I pity those who don't have a good vape shop near home

[MN_Mike]

To each their own, I just believe that good vape shops deserve to be encouraged as a LOT of people actually get started thanks to them. I did say good vape shops. I also have to point out I don't collect mods and rba's... at least not for now.



I feel that bad shops with bad attitudes and high prices must make their money online from people who don't really shop around.

I don't know what that's supposed to mean. If I go into a shop that's not near home and they have good product and decent people working there I don't feel bad about buying from them online because I've already tasted their product and had a great shop.

 

[roosterado]

To each their own, I just believe that good vape shops deserve to be encouraged as a LOT of people actually get started thanks to them. I did say good vape shops. I also have to point out I don't collect mods and RBA's... at least not for now.



I feel that bad shops with bad attitudes and high prices must make their money online from people who don't really shop around.

I think that people who shop online are Very Price and Choice conscious! A good Vape Shop that Educates about safety and is involved in Vapers Rights Advocacy,is a Paying Member or SFATA or or Trade Industry Group ans sells Authentic or Clones at a reasonable Markup are Great. I live in a twon of 20,000 and there is no such animal here as a Brick and Mortar Vape Shop. The nearest in is 60 miles away in a town of 60,000. And I do not have a car. Shoot I am a member of SFATA at the Individual Membership Level-$150 a yr-A Member at the Trooper Level of The Vaping Militia-donate to CASSA and VapeaVet.org regularly. Taking a trip to a E-Cig Lounge with a great reputation in that town 60 miles away with my sister next week. I am going to give them a CASSA Vender Display I purchased from the CASSA Store. I know this shop is involved in all the good things I mentioned above,they just did not have a CASSA Counter Display. In the Minneapolis St Paul Metro area Suburbs are passing indoor Vaping Bans left and right. That is after Vaping Rights Advocates beat back at State wide attempt to do the same last year. I e-mail my online Vendors and ask the if they are members of a trade organization such as SFATA or VistaTruth if those logos are not displayed on their webpage. FDA regs are 2-3 yrs away IMO ,its the state and local level governments that are classifying Electronic cigarettes as Tobacco Products Right Now. Get Ready for an Indoor Ban and a High tax in a City or State near you .

 

[MN_Mike]

I think that people who shop online are Very Price and Choice conscious! A good Vape Shop that Educates about safety and is involved in Vapers Rights Advocacy,is a Paying Member or SFATA or or Trade Industry Group ans sells Authentic or Clones at a reasonable Markup are Great. I live in a twon of 20,000 and there is no such animal here as a Brick and Mortar Vape Shop. The nearest in is 60 miles away in a town of 60,000. And I do not have a car. Shoot I am a member of SFATA at the Individual Membership Level-$150 a yr-A Member at the Trooper Level of The Vaping Militia-donate to CASSA and VapeaVet.org regularly. Taking a trip to a E-Cig Lounge with a great reputation in that town 60 miles away with my sister next week. I am going to give them a CASSA Vender Display I purchased from the CASSA Store. I know this shop is involved in all the good things I mentioned above,they just did not have a CASSA Counter Display. In the Minneapolis St Paul Metro area Suburbs are passing indoor Vaping Bans left and right. That is after Vaping Rights Advocates beat back at State wide attempt to do the same last year. I e-mail my online Vendors and ask the if they are members of a trade organization such as SFATA or VistaTruth if those logos are not displayed on their webpage. FDA regs are 2-3 yrs away IMO ,its the state and local level governments that are classifying Electronic cigarettes as Tobacco Products Right Now. Get Ready for an Indoor Ban and a High tax in a City or State near you .

I didn't have a good experience at e-cig lounge. Their flavor selection was pretty small and their staff were really standoffish and wouldn't let me check anything out without them telling me the prices on everything, which were obscenely high. I tried a couple samples...every flavor...tasted the same as every sample and their selection wasn't that great. Maybe they saw me as a punk rock loser with no cash or something. I don't go into a shop if I've got no money in my pocket. They spend an insane amount of money on making their shop look nice...but the quality isn't that great. If you can get to Minneapolis...the folks at e-cig crib are much more friendly, they have a great selection of flavors and let you check stuff out without having to tell you how much everything costs.

 

[roosterado]

I didn't have a good experience at e-cig lounge. Their flavor selection was pretty small and their staff were really standoffish and wouldn't let me check anything out without them telling me the prices on everything, which were obscenely high. I tried a couple samples...every flavor...tasted the same as every sample and their selection wasn't that great. Maybe they saw me as a punk rock loser with no cash or something. I don't go into a shop if I've got no money in my pocket. They spend an insane amount of money on making their shop look nice...but the quality isn't that great. If you can get to Minneapolis...the folks at e-cig crib are much more friendly, they have a great selection of flavors and let you check stuff out without having to tell you how much everything costs.

