I guess I'm one of the lucky few I got 2 b&ms near by abd a couple if tobacco stores that sell e cig stuff one b&m is awesome very helpful no matter what you want/need very knowledgeable they actually turned me on this site the other has cheap clones that they mostly get from fasttech don't carry kanger products because anyone can buy from their website don't carry kayfun like tanks because they leak and don't know anything about battery safety until I went there and showed then what happens when a battery vents.
This Is Why I Don't Support B&M Stores
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If the dude willingly paid $20 for an iClear 16, even in a pinch, I just tossed a whole gaggle of fairy-sprinkled flower petals everywhere and said have fun picking them up. Dude. Twenty dollars for an iClear 16. That blows my mind. I cannot rightly blame the seller and have got to, sadly, place the blame on the buyer. Dude. Dude! $20 for an iClear 16????
REALLY.
I declare shenanigans. Or lies.
[In fact, if the merchant got away with selling a $6 clearo for $20 to a vape veteran, even in the worst of moments, I've got to say, day-um. That's some cojones right there. And he sold it even!]
REALLY.
I declare shenanigans. Or lies.
[In fact, if the merchant got away with selling a $6 clearo for $20 to a vape veteran, even in the worst of moments, I've got to say, day-um. That's some cojones right there. And he sold it even!]
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I guess I'm just a bit confused. On a vaping forum, under general vaping discussion, what is wrong with discussing and expressing opinions about B&M vape shops....good or bad? I do agree that if someone doesn't like a shop, don't go there, but does that mean that it also cannot be discussed on an appropriate forum? Would your reasoning also apply to vaping hardware as well? If someone is not happy with a particular mod or tank, simply don't buy that type again, and don't voice your opinion about it in the forum? Honestly, am I missing something here?
There are subforums where you can submit negative reviews.
As far as tanks and such, there are subforums among subforums.
If you're wanting to call out specific companies, stores, etc., there is a subforum for that, too.
As far as tanks and such, there are subforums among subforums.
If you're wanting to call out specific companies, stores, etc., there is a subforum for that, too.
I still want to know how someone on the receiving end would willingly go along with a $20 pricetag for a $6 dollar clearo. Really. I'm struggling to understand this.
If I don't see a price I ask, but if nothing is priced I am going to look at my wife and be like ... Ok baby let's get out of this geographical oddity.
There are quite a few vape stores around here and there is one closest to my house that I like stopping in sometimes. I want to support the locals when it makes sense but sometimes it just does not make sense.
How so? Youll let other humans get fed terrible food? Have you ever heard of Yelp?
Anyway, my wife is an outstanding cook (I taught her many years ago, but by now she is a way above me in cooking art); she is much better than about any cook in about any restaurant in about 100 miles from our home. But we are still visiting restaurants from time to time to see if some cook has invented something worth of duplicating. Or, sometimes, just for a joy of sitting among humans devouring their feed.
With all due respect, I already said I was beating myself up about it. Why do you have to keep rubbing it in? Three posts bashing me? I'm embarrassed and ashamed enough about it already without your help.
It was an awkward situation. All the devices have posted prices, but they didn't have any iclear 16's in the display cases, so they got one from the back. I had no idea they were gonna charge me that much, and it just kind of caught me off guard. They're always real nice to me, and I go in there sometimes just to look at stuff, and most always go home and order it on the internet. I was in a hurry to get it to my sister, and was on my way to her house, which is kind of far away, so I needed it now. And I just did a dumb thing and went ahead and bought it. And $6 is what most B&M's around here charge for the disposable ego-c type tanks. I think the iclear 16's are the best of that type, and already have a lot of replaceable coils for them. Not to say I should have paid $18. I was expecting maybe 9 or $10.
I've spent probably a couple thousand $'s on vaping equipment and juices in the last 14 months, so in the long scheme of things I don't think overpaying one time is the end of the world. Or worth that much ridicule. I ....ed up OK? lol.
best regards, larry mac
p.s., not that it had anything to do with it, but the girl that works there is a little cutie! I didn't want to admit that before, because I know that doesn't sound too good.
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I went to a local B&M for the first time yesterday with my cousin. It was a nice shop and they had some decent juice at reasonable prices but all the hardware and mods were crazy expensive, like twice as much as you would pay online or more. I payed $40 for my MVP2 that came with a iclear30 and it was $80 in the B&M with no tank included.
I will go back to try some other juice they have but i doubt i'll ever buy hardware from them.
I will go back to try some other juice they have but i doubt i'll ever buy hardware from them.
I'm just amazed this thread has stayed alive for a month without the OP even following up, or did I miss it?
