Introduction

[seanhobbs]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum, and new to vaping. I'm currently researching and seeking suppliers/manufacturers/distributors for opening, at least, one e-cigarette specialty "brick and mortar" store in my area.

I own other local business, from night clubs to computer repair, and my interest in opening an e-cigarette store started when I saw people vaping in one of my local night clubs (Blu). I'm getting ready to sell the Blu disposable in my night clubs, as well as other night clubs in the area. Any suggestions, recommendations, or comments as to who has/makes the best e-cigarette kit(s), disposable e-cigarettes, and e-liquids for retail sale are welcome and requested.

I've found a ton of information here on ECF, and I thought I would say "hello" and start giving back to the ECF community.

Hello, and thanks,

Sean

 

[Rosa]

NOT Blu... if you plan to sell e-cigs I'm pretty sure you'll need to register as a vendor.

That being said, I think the best models to sell in any 'brick and mortar' would be a selection of KR808D-1 starter kits, 510 starter kits, and eGo starter kits... along with juice, replacement parts and cartomizers (prefilled and blank).

Good luck!

(not blu, not dragon, not century, not 51, no no no...)

 

[classwife]

+1 what Rosa said....keep the stock good and keep it simple !

 

[VaprDan]

What ever you choose, I has to be a product that is going to work excellently. Along with that, some people may need some coaching to start with. This is all important if you want them to keep it up.

 

[dormouse]

Those are the models we recommend here for most people.

 

[wv2win]

NOT Blu... if you plan to sell e-cigs I'm pretty sure you'll need to register as a vendor.

That being said, I think the best models to sell in any 'brick and mortar' would be a selection of KR808D-1 starter kits, 510 starter kits, and eGo starter kits... along with juice, replacement parts and cartomizers (prefilled and blank).

Good luck!

(not blu, not dragon, not century, not 51, no no no...)

+1, Get at least one good better battery PV, also. GLV2 from Great Lakes Vapor or one of the many from Nhaler.com. Don't stick people with PV's like Blu.

Rule of Thumb: the more it looks like the real thing, the worse the performance.

But Good Luck with your venture.

 

[Hrtbrkr1965]

I agree with all the above posts! Good Luck on your venture!

 

[seanhobbs]

I haven't opened a store, or started selling anything in bars yet. When I start, I'll signup here as a retailer.

Thank you for all for the information. I am looking into the JoyeTech 510, the DSE808, the DSE901, the DSEeGo, the DSEvGo, the new Joye Mega XL 520, and the DSEeGo-T(ank) (type a and b), but have not been able to adequately communicate with Chinese manufacturers. They all want me to buys samples, and I would, but all have answered my specific questions the same, "buy sample". As well as wanting to charge me $50.00 shipping for a $5.00-$20.00 item, even after asking them to ship via EMS post (I don't need a sample in 3 days). As for a disposable, I haven't been able to find anything that didn't look cheap and poorly made. Blu sent me a few samples of their disposable line, and I was impressed with it, and its flavor (maybe I'm easily impressed). If the general consensus here is that Blu is not a quality product, I'll keep looking. Can anyone elaborate as to why Blu is not a good choice? We (as a company) don't like the analog cigarette looking e-cigarettes as well. A friend of mine has an nJoy, and he is always being stopped to tell him to put out his cigarette. He said it was fun for a while, but got old, fast. Additionally, he has has nothing but trouble with his nJoy since he got it for Christmas, except for the automatic shipping of cartomizers every month. I have him refilling now, but he had to repeatedly tell them to stop sending him cartomizers. If he gets another shipment, he is going to change his credit card number.

51 is sold here at a mall kiosk, with the "basic" kit (1 battery, 1 charger (I can't remember if it is a 2 piece or 3 piece system, and 5 carts), for $99.99. I don't have any plans to make such a markup (2000%) on anything I end up selling.

Thank you all very much for your input and recommendations,

Sean

 

[Raye149]

Hi

Im Ray from Rhode Island. A new vapor dude.

 

[Valsacar]

Alibaba.com is the place to look, look for wholesalers that are marked gold at least 2 years in a row. Ask if you can send a representative to visit their facility, if they say no or avoid answering go somewhere else (I know you don't intend to, it's just to see how they answer the question).

Blu have very little vapor production and poor battery life, I tried one once and knew two people that bought them. They both went back to cigarettes.

Joye510 is a good small sized unit, and I've heard good things about the 901 and 808s as well (but don't have personal experience with them).

 

[Rosa]

..and 520 looks promising too...

 

[wv2win]

I haven't opened a store, or started selling anything in bars yet. When I start, I'll signup here as a retailer.

