anyone feel awkward in vape shops
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I felt out of place at first because I didn't understand any of the "omizer" lingo. Feel comfortable now that I have some sort of clue. Also helps that the owner are my age at the one I go to. Even the kids that work there are pretty helpful.
Sometimes I do, but if i go to my usual vape shop I'm quite comfortable there, know the workers & owner well and usually end up in there for an hour chatting and getting taken into the backroom for them too show me some new stock 
What I find awkward is when I have to explain things to the owner. For example, I was in our local shop where they were selling an Ego kit to a newbie. The owner couldn't figure out why the battery wasn't working. I stepped in and suggested they push the fire button five times. Kind of sad rather than awkward...
My local shop is horrible. Overpriced juice and overpriced Chinese knockoffs.
Glad I found Vape Dojo in Ellicott City. Even though I'm a grandma, I never feel out of place and they have the most friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff.
When my cousin was here from SoCal I got her into vaping and took her to a few shops, including Dojo. She got home and hated all of the shops in her area so now she orders from Dojo. They have a flat rate shipping charge of $2.00 on every order, so why not?
The bad shops make me kind of sad because they are probably turning off potential vapers.
Glad I found Vape Dojo in Ellicott City. Even though I'm a grandma, I never feel out of place and they have the most friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff.
When my cousin was here from SoCal I got her into vaping and took her to a few shops, including Dojo. She got home and hated all of the shops in her area so now she orders from Dojo. They have a flat rate shipping charge of $2.00 on every order, so why not?
The bad shops make me kind of sad because they are probably turning off potential vapers.
The only B&M vape shop I've found are head shops that have a small section for e-cigs. As a grandfather I also feel uncomfortable at these types of places.
This is how I am at my store. Get people wanting to check out with me, it's like 'woah, I don't work here.' Unfortunately, the Vape shops out here are way overpriced. They sell good products but the mark up is cray. My main shop charges $79.99 for a Chi You clone... Nonetheless, the staff are knowledgable and perdy dern kewl. So it's always nice to go kick it there and talk about new products and e-juices.
There are a couple stores that are just silly. They have like three things under their glass case and don't know a darn thing about them. Those are the hit it and quit it stores... Definitely an awkward atmosphere.
I think my city of Sioux Falls S.D. is just starting out 2 stores one with just kids running the shop with no idea of how to talk to a customer and start a conversation. The other has a great owner that seams knowledgeable and easy to talk with.
Nope, I'm a social butterfly *lol*
Ok seriously yeah some sure, where it's a bunch of "kiddos" my kids age that really could care less that the money just walked through the door. The one a couple miles from the house is a regular for us, good kids "sub ohming their teeth out" (*lol* btw) over a coffee or a game of pool is fun, my kids are that age, so no biggie.
Just find another shop if you feel that way.
Too funny and true Kodiak! and tell them you don't have an internet connection too, they'll so be your b**&^h! *lol*
Ok seriously yeah some sure, where it's a bunch of "kiddos" my kids age that really could care less that the money just walked through the door. The one a couple miles from the house is a regular for us, good kids "sub ohming their teeth out" (*lol* btw) over a coffee or a game of pool is fun, my kids are that age, so no biggie.
Just find another shop if you feel that way.
Too funny and true Kodiak! and tell them you don't have an internet connection too, they'll so be your b**&^h! *lol*
Out of all the shops I've visited in my area. I only felt comfortable in 4. Thats because they were all about helping out. In one of them, I feel like I work there. lol. I'm there almost every other day to either buy something or just to hang out. There was one shop that I felt out of place and I got that vibe when I walked in. A group of 5 were just sitting around watching TV and one guy pointed us to the juices and left us standing there. We had some questions but we just ended up leaving.
There's only one truly excellent shop in my town. The problem is that it's all about the bling: high-end mods and juices at maximum mark up. When you walk in and ask about juices, they hand you 5 pawns to sample. I appreciate qualty equipment and service but the whole status symbol, conspicuous consumption ethos turns me off.
The vape store in my town is ok, but I think (no I'm sure) that I've outgrown it. mech mod clones start at around $69 the cheapest juice is 9 for 10ml. the attachment selection is way limited, just fine if you want a protank or nautilus or genesis clone. It's simply too expensive for me to shop there. since I DIY my juice, and scour the internet for deals, they really have nothing to offer. not me anyway, but they do have a dizzying collection of juices...like 60 flavors between the 4 brands (no store made). If and when I go there its for conversation or to buy something that I don't feel like waiting on shipping e.g. air flow control or drip tips... some times I sample juice for ideas, but the tables are typically occupied by loiterers or indecisive first time buyers. it's a small shop, used to be a RYO shop with machines for customer use. WA state put a 75% tax on loose tobacco and declared that type of RYO shop to be unlawful, so I think they did a good job adapting to the hand they'd been dealt.
In my area there is a vape shop explosion going on. There is at least 5 that I know of that have been open for awhile, and three more opening.
The biggest on has two outlets, and in many ways, is the worst one. I have no problem with counter culture, but when the prevailing attitude is of the cool kids club, I am out. Add to that the fact that they are selling clones of EHPro clones, the place needs to suffer a gas explosion.
The rest of the shops are stocked with ego style batteries of the knockoff variety sold at alibaba.net for $395.00 for a box of 500, and they are selling them for $60 for a pair.
There is one great shop - it has a good selection of both good quality clones and authentics, the owners tries to steer you towards equipment that meets your needs, and has an excellent juice selection.
I really feel for vape shop owners.
