Vintage OTC Pipe Tobacco Packaging

ghostsofpompeii

Years ago I began collecting the packaging from some of the OTC blends I was buying at the time. I thought the collection was lost because I hadn't seen it in years and assumed it had gotten trashed during a spring cleaning or downsizing session. But recently I happened upon the folder in a file cabinet containing the various labels I'd saved. I thought I'd snap a few pictures and share the collection with the members and see how many remember these discontinued blends. 

Borkum Riff is still a popular OTC blend, but these specialty blends have long been discontinued: Ultralight, Golden Cavendish, Cognac, Rum, and Champagne

  

ghostsofpompeii

Flying Dutchman Aromatic was also a popular blend that has also disappeared. But the also had two additional blends

ghostsofpompeii

We all know about Old Grand-Dad Whiskey, but do you remember Old Grand-Dad Cavendish Smoking Tobacco? 

ghostsofpompeii

Here are a few more labels in my collection. I originally tried posting all the photos in one message but for some reason it wouldn't download. Probably too much at once.

ghostsofpompeii

A few more

pipeman83

@ghostsofpompeii, nice collection, I remember a lot of those.

judandhispipe

Nice! I smoked a ton of Sail,long ago, but usually the Yellow or Ivory. Tried a pouch of the Green a few years bad; not bad stuff. You can still find Sail if you look. 

Topaz75

Great seeing these. I continue to enjoy Borkum Riff today, and London Dock was always one of my favorites as a young pipe smoker.

ghostsofpompeii

What I find so interesting is the use of nautical themes on so much of the artwork for pipe tobacco.

2b1ask1

Those are awesome!

ghostsofpompeii

I'm going to have to find a proper way of displaying these since I haven't been able to find any additional pouched tobacco packaging to add to my collection. I come across old tins all the time in antique shops but not many smokers back then thought much about saving their old tobacco packaging. 

motie2

@ghostsofpompeii -- "Greenbrier!!!!" Damn, I haven't thought of Greennbrier in decades, since that first pouch I handed off to another student after smoking (almost) one bowl.      Talk about minty fresh....

ghostsofpompeii

I really miss walking into a drug store where there was an assortment of beautifully packaged OTC tobacco blends in abundance on a rack up front. Now there may be two or three blends hidden behind the counter down on the bottom shelf where it's almost impossible to find.  

motie2

Yeah, and those behind the counter packages have been there..... well.... for a while.

Woodsman

I smoked Amphora for a year or two, does anyone remember the "point" coupons send in $2.95(later $3.25) and 8 points and they'd send you the pipe of your choice post paid. I got a few of them, small bowled pipes of decent Briar but incredibly thin stems. I crunched through all of them.

ghostsofpompeii

@Woodsman I smoked Amphora on and off - but never enough to acquire enough coupons for a pipe. I also remember the Captain Black pipes that were offered at a reasonable price on some packaging.