How Much Is Too Much?

[RSteve]

I'm home with a miserable cold this week and although I have many things I should accomplish, I just don't have the energy to get started. I did "survey" a couple of other pipe forums just to see what people are talking about. In one thread a poster remarked that beside the tins he's purchased, he has 360 lbs of bulk tobacco cellared. I cannot imagine why anyone would accumulate that much tobacco. I probably have 30 lbs. bulk and 100 tins of tobacco and I think that's excessive.
For 2021, I have resolved to donate the majority of my massive cigar collection to Cigars for Warriors and any pipe tobacco that has no marketable value to be given away or trashed.

 

[kxg]

Well, as with most answers to questions such as this, it depends. Early on on the rebirth of my pipe smoking, I decided to keep track of what I was buying in the pipe and tobacco world. That led me to using the data for various purposes. One is a tobacco consumption calculator, designed to answer the question you pose, How much is too much?
With the "tobacco panic" of a few years back, and still rumored occasionally, I started building up my cellar. I had two purposes in mind: have enough of certain blends to age them over several years and have enough of my favorites on hand to weather any regulatory or market storm.
It became evident that I had no idea what I was doing in terms of pounds of tobacco in the cellar. So, I built a model in my spreadsheet to predict how long my cellar would last. I measured out how many grams I was packing in various sized bowls and settled on an average of 2.6 g/pipe, which seems reasonable given most slow smoke contests use 3g.
Smoking 3 pipes/day, every day, my current 82+ pounds (bulk and tin) will last a little over 13 years, which seems reasonable.
The 360 pounds you mention, using the same parameters, would go 57+ years, which I guess, depending on one's age, might be reasonable. At my age, not.
Having the data has caused me to slow down my tobacco purchases to a high degree. I still buy some that I want to try, but I'm no longer actively growing the cellar.

 

[RSteve]

The 360 pounds you mention, using the same parameters, would go 57+ years, which I guess, depending on one's age, might be reasonable. At my age, not.
Having the data has caused me to slow down my tobacco purchases to a high degree. I still buy some that I want to try, but I'm no longer actively growing the cellar.

I had to laugh when I realized that the RMD (required minimum distribution) for a conventional IRA account is based on a male living to age 93. Using your calculations and the IRA parameters, were I to have 360 lbs. bulk and die at 93, they'd be dumping the excess 253 lbs. of tobacco in my grave.

 

[Stick]

I guess if you ain't ever going to smoke it, you've got too much???

 

[Fr_Tom]

I guess if you ain't ever going to smoke it, you've got too much???

You never know if you are going to pick up the pace at some point. That makes the math more complicated.

 

[kxg]

You never know if you are going to pick up the pace at some point. That makes the math more complicated.

That's why, in my spreadsheet, I calculate a separate line for 2, 3, 4, & 5 pipes a day!

 

[RSteve]

My father had seven siblings. Only one lived to be 80 and she made it to 97, but from 88 forward was in a memory care nursing unit. My mother had five siblings and none made it to 80. I'm several years older than the age at death of all my grandparents. In my possession, I have more tobacco and cigars than I can smoke in multiple lifetimes.
I was with a friend, who is a Ph.D. clinical psychologist, having a cocktail and a smoke. I asked if my extremely large collection of cigars and tobacco indicated some type of compensatory disorder or was I OCD. His reply was pretty simple and resonated well with me.

If your purchases don't financially impact your life, it makes no difference. If you buy a box of cigars for $200, then can't pay your utility bill, then you have a problem. At your age saving for the future in lieu of doing what you enjoy is foolish.

 

[ftrplt]

Don't know the exact answer; I do know I have too much!! Went on a buying "frenzy" 20+ years ago directly influenced by this "den of iniquity" called BOB!! I wasn't trying to accumulate tins/bulk for anything more than this "aging" thing; heck, I wasn't even a big Ginnyweed smoker back then anyway. I just bought stuff (Latweeds/Orientals mostly) to have when the smoke Nazis shut down the whole process!! Now I find myself with a cellar loaded with way out-of-production weed (Balkan Sobranie, Troost Slices, Edgeworth Sliced), a slew of McClellands (and its offspring...PCCA, McCranies Ginnyweeds), lots of oddball European weed (Barney's, Punchebowle, various Murray's, et. al) plus the usual array of older Dunhill, GLP, C&D, Samuel Gawith, G&H, & Germains. During this time also, my tastes expanded into Burley and Ginnyweeds. More tins and jars!! Finally, two years ago I had a serious talk with myself...to whit...No More Buying Pipe Tobacco!!!!! I've quit!!! I truly don't know how many pounds of "baccy I have; but more than enough to hold me 'til I'm worm food!!! Then my grandson gets it!!!!!!

 

[RSteve]

I find myself with a cellar loaded with way out-of-production weed (Balkan Sobranie, Troost Slices, Edgeworth Sliced), a slew of McClellands (and its offspring...PCCA, McCranies Ginnyweeds), lots of oddball European weed (Barney's, Punchebowle, various Murray's, et. al) plus the usual array of older Dunhill, GLP, C&D, Samuel Gawith, G&H, & Germains.

If you were to sell some of that stash, you might discover some extra jingle in your jeans.

 

[ftrplt]

If you were to sell some of that stash, you might discover some extra jingle in your jeans.

I do admit to "shock and awe" when I see some of the prices Pipestud sells tins for on his site!!!!