I don't think that there is a mod maker out there that gives wholesale deal for resellers - he said that he has to pay the same for most mods whether he is buying 50 for his shop, or just one for himself.
I bought my Poldiac for $50 more than I could've gotten from MMV, and $20 more for my TugBoat, just to support him. We need a good vape shop in the area.
The biggest on has two outlets, and in many ways, is the worst one. I have no problem with counter culture, but when the prevailing attitude is of the cool kids club, I am out. Add to that the fact that they are selling clones of EHPro clones, the place needs to suffer a gas explosion.
The rest of the shops are stocked with ego style batteries of the knockoff variety sold at alibaba.net for $395.00 for a box of 500, and they are selling them for $60 for a pair.
There is one great shop - it has a good selection of both good quality clones and authentics, the owners tries to steer you towards equipment that meets your needs, and has an excellent juice selection.
I really feel for vape shop owners.
I don't think that there is a mod maker out there that gives wholesale deal for resellers - he said that he has to pay the same for most mods whether he is buying 50 for his shop, or just one for himself.
I bought my Poldiac for $50 more than I could've gotten from MMV, and $20 more for my TugBoat, just to support him. We need a good vape shop in the area.
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There is one I don't feel overly comfortable in of the 5 near me, the workers are friendly but its such a big shop with so many customers constantly inside I don't like staying to long. I also don't like majority of people in general so that's probably why lol although I can spend an hour in the smaller ones with only a few others inside.
I felt super awkward when I went into my first B&M! I don’t know why, I just felt like I was in over my head. The staff was super helpful and informative, but I was still a little intimidated. I walked in looking like a soccer mom dressed in my Sunday best, so I’m sure I looked completely out of place too, lol.
The second store (and the only other one in my area) I went to was clearly aimed towards beginners who didn’t mind paying twice what everything was worth. I left after asking if they had Aerotank coils and the clerk just started listing off colors of the cheap crappy tanks they were selling. Um, no thanks.
I recently checked out a shop in Tampa and felt totally comfortable. They staff was awesome and extremely helpful. They were way more knowledgeable than I, but were also willing to respect my opinion and needs so I didn’t feel intimidated. Needless to say, I spent a ton of money even though I was only there to help my brother-in-law get hooked up with a good setup.
The second store (and the only other one in my area) I went to was clearly aimed towards beginners who didn’t mind paying twice what everything was worth. I left after asking if they had Aerotank coils and the clerk just started listing off colors of the cheap crappy tanks they were selling. Um, no thanks.
I recently checked out a shop in Tampa and felt totally comfortable. They staff was awesome and extremely helpful. They were way more knowledgeable than I, but were also willing to respect my opinion and needs so I didn’t feel intimidated. Needless to say, I spent a ton of money even though I was only there to help my brother-in-law get hooked up with a good setup.
Whoa! You're in BG? Is that the Bubba's in BG? I go to the one in Vancouver. Their thunderhead juices are reasonably priced -- actually all their juices are pretty reasonably priced, really. Not that it matters since you DIY, but still. =)
For everyone else:
There are three(?) shops nearby (sorta) that I've been to. One just seems like a cash grab. Pretty sure the owner doesn't even vape. Haven't been back since my first time to see if he ever started carrying more stuff. The other where I live is in a tobacco/head shop. Nothing super fancy, cheap juices, but they do carry kanger stuff. Overpriced, but I buy tobacco from them on occasion. Young kids, but nice. The other store is close to where I work, and has good prices on juices (and a lot of juices). Other stuff is a bit overpriced, though. But the employees are all nice and friendly, nearly (?) all of them vape. I buy juice from them, and occasionally I'll buy other stuff from one of the two shops I still go to in order to support the local businesses. Of course my spendy purchases are all online. =)
I do feel a little awkward in the one real vape shop at times. As I've gone there more often, and have started getting more into the hobbyist side of things, it's become less awkward.
Im super new to vape, just started yesterday.. But been in a bunch of shops over the last week or so. And yes some B&M shops are... well... uncomfortable. The employees shooting juice, and tinkering with there own rigs, while 'helping' you. Not much help at all... Needless to say they didnt get any of my money. I found another B&M that is MUCH more professional.
On the contrary. I'm "Norm" from "Cheers" when I walk into my B&M. The young man (and I get to say that because I'm easily old enough to be his mother!) who typically mixes the juices sometimes cringes when I come in (usually only when they have big juice sales - my order in June included about 300mL of various flavors )
"My" store has 4 locations in my town alone. With their expansion, the original site is a little less crowded, but the site closest to my house is my "home base". I've heard of at least 3 or 4 other shops, but I haven't even bothered to go into them.
So, I feel pretty lucky - it's clean, the staff is relatively knowledgeable, their selection is improving (but I'll probably continue to by hardware online - just get my juice from them.)
)"My" store has 4 locations in my town alone. With their expansion, the original site is a little less crowded, but the site closest to my house is my "home base". I've heard of at least 3 or 4 other shops, but I haven't even bothered to go into them.
So, I feel pretty lucky - it's clean, the staff is relatively knowledgeable, their selection is improving (but I'll probably continue to by hardware online - just get my juice from them.)
I always feel awkward going to new vape shops. It's like going into a party as an uninvited guest
That's EXACTLY how I feel when I go into Steam Cigs -- everyone there knows each other, they're all buddies having a fine old time, and then there's me at the counter, trying to buy something. So there's only one thing I buy there, Oak Barrel Cider pipe sauce; they may have other juice I'd like, but I can't stand to stay long enough to find out.
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