I will find out I am not looking to buy anything as I am happy with my hardware and am stocked up on Juice. We won't hang around the lounge as my sister quit smoking many yrs ago shes not anti e-cig but a Vape Lounge would not be her thing I am buying her lunch in St Cloud for driving me there. I wish I lived closer to the Twin Cities as a 100 mile trip is something I dislike I hang Out well sorta at MN Vaper Advocacy Group its not a social Vape group those kinda bore me as I am not that social to start with and I am not into premium juices which it seems mostly what they post about lolo

 

[Steeldragon]

After 3 years of buying and looking at pictures trying to determine size and heft of a model, I finally found a Brick and morter store in my area with an attitude I like and knowledge to assist in continuing my hobby. It was nice to actually hold and see how something feels before I plucked the money down. I will support them the best I can

 

[Mrdaputer]

I too am lucky to have a good B&M by me they have over 90 flavors that I can buy and make my own juice with, at a good price. Beats ordering on line and having to wait for it to come.

 

[beckdg]

I pity the fool.

 

[nukleusx]

My go-to B&M is ~20 minutes away from home, though within ~10 minutes there are numerous other stores. I have visited them though keep going back to my go-to. I tend to only buy mods at said go to because the people there are honest, I have chatted with the owner, managers, and regular employees on a name to name basis. They only sell authentic stuff and I like this (not trying to hijack this into a authentic vs clone; getting to point below). The closer shops to me don't have as good of hardware selection though I go to them for certain juice brands that go-to doesn't carry.

A couple of other shops I have been to had mods/rda's in a display case and discerned between clone/real for a few then there were ones that were not labeled. The prices were way above what a clone goes for (at one of the shops; other was minorly marked up which is understandable for a B&M) but below what authentic goes for. IMO this is not necessarily good business (the extreme markup on clones), they should at least let people know what they are selling.

 

[The Torch]

I pity the fool.

I pity the fools who run a bad vape shop!

 

[szot]

The last place I will shop is at my local B&M shops...I shop online from China (except for juice is USA company) and pay 10% of the price of all the local shops...most local shops are a 1-3 man shop who are gouging customers and buy the same stuff I do from China at the same places, and make their own liquids or buy it from a local basement DIY guy and just rebottle it and them sell juice at $7-10 for a lil 15ml bottle..a ripoff.....BTW, I have a lil vape shop in my 2 pubs and I sell things at my cost plus shipping and a 10% markup for the bartenders to open the cases and spend time with a customer...my vape shops are for educational purposes and at inexpensive prices..

 

[nukleusx]

The last place I will shop is at my local B&M shops...I shop online from China (except for juice is USA company) and pay 10% of the price of all the local shops...most local shops are a 1-3 man shop who are gouging customers and buy the same stuff I do from China at the same places, and make their own liquids or buy it from a local basement DIY guy and just rebottle it and them sell juice at $7-10 for a lil 15ml bottle..a ripoff.....BTW, I have a lil vape shop in my 2 pubs and I sell things at my cost plus shipping and a 10% markup for the bartenders to open the cases and spend time with a customer...my vape shops are for educational purposes and at inexpensive prices..

-Not a huge fan of the 1-3 man shops. They are the ones I stay away from here. My go-to B&M I mentioned has a staff of at least 12 different counter people. All friendly and all educated on what they sell. Different employees specialize in different types of gear (some are mod happy, some are battery/tank folk; win/win for any customer type).

-I know that their authentic stuff is just that, authentic. Their prices are spot on with stuff you would find for sale on any website (for authentic), and when they sell limited edition stuff their prices are standard and not the inflated prices you find people selling stuff for on ebay and other places the people may be just out to try and pull as much $ as possible.

-The juice is probably never going to be cheap at any B&M, though you have to remember that is one of the main products any B&M is moving, and it is going to be their bread and butter. They have to profit off of it, and typically they have more costs running a store front and paying that premium over someone renting warehouse space. Different zoning/rent costs between the two.

Just a on the subject from a small business employee who kind of understands the measures to have a profitable company...

P.S. The internet will generally always be cheaper. Supporting local business over sending my $ to China to save a buck for hardware is important to me (even if the hardware I am buying is imported). Juice ordering from online vendors stateside is another story, as I do that.