I'm all for a free market and the laws of supply and demand

[Dave_In_Philly]

But this is obscene:

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/pipe-tobacco/75718/balkan-sobranie/

$36 for a 50g tin of tobacco that is made desirable simply because someone bought the rights to name their blend after a sought after tobacco.

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

For shame. :fpalm:

 

[Simple Man]

Based on that price, I have an aging tin that I could probably let go for the low price of $45. :lol!:

"supply and demand" huh? Let's just see how much demand there is for it at that price. Won't be me. :evil:

 

[JimInks]

I was just about to buy a round of BS for the house, but you folks talked me out of it!

 

[Simple Man]

I was just about to buy a round of BS for the house, but you folks talked me out of it!

You're a good man, Jim. :lol:

 

[RDPipes]

I keep tell'en you guys that P&C are low life gougers that only care about there pocket book but, oh no you won't listen, ya just keep patronizing them.

 

[i.keenum]

That's nuts for new tin for a normal online tobacco store. I tried it once and wasn't supper impressed actually liked her cheaper sister Sasieni better. This was before I really started enjoying english blends so who knows how I would feel now. My tastes have changed drastically from 2 years ago but not enough to justify that price to try it again.

 

[Simple Man]

That's nuts for new tin for a normal online tobacco store. I tried it once and wasn't supper impressed actually liked her cheaper sister Sasieni better. This was before I really started enjoying english blends so who knows how I would feel now. My tastes have changed drastically from 2 years ago but not enough to justify that price to try it again.

I knew two gals like that once.

 

[monbla256]

Besides being a ridiculas price for it. it is NOWHERE near the blend it's big sister was, 759 in the black tin. It's merely an overpriced Balkan LITE!! No if they brought out the 759 that was sold in the late '60s, I might pay that! Too bad so many newbies will probably fall for all the hype about the white tin and never get to know what a REAL Balkan was like !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[JimInks]

I smoked Sobranie for many years, and this new version does not measure up. The only thing close to the '80s-mid-2000 version is Synjeco's Torina. Russ' WhiteKnight is like the earlier '60s, '70s version and is better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

 

[MisterE]

....better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

Quote of the week! :lol!:

 

[monbla256]

I smoked Sobranie for many years, and this new version does not measure up. The only thing close to the '80s-mid-2000 version is Synjeco's Torina. Russ' WhiteKnight is like the earlier '60s, '70s version and is better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

Back when you could get both I smoked 759 for decades and NEVER thought the "white tin" was as good as 759 ! They seemed like two different blends :twisted: :twisted:

 

[JimInks]

I smoked Sobranie for many years, and this new version does not measure up. The only thing close to the '80s-mid-2000 version is Synjeco's Torina. Russ' WhiteKnight is like the earlier '60s, '70s version and is better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

Back when you could get both I smoked 759 for decades and NEVER thought the "white tin" was as good as 759 ! They seemed like two different blends :twisted: :twisted:

They were two different blends. I only preferred the White because it was less sweeter. In those days, I didn't smoke much sweet stuff. I couldn't say one was better than the other because I think it just depended on what you were looking for in a tobacco.

 

[Brewdude]

I keep tell'en you guys that P&C are low life gougers that only care about there pocket book but, oh no you won't listen, ya just keep patronizing them.

Ron, I'll not argue about this and their obscene prices on Esoterica. Equally, they have had some great deals. I just shop where the deals are.


Cheers,

RR

 

[monbla256]

I smoked Sobranie for many years, and this new version does not measure up. The only thing close to the '80s-mid-2000 version is Synjeco's Torina. Russ' WhiteKnight is like the earlier '60s, '70s version and is better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

Back when you could get both I smoked 759 for decades and NEVER thought the "white tin" was as good as 759 ! They seemed like two different blends :twisted: :twisted:

They were two different blends. I only preferred the White because it was less sweeter. In those days, I didn't smoke much sweet stuff. I couldn't say one was better than the other because I think it just depended on what you were looking for in a tobacco.

Another example of "... one mans cieling is another's floor" I never thought EITHER one had much in the area of "sweet" in them. It probably was the amount of Latakia diferences in the two that was most distinctive for me! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[SkagitSmoke]

I'm going to throw a little fuel on the fire here. I normally avoid controversy but I'm pretty passionate about pricing and value.

I have absolutely no problem at all with what they've done on BS or the Esoterica blends. In fact, I'd do the same thing. I am a firm believer in pricing for value. There are customers happy to pay the higher price but don't want to religiously check every hour to see if Stonehaven has come in. The best business transactions have an equal exchange in value between the customer and the seller.

Look at wine for example. It's common place for wines at the grocery store to vary from $3 to $30 to $300 or more. The cost to make the $300 bottle isn't significantly more than the cost to make a good $30 bottle. Why shouldn't tobacco be any different?

I'm in the process of raising my prices in my CPA practice because I have more work than capacity. I'm already more expensive than others in my area. I may lose some customers because of price but this allows me to better serve the ones that stay. My costs aren't changing as a result. Am I scared to do this? A little but this will allow me to provide more value to my existing customers and more value to my family.

To take this one step further, I believe manufacturers of these blends are insane not to raise their prices to reflect the demand. If people don't buy, lower your prices. But it's unfair to the stakeholders to give up so much value. If I worked at Esoterica, I'd be pissed to see the company not price their blends accordingly and pay me some of that value.

** Full disclosure: I have never bought or smoked Esoterica blends. I shop for a good deal. There's so many great blends to try that I'm happy to wait.

Time to put on my flame retardant suit and hide. :twisted:

 

[Bullwinkle]

I keep tell'en you guys that P&C are low life gougers that only care about there pocket book but, oh no you won't listen, ya just keep patronizing them.

Ron, I'll not argue about this and their obscene prices on Esoterica. Equally, they have had some great deals. I just shop where the deals are.


Cheers,

RR

last month was "Drew Estate Buy 2 Get 1 Free" and this month "Dunhill Buy 3 Get 1 Free" from P&G.

over the last month or so I hit a couple of the 4noggins deals.. never pay b&m prices and rarely pay full prices online.

 

[RDPipes]

As they say "A fool and his money are soon departed"

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

As long as Virginia Spice and Anniversary Kake are 17.99 for an 8oz tin, I'll buy from P&C.com. Also a number of Russ's other blends are ridiculously good. However, I'll get my Esoterica elsewhere.

 

[JimInks]

I smoked Sobranie for many years, and this new version does not measure up. The only thing close to the '80s-mid-2000 version is Synjeco's Torina. Russ' WhiteKnight is like the earlier '60s, '70s version and is better than the new BS, whose initials reflect the price.

Back when you could get both I smoked 759 for decades and NEVER thought the "white tin" was as good as 759 ! They seemed like two different blends :twisted: :twisted:

They were two different blends. I only preferred the White because it was less sweeter. In those days, I didn't smoke much sweet stuff. I couldn't say one was better than the other because I think it just depended on what you were looking for in a tobacco.

Another example of "... one mans cieling is another's floor" I never thought EITHER one had much in the area of "sweet" in them. It probably was the amount of Latakia diferences in the two that was most distinctive for me! :twisted: :twisted:

Neither one did have much sweetness, but the White was a dryer smoke, and in those days, that was what I wanted in my regular English blend. And as you say, the latakia content was different.