Should I just by a pack?

[tonymopar]

It's funny, when I first started out, for my second time, mind you three months ago, with these e-cigarettes I was totally committed. Hell, haven't had a cig in three months, so that should say something. But I realized there is a problem. These things are just not readily available. Sure you can go to the gas stations and get those cheapo disposable ones, but those, in no way, can satisfy even an ultra, ultra light smoker!

So, I go online, get me a pretty good e-cig, get some e-juice from a cool vendor, then i'm off to the races, right? Meh, not really. Was ok, but there was something missing. Juice was fantastic, but the smoke wasn't great. what to do? I step up and order one of those multi voltage joints. I get the thing and now I'm satisfied to no end!!!! This is great. same drag as a cigaratte; same inhale, heck I can even practice making smoke rings now. I'm in cloud 9 for Christ sakes!! This is wonderful.

But then it happens.....

First my trusted juice vendor decides to take a months hiatus. Then about ten days later, after a wonderful time of vaping, my multi voltage vaping device decides, no mas, and kicks the bucket! Got a new juice vendor, two bottles of different stuff. One was great, the other not so great. Knocked the dust off my "starter kit" which now went from being ok, to not so ok......

So in the end what did I do.....

I decided to not let this set me back from being smoke free. So my determined self came here, researched different mods, and figured to buy two of the best VV's out there. One from each company (not mentioning names, this is my story, not their ). If I'm going to have a backup, might as well make it a great one!!! ordered them sometime last week and now I'm just waiting, and waiting...and waiting.

Still haven't had a cig yet. I'm dealing with the starter kit, but I wonder....Will these things be worked out to the point that we can have ready access to the juices, cartos, and mods, when we want? Hell, go to Amazon.com and you can get something to you the very next day. Or if it's a matter of manufacturing and logistics, then come on guys, there has to be a way for this to be done so product is in and out the door, to the customers more efficiently. And for those devices that are DOA, or near DOA when they arrive to customers, some type of quality control needs to be pushed in those overseas factories to insure quality and safety (the two upgrades I ordered were made here in the US, the mod that died was from China). And by the way, the mod that crocked made a funny little pop when it expired.

So suffer I must, but it's things like this that cause some people to go back to the regular smokes. This process of e-cigarettes from vendor to client must try to strive for availability if not the same as your local 7-11 with your old favorite pack, at least make availability better.

 

[SoUnique]

Back ups are the key words. Back up your back ups.

When we smoked we always had extra smokes hanging around. Same should be true for e-cigs.

 

[tonymopar]

I see that SoUnique. But heck, the backups are MIA since last week! I mostly shop online, and this has to be some of the longest waiting I've had to ever do for a product. And If my current "starter kit" decides to join my first mod in the little e-cig heaven in the sky before my new ones get here, Just put me in a straight jacket and take me away! lol

Back ups are the key words. Back up your back ups.

When we smoked we always had extra smokes hanging around. Same should be true for e-cigs.

 

[djwyman]

Th ugly truth is that there is not a hole lot of brick and mortar places carrying the good stuff...The good news in my short experience is that many of these online venders (the US ones) try to do their best to deliver you a good product as soon as they can. I wish there was more brick and mortars carrying this stuff and I am trying to get my boss to carry some stuff (though he is very hyper and his wife usually turns down new ideas he would go for) but I haven't been able to get a yes yet.

 

[MikeK0416]

There are lots of really good suppliers out there that ship really fast. Lots seem to be vapors and realize we cannot wait long for our supplies. I also have lots of back ups.

 

[tonymopar]

I think this whole e-cig thing is still in its infancy. Hopefully, if they continue to grow, and don't get banned for some stupid reason, maybe we will see local shops carry provari's, lavatubes, Ipros, and what not. But for now, it's a waiting game.

Th ugly truth is that there is not a hole lot of brick and mortar places carrying the good stuff...The good news in my short experience is that many of these online venders (the US ones) try to do their best to deliver you a good product as soon as they can. I wish there was more brick and mortars carrying this stuff and I am trying to get my boss to carry some stuff (though he is very hyper and his wife usually turns down new ideas he would go for) but I haven't been able to get a yes yet.

