The beginning of the end?

[smoker13]

You are indeed fortunate to have a local tobacconist, Geoff. Our last one cleared out at least 10 years ago.

 

[Idlefellow]

What's a BM? I only know about one and it doesn't have anything to do with pipe smoking!

 

[Stick]

What's a BM?  I only know about one and it doesn't have anything to do with pipe smoking!

BM / B&M = Bricks and Mortar = local tobacconist

 

[Natch]

I've never found a "local" B&M here in Arkieland, but have fond memories of visiting (damn near laid a sleeping bag on the floor and took up residence!) Uhles in downtown Milwaukee. Spent about half my life in that area and the old folks there helped me figure out what I like to smoke and how to do it. I still visit it when I'm in the area and Bishops Move is still one of my favorite lat blends.

 

[SteveMKentucky]

The beginning of the end started a long time ago in my opinion. The first fire bell in the night was the closure of the Tinder Box. At the time I just considered it to be possibly a poor business management issue but others began to disappear as well. When many of my favorite blends began to disappear it I realized what was going on. Kramer's closure was the final confirmation.

 

[RSteve]

The beginning of the end was when some individual states imposed excessive tobacco taxes, beyond S-Chip and federal taxes and state and city sales taxes. Why could I even consider paying $6.00 an ounce for tobacco locally when I can buy the same tobacco via the internet for <$2.00 oz.????

 

[ftrplt]

Steve, I hear ya'!! Several years ago I ran out of PA, stopped by one of the local tobacco (i.e., cigar) stores to pick up one pouch to tide me over. I casually asked the price as the box was not marked. Clerk didn't even look at me while saying "$7.20 including Federal and State tax." I allowed as to how they could keep it for that price. In all fairness to the B&M, the Oklahoma state tobacco tax is horrendous!! When I was a lad growing up in Winston-Salem, NC (home of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co.), a pouch of PA was maybe $.15!!! FTRPLT

 

[Slowalkintexan]

“Several years ago”…..???? What about today? There are more varieties of tobacco available online that ever before…doesn’t look like the end to me.

 

[Ranger107]

I've never found a "local" B&M here in Arkieland, but have fond memories of visiting (damn near laid a sleeping bag on the floor and took up residence!) Uhles in downtown Milwaukee. Spent about half my life in that area and the old folks there helped me figure out what I like to smoke and how to do it. I still visit it when I'm in the area and Bishops Move is still one of my favorite lat blends.

Natch, not sure where you are located but there is a nice B&M in Little Rock on University Ave. It's where I was introduced to McClellands blends back in 2000. If you get there you should check it out. According to google it's still there.

 

[Natch]

Ranger,
Did you go to UALR or stationed out of Camp Robinson? I live about 40 minutes north of that B&M and find myself on University Ave. with some regularity. I haven't stopped in for a couple of years now, but I recall that they had morphed the way so many B&Ms have, good selection of cigars and pipes, but not so much in pipe tobacco.

 

[Ranger107]

Neither, worked for Midwest aviation at the airport. Too bad about the shop. They used to have a group that gathered on Sat morning to smoke pipes and cigars and ******** about politics and current events. The shop would provide coffee and someone would usually bring donuts for the gang. All in all a very pleasant time. 2001, so many years ago and probably has changed a lot.

 

[GtrSmoker]

Tampa/St. Pete is a sad case. Relatively major urban area: major league sports clubs and all. But darned if I can find a decent tobacconist.

There’s a strip mall place in Palm Harbor that has a nice (but small) selection of tins. They also have a nice selection of bulk tobacco… but all aromatics. A couple of other places in the area have a similar selection of bulks.

There’s a place in Tampa proper named Edward’s Pipe and Tobacco. Unfortunately, they also have a bunch of bulk options, a couple of tins of Mac Baren plum cake (I think), and a couple of tins of Erinmore. That one was especially disappointing, considering, you know, the name of the place.

My buddy Joe and I met today at a cigar lounge in Dunedin. It was our first time in there. I’d been holding on to a sample of decade-old Luxury Bullseye to share with him. We’d been just meeting up in parks to smoke our pipes together, but it’s really hot lately.

So this place is probably the coolest one I’ve found so far in the area. Nice space. Bar, tables, arm chairs, big screen TVs. But 100% cigars. Maybe if I hang around long enough, they’ll throw me a bone and order some tins.

I don’t understand why these places don’t keep at least a rudimentary selection of tins. I mean, they’ll all sell eventually… and most smokers LIKE happening upon tins with a little bit of age on them.

 

[RSteve]

I don’t understand why these places don’t keep at least a rudimentary selection of tins. I mean, they’ll all sell eventually… and most smokers LIKE happening upon tins with a little bit of age on them.

Few retailers own their inventory. Most are floorplanned by a local lender. The longer an item sits unsold, the more expensive it becomes to the retailer. The mantra of successful retail=Turn the inventory!

 

[Ranger107]

Tampa/St. Pete is a sad case. Relatively major urban area: major league sports clubs and all. But darned if I can find a decent tobacconist.

There’s a strip mall place in Palm Harbor that has a nice (but small) selection of tins. They also have a nice selection of bulk tobacco… but all aromatics. A couple of other places in the area have a similar selection of bulks.

There’s a place in Tampa proper named Edward’s Pipe and Tobacco. Unfortunately, they also have a bunch of bulk options, a couple of tins of Mac Baren plum cake (I think), and a couple of tins of Erinmore. That one was especially disappointing, considering, you know, the name of the place.

