I'm Philadelphia for about a week while my wife has surgery. Philadelphia hospitals have a reputation like Philadelphia Lawyers: The best. She had decompression surgery on her neck to relieve pressure on her spinal cord. She got through the surgery ok, and we'll hope for a good recovery. Since hospital visiting hours don't start until noon, I've had the opportunity to visit quite a few shops in and around the city.
The vast majority of the "shops" listed by google are smoke shops that sell tobacco, CBD, sometimes marijuana paraphernalia, and a modest selection of vaping stuff. Most of that is pods and e-liquid. There are a few dedicated to vaping, but again, pods reign supreme. The clerks shrug their shoulders and say, "that's what people want to buy." Two shops had a couple RDAs and RTAs, one had a couple mechanical mods on a dusty shelf, but the clerk knew nothing about them. I tried to tell him about constant contact switches, but all I got was a blank expression on his face. This store was the only one I found that actually had cotton and wire, although he had to go into the back room to bring out an old box of disorganized wire spools, some of which were unspooled. It was all plain wire too. One shop had a small number of premade coils.
A big disappointment was Vapordelphia, an iconic destination store back in the day. All pods, CBD, and e-liquid.
Another disappointment was Preferred Vapor, which did mail order business until the ban. Their web site still shows a vaping lounge and juice bar, which now are closed due to covid. The clerk said that the store probably won't survive much longer.
The other thing that really struck me was that while driving around the city, I did not see one, not one person vaping. Of course most people are walking down the sidewalks wearing masks, and people would probably flip out if you blow a cloud their way.
Over all, it's a pretty sad state of affairs. The used record shops are good though.
After being disappointed with the vape shops in Philadelphia, I saw an odd looking store that had "vapes" on an outside sign. It was a pawn shop! One section of the display case was filled with decent mods, and decent atomizers. It was better stuff than I saw in the vape shops. I bought a new still-sealed-in-the- box Pioneer4you iPV5 mod for $60. I found out later that the going price on elementvape.com is closer to $50. Lesson learned, knowledge and the willingness to haggle are necessary.
But still, this opens up possibilities as things get worse. Anything used, of course, would need to be checked out and should be discounted as used merch.
Its sad to think that things are coming to this.
I live on the East Coast USA.
Walking down the street, it's hard to notice that vaping is taking off in any meaningful way, because most people that I see still smoke analogs, that includes both young people and older people too. I'm not going to judge them, because it wasn't that long ago that I was still puffing on an analog, and I had failed to see the awesomeness of vaping.
Besides myself, I don't really see too many people vaping outside on sidewalks. I vape outside in the same way that I'd smoke analogs before, so that means practically all of the time, and especially when I'm walking outside. I'm using a thin e-cig, so I don't usually get too many strange looks. I can imagine what kind of looks somebody walking down the sidewalk must get if they're using one of those big, fancy and shiny looking mods to vape with.
Just 6 months ago, there were no vape shops at all in the immediate local area where I live, and now there are 4 that have opened up, all within a very short walking distance of me (10 minutes or less). I'm pretty sure that a lot of non vapers who live here are walking past those stores every day and wondering, what the hell kind of store is that and why are so many of them opening up in this neighborhood?
One of those four stores will probably fail though, because their sign says tobacco/vape store, while the other 3 are dedicated to vaping only. A store can't be both in my opinion. That's a bit of a contradiction and a stupid combination to put it bluntly.
I've been to a couple of the vape stores so far, and in the short time that I was in those stores there were always new customers there who were smokers who were looking to start vaping.
So while I might not notice how popular vaping is by walking on the sidewalks, I think that it's safe to say that vaping is taking off big time with so many small vape shops opening up, and the amount of people vaping will only increase, because there's still a lot of smelly smokers out there who haven't yet given up on their cancer sticks.
And if this is happening where I live, then I bet that similar things are happening all across the country. Every small town should have at least one dedicated vape shop! I like the quick and easy access to all sorts of liquids and brands.
Just today, I was reading online about some premium liquids, and instead of ordering it online (I didn't want to wait), I had acquired a bottle of that exact liquid five minutes later, after sampling it quickly, and I was already at home and vaping it 10 minutes later.
I was wondering what people think of such stores. I know most of us are against the very thought of tobacco now that we are vapers and I have seen people slam such stores in a couple groups I belong to.
I personally don't mind them because the one I go to is actively trying to turn their tobacco customers into vaping customers. But I know other people who see them as nothing more then cancer merchants since they also profit from tobacco.
One thing I found really interesting is how certain vendors will not do business with them. For instance, on the B&M's Facebook page, they said they were getting Five Pawns juice. I went to the store to buy some and was told that it will only be in their couple vape only shops because Five Pawns refuses to sell their liquid where tobacco is sold. This is a bit disappointing to me because if it wasn't for the tobacco store getting me to switch, I might not be vaping.
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Seeing it already... little plastic pods, in parking lots and the park, the new cigarette butt of the new Age.
Vapors used to be the good guys... the ones who didn't leave their nasty cigarette butts all over the ground.
