I love vaping. I hated smoking but did it anyway because I was a 26 year addict. But I love vaping. It is becoming a hobby, like wine tasting. So while looking for new shops to try I came across the thread about listing your top 5 juice shops. I decided to methodically try the very popular shops and blog what my "take" on them is. Kind of like calling your friends to share your experience. I have been vaping exclusively (no analogs) since August 1, 2013.
First I'll talk a little about my equipment (yep, I said equipment. Made me giggle too). I started with the cigarette lookalike, but realized quickly that it wasn't going to work and gave up for 3 years. When I decided to try again, my husband (hereafter referred to as "Eddie") felt that we would get a better experience from better quality equipment (snicker). So he researched the styles and decided we should try a ego pen-style 350 mah battery with a 1.6 ml clearomizer. The tricky sales dude talked us up to the 650 mah with a 2.0 ml ViVi Nova (clone) tank. I love that tricky sales dude, I think it was the right way to go. I have since replaced my 650 mah with a 950 mah (from Mom and Pops for less than the 650 mah cost in person), and have replaced my original VV Nova clone tank once when the first one stripped and started leaking. Today when the second ViVi Nova (non-clone) tank started leaking I upgraded to a Pyrex Kanger II. So we will see how that goes.
Next I'll share some observations. I find it interesting how different Eddie and I are as vapers. When we first went back to it, he found a shop that stocks their own brand and some Halo lines. Eddie tried a tobacco flavor and then a redbull type flavor. We bought Niquid from another local store, and Eddie liked them better than I did. Then I found the place nearby that I like the best. I stop there every payday! They are my mainstay while I steep and try orders coming in the mail. He picked Applewood Smoque from them and has stuck with that flavor ever since. He has only purchased one pack of 3 replacement atomizers and has neither upgraded nor had to replace any other part. His attys usually last around 3 weeks, I change mine frequently.
We vape differently and for different reasons. I switch up my flavors throughout the day. I have found that if I don't, I get to a point where I can no longer taste my juice. We can't have that, now can we. Eddie fills his tank in the morning and vapes the same flavor all of the time. I believe that my constant fussing with my flavors or my atty (when I had wick in my atty I changed it often, we will see if it is the same with this wick-less system) is likely what led to my plastic tanks stripping so fast. I had so many questions about vaping and out devices that I sought out ECF and became a member. He rarely even thinks about it. I am all about trying various vendors seeking the ultimate flavor experience, he's happy with his Applewood Smoque!
I regularly frequent a local brick and mortar (not the first one we went to when we got our devices) because they have a really nice vaping lounge and I like to be in the company of like-minded people. I think I have mentioned them in one post or another, but they are not an ECF supplier so I won't belabor their name, but I will say that they have their own chemist in-house and they use local vendors for their coffee flavors that really hit the spot. I like coffee and bakery flavors the best.
I just picked up the most recent list that newbie posted, so some of my early orders have been just random selections that were popular earlier in the posting. Now that I have the updated list I am trying some from the top 15 or so. My first two orders were placed on 9/13/2013 from Mom and Pops and Ms. T's. I decided to start with sample sizes so that I could try more than one place at a time (I'm a social worker so I have a pretty tight budget).
Mom and Pop's order arrived on the 16th. The first thing I noticed was the hand-written thank-you note. Someone else posted about this once, and I have to agree that it is a nice touch. I ordered a sample size of Crazy Ape, RY4, and Caramel. I noticed the RY4 and the Caramel were very light, nearly clear, so I decided to let them steep for a bit.
I tried each of them when I first got them, and the RY4 was not to my liking, although I have had RY4 that I really like from other vendors. But I read somewhere that if you don't like a flavor when you first get it, let it steep and try again. Repeat the process a few times and you notice the flavor changes. I tried it again after a week and still don't care for it, but I'm not giving up yet.
The Caramel needed to steep as well, but after a week it tasted more flavorful. If the bottle hadn't been so small I bet it would have been really tasty after 2 weeks of steeping.
The crazy ape was something I bought because it was radically different from what I usually vape and I wanted to wake up my taste buds a little. It tasted like candy banana, like in runts candy. It didn't seem to need steeping, but because I only vape a little of it at a time, I will get to see what it does after it steeps.
I ordered from Ms. T's the same day, and as of 2 weeks later my order is still pending fulfillment. I find that quite irritating. I have seen sights that "close" their order process because they are small and need time to keep up with fulfillment. That way, as another member pointed out, you can put what you want in a cart, and when they open up, hit submit. The way Ms. T does it, you place the order and she gets your money, but you don't get the product for weeks. I don't like that, it seems like a poor way to do business. If for some reason she closes up shop, she has my money and I am just SOL.
That being said, I will likely end up being one of those folks for whom no other juice will do. If my socks aren't knocked off by the Almond Toffee Crunch Coffee, Eclair Filling and Butterscotch Pudding Cake I ordered it is likely I will never order from her again. I'm just not that patient.