Thank you for all for the information. I am looking into the JoyeTech 510, the DSE808, the DSE901, the DSEeGo, the DSEvGo, the new Joye Mega XL 520, and the DSEeGo-T(ank) (type a and b), but have not been able to adequately communicate with Chinese manufacturers. They all want me to buys samples, and I would, but all have answered my specific questions the same, "buy sample". As well as wanting to charge me $50.00 shipping for a $5.00-$20.00 item, even after asking them to ship via EMS post (I don't need a sample in 3 days). As for a disposable, I haven't been able to find anything that didn't look cheap and poorly made. Blu sent me a few samples of their disposable line, and I was impressed with it, and its flavor (maybe I'm easily impressed). If the general consensus here is that Blu is not a quality product, I'll keep looking. Can anyone elaborate as to why Blu is not a good choice? We (as a company) don't like the analog cigarette looking e-cigarettes as well. A friend of mine has an nJoy, and he is always being stopped to tell him to put out his cigarette. He said it was fun for a while, but got old, fast. Additionally, he has has nothing but trouble with his nJoy since he got it for Christmas, except for the automatic shipping of cartomizers every month. I have him refilling now, but he had to repeatedly tell them to stop sending him cartomizers. If he gets another shipment, he is going to change his credit card number.

51 is sold here at a mall kiosk, with the "basic" kit (1 battery, 1 charger (I can't remember if it is a 2 piece or 3 piece system, and 5 carts), for $99.99. I don't have any plans to make such a markup (2000%) on anything I end up selling.

Thank you all very much for your input and recommendations,

Sean

I would suggest you contact several of the online suppliers well supported on this forum. I feel confident that they would lead you in the right direction on how to deal with the suppliers in China. I would contact Arno from Awsome Vapor in Conyers, GA and Drew from nhaler.com. Both have been doing this for a couple of years and are quite knowledgible.

On the Blu, there are probably 100 negative posts about it's performance on this site alone for every one positive post. And most of the positive posts are from one week or less users. The battery is very weak (80 mAh I believe) and just doesn't hold up and they only sell auto batteries which are much more prone to dieing and getting sticky switches.

Your selection looks pretty good. But I would look to add at least one better battery/higher end PV in a small quantity to your selection. You might want to contact Ken from Ken's Box Mods for a less expensive alternative to a better battery PV. But if you want to sell at least one premier PV, then I would look at the variable volt Darwin from nhaler.com or the ProVari.

 

[seanhobbs]

wv2win,

I've looked into the ProVape-1 and the ProVari and I'm very impressed. Especially with their many safety features (not just a protected battery). I've never heard of the Darwin, but I'll look into it. I have seen the mod's from Ken.

I'll contact Drew and Arno to get their feedback and suggestions. I think some of the people/resellers I have contacted are hesitant to help me because they think I would be a competitor. Since I won't be selling on-line, there shouldn't be any concerns about another on-line competitor.

Thanks,

Sean

 

[wv2win]

wv2win,

I've looked into the ProVape-1 and the ProVari and I'm very impressed. Especially with their many safety features (not just a protected battery). I've never heard of the Darwin, but I'll look into it. I have seen the mod's from Ken.

I'll contact Drew and Arno to get their feedback and suggestions. I think some of the people/resellers I have contacted are hesitant to help me because they think I would be a competitor. Since I won't be selling on-line, there shouldn't be any concerns about another on-line competitor.

Thanks,

Sean

I think if you explain to them your goal is "brick and mortar" and since you are no where near their physical location, they may be more open. It might help if you sign into their sites and buy something and then start a conversation. BTW, Drew from nhaler.com sells the Darwin which is the one I just bought and it is truely "top of the line". No one can match it's features or warranty. The actual manufacture, Evolv, Inc is in upstate Ohio. I have met the owner and I was impressed with his knowledge. Here is a review by an ECF member:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ressions-newest-pre-production-prototype.html

 

[JC Okie]

seanhobbs, Rob at Joye eGo | Joye 510 | Electronic Cigarette supplies Tulsa | Batteries, atomizers, cartomizers, e-Liquid and more! just opened up his "bricks and mortar" in Sand Springs, OK (a suburb of Tulsa) a couple of months ago. You should visit his site, and maybe even drive over and visit his shop..... He's a great guy and I'm betting he'd be glad to talk to you about this.

 

[seanhobbs]

WOW, that is one complete review! I have never seen an e-cigarette like it, and I like it. It's definitely going on my want list (personal and business)!

Thanks again wv2win!

Sean

 

[seanhobbs]

Thanks JCnewbie! I actually go to Tulsa quite often. I'll check it out!

 

[dormouse]

There are disposable 510s and disposable 306 (real 306 though is not an ecig you can easily buy - it's mostly available as parts and it's cart is much smaller than 510's. 306 is just a popular atomizer some people like to use on 510 and Ego)

I was at a retailer's site yesterday and they seemed to offer wholesale too... Sorry - I visited so many sites I have no clue which one it was.

 

[tearose50]

Saw a U Tube video reviewing about 4 different disposables---took on a trip overseas & did the review from there. Not a bad idea to have the best of that lot for your nightclubs. Sorry, don't remember the reviewers "name".

 

[Toadster61]

hello welcome !, I am just about 2 months into vaping, I also thought about selling e-cigs out of my jewlery shop, I did look into it and it was a much bigger investment than I had originally thought,to have a good variety and parts youre looking at investing like $10,000 ,and even then you dont have a huge selection,hell ordering 100 510 kits wholesale is over 4 grand right there,, there is a local e-cig store here in town and he told ne he invested $15,000 into his store and has since closed up and left,, so dont think he was making the rent, I do agree that selling out of a shop or other business is probably the way to go, but you need to know your stuff and be able to give the hard sell and demo all day every day, I dont think I'd have time for that ,, anyway,,good luck and keep on vapin'