I don't consider these B&M's to be businesses. They are just parasitic middlemen. The money you save by shopping on line is available for you to spread around in a more discretionary manner if you like.
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I don't consider these B&M's to be businesses. They are just parasitic middlemen. The money you save by shopping on line is available for you to spread around in a more discretionary manner if you like.
I buy juice online, and most of my hardware locally. My favorite B&M sells e-liquid for ridiculous prices, but if I just wanted a new tank or a spinner, I would go there. They're a popular online vendor here in France, and I am lucky enough to live in the only city where they have a B&M. All of the prices on the site are the same in store.
around here 10-12 a 10 ml.
there is a ton of vapors here so many the cops dont even give you a second look if vaping in the car.
and even some of the better well known online vendors are located within miles of my house, yet sadly the only actual stores are ego knockoff starter kits and overpriced juice. I have repeatedly begged these online vendors to open up b&m's or at least offer local pickup. since they wont i can get it cheaper elsewhere.
sorry not paying shipping and sales tax also then still wait 2 days.
A good B&M is a thing of beauty. It's wonderful to be able to actually see things in person before buying. Things just don't look the same online as they do in person.
Unfortunately, good B&Ms are rare. It's always going to cost a little more because of overhead. But, most B&Ms aren't just a little more expensive and mostly just have beginner stuff.
I do know of a good B&M in my area that is good enough to send people to who want to get started. Their prices are even fairly reasonable. They're well worth the small difference in price IF you really have to see it in person and to help you get started.
But, I'm not a beginner and hate to go shopping. So, I've never bought anything from a B&M.
Unfortunately, good B&Ms are rare. It's always going to cost a little more because of overhead. But, most B&Ms aren't just a little more expensive and mostly just have beginner stuff.
I do know of a good B&M in my area that is good enough to send people to who want to get started. Their prices are even fairly reasonable. They're well worth the small difference in price IF you really have to see it in person and to help you get started.
But, I'm not a beginner and hate to go shopping. So, I've never bought anything from a B&M.
When I first started e-cigs there were no e-cig shops in our area - the only place to buy supplies (limited as they were) was from the local tobacco shop which knew nothing about the product line and carried it only because people had asked about it and they saw it as another income possibility... So my purchases were on-line out of necessity...
Now a half-dozen e-cig shops have popped up (like mushrooms after a Spring rain) but they are all way over-priced (even taking into account their overhead and such), extremely limited in their selection, and far from knowledgeable about their products... And I won't even get started about their exhorbitantly overpriced juices or that they really push hard to sell you their DIY in-store 'designer' mixes that are even more expensive and taste like dung,,,
So, yeah, I shop mostly on-line... Do I feel bad about it? A little bit because I'd really love to support local business, but not enough to put up with their nonsensical pricing and attitude...
Now a half-dozen e-cig shops have popped up (like mushrooms after a Spring rain) but they are all way over-priced (even taking into account their overhead and such), extremely limited in their selection, and far from knowledgeable about their products... And I won't even get started about their exhorbitantly overpriced juices or that they really push hard to sell you their DIY in-store 'designer' mixes that are even more expensive and taste like dung,,,
So, yeah, I shop mostly on-line... Do I feel bad about it? A little bit because I'd really love to support local business, but not enough to put up with their nonsensical pricing and attitude...
My first orders were from a Chinese vendor, my first overseas purchases of any kind. Everything arrived in a week, worked well and was inexpensive. The variety and savings make online purchases a much better choice for me. Stocking up a bit means no need to rush out desperately for anything. There is an outstanding liquid maker about an hour from me that I will visit to sample flavors and it is well worth the trip.
Vaping has changed from a smallish community to a larger group of people who don't want to research and tinker as much as earlier vapers needed to. Newer vapers can benefit from visiting a good shop to find out what flavors they prefer without ordering lots of liquid in the beginning. They may also be willing to pay $25 for a bottle of liquid, so for these newer vapers B&M locations offer up instant gratification.
Vaping has changed from a smallish community to a larger group of people who don't want to research and tinker as much as earlier vapers needed to. Newer vapers can benefit from visiting a good shop to find out what flavors they prefer without ordering lots of liquid in the beginning. They may also be willing to pay $25 for a bottle of liquid, so for these newer vapers B&M locations offer up instant gratification.
I get my juice in the B&M 5min down the street from my university on days I'm on campus. It's decently priced IMO (especially for around here) at ~$12 for 30mL regular and ~$9 for 30mL on sale. I prefer being able to test it in the moment not get samples offline unless something really just jumps out at me on a website. As far as equipment goes, online unless I see something shiny and just have.to.have.it right that moment and don't want to wait. But, there's at least a $5-$10+ mark up on everything in store, so my ferociously frugal .... tends to try to avoid that if possible (but again, they're 1/2 the price of another B&M that's local-ish). There's also more variety online, but the downside is you can't hold it, examine it, see how it looks with your other equips, etc. To be honest though, the atmosphere and personalities at the B&M keep me going back. I enjoy the people, so I'll always find something to buy 
tldr; equipment is online, juice is in store.
tldr; equipment is online, juice is in store.
Hey guys,
I was just wondering if most of you guys get your gears/liquids online or offline. I know vape stores are not common in certain states/cities yet, so I was just wondering where/how you guys get your hands on vapes.
Also, if you guys go to a store, what do you guys like or dislike about it? Or do you guys prefer online stores? If so why or why not?