There's a bipartisan Bill working it's way around the Senate to ban pods and cartridge e-cigarettes and I hope it becomes law!
Teenagers love the easy convenience of the pods. Eradicating them, forcing adults to buy box mods (the horror! For their refillable tanks wouldn't be the end of the world.
Limiting vape sales to vape shops was a good idea. Eliminating gas station and convenience store sales was a good idea too.
Putting reputable e liquid manufacturers out of business? Not so much... maybe a modest sin tax on e-liquid wouldn't be a bad idea. If we're lining govt pockets with revenue, maybe they'd leave us in peace....
There are so many vape shops in my immediate area now that I can't even keep track of them all.
Even though I still qualify as a newbie vaper, since I've only been vaping for a few months, I now know enough about vaping to know a terrible vape store when I see one.
I was in a vape shop some weeks ago, and what I witnessed shocked me.
This vape store sold the typical premium juices and brands that you'll find everywhere and they also sold some hardware, like clones and mods.
They also had their own brand of cheap, in house juice which they sold and which they would also give out to customers as part of their rewards system, where customers who earn enough points will get a small, free bottle of juice.
While I was in the store looking around, another customer was there and they were getting a free bottle of that in house juice, and they were sampling different flavors, to see which one they wanted.
The sales person asked the customer what nicotine level they wanted, and after the customer told them, I saw the sales person walk towards the middle-back of the shop, and in less than 30 seconds, the juice was mixed and ready to go. The sales person was just eye balling the nicotine content! And it was being mixed right there in the open, in the middle of the shop!
I don't need to be an advanced vaper to know that this is not good at all, and I am shocked that somebody with such bad knowledge would even dare to open their own vape store. Needless to say, a vape store like that probably won't stay in business for long, when there are so many other better options around, with more knowledgeable people working in them.
So I have been vaping for a few months now. I started with the ego type battery starter kit bought from a brick and mortar ( you all know the deal, littile carrying case, 650mah battery, junk clearomizer, and bottle of funky juice). I knew after a week I would not stop smoking with that alone. I then went and bought the Vision Spinner 2 and a Protank mini 3. I was feeling quite happy with this setup and went from a pack a day down to 4-6 analogs. I was even feeling better health wise. I soon discovered the vast world of vaping and "needed" the iStick mod. I bought that and threw the Protank mini 3 on it and life was good. I had no problems with my iStick and it was a huge step up from what I was using prior. It "satified" my need of "smoking". Everything was going well untill one day I busted the glass on the tank. I was not gonna let that get me down though. My vaping buddy gave me a some sort of knockoff topper that used the aspire coils ( I beleive it was a Nautilus mini clone of some sort, branded with the local shops name ). Still it fed my habit well. Now let me say I live in a small town and there is 2 brick and mortar shops. I usally would buy my coils from them and a bottle of liquid every now and then but.....I bought my iStick online. Fast forward a couple months now and I live with 2 roommates (one is a total jerk, and the other is a party machine. We all are in our mid 30's). Well recently I get off work and come home to a "party" on a tuesday night (like usual). Now remember I live in a small town and everyone vaping is using the ego type with plastic clearomizer. The brick and mortar shops here selll those and $100 RDA (which only a few friends I know have). Well this particular night my iStick was the talk of the kitchen table. Everyone wanted to try it and push the buttons. "Who can hit it at the higest watt?" type conversations. The night is ending and Im getting ready to go to my room. I set the iStick on its "charger" (just a handmade cutout box I made for it) sitting on the kitchen counter. 8 hours later I hit the BREW button on the coffee maker and reach for the iStick. IT IS FREAKING GONE!!!!!!!!! Now here is the deal. Noone there the night before knew anything about using it or finding the "sweet spot". The thing is that the knock off tank I was using is a 510 thread and I was using the included adapter to ease the wear and tear on the threads. So I am left with a Vision 2 spinner and a tank that just does not fit it. I AM SO ANGRY! I bring it up to my roommate and she is like "no one stole it, you misplaced it". If anyone of you guys and gals are like me, you know where your setup is at all times. So that leaves me with a MARK 3 disposable for now.
Sooooooooo does anyone have a lead on a good deal right now online? I see threre is a 30 watt now available. So if anyone know of a great deal please PM me or reply. I have limited funds right now but do not want to go back to Parliment analogs. Thanks for looking and letting me vent.
