"Oh yes," we have e-cigarette supplies

[jdg]

So I walk into a tobacco shop in Watertown, SD the other day, and I ask the nice lady at the counter if they're selling e-cigarette supplies. Obviously enthusiastic, she looks at me and says, "Oh yes, do you want to see what we have?" (Well, yeah, I did come in and ask for it...) "Yeah," I say, "what do you have?" She walks to the back room and comes back with a little black box. I could see the Fifty-One from across the room, but I figured I'd humor her, and I gave the obligatory smiles and nods while she gave her spiel. "Well, I already have one. Mine's a three-piece. Do you have any juice?" "What's juice?" she asks, "Ours don't run on juice. They're electric."

 

[Automaton]

Ohhh dear. That is many kinds of unfortunate fail.

I do hope you let the poor woman in on... the secret of the juice?

 

[jdg]

I tried. She showed me the screw on the battery... at that point, I just thanked her for her time. Say, MistressNomad, I was just in the Twin Cities. Are there a few places there to get the good stuff?

 

[Automaton]

*sigh* Unfortunate.

As far as brick and mortar's? Not that I'm aware, sorry.

But One Stop DIY Shop is in the 'burbs, so if you want DIY stuff you may be able to save yourself shipping if you drive out. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[dragginfly]

Are there a few places there to get the good stuff?

You mean the stuff sold only on a cash basis handed to you in a brown bag with no receipt? *shock*

 

[Toritha]

You mean the stuff sold only on a cash basis handed to you in a brown bag with no receipt? *shock*

shhh no one mentions the brown bags

 

[jdg]

The only thing I've ever bought in a brown bag with cash is liquor. Otherwise it's the sandwich variety.

 

[FreakyStylie]

"Ours don't run on juice. They're electric."

That is too classic. "So it's sorta classic, demented and sad, but classic."

Of course, a smoke shop really doesn't have it in their best interests to sell real pvs and supplies. Their interests are best to make a few bucks off somebody who is curious. It would be like a drug dealer handing out Narcotics Anonymous cards.

 

[dragginfly]

Of course, a smoke shop really doesn't have it in their best interests to sell real pvs and supplies.

True.

The local discount liquor has a cheapo e-cig (I don't recognize it at all) and they claim to sell more than they can keep in stock. Truth be known, they probably limit their stock on the e-cigs (batteries) because they never seem to be out of refills.

The local head shop is another story...

It's in a very nice part of town. Not at all a 'seedy' place. I only went in because on their big billboard they added "e-cigs sold here." (really)

So it smells like incense and they sell a lot of black t-shirts. I did not even look at them. Appears they also sell a lot of paraphernalia (haven't looked at that either). I just went straight to the e-cig counter.

They have one 3-piece kit that looks like a 510, and one cheapo two piece the clerks admittedly don't like.

The BIG seller is ejuice. $10 per 5 ml bottle.

That's where they're making the $$$$. I've bought six bottles in the last month. *shock*

Now I'm getting stockpiled on extracts, base and other mixes from ECF vendors. I've spent enough at the local head shop. LOL

 

[scubasteve25]

"Ours don't run on juice. They're electric."

sadly... i have gotten the same answer

 

[Redbone]

I've found that most tobacco/cig and liquor stores have no idea what e-cigs are, even though they may stock 1-2 kits. Juice? Forgettaboutit.

 

[berty]

I have a frined who owns a few tobacco shops in the Twin Cities. He carried the nJoye for a while, but had so many probems with battery failures he said it wasn't worth it due to the handling costs and unhappy customers.

He told me that the profit for his brick and mortor store was in the repeat sales of pre-filled catridges. With e-juice being sold premixed at $.20 to $.50 a ml on the net, they simply can't be competitive in Minnesota. E-cigs and juice that contains nicotine are now clasified as OTP's (Other Tobacco Products) in this state. Those products are subject to a 70% state tax before the 6%6%-8% sales tax, depending the the location. This was the explanation I was given as to why e-cigs sales from a brick and mortor store would be a very difficult business model here.

Not sure what it would be like in other states.

 

[Incognito]

"Ours don't run on juice. They're electric." <----- Looooooool

Sadly the only PV our local tobacco store sells are the M-9 disposables for $29.99 (worth $7-8)!

I shudder when I think about how many people have been duped into buying one =(

 

[LordDavon]

"What's juice?" she asks, "Ours don't run on juice. They're electric."

That is awesome! I literally laughed-out-loud on that one. FANTASTIC!!! That goes right along with my ex-girlfriends father telling me, about my laptop, "It isn't on your network. It's wireless!". It is almost the same pattern too.

The funniest part is, when he said it, he was saying it like I was stupid. I am amazed he didn't finish it with, "DUH!".

 

[Automaton]

I have a frined who owns a few tobacco shops in the Twin Cities. He carried the nJoye for a while, but had so many probems with battery failures he said it wasn't worth it due to the handling costs and unhappy customers.

He told me that the profit for his brick and mortor store was in the repeat sales of pre-filled catridges. With e-juice being sold premixed at $.20 to $.50 a ml on the net, they simply can't be competitive in Minnesota. E-cigs and juice that contains nicotine are now clasified as OTP's (Other Tobacco Products) in this state. Those products are subject to a 70% state tax before the 6%6%-8% sales tax, depending the the location. This was the explanation I was given as to why e-cigs sales from a brick and mortor store would be a very difficult business model here.

Not sure what it would be like in other states.

I read about that. I know, I know, I shouldn't even bother to try to make sense of it because it's not supposed to make sense and I'll drive myself insane, but...

How can they call it a tobacco product when it contains literally NOTHING derived from tobacco? How can they actually get away with that?

Do you know if it's the same for websites in MN selling e-cigs/juice? If they were big enough to have a site, maybe they could get around it by selling a good kit, and selling the juice online?

 

[OldDragon]

One of the things that bothers me, is how can they charge tax on a tax? This goes for cigs, booze and other things. Think about the only thing, off the top of my head, that isn't taxed twice is gas. But for cigs, first it is highly taxed by the different states and feds, then when you buy it, it is taxed again by the state and the amount of the tax is based on the already taxed price of the cigs. So, if the pack of cigs is out the door factory price of $3.00, then the taxes are appied the cost per pack goes to $10.00. When you pay, you are charged a tax based on the $10.00 and you are paying a extra cost based on $10.00, not the $3.00. So the gov's getting extra money for the $7.00 tax that they already added in.
And what makes me even madder, they have already charged me tax when I get my paycheck....how much do you make -- send it, oh, and a little bit more please.

 

[ScottB]

How can they call it a tobacco product when it contains literally NOTHING derived from tobacco? How can they actually get away with that?

Where does the nicotine come from if not tobacco...?

 

[Toritha]

some places extract it from tobacco others chemically engineer it

 

[LordDavon]

Where does the nicotine come from if not tobacco...?

I took it as, she was talking about the PV. As well, many juices are nic free. I get your point though.

some places extract it from tobacco others chemically engineer it

I didn't know that chemically engineered nicotine was used in the juices. My understanding is that the cost is much higher than tobacco extracted nicotine.

 

[Toritha]

there was a post i came across yesterday... can't remember which forum but they said this one company only uses chemically engineered nicotine.... it's probably far more expensive than the extracted stuff... personally i prefer all natural