Since most temperature controlled vapers use cotton wicks I thought I would add some of what I have discovered about a lot of predatory pricing schemes by vape shops and a lot of Ebay vendors.
It is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous about how A LOT OF vape SHOPS and Ebay vendors are OVERCHARGING THE USERS OF JAPANESE COTTON, especially the trademark name KOH GEN DO.
Apparently KOH GEN DO is a cosmetics company and sell their own private-labeled pads. Size: 3.25" x 2.25" (82.55mm x 57.15mm) $12.00 per box of 60 pads.
That's 283,064 sq. mm at 0.00004239 cents per sq. mm.
I have heard their shipping prices are high, but did not verify.
Barneys New York, a cosmetic supplier, will ship them free and their price is a $12.00 per 60 ct. box also.
Dermstore dot com also is the same price and free shipping as Barneys New York.
Sally Beauty Supply (both a B&M store and online) Same price per box plus sales tax since they're in just about every state plus shipping.
Then go to a vape shop online or specialty shop online...
Whoops! Bend over and grab the AstroGlide!
vapingcotton dot com price: $9.00 for THREE pads... that's pads. THREE single pads plus shipping
myfreedomsmokes dot com: $4.95 for SIX pads plus shipping
japaneseorganiccotton dot com: various rip-off prices of Japanese cotton pads.
(They carry about 12 different brands but not Koh Gen Do. Prices have more than doubled in about six months. $36 - 40 for 100 pads. I originally bought from them back in December 2014 and paid $8 for 40 pads... yes I hadn't done my homework yet. Now it's $16.)
myvaporstore dot com: Pack of 5 Sheets Each sheet is 2-1/2" x 2" $6.00 plus shipping
vaperev dot com: Pack of 5 sheets $2.00 plus shipping (Most reasonable I've seen so far for a vape shop.)
fluidvaper dot com: 1 pad of KGD $.79 each plus shipping.
At Amazon you can get Labo ORGANIC Cotton Puff 50mm x 60mm pad 200 ct. for $7.69 , but you have to order a total of $35.00 for free shipping or pay shipping
or
VapeEmpire at Amazon charges $14.95 for 15 KGD pads! ONE DOLLAR EACH! OUCH! plus $5.95 shipping if you don't want to add another $20.05 of products
A lot of Ebay vendors are also predatory in their pricing schemes and scams:
Vendor A: 80 Koh Gen Do pads for $29.95 free shipping or "Generic" pad 5 each for $3.50 free shipping.
Vendor B: 24 Koh Gen Do pads for $16.91 free shipping
Vendor C: 27 Koh Gen Do pads for $13.49 free shipping
Vendor D: 24 Koh Gen Do pads for $17.50 free shipping
(Using Vendor C's pricing; 0.00010590 cents per sq. mm. That's nearly 2.5 times higher that Koh Gen Do's pricing.)
However there are a few good vendors on Ebay selling what's known as Muji or other brands of cotton pads, yes they're organic and measure 50mm x 60mm, some other makers sizes vary a little but not much.
One vendor based in Japan sells Muji Brand 5cm x 6cm - 140 pads shipped air mail from Japan for $6.40 US dollars.
That is 420,000 sq mm at 0.00001524 cents per sq. mm. (The name brand Koh Gen Do is 275% higher per sq. mm. Sold in the 60ct. package.) Just for the brand name.
Shiseido cotton pads are a good deal too; 160 2" x 3" pads for $9.50 at places like Sephora which has B&M stores plus online ordering.
There are a lot of Japanese companies selling organic cotton pads, basically they're all about the same except for pad sizes and thickness. From what a relative of mine told me, who happens to be Japanese, there is NO DIFFERENCE in quality of the pads themselves. Just sizing and thickness and that's it.
To use a phrase that is often used but heeded all to rarely; CAVEAT EMPTOR. A Latin phrase for "let the buyer beware." Essentially it proclaims that the buyer must perform their due diligence when purchasing an item or service.
Fellow temperature control vapers, please don't fall victim to these outright rip-offs and scams.