 

[MikeK0416]

Th ugly truth is that there is not a hole lot of brick and mortar places carrying the good stuff...The good news in my short experience is that many of these online venders (the US ones) try to do their best to deliver you a good product as soon as they can. I wish there was more brick and mortars carrying this stuff and I am trying to get my boss to carry some stuff (though he is very hyper and his wife usually turns down new ideas he would go for) but I haven't been able to get a yes yet.[/QUOTE

I live in Lake Charles too

 

[sailorman]

What you are desiring is the result of mass production and product maturation. This is a relatively new industry. The changes just in the last 2 years have been immense. The demand is skyrocketing for e-cig products that aren't the kind of thing you buy at a gas station. Even the Chinese factories can't keep up with demand, so "out of stock" is a common situation on vendors sites. When something is always available for immediate delivery, that's a sign that no improvements are being made and the factory is geared up for massive production runs. Personally, I don't want that happening until a product is perfect.

If you want constant availability in e-juice, try Dekang. It's always available and never out of stock. If you want easy availability of an e-cig, stick to the super-mass produced models like the Blu. There'll never be a wait.

Given the numbers of some of the more popular non-analog looking e-cigs in use, it's amazing to me that the defect rate is not much higher.

When someone designs the absolute ultimate perfect e-cig, the factories will gear up to make them. The quality control will be refined and they'll never run out of stock. The industry is not there yet. Models are changing and improvements are being made every day. The Chinese factories and designers don't have the close, immediate contact with the end users like the American manufacturers do. They have to rely on their vendors, for the most part, to find out what is really working and improvements come incrementally over time. We are, in fact, their Beta testers and we report our findings to the manufacturers through their network of vendors. Some are more responsive than others but, overall, I think they're doing a fine job of it all things considered.

I'm sure that someone could start a company in the U.S., building the greatest cartos and attys that are never DOA. They could produce the finest e-juice in the world, with never a shortage. They could make stat-of-the-art PVs that almost never fail. In fact, some American companies exist that do some of those things. But their prices are high and not enough people are willing to pay that price in order to avoid an occasional DOA carto or the odd PV that conks out.

 

[dlsw]

I do wish that there was not such a long wait time for this stuff. We used to be able to run to the corner Speedway to get our fix, but now must wait a week or longer.

 

[tonymopar]

but it's also the fact that if you are settled on a good vendor, for like say e-juice, and you buy from them all the time,but one day they just decide to close up shop for one month without notice, that's pretty crazy to me. I smoked marlboros back in the day, and when ever I went to the store, they were always there. RJ Reynolds, didn't ever jump ship for a month.

I'm just saying there has to be improvements, that need to be pointed out. Production has to be better, quality has to be better, and availability has to be better.

When these key points are met, regular cigarettes and the companies that produce them, won't have a chance.

There are lots of really good suppliers out there that ship really fast. Lots seem to be vapors and realize we cannot wait long for our supplies. I also have lots of back ups.

 

[newq]

i agree with the poster above me about backups.

Most people I talk to buy something like a good vv, be it a buzz pro or lavatube or some other nice vv mod. From there they look for a solid mechanical as a backup.

For instance a lavatube paired with a bolt and extension tube. They both use the same batteries and if you buy LR cartos both will provide a pretty good experience. All in all if you are like most of us where there is nothing close to you with any real availability find something that works for you and stick with it. Or a Buzz pro and a bolt with extension tube for high voltage vaping.

For the majority of vapors the biggest hurdle is equipment then juice selection. Fortunately there are an abundance of great devices on the market! Prepare to spend a whole mess of money on juice you dont like. Imagine someone trying to explain to you the taste of 4 course meal over the net. It would be virtually impossible for you to decide between a steak from a good steak house and a steak from a less than desirable roach coach.

The idea is to find a particular style of juice, IE tobacco, fruit, pastry or drink flavored liquid and then when you find something you like make that your staple and order samples of others. The other hurdle with juice is pg/vg blending. Juice nedors seem to offer a whole truckload of blends but often a flavor gets lost in the translation from pg/vg blend.

All in all good luck and if you need help please ask. We are all here to help you NOT touch the stinkies.

