'Smokes For Sale' vs The Traditional Tobacco Shop

ghostsofpompeii

For all you guys and gals in the pipe smoking community with a genuine brick and mortar tobacco shop within driving distance count yourself lucky. Once The Tinder Box closed it's doors at my local Mall some years ago, there has been nothing to replace it for pipe smokers. Oh sure ... there is a plethora of strip mall 'Smokes For Less' and 'Smoke Shop' stores scattered around, but they cater to discount cigarette sales - with cartons stacked from ceiling to floor of generic and popular name brand cigarettes. And you might be fortunate enough to find one of those stores with a smattering of better grade cigars in temperature controlled display cases - but for the most part the shelves are primarily stocked with cheap flavored cigars with plastic tips.

As for the pipe smoker ... on a good day you might happen upon one or two of the more popular OTC blends like "Captain Black", "Half And Half", "Sir Walter Raleigh", "Carter Hall" or "Borkum Riff" poorly displayed on the shelf behind the cashier. But their dedicated pipe tobacco section is usually restricted to a small nook in the back of the store, consisting of a wire rack with one pound bags of bulk budget blends dangling from a hook with names like "Smokers Pride", "Jester", Gambler", Virginia Gold" or "Super Value". 

And don't even bother asking for accessories like a Czech pipe tool, tamper, reamer, pouch moistener, bowl and stem cleaning solution or softy bit. You may as well be speaking a foreign language. Best you can hope for is leaving with a package of pipe cleaners.

Several new Smoke Shops began popping-up in strip malls near me but all cater to Hookah tobacco and fruity Shisha, as well as an extensive array of vaping delivery systems and flavored e-juices. But once again - nothing for pipe smokers other than those one pound bags of budget tobacco.

Unfortunately, traditional tobacco shops in America are about as plentiful as Drive-In Theaters.   

judandhispipe

I'm fortunate - I have several within 90 minutes or so, if I am up for a road trip. At the top of the list has got to be the legendary Paul's Pipe Shop, in downtown Flint. Paul's has been around for decades. When Paul Spaniola, the founder, died a few years back- he was over 100 - he got a full page write-up in Pipes & Tobacco magazine, and a full-page picture. Been too long since I hauled myself up there. 

piperdave

Locally (within 60 minutes or less) we have 3 tobacconist which one of them is leaning more Hookah & Shisha lately and I haven't visited them in a while; but I do feel fortunate for the other 2 tobacconists. Lately, I have been as the majority of "us" out there dealing with my aggressive TAD, my cellar is growing. I hope that these rulings from the fda will be overturned or at minimum changed in order to save these last few tobacconists. I must admit though some of the smoke shops have been getting in more pipe tobacco and accessories. One of them even held a cigar tasting (I wasn't able to attend) and they said it went pretty well. They have brought the Carter Hall, Middleton's Cherry, Captain Black and Paladin out of the corner and placed towards the front. The nice thing with the local smoke shop is that it has 3 sister stores which carry some of the same products or will ship store to store if I ask. They did just stop selling some Sutliff brands but I hope they are able to get other manufacturers in maybe I will have to start asking.

PappyJoe

I am fortunate. I live in Slidell, LA and we have a shop named Habanos Cigar & Wine Seller with a nice walk-in humidor (about 12' x 12'" stocked with good cigars. They also have around 15 jars of various bulk blends from Sutliff. But they carry a very limited supply of pipes - maybe 8 - 10 on average. The rest of the store is wine, high quality Bourbon, Scotch, Rum, Tequila, etc. and craft beers. Every now and then they will have some tins of pipe tobacco on display and trust me, those sell out quickly. 

New Orleans is only about 30 miles from my house and there are several good cigar and pipe shops there. The Tinderbox closed but the stock was bought out by Mayan Imports and moved to a new location. They carry the best selections of pipes and pipe tobacco in the area. There are also one or two other shops that carry more limited amounts of pipes and tobacco. There are also a couple of cigar only type shops.

If I really want to take a drive, then I can go to Baton Rouge which is roughly 80 miles from me. Bayou Tobacco is a great shop, well stocked with pipes and pipe tobacco. Unfortunately the owner died in October. His wife is running the shop now but had to cut back the hours and are now only open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday. They are closed on Wednesday & Sunday. I really hope it stays open as I have a pipe smoking son living in Baton Rouge and I go by Bayou Tobacco every chance I get.

xDutchx

For the time being, I count myself fortunate. I live 2 hours south of Uptown's in Nashville, TN. and an hour and a half north of The Briary in Birmingham, AL.

The libby's have been pushing this agenda for decades, and with the baby boomer's impact on the health care system, they have managed to take smoking statistics to a whole new level. I'm not sure at this point, if it's possible to educate the public on the differences between pipes/cigars and cigarette tobacco.

Subtilis87

I have been very fortunate throughout my years of smoking age.  

 

18-19  Mishawaka, Indiana (Tinderbox)

19-23 East Lansing, MI (Campbell's smoke shop)

23-27 Bloomington, IN (The Briar and the Burley)

27-Present Houston, TX (The Briar Shoppe/ Stogies World Class Cigars)

Anthony

I am very fortunate, I live in the Chicago land area, I have two shop's within 15 mins. of me and 3 within 30 mins and even Iwan  Ries  the oldest tobacco shop in Chicago is only 45mins away and a short walk from my wife's office.. If you are ever visiting Chicago it's worth the visit, especially their pipe museum, and there are 4 generations of the original family running it. I will say I lost the tinder box that was near me many years ago, which was a shame as the man who ran it was outstanding. The only problem in Illinois is when you buy in the shops, the Taxes are 18% as opposed to online with no tax. The state is also talking more tax and more regulations. That's the way here, they tell you this is how we're going to make up shortages, and then put the people out of business, and then we're even further behind.   I do try and patronize them, so in some small way to help keep them open, and for the social aspect as well.  

Corey562

After hearing your story I consider my self very fortunate I live about 20 or 30 min. from one, not a very big shop 5 points tobacco they usually have about 30 or so different tin tobaccos and about 10 house blends. They do also have a very nice walk in humidor. Then theres imperial cigar which is about 45 min.s away and they dont carry as many tinned tobbacos but have a large selection of bulks.

Rshey1

I live in the Dallas area and have 3 within 20 minute. Most of which I get my pipes, house blends,pipe cleaners and a few lighters. But not a large selection of tin Tobacco. I order those online. I'm sure if I took a day and called around I could find a one stop shop. But I'm thankful for what I have, especially after reading this post.

LostMason

Amazingly the city I'm in, address wise, has a drive in but no real smoke shop.

There is one C-store that has recently started calling itself a smoke shop. But

it is still short of even a cheap cigarette shop. Now about 30 minutes away is

a fine cigar shop with walk-in humidor and a smattering of pipes and such.

Unfortunately, their prices are a bit inflated and I'm left with online ordering.

There are a few shops that are with-in about an hours drive, just haven't had

the chance to visit them in several years.