Be very discerning and do your homework first. A lot of newbies to vaping succumb to this type of pricing
I hope this info is of some help to those using cotton wicking.
It is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous about how A LOT OF vape SHOPS and Ebay vendors are OVERCHARGING THE USERS OF JAPANESE COTTON, especially the trademark name KOH GEN DO.
Apparently KOH GEN DO is a cosmetics company and sell their own private-labeled pads. Size: 3.25" x 2.25" (82.55mm x 57.15mm) $12.00 per box of 60 pads.
That's 283,064 sq. mm at 0.00004239 cents per sq. mm.
I have heard their shipping prices are high, but did not verify.
Barneys New York, a cosmetic supplier, will ship them free and their price is a $12.00 per 60 ct. box also.
Dermstore dot com also is the same price and free shipping as Barneys New York.
Sally Beauty Supply (both a B&M store and online) Same price per box plus sales tax since they're in just about every state plus shipping.
Then go to a vape shop online or specialty shop online...
Whoops! Bend over and grab the AstroGlide!
vapingcotton dot com price: $9.00 for THREE pads... that's pads. THREE single pads plus shipping
myfreedomsmokes dot com: $4.95 for SIX pads plus shipping
japaneseorganiccotton dot com: various rip-off prices of Japanese cotton pads.
(They carry about 12 different brands but not Koh Gen Do. Prices have more than doubled in about six months. $36 - 40 for 100 pads. I originally bought from them back in December 2014 and paid $8 for 40 pads... yes I hadn't done my homework yet. Now it's $16.)
myvaporstore dot com: Pack of 5 Sheets Each sheet is 2-1/2" x 2" $6.00 plus shipping
vaperev dot com: Pack of 5 sheets $2.00 plus shipping (Most reasonable I've seen so far for a vape shop.)
fluidvaper dot com: 1 pad of KGD $.79 each plus shipping.
At Amazon you can get Labo ORGANIC Cotton Puff 50mm x 60mm pad 200 ct. for $7.69 , but you have to order a total of $35.00 for free shipping or pay shipping
or
VapeEmpire at Amazon charges $14.95 for 15 KGD pads! ONE DOLLAR EACH! OUCH! plus $5.95 shipping if you don't want to add another $20.05 of products
A lot of Ebay vendors are also predatory in their pricing schemes and scams:
Vendor A: 80 Koh Gen Do pads for $29.95 free shipping or "Generic" pad 5 each for $3.50 free shipping.
Vendor B: 24 Koh Gen Do pads for $16.91 free shipping
Vendor C: 27 Koh Gen Do pads for $13.49 free shipping
Vendor D: 24 Koh Gen Do pads for $17.50 free shipping
(Using Vendor C's pricing; 0.00010590 cents per sq. mm. That's nearly 2.5 times higher that Koh Gen Do's pricing.)
However there are a few good vendors on Ebay selling what's known as Muji or other brands of cotton pads, yes they're organic and measure 50mm x 60mm, some other makers sizes vary a little but not much.
One vendor based in Japan sells Muji Brand 5cm x 6cm - 140 pads shipped air mail from Japan for $6.40 US dollars.
That is 420,000 sq mm at 0.00001524 cents per sq. mm. (The name brand Koh Gen Do is 275% higher per sq. mm. Sold in the 60ct. package.) Just for the brand name.
Shiseido cotton pads are a good deal too; 160 2" x 3" pads for $9.50 at places like Sephora which has B&M stores plus online ordering.
There are a lot of Japanese companies selling organic cotton pads, basically they're all about the same except for pad sizes and thickness. From what a relative of mine told me, who happens to be Japanese, there is NO DIFFERENCE in quality of the pads themselves. Just sizing and thickness and that's it.
To use a phrase that is often used but heeded all to rarely; CAVEAT EMPTOR. A Latin phrase for "let the buyer beware." Essentially it proclaims that the buyer must perform their due diligence when purchasing an item or service.
Fellow temperature control vapers, please don't fall victim to these outright rip-offs and scams.
Be very discerning and do your homework first. A lot of newbies to vaping succumb to this type of pricing
I hope this info is of some help to those using cotton wicking.
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