 

[tonymopar]

But like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Besides, even if you do get the best vaping device, the best juice, and the best cartos and attys, you still will not spend nearly as much as you would with regular cigarettes. So price shouldn't be an issue. This is an investment in people's health. Why wouldn't they want that, if someone can produce mass market?

People buy ipads, that they don't need, but now there is an apple store everywhere. This we need so.........

What you are desiring is the result of mass production and product maturation. This is a relatively new industry. The changes just in the last 2 years have been immense. The demand is skyrocketing for e-cig products that aren't the kind of thing you buy at a gas station. Even the Chinese factories can't keep up with demand, so "out of stock" is a common situation on vendors sites. When something is always available for immediate delivery, that's a sign that no improvements are being made and the factory is geared up for massive production runs. Personally, I don't want that happening until a product is perfect.

If you want constant availability in e-juice, try Dekang. It's always available and never out of stock. If you want easy availability of an e-cig, stick to the super-mass produced models like the Blu. There'll never be a wait.

Given the numbers of some of the more popular non-analog looking e-cigs in use, it's amazing to me that the defect rate is not much higher.

When someone designs the absolute ultimate perfect e-cig, the factories will gear up to make them. The quality control will be refined and they'll never run out of stock. The industry is not there yet. Models are changing and improvements are being made every day. The Chinese factories and designers don't have the close, immediate contact with the end users like the American manufacturers do. They have to rely on their vendors, for the most part, to find out what is really working and improvements come incrementally over time. We are, in fact, their Beta testers and we report our findings to the manufacturers through their network of vendors. Some are more responsive than others but, overall, I think they're doing a fine job of it all things considered.

I'm sure that someone could start a company in the U.S., building the greatest cartos and attys that are never DOA. They could produce the finest e-juice in the world, with never a shortage. They could make stat-of-the-art PVs that almost never fail. In fact, some American companies exist that do some of those things. But their prices are high and not enough people are willing to pay that price in order to avoid an occasional DOA carto or the odd PV that conks out.

 

[tonymopar]

But like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Besides, even if you do get the best vaping device, the best juice, and the best cartos and attys, you still will not spend nearly as much as you would with regular cigarettes. So price shouldn't be an issue. This is an investment in people's health. Why wouldn't they want that, if someone can produce mass market?

People buy ipads, that they don't need, but now there is an apple store everywhere. This we need so.........

What you are desiring is the result of mass production and product maturation. This is a relatively new industry. The changes just in the last 2 years have been immense. The demand is skyrocketing for e-cig products that aren't the kind of thing you buy at a gas station. Even the Chinese factories can't keep up with demand, so "out of stock" is a common situation on vendors sites. When something is always available for immediate delivery, that's a sign that no improvements are being made and the factory is geared up for massive production runs. Personally, I don't want that happening until a product is perfect.

If you want constant availability in e-juice, try Dekang. It's always available and never out of stock. If you want easy availability of an e-cig, stick to the super-mass produced models like the Blu. There'll never be a wait.

Given the numbers of some of the more popular non-analog looking e-cigs in use, it's amazing to me that the defect rate is not much higher.

When someone designs the absolute ultimate perfect e-cig, the factories will gear up to make them. The quality control will be refined and they'll never run out of stock. The industry is not there yet. Models are changing and improvements are being made every day. The Chinese factories and designers don't have the close, immediate contact with the end users like the American manufacturers do. They have to rely on their vendors, for the most part, to find out what is really working and improvements come incrementally over time. We are, in fact, their Beta testers and we report our findings to the manufacturers through their network of vendors. Some are more responsive than others but, overall, I think they're doing a fine job of it all things considered.

I'm sure that someone could start a company in the U.S., building the greatest cartos and attys that are never DOA. They could produce the finest e-juice in the world, with never a shortage. They could make stat-of-the-art PVs that almost never fail. In fact, some American companies exist that do some of those things. But their prices are high and not enough people are willing to pay that price in order to avoid an occasional DOA carto or the odd PV that conks out.

 

[JmeMcG]

You should open a store, I guess. Problem solved. Plus you would be providing a much needed service to others who want to be able to go to a B+M to buy all their vaping supplies.