 

[DrT999]

According to Tobacco Cellar, I have about 56 pounds, which should last about 17 years. I'll never smoke even 1/3 of it, but I have no idea which third I will actually smoke. I am trying not to buy much more, but if GH & SG products ever reappear, I will likely buy some!

 

[D.L.Ruth]

Tobacco Cellar says i have about 10 pounds which will apparently only last me 9.5 years at one bowl a day (I average 2 so really about 4.75 years). Guess it's time to stock up

 

[RSteve]

If you were to sell some of that stash, you might discover some extra jingle in your jeans.

I do admit to "shock and awe" when I see some of the prices Pipestud sells tins for on his site!!!!

Before Ebay discontinued the sale of tobacco, several Esoterica blends in 16 oz. sealed bags were selling for $150 and up. I gave my daughter several sealed bags of Penzance with the instruction that bidding would begin at the price I paid plus the Ebay and Paypal transaction fees; reserve at $100 lb. I never asked her what she got for the tobacco, but she volunteered that the lowest price she got was $155.00. Obviously, the buyers who buy pipes selling for $1000.00 and up, buy the tobacco they want irrespective of price

 

[RSteve]

Truth be known, I have a couple of large corrugated cardboard boxes wrapped in food grade plastic wrap stuffed with Dunhill tins. On the boxes, it's written, "Do Not Open Until 2023, then sell each tin for a minimum of $20.00 or Save until 2033 and sell for market prices." Will my daughters follow my instructions? Probably not and they'll all be sold in a garage sale for a buck-a-tin. The tins were all purchased in 2018 or earlier, so by 2023, they'll have a minimum of 5 years of aging.

 

[WTHall]

Moving shortly to a non-tobacco senior community. I've got perhaps 15 pounds of jarred blends. Not to sure what to do.

 

[Mikem]

This thread came at a most opportune time. I have been slowly moving things from Arizona to my Sons house in Indiana which includes my tobacco cellar and pipes. Looking at my tobacco celler I would guess I have at least thirty pounds of jarred tobacco (mostly English or Virginia blends) and several hundred tins. Most of which is still in Arizona. My thirty foot travel trailer can only hold so much. I'm 65 and am sure I won't be able to smoke it all before its my time. What's sad is I still occasionally buy new tins or bulk of new blends that have come out that I would like to try. What really shocked me and got me thinking was going through my pipes that I've accumulated these past thirty plus years. So far I've inventoried 110 pipes of which probably only three or four haven't been smoked. In a sense I guess I should be considered a hoarder. Do I have any regrets, not really as I've enjoyed this hobby through the years both with friends and the relaxation its given me.

 

[kxg]

@Mikem, You said "In a sense I guess I should be considered a hoarder." Nope, nope , nope! Perhaps you are a collector? Perhaps an accumulator? Perhaps a passionate hobbyist? Most likely, a guy who enjoys a good pipe and finds new shapes/finishes interesting. If you aren't spending the "rent" money on your hobby and you are not walking through a tunnel of pipes and tobacco, I wouldn't use the "hoarder" word. But, I appreciate the thoughts! I'm 67 and am having to face the reality that I likely have more tobacco than I'll smoke in my remaining years. That is, of course, unless I up my smoking game in my pending retirement.

 

[kxg]

Moving shortly to a non-tobacco senior community. I've got perhaps 15 pounds of jarred blends. Not to sure what to do.

That is a quandary. Will you be able to drive or ride to a smoking area? If you are giving up the pipes, is there a local pipe club that would accept donations? Any smoking buddies? From what I've been able to gather, tobacco that is not in tins has limited value on the market. Unless you can make a deal with someone looking for a ready made cellar who will buy it all. I'm paying attention to these things as I have more than a few pounds of jarred tobacco.
Good luck!

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

I hit the 100 pound mark and stopped counting. Occasionally I’ll trade Or sell some of it off. If I do acquire anything more it’s usually something new that piques my interest or it’s a quality VA blend that I plan to lay down for a spell. Aside from that I am done buying. Hell I have even gotten to the point where I will reach into my magic cupboard and surprise myself with a sealed tin of something that I really wanted to try and thought about buying! Kind of ridiculous, but that’s what 15 years of cellaring will do for you when you’re not OCD about it.

The only trouble I have had with my sloppy inventory is when it comes down to hunting for a tin I thought I had only to vaguely recall that I smoked, traded or sold it.

Honestly, I really don’t care or think much about it anymore.

 

[RSteve]

Moving shortly to a non-tobacco senior community. I've got perhaps 15 pounds of jarred blends. Not to sure what to do.

After my wife died in 2008, I began looking at condos and town houses. Virtually all that I saw that were appealing were non-smoking. In the neighborhood where I aggressively looked for a new residence, there's one cigar shop. It's exclusively for cigars. Pre-Covid restrictions, I ventured in and spoke with a few guys in the lounge area. All lived in the town home complex adjacent to a nearby golf course and close to this shop. Their town home complex and the golf course are non-smoking.
I'm still in the house that I built in 1983, but the lawn maintenance, snow shoveling, and general upkeep will soon be more than I can handle.
I genuinely dislike the thought of not being able to relax with a smoke whenever I get the urge, but I foresee the time approaching. Not long ago, I dated a very nice woman and thought we'd become a permanent dating couple. The relationship seemed to have legs until she asked if I'd permanently give up my pipes and cigars. I said that I would limit smoking to one cigar or bowl of tobacco each day. Her response was a short, "We're done."