Sorry OP, but I don't really see how the bottle coming open after you left is really the shop owners concern. I thank you for calling them about it though as hopefully they checked the rest of their stock to make sure it wasn't an issue from the manufacturer.
Wasn't it sealed when you bought it?
You might try talking to the manufacturer and claiming defective cap/top. It might be a known issue they are experiencing from a specific lot.
If I had seen this earlier, I probably would have offered to hook you up.
Either way, same thing here (which isn't far from OP), local shops seem to have a pretty high markup on anything that isn't basically price controlled. I have presumed that they are buying a lot of their stuff from the same places online that we frequent, but I know some items are coming from big suppliers like Eby.
Great Lakes is the nearest 'Vape Shop' to me, but they aren't open when I am in town.
I have been mainly going to a tobacco shop, which actually has a GREAT selection, throws vape events, etc. If I didn't know better, I would say they just copied pricing from madvapes, as a lot of the pricing seems to match. While it's more than I like to buy for things I can easily get online for 1/3 the price, it's right in line with other retail pricing. They are also very up-front about clones versus authentic to the point they will even correct you if you call a 'Gravity' (a clone) a 'Smok'... they play no games when it comes to that stuff.
I will continue to support my local B&M's so long as they keep doing a great job. I'll support them financially as well as morally and vocally. I haven't mentioned their name on here because they aren't an approved supplier. Heck, I just bought 100ft roll of 26GA Kanthal A1 for $15. I think that's a fair price for a retail shop.
I'll probably visit this Puff place you mention the next time I am in Ann Arbor just to check it out.
Sorry OP, but I don't really see how the bottle coming open after you left is really the shop owners concern. I thank you for calling them about it though as hopefully they checked the rest of their stock to make sure it wasn't an issue from the manufacturer.
Wasn't it sealed when you bought it?
You might try talking to the manufacturer and claiming defective cap/top. It might be a known issue they are experiencing from a specific lot.
If I had seen this earlier, I probably would have offered to hook you up.
Either way, same thing here (which isn't far from OP), local shops seem to have a pretty high markup on anything that isn't basically price controlled. I have presumed that they are buying a lot of their stuff from the same places online that we frequent, but I know some items are coming from big suppliers like Eby.
Great Lakes is the nearest 'Vape Shop' to me, but they aren't open when I am in town.
I have been mainly going to a tobacco shop, which actually has a GREAT selection, throws vape events, etc. If I didn't know better, I would say they just copied pricing from madvapes, as a lot of the pricing seems to match. While it's more than I like to buy for things I can easily get online for 1/3 the price, it's right in line with other retail pricing. They are also very up-front about clones versus authentic to the point they will even correct you if you call a 'Gravity' (a clone) a 'Smok'... they play no games when it comes to that stuff.
I will continue to support my local B&M's so long as they keep doing a great job. I'll support them financially as well as morally and vocally. I haven't mentioned their name on here because they aren't an approved supplier. Heck, I just bought 100ft roll of 26GA Kanthal A1 for $15. I think that's a fair price for a retail shop.
I'll probably visit this Puff place you mention the next time I am in Ann Arbor just to check it out.
I wasn't trying to bash all B&M shops last night. Heck, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have gotten my first setup, an ego-c starter kit, and first juices. I kind of feel for them for having the misfortune of trying to operate a business and make a profit in this internet age. Many times I see a product in a store, go home and order it from Amazon at a much lower price. Hell, I'm even paying the .......s $99 a year just for the privilege of buying stuff from them (well- for the two day shipping also). How stupid is that? lol
best regards, larry mac
best regards, larry mac
I can relate...when I visited the closest B&M, the college kid behind the counter (I interrupted his study session) had never SEEN a ProVari, and did his best to convince me that the clone-ego set he was selling was "far superior" to the ProVari I had in my hand...I guess the owner was looking for a "warm body" to run the cash register...I hope the kid has since then "educated" himself a little more...and come to realize there are more than just one e-juice manufacturer in the world, that e-juice comes in more than just 15ml bottles...and that generic egos are not the only hardware available...
On the other hand...the B&M that I drive almost 4 hours to get to (for my ProVari dragon) is a WEALTH of information, and a credit to the vaping community!
On the other hand...the B&M that I drive almost 4 hours to get to (for my ProVari dragon) is a WEALTH of information, and a credit to the vaping community!
Personally I love my vape shop but I've since changed jobs and its an hour away... We still go there to support her but not nearly as often...
Also for higher end devices like my vtr I can't afford local shop prices I had to go online and honestly I felt guilty lol....
Also for higher end devices like my vtr I can't afford local shop prices I had to go online and honestly I felt guilty lol....
On the one hand, I've been a small business owner, and have no problem with paying a higher price for local selection and service, as well as supporting the local economy. However, where I live the nearest B&M is 70 miles away. And being disabled and living in a remote area about the only things I don't buy on line are perishable groceries and some lumber and large home improvement items that just aren't available.