 

[tonymopar]

Thank you. This is great advice newq.

i agree with the poster above me about backups.

Most people I talk to buy something like a good vv, be it a buzz pro or lavatube or some other nice vv mod. From there they look for a solid mechanical as a backup.

For instance a lavatube paired with a bolt and extension tube. They both use the same batteries and if you buy LR cartos both will provide a pretty good experience. All in all if you are like most of us where there is nothing close to you with any real availability find something that works for you and stick with it. Or a Buzz pro and a bolt with extension tube for high voltage vaping.

For the majority of vapors the biggest hurdle is equipment then juice selection. Fortunately there are an abundance of great devices on the market! Prepare to spend a whole mess of money on juice you dont like. Imagine someone trying to explain to you the taste of 4 course meal over the net. It would be virtually impossible for you to decide between a steak from a good steak house and a steak from a less than desirable roach coach.

The idea is to find a particular style of juice, IE tobacco, fruit, pastry or drink flavored liquid and then when you find something you like make that your staple and order samples of others. The other hurdle with juice is pg/vg blending. Juice nedors seem to offer a whole truckload of blends but often a flavor gets lost in the translation from pg/vg blend.

All in all good luck and if you need help please ask. We are all here to help you NOT touch the stinkies.

 

[tonymopar]

trust me, if I had the resources I would! But I'm sure someone out there will have the idea of taking this big in the US. Having outlet stores all over the 50 states. Consistant, quality, safe and good products. They would be like Steve Jobs and a "green" RJ Reynolds rolled up into one.

So if there was something like that, wouldn't you want one in your neighborhood?

You should open a store, I guess. Problem solved. Plus you would be providing a much needed service to others who want to be able to go to a B+M to buy all their vaping supplies.

 

[Bradder]

As others have said, backup your backups. Another, though not potentially great options, is most Walmarts carry cheap, temporary e-cigs that can be used in the interim. Another option, which eventually got be involved with DIY, is to keep some DIY supplies around so you can make some temporary e-liq when you fun dry. It is cheaper and easier than you think: some lower level nic liq, and purchase some VG and/or PG locally, You can even buy many flavorings locally including LorAnn, and, from a major baking/cooking store, many of the other brands.

Best of luck.

 

[sailorman]

Yep, and when the FDA gets done with us, you'll be assured of quality e-juice, tested for consistency and purity. The companies that can still afford to produce it will all need be as big, and with as large a distribution network, as RJR. And, like RJR's product that costs $0.02 to make and sells for $0.40, that ejuice you like for $0.50/ml will cost $3.50/ml. But, you will be able to get it anytime you want, at any gas station.

Fact is, RJR makes bland, homogenized garbage on a mass scale. I'd sooner not see e-juice, or PVs for that matter, be reduced to that. So be careful what you wish for.

 

[sailorman]

i agree with the poster above me about backups.

Most people I talk to buy something like a good vv, be it a buzz pro or lavatube or some other nice vv mod. From there they look for a solid mechanical as a backup.

For instance a lavatube paired with a bolt and extension tube. .....

You're kidding, right? A Bolt? A backup that uses a $0.50 horn switch? I don't think so. If you want a reliable backup that never fails, get the real thing, not the cheap Chinese knock-off. I've seen Bolts selling for $65+. That's totally ridiculous when you can get the genuine article for $85. And, it uses a commercial grade, million cycle switch, not one you can buy at madvapes for a buck or two.

 

[sailorman]

As others have said, backup your backups. Another, though not potentially great options, is most Walmarts carry cheap, temporary e-cigs that can be used in the interim. Another option, which eventually got be involved with DIY, is to keep some DIY supplies around so you can make some temporary e-liq when you fun dry. It is cheaper and easier than you think: some lower level nic liq, and purchase some VG and/or PG locally, You can even buy many flavorings locally including LorAnn, and, from a major baking/cooking store, many of the other brands.

Best of luck.

Excellent suggestion. Anyone can make passable e-juice with a minimum of effort and $50 in materials and supplies. Get them and store them in your freezer. There's never a reason to run totally dry on e-juice. You'll be surprised how good even a beginning effort can be, especially when the alternative is an analog.