smokers that cater to your shop. Three of the shops carry hundreds of pipes in stock. The thing is that they can hold that inventory for years before moving it. I am surprised that they are not more into the Internet end of things when it comes to pipe related merchandise. I have been to many cigar shop type B&M's and have talked to the owners and they just don't want the hassle of weighing out bulk blends nor having inventory that doesn't move fast. I would also assume that depending on your state it "just is" cheaper to purchase on-line because of the local tobacco taxes.
 
My favorite local tobacconist, Knoxville Cigar Company, closed up shop earlier this year. They had recently invested in a bar/lounge area, and the shop was a wonderful place to visit/hangout/purchase.

The last few times I was in there I noticed a table of half price items in the middle of the floor...much of it tobacco, some shaving stuff. Jared (a long time employee who was most helpful) said they were pretty much phasing out pipe tobaccco because demand was down. They sold a lot of cigars, I guess, and I had bought two pipes in there.

Then, just like that...they closed. I was really sorry to see them go, but there are a couple of other shops in town...Smoky's (as Centurion mentioned) and Leaf and Ale, which I've never visited. Also, the Gatlinburlier is not too far away.

I would much rather buy from a local business, and do when I can, but I have also ordered online...because of price.

Mike
 
Two major points:
#1 Sounds like Knoxville Cigar Company closed shop. As some of you old guys may remember this is where the BOB started.
#2 Do B&M sell estate pipes? I think that the answer is "NO". OK...so where do you go if you want to look at estate pipes? The answer is probably pipe shows or the internet.

Bub
 
gospelman":8eaigr4o said:
My favorite local tobacconist, Knoxville Cigar Company, closed up shop earlier this year. They had recently invested in a bar/lounge area, and the shop was a wonderful place to visit/hangout/purchase.

The last few times I was in there I noticed a table of half price items in the middle of the floor...much of it tobacco, some shaving stuff. Jared (a long time employee who was most helpful) said they were pretty much phasing out pipe tobaccco because demand was down. They sold a lot of cigars, I guess, and I had bought two pipes in there.

Then, just like that...they closed. I was really sorry to see them go, but there are a couple of other shops in town...Smoky's (as Centurion mentioned) and Leaf and Ale, which I've never visited. Also, the Gatlinburlier is not too far away.

I would much rather buy from a local business, and do when I can, but I have also ordered online...because of price.

Mike
Click to expand...

I was really pleased to have been able to make it to Knoxville and spend a few hours there two years ago at Christmas. It sure looked like it had potential. Lots of fond memories of the Knox Board days.
 
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