For general shopping, I'm even supporting the regional economy, because in that closest shopping town Amazon employs way more people than any local or big box store - and pays them better. For vape stuff the big advantage of shopping online is the choice. If one site doesn't have what I need, then another will, and I don't have to drive around to find it.
Juice is the only problem, because it is a pain to buy something that sounds good and then not like it at all. I was lucky enough when I was starting to find Vaperite, who at the time offered a free sample for every full sized bottle you bought, but they've stopped doing that now. But I've also started DIY, where I can make my own sample size if I want to try something new. Oddly enough, I had to start DIY because I can't open childproof caps and it is getting hard to find anyone who still gives a choice.
My biggest fear with the FDA regulations is that they are going to ban internet sales, which means a lot of small town and rural folks won't have any options except cigalikes.
For general shopping, I'm even supporting the regional economy, because in that closest shopping town Amazon employs way more people than any local or big box store - and pays them better. For vape stuff the big advantage of shopping online is the choice. If one site doesn't have what I need, then another will, and I don't have to drive around to find it.
Juice is the only problem, because it is a pain to buy something that sounds good and then not like it at all. I was lucky enough when I was starting to find Vaperite, who at the time offered a free sample for every full sized bottle you bought, but they've stopped doing that now. But I've also started DIY, where I can make my own sample size if I want to try something new. Oddly enough, I had to start DIY because I can't open childproof caps and it is getting hard to find anyone who still gives a choice.
My biggest fear with the FDA regulations is that they are going to ban internet sales, which means a lot of small town and rural folks won't have any options except cigalikes.
I'm also fortunate to have ecigexpress locally, just on the bus route home here in Seattle. That said, my first large vape purchases in 2011 were online from them before I had to take a vape break. Now that I came back to it, I'll probably always be loyal to them. The guy running that shop in Pioneer Square is a good person and I think the love of dealing with fickle people shines through Ron like crazy and that's why he's the bomb diggity. It takes a lot of skill to put up with annoying people like me 
That said you have found a need in your town for a business idea that you could make a living doing, if you were so inclined!
That said you have found a need in your town for a business idea that you could make a living doing, if you were so inclined!
I also have limited experience with B&M, but it didn't take me long to be able to "size up" a shop, usually within 5 seconds after walking thru the door (though I do keep an open mind because you can't always judge a book by its cover.
The most annoying to me (this type I have only heard about from several sources, never been yet) is the
1) Frat boy shop: "Brah, if you ain't vaping below 0.25ohms, you ain't a real vaper. PAAARRRRTTTYYYY!!!!!! CLOUDS ONLY!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOO HIT THIS BEER FUNNEL ....!!!!!" Usually, they either know how to roll low res coils but know nothing about safety, or they roll a crazy low res coil for a customer who knows nothing about safety. I don't condemn clouds. I sub-ohm myself. But the core vaping community is "find the vape that YOU are comfortable with." Not like this type, who are "party-....-vape or you are just a n00b." Esp facepalm-worthy when they take this attitude with a veteran.
2) Head/smoke-shop shop: "We sell everything else you can inhale, so we stock e-cigs, too. We have a limited selection of gear we have almost no knowledge about, and we stock awesome flavors like tobacco, apple and menthol from a vendor you probably never heard of. The juice we sell comes in low, med and high nic strength." 'Nuff said.
3) Bandwagon/fad shop: The owner of this place knows more about retail than vaping. Which I don't condemn. The owner may/may not have hired people with sufficient knowledge about vaping. However, that doesn't matter because they know, will talk to you about and seek to make a sale only about product they have in stock. You may/may not be able to sample the juice they carry. They usually carry low-to-mid range juice (in terms of quality of flavor). they MIGHT even carry a few gourmet-tier flavors. It's a storefront trying primarily to cash in on the "vaping fad". I don't condemn this, either. I have even bought from places like this, but it is what it is.
4) The Vaper's Vape Shop*: Yes, all business is about making money, but these people decided to make money doing something that they love. There is vast knowledge there, either because of the hours spent in research or the hours spent talking to and exchanging information with customers/fellow vapers. They will carry entry-level as well as advanced gear, and they don't mind referring you somewhere else if they think a product they don't carry might better suit you. They may carry simple flavors, but most of their selection is multi-layered gourmet juices. And they are so happy to showcase the flavors they carry that they don't mind abandoning the sample tanks and pulling out a bottle for dripping, should someone with a dripper walk in, saying, "here, try this flavor in your dripper, because some of the background notes in this juice get lost in tanks and carts."