I m just curious of what are your thoughts on pros/cons of going to a store or shopping online
For me, there are a lot of vape stores opening up near my location. There are even like vape bars where you can just come in and smoke. I guess good thing is that you can try liquids out before purchasing them? Online stores don't look too legit to my eyes so I am a bit hesitant before buying any liquids, although their prices are lower than the physical stores.
Thanks guys!
i mostly shop online...that way i dont haf to wear pants.
darn those B&M's and their oppressive rules!!!!
I have a really great local store, but they are limited on the selection and I want more toys!! Also, the prices are a bit high. $65 for an MVP v1 and I can get a v2 for $40 as an example. Their liquids are good and I'll buy some here and there, but online prices are great and free shipping/no tax are positives.
I still buy online occasionally. Since Stormy's Vapor Cellar opened a B&M 5 minutes away, I usually just drive over and stock up. They made the decision to keep the same price structure in the store as their web page, so it's a good deal. No shipping, but they charge sales tax. There's a vape bar with all their juices so I can try them all and pick what I like before buying. They also let you order online, pay for it online, and pick it up in the store. When you walk in, they just hand you the bag with a receipt.
Juices prices really aren't bad. $16.99 for 30ml. My favorite Stormy's juice is Cloud Nine. Kanger heads are $7.99 for a box of 5.
The really good part of B&M is that you get to touch and feel and try before buying. I bought a Segelei Zmax for $74.99 to backup my Provari. There are cheaper deals, but the 30 day guarantee on hardware allowed me to return my Zmax with the crooked display for an over the counter swap.
Juices prices really aren't bad. $16.99 for 30ml. My favorite Stormy's juice is Cloud Nine. Kanger heads are $7.99 for a box of 5.
The really good part of B&M is that you get to touch and feel and try before buying. I bought a Segelei Zmax for $74.99 to backup my Provari. There are cheaper deals, but the 30 day guarantee on hardware allowed me to return my Zmax with the crooked display for an over the counter swap.
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It surprises me that in this day and age there are people who don't shop online because they think are all not legitimate. These days virtually all companies order their stock online. If you order online yourself you just cut out a stage of the supply chain and the cost added on that stage.
Very fairly priced IMHO, $7.99 for 10 ml, $15.99 for 30 ml. They run juice specials at least 2 or 3 times a week, and have a loyalty card program, buy 5 get one free.
My favorite local checks prices against other local B&Ms which is a nice bonus.
I do both.
For DIY, I buy the stuff online, but I do occasionally buy juice form my local vape shop.
For mods, lately I have been buying them in person as there are many cool vape shops in my area. The markup is reasonalble (which is about the cost of shipping). For something like a ProVari, online.
Carto tanks and cartos are online purchases because they are from specific vendors like Ikenvape or IBTanked.
Batteries online.
For DIY, I buy the stuff online, but I do occasionally buy juice form my local vape shop.
For mods, lately I have been buying them in person as there are many cool vape shops in my area. The markup is reasonalble (which is about the cost of shipping). For something like a ProVari, online.
Carto tanks and cartos are online purchases because they are from specific vendors like Ikenvape or IBTanked.
Batteries online.
I buy a lot of stuff online all areas of my life. Amazon Prime is my favorite, followed by Ebay. If I can't find it there, I'll look elsewhere online. I recently bought a couple of cell phone batteries from Amazon for our Samsung Galaxy Nexus phones. $7.00 each and they were Samsung branded exact duplicates of the NFC capable batteries that came in our phones. One vendor had them for $3, but the reviews said what he got wasn't what was pictured. I bought the ones where the reviews verified OEM stock was shipped.
Best Buy gets $47 apiece for those batts. It's a no brainer.
Best Buy gets $47 apiece for those batts. It's a no brainer.
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I use both, there are literally 6 B&M vape stores within a 10 min. drive of my house (More if you count the smoke shops that carry some vape gear). I really like the atmosphere of a local B&M store, but I rarely like the prices due to the markup. When I walk into a new store I immediately look for items that I know the price of, and I will decide quickly if they get any of my business or not. Electronicstix.com has a B&M store near my house, and thier in-store prices are pretty much the same as on thier website, so in a pinch I can run over there, and get what I need. But overall, you can't beat online prices, even after you add the extra shipping costs, so if I can wait a couple days I will order online.
Oh, those are definitely out there too. I've got a couple within driving distance of me. They mostly sell cheap Ego knock-offs, CE-style toppers, and China juice at insane markups. They also, for the most part, have no idea what they're even selling. I steer well clear of those.
However, the value of a good vape shop staffed by knowledgeable people can not be overstated when it comes to consumers who are just getting started with vaping. I can't go into my (good) local shops without seeing at least one person at the counter getting help with something they have questions about. I've seen the owners of these shops personally assisting people with everything from a poorly-performing Evod to wrapping coils on a Genesis. When I started vaping early in the year, one of the ladies at my shop spent about 45 minutes stepping me through each and every process and detail of vaping, and to this day I'm convinced that she sold me exactly what I needed to help me quit smoking, and at a very reasonable price.
I feel that good shops are worth patronizing and paying a little more to help keep them in business, because many smokers need personal guidance to get off cigs. So I don't look at it as paying 20 bucks for something I can get online for 14, I look at it as paying 14 bucks for the item and another 6 so perhaps the next curious smoker who wanders in will have someone available to answer the same questions that I had when I made the switch
Also, tasting bars are the best! I probably never would've discovered Fuzion or Drake's without my local shops.
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