My buddy Joe and I met today at a cigar lounge in Dunedin. It was our first time in there. I’d been holding on to a sample of decade-old Luxury Bullseye to share with him. We’d been just meeting up in parks to smoke our pipes together, but it’s really hot lately.

So this place is probably the coolest one I’ve found so far in the area. Nice space. Bar, tables, arm chairs, big screen TVs. But 100% cigars. Maybe if I hang around long enough, they’ll throw me a bone and order some tins.

I don’t understand why these places don’t keep at least a rudimentary selection of tins. I mean, they’ll all sell eventually… and most smokers LIKE happening upon tins with a little bit of age on them.

When I visited my Dad in Jacksonville before his passing in the late 80s, we went to an Edwards shop there. He bought me a pipe, a bent dublin with their name on it. Worst damn pipe I ever had. Smoked hot no matter what tobacco I tried in it.

 

[GtrSmoker]

When I visited my Dad in Jacksonville before his passing in the late 80s, we went to an Edwards shop there. He bought me a pipe, a bent dublin with their name on it. Worst damn pipe I ever had. Smoked hot no matter what tobacco I tried in it.

Hey, it’s the thought that counts… right??? lol

I’ve only been smoking and acquiring pipes and tobacco (again) since just before Christmas. But I always try to check out the B&M situation when I travel somewhere. So far, that only includes St Augustine (which was disappointing, simi o Tampa), and the I-64 corridor between Richmond Virginia and Charleston WV.

Charleston supposedly has a very nice one, The Squire,which I didn’t have the opportunity to check out. And the only other one I could find online was a shop in beautiful downtown Staunton VA called Beverly Cigar.

That shop itself may be the most beautiful one I’ve seen in person. The selection was small, but I left with a couple of Peterson tins, half a pound of Comoy’s version of Bullseye Flake and a couple of nosewarmer cobs I’ve been working like government mules ever since.

 

[Ranger107]

Hey, it’s the thought that counts… right??? lol

I’ve only been smoking and acquiring pipes and tobacco (again) since just before Christmas. But I always try to check out the B&M situation when I travel somewhere. So far, that only includes St Augustine (which was disappointing, simi o Tampa), and the I-64 corridor between Richmond Virginia and Charleston WV.

Charleston supposedly has a very nice one, The Squire,which I didn’t have the opportunity to check out. And the only other one I could find online was a shop in beautiful downtown Staunton VA called Beverly Cigar.

That shop itself may be the most beautiful one I’ve seen in person. The selection was small, but I left with a couple of Peterson tins, half a pound of Comoy’s version of Bullseye Flake and a couple of nosewarmer cobs I’ve been working like government mules ever since.

Yes, I appreciated the thought and didn't want my Dad to pay a lot of money. Plus I had a pretty good stash of pipes at home, most bought from either the shop in Ames when I was in college and a few from the Tinderbox in Omaha Ne. And there was a nice B&M in Lincoln where I could get tins of McB and Rattrays.

 

[Ranger107]

when I went on hiatus in 2015 I sold all but 3 of my 40+ pipes to a shop in Ohio. Savs, GBDs. 3Bs, Comoys, Sasienis, couple of danish handmades and 4 or 5 meers. Wish now I had kept them. It's taken me 3 years, and several hundred dollars to build back my inventory. About 70 or so now. Think I will stop at 100, lol.

 

[ftrplt]

Hey, it’s the thought that counts… right??? lol

I’ve only been smoking and acquiring pipes and tobacco (again) since just before Christmas. But I always try to check out the B&M situation when I travel somewhere. So far, that only includes St Augustine (which was disappointing, simi o Tampa), and the I-64 corridor between Richmond Virginia and Charleston WV.

Charleston supposedly has a very nice one, The Squire,which I didn’t have the opportunity to check out. And the only other one I could find online was a shop in beautiful downtown Staunton VA called Beverly Cigar.

That shop itself may be the most beautiful one I’ve seen in person. The selection was small, but I left with a couple of Peterson tins, half a pound of Comoy’s version of Bullseye Flake and a couple of nosewarmer cobs I’ve been working like government mules ever since.

Should you get back to the Shenandoah Valley area, check out John B. Hayes in Winchester. Only one left, but a great B&M a few years ago. Have not visited in a while due this Covid crap. Plus there's a brewery just North of the shop!! FTRPLT

 

[GtrSmoker]

when I went on hiatus in 2015 I sold all but 3 of my 40+ pipes to a shop in Ohio. Savs, GBDs. 3Bs, Comoys, Sasienis, couple of danish handmades and 4 or 5 meers. Wish now I had kept them. It's taken me 3 years, and several hundred dollars to build back my inventory. About 70 or so now. Think I will stop at 100, lol.

Holy smokes.... I’ve got about a third of that, and don’t see myself getting many more.... although I AM jonesing for a house pipe. Big time jonesing. I just love the thought of packing a single pipe and it lasting me through a whole movie. Or afternoon lol

 

[GtrSmoker]

Should you get back to the Shenandoah Valley area, check out John B. Hayes in Winchester. Only one left, but a great B&M a few years ago. Have not visited in a while due this Covid crap. Plus there's a brewery just North of the shop!! FTRPLT

I REALLY appreciate this info. I’ll definitely get up that way again. My fiancé and I are looking at moving within the next year or so, and we want to be either there or somewhere in East Tennessee. I prefer the Shenandoah myself.