So on 09/26/2013 I ordered from Ahlusion and Heather's Heavenly Vapes. From Ahlusion I got the Tiramisu and from Heather's I got a sample pack including: Parrothead, Tuscan Cocoa, Mocha Java Smooth and Vanilla Dream. Very excited to try them all! Oh - and BOTH orders have shipped already.
Until next time...
First I'll talk a little about my equipment (yep, I said equipment. Made me giggle too). I started with the cigarette lookalike, but realized quickly that it wasn't going to work and gave up for 3 years. When I decided to try again, my husband (hereafter referred to as "Eddie") felt that we would get a better experience from better quality equipment (snicker). So he researched the styles and decided we should try a ego pen-style 350 mah battery with a 1.6 ml clearomizer. The tricky sales dude talked us up to the 650 mah with a 2.0 ml ViVi Nova (clone) tank. I love that tricky sales dude, I think it was the right way to go. I have since replaced my 650 mah with a 950 mah (from Mom and Pops for less than the 650 mah cost in person), and have replaced my original VV Nova clone tank once when the first one stripped and started leaking. Today when the second ViVi Nova (non-clone) tank started leaking I upgraded to a Pyrex Kanger II. So we will see how that goes.
Next I'll share some observations. I find it interesting how different Eddie and I are as vapers. When we first went back to it, he found a shop that stocks their own brand and some Halo lines. Eddie tried a tobacco flavor and then a redbull type flavor. We bought Niquid from another local store, and Eddie liked them better than I did. Then I found the place nearby that I like the best. I stop there every payday! They are my mainstay while I steep and try orders coming in the mail. He picked Applewood Smoque from them and has stuck with that flavor ever since. He has only purchased one pack of 3 replacement atomizers and has neither upgraded nor had to replace any other part. His attys usually last around 3 weeks, I change mine frequently.
We vape differently and for different reasons. I switch up my flavors throughout the day. I have found that if I don't, I get to a point where I can no longer taste my juice. We can't have that, now can we. Eddie fills his tank in the morning and vapes the same flavor all of the time. I believe that my constant fussing with my flavors or my atty (when I had wick in my atty I changed it often, we will see if it is the same with this wick-less system) is likely what led to my plastic tanks stripping so fast. I had so many questions about vaping and out devices that I sought out ECF and became a member. He rarely even thinks about it. I am all about trying various vendors seeking the ultimate flavor experience, he's happy with his Applewood Smoque!
I regularly frequent a local brick and mortar (not the first one we went to when we got our devices) because they have a really nice vaping lounge and I like to be in the company of like-minded people. I think I have mentioned them in one post or another, but they are not an ECF supplier so I won't belabor their name, but I will say that they have their own chemist in-house and they use local vendors for their coffee flavors that really hit the spot. I like coffee and bakery flavors the best.
I just picked up the most recent list that newbie posted, so some of my early orders have been just random selections that were popular earlier in the posting. Now that I have the updated list I am trying some from the top 15 or so. My first two orders were placed on 9/13/2013 from Mom and Pops and Ms. T's. I decided to start with sample sizes so that I could try more than one place at a time (I'm a social worker so I have a pretty tight budget).
Mom and Pop's order arrived on the 16th. The first thing I noticed was the hand-written thank-you note. Someone else posted about this once, and I have to agree that it is a nice touch. I ordered a sample size of Crazy Ape, RY4, and Caramel. I noticed the RY4 and the Caramel were very light, nearly clear, so I decided to let them steep for a bit.
I tried each of them when I first got them, and the RY4 was not to my liking, although I have had RY4 that I really like from other vendors. But I read somewhere that if you don't like a flavor when you first get it, let it steep and try again. Repeat the process a few times and you notice the flavor changes. I tried it again after a week and still don't care for it, but I'm not giving up yet.
The Caramel needed to steep as well, but after a week it tasted more flavorful. If the bottle hadn't been so small I bet it would have been really tasty after 2 weeks of steeping.
The crazy ape was something I bought because it was radically different from what I usually vape and I wanted to wake up my taste buds a little. It tasted like candy banana, like in runts candy. It didn't seem to need steeping, but because I only vape a little of it at a time, I will get to see what it does after it steeps.
I ordered from Ms. T's the same day, and as of 2 weeks later my order is still pending fulfillment. I find that quite irritating. I have seen sights that "close" their order process because they are small and need time to keep up with fulfillment. That way, as another member pointed out, you can put what you want in a cart, and when they open up, hit submit. The way Ms. T does it, you place the order and she gets your money, but you don't get the product for weeks. I don't like that, it seems like a poor way to do business. If for some reason she closes up shop, she has my money and I am just SOL.
That being said, I will likely end up being one of those folks for whom no other juice will do. If my socks aren't knocked off by the Almond Toffee Crunch Coffee, Eclair Filling and Butterscotch Pudding Cake I ordered it is likely I will never order from her again. I'm just not that patient.
So on 09/26/2013 I ordered from Ahlusion and Heather's Heavenly Vapes. From Ahlusion I got the Tiramisu and from Heather's I got a sample pack including: Parrothead, Tuscan Cocoa, Mocha Java Smooth and Vanilla Dream. Very excited to try them all! Oh - and BOTH orders have shipped already.
Until next time...