Does anyone know if this sept 9th pmta thing will effect diy and if it does will the liquid nicotine cost go up? I'm thinking I should buy the nic now n worry about rest of diy kit later as many questions surround this new regulation ..Anyone know will it effect diy? Cause my emails are loaded with pmta blowout sales from major online vape shops..if there wasn't a ban here in NY I'd stock up! NY not only has flav ban but nearly all out vape ban! The shops I used to get juice at won't even sell me coils anymore! And their actually allowed to sell me vaping hardware but find it easier to just write "we no longer ship to NY" So some shops will n some shops won't..I've really had to dig around to get coils etc..that's why I'm starting diy but this by ban effected that too! River supply won't sell me 1 thing,Liquid nicotine wholesalers aren't sure n keeps saying they,ll get back to me n never do,liquid barn seems like they will,Delosi will n nude nicotine will..oh n bull city will but they don't have the nic I need.I'm pretty set on river supply smooth salt nic,LNW doesn't mention smooth or hit,Delosi just emailed me and said they never heard of that and nude nic has armor salt smooth but a lot more expensive than river supply or LNW. I've researched a lot about it because if gonna be making 25-50 mg salt nic I wanna make sure its top quality,clear n not peppery at higher MG's.I've ordered EJUICE salt many times n can notice a difference in the quality n even the buzz I get from diff eliquids. So should I play it safe n get the nic now ( somehow) or do you guys think it might not effect future costs?? Big tobacco really has us over a barrel with VAPING as akot of politicians have stocks in tobacco n Bg tobacco is very powerful n seems to have alotta sway over the government, meanwhile they all know its much safer n literally a life saving product and is the most affective way to quit smoking while still feeling like your still smoking but with a million times better flavor,evaporation or lingering odors..its all about $$ as it always is.I've never smoked but lost nearly entire family to lung cancer from smoking so I have a very strong n passionate feeling about vaping..I enjoy it and its not the nic that causes these deadly respiratory conditions- its the tar n poisons left in the wake of combustible tobacco. But we all know this but they continue selling ciggs everywhere with lil to no hastle,alcohol too and their using teen vaping crisis as their reasons n flavors! It already has adult regulations,especially ordering online you need a credit card and most vaping adult items don't apply to teens nor do they even know how to use these apparatus. Get rid of the 10$ disposables packed with high mg salt nic n sugar..Boom prob solved, now leave us adults be n let us vape if we want cause teens are gonna do what they want anyway.. I'd rather they not vape but compared to drinking,smoking n drugs( which seems lately easier to get) I'd much rather they vape but their not 21 so who's at fault for that? So ban the entire vaping industry kills 2 birds 1 Stone (no more teens vaping n no more worthy adversary to smoking) I'm sick of the control system and its all coming to a head especially in the US- I won't get into politics but that "IS" what this is all about.Send our damn second stimulus checks n leave us adults to decide for ourselves to vape or not weather its on a 15$ pod or a 150$ mod or a 35$ pod mod..There's so much to choose from but might not have any juice to put in them if we keep going in this direction.There's enough people unemployed now without going after vaping too!!! It relieves my stress to vape just like ciggs do for many people n right now I'm pretty damn stressed! Thank u for any advice or helpful comments about decent nic salt purchase guys..sorry to rant
So I heard that the ban in New York will take effect even after the small delay. I'm wondering how I will be able to cope soon. Vaping for me does great things as it keeps me off cigarettes. But one major thing it also does for me is that it lowers my stress level and it relaxes me. Being that I have vaping I have no need to try other things that can be complicated. Someone once told me that my vape is like my pacifier because I always have it in my mouth and I turn to it whenever I am stressed and have anxiety. Truthfully it's terrible that I will be forced to use my pods because Juul couldn't keep their products out of corner stores and leave them for vape shops. When these kids have health issues they blame it on vaping when their parents ask them how it happened and they wanted a high out of school. Even though there is something called deep breathing and vaping isn't done that way I know it cools me off. Many times I was stressed and sweating because, I started to vape and it had it that I was finally able to feel the temperature of the air outside. People need to understand that going with this ban is All Or Nothing thinking, things one is told in therapy to avoid. Now that "it affected a minority" people take it away completely from those who are benefiting from it. Those who are banning - please use common sense - vaping is a lot safer than cigarettes and people are constantly dying from smoke. Vaping was the best thing that has possibly happened in a really long time. Tobbaco plants had a misconception that it was supposed to be smoked until technology introduced a safe method. If it was vaped from the beginning of time people would have lived much longer lives and more people would be born. Those who are cracking down please take this into account.
I am somewhat curious why vape shops don't carry supplies to make your own e juice. I understand they make good money on their juices but for the people that do make their own, the shops are losing that sale all-together. Brew shops carry supplies to make beer and they also make good money; why then, can't vape shops do the same with juice?
I've been away from ECF for awhile but due to the influx of new devices, I recently returned (and got a bunch of new vape gear, but that's another story ).
Was just browsing the New Members forum and I am very disturbed by the amount of posts being made by people who have never smoked asking for advice on how to "blow clouds", "get into vaping" or even "get a better buzz" from vaping.
Of course, the vast majority of replies in these threads are from knowledgeable and helpful ECF'ers telling these poor, ignorant folks that it's probably a bad idea to start vaping 36mg juice in a sub-ohm device if you've never smoked...and that is great!
I just can't help to think that all these young (I'm assuming) non-smokers taking up vaping and "blowing clouds" can't be good for our cause and I find it quite disturbing.
FULL DISCLOSU I currently vape on an SX Mini / Goliath @ .4 ohms and can blow some pretty good clouds, but that's not what it's all about for me...it's about staying off the ciggies.