They also want their shops to be the equivalent of a bar for vapers. Half of their real estate is dedicated to a sitting area, because they WANT loitering vapers. They are happy even if you are just there to hang out, take some toots and talk vaping. They understand the community, because they are part of the community. They support you finding your own vaping path and help you to get there with any information they can share. It's like a B&M version of ECF.
I know I haven't really commented on the "price" issue, yet. But, after being in a number 4, after the dude spent 2 hours just letting hang out, talking to me and letting me "sample" his stock the whole time (basically vaping the store's juice the WHOLE time for free asking nothing non-stop), i went ahead and bought some juice, batteries and my charger from him, knowing I could have gotten it cheaper online.
Anyways, in my experience, B&Ms usually fall into 1 of those 4 categories, or maybe somewhere in-between on rare occasions.
*I didn't realize there was a vape shop called this. I didn't mean to refer to this entity in particular. 'i have never been there, so I cannot say what kind it is. I simply meant for #4 to refer to vape shops that are run by true vapers themselves.
The most annoying to me (this type I have only heard about from several sources, never been yet) is the
1) Frat boy shop: "Brah, if you ain't vaping below 0.25ohms, you ain't a real vaper. PAAARRRRTTTYYYY!!!!!! CLOUDS ONLY!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOO HIT THIS BEER FUNNEL ....!!!!!" Usually, they either know how to roll low res coils but know nothing about safety, or they roll a crazy low res coil for a customer who knows nothing about safety. I don't condemn clouds. I sub-ohm myself. But the core vaping community is "find the vape that YOU are comfortable with." Not like this type, who are "party-....-vape or you are just a n00b." Esp facepalm-worthy when they take this attitude with a veteran.
2) Head/smoke-shop shop: "We sell everything else you can inhale, so we stock e-cigs, too. We have a limited selection of gear we have almost no knowledge about, and we stock awesome flavors like tobacco, apple and menthol from a vendor you probably never heard of. The juice we sell comes in low, med and high nic strength." 'Nuff said.
3) Bandwagon/fad shop: The owner of this place knows more about retail than vaping. Which I don't condemn. The owner may/may not have hired people with sufficient knowledge about vaping. However, that doesn't matter because they know, will talk to you about and seek to make a sale only about product they have in stock. You may/may not be able to sample the juice they carry. They usually carry low-to-mid range juice (in terms of quality of flavor). they MIGHT even carry a few gourmet-tier flavors. It's a storefront trying primarily to cash in on the "vaping fad". I don't condemn this, either. I have even bought from places like this, but it is what it is.
4) The Vaper's Vape Shop*: Yes, all business is about making money, but these people decided to make money doing something that they love. There is vast knowledge there, either because of the hours spent in research or the hours spent talking to and exchanging information with customers/fellow vapers. They will carry entry-level as well as advanced gear, and they don't mind referring you somewhere else if they think a product they don't carry might better suit you. They may carry simple flavors, but most of their selection is multi-layered gourmet juices. And they are so happy to showcase the flavors they carry that they don't mind abandoning the sample tanks and pulling out a bottle for dripping, should someone with a dripper walk in, saying, "here, try this flavor in your dripper, because some of the background notes in this juice get lost in tanks and carts."
They also want their shops to be the equivalent of a bar for vapers. Half of their real estate is dedicated to a sitting area, because they WANT loitering vapers. They are happy even if you are just there to hang out, take some toots and talk vaping. They understand the community, because they are part of the community. They support you finding your own vaping path and help you to get there with any information they can share. It's like a B&M version of ECF.
I know I haven't really commented on the "price" issue, yet. But, after being in a number 4, after the dude spent 2 hours just letting hang out, talking to me and letting me "sample" his stock the whole time (basically vaping the store's juice the WHOLE time for free asking nothing non-stop), i went ahead and bought some juice, batteries and my charger from him, knowing I could have gotten it cheaper online.
Anyways, in my experience, B&Ms usually fall into 1 of those 4 categories, or maybe somewhere in-between on rare occasions.
*I didn't realize there was a vape shop called this. I didn't mean to refer to this entity in particular. 'i have never been there, so I cannot say what kind it is. I simply meant for #4 to refer to vape shops that are run by true vapers themselves.
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Since i started vaping 2 months ago, I've hunted down all the vape shops near me and I've managed to visit all but one within about 15 miles (10 total). I can't say that I've had a bad experience. the staff at all the shops has been more than helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. They have all been eager to help me stop smoking and I haven't found anyone rude or even indifferent. i will agree that some prices at some stores are more than you'd get online. but i'm willing to buy locally for a lot to support their businesses. will i pay more for my hardware than from an online vendor? yes. but i think it is worth it. and that attitudes i see in the local stores makes it worth it.
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