Can anyone just tell me what the current state is on legality of vaping products and what I should be worried about. For example should I stock up on both nicotine and PG/VG now? Yesterday?Mods and tanks?
There is no shortage of threads on this form about this subject. You have a lot to read and not a whole lot of time (most likely). Why? Even if nothing happens at the federal level for years (but the ax is supposed to drop this May), the states are banning and restricting and taxing vape more an more these days.
I can't and won't go into legalities and specifics other than that. Not needed IMHO. You see what's happening.You asked the question. the wheels are turning.
Vape is the devil. War has been declared. The writing's on the wall...
Stock up on nic: Even if something happens and deeming regs are held off, there is a good chance that Nicotine base and salts will be taxed such that a liter will cost thousands of dollars.
Heartlandvapes.com is having a sale again. 1L of 100mg nic base (pg or vg base - their house brand) is $10 off. That's $35/ liter. Buy 4 or more in one shot and it's $33/liter. Shipping is free over $50. No coupon code needed, discount is in the cart when you checkout. Sale ends tomorrow night.
However if money's not an issue, then you can buy the expensive stuff from wherever you like. It's your call.
How much nic do you need: Here's a helpful calculator...
Vaping Community e-liquid Calculator - Vapocalypse Calculator
As far as
hardware, well, it's gonna get expensive if you don't have much on hand already.
Tanks: Your best bet is to mostly build your own coils on RTAs or Hybrids (clearomizer tanks that have a rebuildable section which essentially turns the thank into an RTA). Of course, RDAs are an option if you're a dripper or squonker even if only part-time - otherwise not much need for those except for maybe DIY juice tasting/sampling. You'll also need spare parts for your tanks/RDAs. Like glass, maybe screws, special orings/seals, etc. Screws this small are hard to measure so i disagree with people who say screws can be bought anywhere. Yeah, find the right one with the proper thread courseness/spacing. been there. Not easy, they don't sell the screws you need at the local hardware store where you can see it "in person". I digress...
Factory coils (drop-in coils): can be hoarded, of course, but it's expensive. Sure, you can chase the sales, but that might mean you let the sales dictate what you vape. This may not work out for you. If you want to go that route, don't buy a bunch of different tanks and pods. You want to focus on just a few, but many of them. Otherwise you have to buy coils for a whole bunch of different tanks/pods. Not to mention other spare parts. Personally, I say forget pod systems, they don't have replaceable batteries. This is my opinion. The ones that use replaceable batteries are, IMHO, erroneously called "pod systems". They are more like AIO systems than pod systems. These may be a better choice if you want a "pod system". It's you're call ultimately, obviously.
A word on parts: if you can find a tank you like (or RDA) for dirt cheap, it may be cheaper just to buy a boat load of that tank/RDA with the intention that some of them will just be used for spare parts for the ones you will be actually using. It could be cheaper this way, but takes a lot of time to find deals (of course, there are threads and people here to help - regardless it still takes time).
Mods: forget mods that have built-in batteries. You have to focus on replaceable battery mods, preferably ones that take
both 18650
and 21700 batteries. I won't get into why, but at least make these half of your stash. That's my opinion.
Good luck.
PS: You mentioned PG and VG. I see no reason to stock up on that. Same with wire & cotton (or other wicking materials). That stuff is used for a ton of other things. It was around way before vaping. It probably can't effectively be banned or taxed to death as long as you buy it from non-vape retailers - there are plenty of them. But anything's possible, I guess. However, if you were to stockpile everything like that, you'll have to take out a mortgage on your house. You have to focus on the stuff that can only be bought from vape vendors (
tanks [RTAs or hybrids],
RDAs [if you drip/squonk]
mods,
nic, and
spare parts [don't forget spare parts!]).
