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American Smoking Pipe Co.: Difference between revisions
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Linked Tinsky mention of The Tinder Box to new page for same.
m (Linked Tinsky mention of The Tinder Box to new page for same.) |
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A few stores that knew us did want to see what we had made. In an effort to separate ourselves from JHW style pipes we made more classical shapes than the wild freehands that were the JHW repertoire. We slowly built our inventory and did a lot of knocking on doors to gain recognition in the industry. I'd like to say our pipes immediately took off like wildfire and there was no looking back from there. What really happened was that we went through a very slow building process and we were able to take advantages of breaks when we got them. | A few stores that knew us did want to see what we had made. In an effort to separate ourselves from JHW style pipes we made more classical shapes than the wild freehands that were the JHW repertoire. We slowly built our inventory and did a lot of knocking on doors to gain recognition in the industry. I'd like to say our pipes immediately took off like wildfire and there was no looking back from there. What really happened was that we went through a very slow building process and we were able to take advantages of breaks when we got them. | ||
One of our earliest breaks occurred in 1980. I had been to every major store in Washington DC. without making a sale. I went into Georgetown Pipe and Tobacco in the evening and gave my pitch. As I was politely being asked to leave by the manager, the owner, David Berkebile, happened upon us. He agreed to look at the pipes and even bought a dozen, our biggest sale yet and to one of the better shops in the country. I 've always felt indebted to David for looking at our pipes that night. It wasn't make or break but I was getting pretty discouraged. Our next big break was getting into | One of our earliest breaks occurred in 1980. I had been to every major store in Washington DC. without making a sale. I went into Georgetown Pipe and Tobacco in the evening and gave my pitch. As I was politely being asked to leave by the manager, the owner, David Berkebile, happened upon us. He agreed to look at the pipes and even bought a dozen, our biggest sale yet and to one of the better shops in the country. I 've always felt indebted to David for looking at our pipes that night. It wasn't make or break but I was getting pretty discouraged. Our next big break was getting into [[The Tinder Box]] at the Lennox Sq. Mall in Atlanta, GA. Allen Mandell was the owner, I swear he could sell horse manure to a farmer. He was a great pipe salesman and a great B.S. artist. He would sell pipes to people who came into his shop for cigarettes! On Saturdays, customers would be lined up three deep along the tobacco bar for the privilege of buying very expensive pipes from Allen. They clamored for his attention while he was busy yelling at his wife or his manager, or anyone else who displeased him. The shop was amazing. Well when I came in he turned away from all this and started selling my pipes right from the wagon that I used to drag them around in. That Saturday we must of sold a dozen or more. He invited me back to his house to stay. Before I left he must have picked out another 5 dozen pipes. He later told me he had a little trouble selling the first bunch. Considering it only took a couple of months I thought he did pretty well. Turns out he had doubled our RETAIL prices instead of the WHOLESALE and sold them for double their asking price. I sometimes wonder if this wasn't unintentional. (Allen past away in January,1997. A good friend and tremendous pipe person!) | ||
As word gets around quick in the industry about someone's success we were now having an easier time getting in to see stores. As our pipes smoked well we were getting increasingly larger reorders. Our biggest break came in December of 1981 when I met John Hayes. John had worked as general manager of Georgetown Tobacco, though I had never met him. He opened his own store the weekend I was in town to do a Christmas show at the Georgetown store. Apparently this was unbeknownst to David as his son in law George Brighton had arranged the show. He was quite perturbed with George, he remonstrated , "We have enough of our own stock of unsold pipes to sell. This isn't the time of year for a pipe show." | As word gets around quick in the industry about someone's success we were now having an easier time getting in to see stores. As our pipes smoked well we were getting increasingly larger reorders. Our biggest break came in December of 1981 when I met John Hayes. John had worked as general manager of Georgetown Tobacco, though I had never met him. He opened his own store the weekend I was in town to do a Christmas show at the Georgetown store. Apparently this was unbeknownst to David as his son in law George Brighton had arranged the show. He was quite perturbed with George, he remonstrated , "We have enough of our own stock of unsold pipes to sell. This isn't the time of year for a pipe show." | ||