Pipes & Pipe Accessories
In this anti-smoking world, where it is forbidden to smoke in many public places; the remaining smokers are becoming outcasts in the older generation but cooler than ever as young rebellious teens. Despite all this, the pipe smoker continues to stand out as someone different.
A pipe takes work to keep it lit, and the smoke comes unfiltered with all its destructive power intact. A pipe smoker is therefore an individual, often happy to take their smoke where it cannot offend, up on a roof top, into a garden shed or summer house and of course where a smoker can hold court best in a quintessential English pub complete with 19th century village green, cricket match in full swing.
OK so maybe a somewhat over romanticised view of a group of people who will in all probability die of the same cancers as their cigarette and cigar smoking kin but the truth is there is a certain nostalgia and romanticism to smoking a pipe that does not exist for similar vices. People are wont to collect pipes, display them in pipe racks and if they smoke them will need to buy pipe cleaners (great fun for kids to play with), tobacco pouches and other paraphernalia.
The likelihood is that you will find your customers amongst an older age group, but this does not preclude many marketing strategies, as even the baby boom generation now use the internet regularly, carry Blackberries and are as media savvy as your average 13 year old.
Pipes and accessories may find different buyers but I will explain in detail as I go through each of the potential marketing strategies. There is also a group of people that may be interested in pipes and their accessories for illegal purposes. I will not discuss here how you may wish to target them, I believe in some places even selling the accessories specifically for this purpose is illegal.
Have a look at www.pipetobacco.com or www.paylesspipes.com to get an idea of the range of products and accessories that are available. Zippo lighters and wind proof lighters will go down well with pipe smokers, but there are also knives, reamers, books, pouches, stands etc. etc. available for the more committed pipe smoker.
Where would you target your marketing efforts for traditional tobacco pipes?
Specialist tobacconist shops
Antique shops
Interior designers
Website
Senior members clubs
There are many small specialist tobacco suppliers in all medium to large sized towns or cities, you can find them in the Yellow pages and should be able to walk in and have a chat with the proprietor about their range, where they source from and whether they are open to new suppliers. Offering to help with promotional items or a display rack or case might give you an edge over other small suppliers.
Antique shops are another place where you may be able to convince the proprietor to carry a rack and some pipes to display on top of a dresser or desk. With clearly marked prices it is feasible that you will see some sales on a consignment basis this way, and at no risk to the proprietor.
Interior designers are by their very nature open to the new, and intriguing. Given that smoking is so out of vogue these days a pipe rack in a newly refurbished property may be just the statement that someone is looking for. Try to find some interior designers through your network of friends and relatives and talk to them about this. The idea not being to supply to smokers per se, but simply to provide a beautiful talking point to their clients.
As you have seen if you followed the links above there is a wide range of pipes, tobacco and accessories that you could carry and market on the internet. You may well be able to find a drop shipper with the relevant licenses to supply tobacco as well as the other accessories. Needless to say the site will require offline marketing such as newspaper advertising and a Yellow Pages listing to ensure that you can be seen as a local alternative to the international sites. You may also be able to hang your products onto other sites such as gift ideas sites, if you approach the site management nicely.
Google has 5.2 million listings for senior members' sites. I am probably being ageist here as not all older people smoke a pipe, and certainly not all pipe smokers are of the older generation, however it is fair to say that in terms of density there are more older pipe smokers than younger, and marketing to the younger audience would probably be frowned upon by most of society.
The growth of companies such as Saga holidays, Bingo halls etc proves that this generation has money to spend, many are coming into retirement and companies that cater specifically to them are likely to do very well in the coming years. Join forums an promote your website, contact site owners or managers and ask them to help you promote your products, you will for now be in the minority which makes this a great opportunity.
Google carries 1.2m entries for the search <pipe + tobacco> from tobacco suppliers through books on pipe smoking everything is there is you look for it.
Alibaba only has 9 leads for <pipe + tobacco> which suggests that for once China may not be your best source. Indiamart.com appears to have suppliers but you may want to look for speciality suppliers from Europe for either a more romantic appeal , or even Africa if you want to stock something exotic.
Try www.delgrano.com.it for a higher quality Italian range, or www.maddogcurios.com/finesmokingaccessories.htm for a younger twist with skulls, claws and Bacchus type bowls in a Meerschaum finish.
Smoking kills and is seen as anti social in many developed societies. Trying to market smoking of any description to non-smokers is likely to get you into some kind of hot water.
I'll spell that out clearly, we are not recommending you take pipes to China, or encourage youngsters to take up pipe smoking.
Having said that there are millions of existing pipe smokers who will require new pipes and accessories to go with them.
Some pipe smokers are fanatical and will want racks, new designs, new lighters, new knives and cleaning tools etc. You are not exploiting anyone by marketing specifically to this group.