It seems to me that the smokers of old used their tobacco and pipes in much the same way that cigarette smokers use cigarettes today.
I don't think most of the old timers were really "connisuers"(sp.). I think, in many cases, particularly in the midwestern U.S., it was just an enjoyable experience and it really didn't matter much what tobacco was smoked, or in what pipe it was smoked. I don't think most of them had the luxury of ALL of the variations in tobacco, nor the interest.
When I was a kid, there were one or two fellows in town that smoked pipes that were either Dunhills or equivalent, everyone else smoked "drugstore" pipes, Kaywoodies, Medicos, Dr. Grabow and got their tobaccos in the same drugstore!
Occassionally, someone would have to travel to Indianapolis or Chicago on business and might stop into a tobbacanist, and pick up a tin of something exotic, if it wasn't too expensive and possibly even comment on it when they came home.
As a kid I can remember the local Osco Drugs having the most extensive selection of tobaccos in the county, names I remember are Balkan Sobranie, Flying Dutchman. By the time I had reached my teens and taken up the cob, while fishing, I remember having a conversation with the druggist, a pipe smoker, and being told that Balkan Sobranie, in his opinion, was just nasty,LOL.
When I told him I didn't care for the aromatics that he recommended, he steared me to some virginias and the "drugstore" blends. Because of the price I picked up some Half&Half...the virginias were pretty expensive at almost a dollar a tin.
Anyway, my point is that in my area, folks were frugal and smoking was always considered a luxury. Most of the old timers wouldn't have cared if a shop only carried one brand of tobacco, they just wanted some tobacco and the idea of spending tens of dollars, let alone hundreds of dollars on something to burn tobacco in was ludicrious.
Oh well...I guess those were the good old days
