Thermo Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I usually like to 'support the local merchants' and all, but she isn't very friendly, she carries too much NHT stuff for a tobacco shop, she won't get off her telephone to work the register, and she charges me upwards of $9 for 50g of Al Waha.It was the last part that really got me. How is the gouging in your local shopping arena? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherwood Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (Thermo @ Apr 17 2009, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I usually like to 'support the local merchants' and all, but she isn't very friendly, she carries too much NHT stuff for a tobacco shop, she won't get off her telephone to work the register, and she charges me upwards of $9 for 50g of Al Waha.It was the last part that really got me. How is the gouging in your local shopping arena?Once a month, at least, I drive an hour up to Boulder, CO to buy from my favorite vendor. He sells naras, Tangiers, SB, Fumari, Nakhla, phunnels, you name it. Everything but decent pipes.With tax, a normal order order there comes out to within 5% of the same order at MNH (with shipping). Sometimes less, sometimes more. I don't factor in gas, as I go to Boulder for more than supplies.There's also added value in getting his professional opinion on flavors, and having what I want immediately rather than waiting upwards of a week, depending on when and what you order.I'm sticking with my local, for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladimir Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (Thermo @ Apr 17 2009, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I usually like to 'support the local merchants' and all, but she isn't very friendly, she carries too much NHT stuff for a tobacco shop, she won't get off her telephone to work the register, and she charges me upwards of $9 for 50g of Al Waha.It was the last part that really got me. How is the gouging in your local shopping arena?I agree, there is one shop I outright refuse to go to because it is so aimed at NHT materials it drives me crazy. I have friends that are into or were into that stuff but I never have been and those shops IRK me so bad. My dad is a cop and I don't understand how the heck they get away with it!!! To boot the one shop I do actually go to, they are all NHT guys, very few of them even smoke hookah so I don't get to collect opinions or anything (besides what "sells well" which is bullcrap because he told me Fantasia Pink Lemonade was one of the best sellers and it was awful, same with after-nine [which I know a lot of people like but not my bowl of shisha (as in cup of tea HAH)]) <-- see how many parenthesis I got to? I am so leet.Anyway, they are nice and convenient for me, though now that I am smoking as much as I am it may make sense to start looking online. My problem is our store selection is pretty much just Al-Waha and Starbuzz and Romann, while online Al-Waha is practically rare (I prefer to stick with the flavors I KNOW are good when I am going to buy in large quantity of 250g+). Their prices are pretty fair, $3 for a 50g box of Al-Waha, $6 for Fantasia and Romman, starbuzz only in bigger containers so I have never looked at it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*HOT&SMOKING* Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I mainly buy local, because here there are hardly any online stores....I must say though that because of the few online stores it is much cheaper to buy local and mostly close by, and except for the one store where there is a rude owner, they are friendly, and it works out great ...-H&S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntiGravity Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Actually, my local supplier is quite good and getting better. He doesn't particularly know anything about hookahs and shisha; I know more than he does just from spending time here on this forum. He also, like Sherwood's vendor, lacks decent pipes. He has a few Mya QTs now and again, but everything else is just crap. Also, his pricing on the hookahs and hookah accessories is quite expensive. I had to go buy a replacement QT base grommet for a friend, and he charged me $5 for it. My friend was pissed when I told him and when he had to pay me back for it. And it wasn't even the right grommet! It required some sanding and fixing to get it to fit the QT.On the bright side, he carries Nakhla very cheap ($4-$5 for 250g), and he's been upgrading his stock significantly. He's getting more and more AF in ($9 250g), and finally has some natural coals. Haven't tried them yet (I usually stick to 3K QLs which are fairly cheap and come in 2 sizes), but I plan to once I start working again. And best of all, the primary owner is a very nice person. His brother or whoever it is that runs it with him is kind of mean, but whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giant Ninja Robot Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Because I live 20 minutes from a very dense middle eastern population I'm lucky enough to have access to hookah shops that have NOTHING to do with nht or other tobaco at all. And they have VERY low prices on everything, pretty much the lowest you can find online and that is without shipping costs added.Hooray for cultural tradition living on in the form of well stocked fantastically priced Hookah shops.Next to no online purchasing for me, 99% local. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chinamon Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (Thermo @ Apr 17 2009, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>How is the gouging in your local shopping arena?i live in toronto, canada. need i say more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.shisha Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 LOL, I'm in the UK, the closes place that i can get anything hookah related is a local confectionary shop with fake AF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom1 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 My local shop didn't raise prices after the tax, so 6.99 for Mizo, 3 SB for $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColibriDon Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 My local hookah lounge is the only place that sells shisha except for an NHT shop that sells some crap that I didn't even bother looking at. Although, the Mya dealer is about 20-30 minutes away in Longwood so if I need a new Mya, I know right where to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunsetlounge Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 right now where i live, im 3 hours away from any shops...and where im moving to, they are mostly cigg shops and have no selection. The ONE place that does have more shisha selection charges OUT THE WAZOO on their coals (thats the only thing I dislike about the local dude). Sometimes when i have a fire in the house, i'll take some coals from the firewood and throw those on my hookah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylren Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 $25 Nahkla...crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Wow... I did not know how lucky I had it!There are smoke shops next to almost any Gas station here ! I can get to any of them within 5- 10 min.I did not know that was unusual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santino Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (Serrated Sapphire @ Apr 17 2009, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wow... I did not know how lucky I had it!There are smoke shops next to almost any Gas station here ! I can get to any of them within 5- 10 min.I did not know that was unusual. Salt lake is a great market for hookahs... lots of shops with a good selection around here.Though I may be biased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMoodz Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 The greater Phoenix area has a fine selection of local vendors and I feel very lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antouwan Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 luckily, Texas Hookah is 'local' for me, it's about a 20 minute drive. there are also 2 pretty big arab groceries around here, one i guy my cocos and groceries from, and the other i get my nakhla from, everything else comes from texas hookah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayeee07 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I love mine, good selection of NH and also has some decent shisha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookie The Hookah Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'm not sure what the problem is with being in the same establishment as NHDs etc. If they have good prices and are nice people then you ought to be grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samishere007 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (antouwan @ Apr 17 2009, 01:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>luckily, Texas Hookah is 'local' for me, it's about a 20 minute drive. there are also 2 pretty big arab groceries around here, one i guy my cocos and groceries from, and the other i get my nakhla from, everything else comes from texas hookahTotally agree with you on the Texas Hookah man. I used to go to smokedreamz and the people are awesome there but hookahwise, they do not have near as much a selection as texas hookah. Smokedreamz also seems like a place that sells glass more so than hookah anyway. I do wish Texas Hookah had more of a selection of myas and kms otherwise, great shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agentscot Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 i used to be able to get 250g of Nakhla for 4 bucks, but the new tax upped it to 5. I can usually get 250g of Al Fakher for about 8 bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antouwan Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (samishere007 @ Apr 17 2009, 04:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (antouwan @ Apr 17 2009, 01:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>luckily, Texas Hookah is 'local' for me, it's about a 20 minute drive. there are also 2 pretty big arab groceries around here, one i guy my cocos and groceries from, and the other i get my nakhla from, everything else comes from texas hookahTotally agree with you on the Texas Hookah man. I used to go to smokedreamz and the people are awesome there but hookahwise, they do not have near as much a selection as texas hookah. Smokedreamz also seems like a place that sells glass more so than hookah anyway. I do wish Texas Hookah had more of a selection of myas and kms otherwise, great shop.yeah, and smokedreamz prices were crazy...$18 for a 250 of AF!? when they had AF but now it's $24 for 250g of SB, either way, texas hookah's prices are much better, especially with the forum discount that they honor in-store. they still can't beat Jerusalem's nakhla for like 5 or 6 bucks though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecyrax Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 QUOTE (antouwan @ Apr 17 2009, 03:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (samishere007 @ Apr 17 2009, 04:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (antouwan @ Apr 17 2009, 01:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>luckily, Texas Hookah is 'local' for me, it's about a 20 minute drive. there are also 2 pretty big arab groceries around here, one i guy my cocos and groceries from, and the other i get my nakhla from, everything else comes from texas hookahTotally agree with you on the Texas Hookah man. I used to go to smokedreamz and the people are awesome there but hookahwise, they do not have near as much a selection as texas hookah. Smokedreamz also seems like a place that sells glass more so than hookah anyway. I do wish Texas Hookah had more of a selection of myas and kms otherwise, great shop.yeah, and smokedreamz prices were crazy...$18 for a 250 of AF!? when they had AF but now it's $24 for 250g of SB, either way, texas hookah's prices are much better, especially with the forum discount that they honor in-store. they still can't beat Jerusalem's nakhla for like 5 or 6 bucks thoughI love Jerusalem!!I get all my Starlight cocos from there for super cheapThey have them priced at $5.99 but you can talk them down a bit.I also went to smokedreamz and have known jason and mama dreamz for years now. I wish they didn't overcharge so much for shisha, otherwise I'd be in there lots. They just started carrying coconaras too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohinder Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) Places in Queensway wanted £18 for 250g of AF, £10 for 250g of Nakhla.That's $26.63 and $14.79... Which is fairly shocking.On Edgware Road, Al Mustafa are reasonably bad for hookahs, but she looked at me with a straight face and said she wanted £30 for AF.THAT'S FORTY FOUR DOLLARS AND THIRTY NINE CENTSI actually coughed/laughed/snorted when she told me, then a few minutes later she said ok £25. Nah, you're alright love, I'll leave it!About four doors down the street it was £15, I could deal with that. It's actually the best I've seen it in the UK, online or not.Much cheaper to buy from the US, but it needs to be a bigish order to be worth it, so sometimes I'll just bend over and take it for convenience Edited April 17, 2009 by mohinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rani Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 I love my local guy but he's a major Starbuzz fan/merchant. It's true he gives me great prices even on the Starbuzz and he carries CH coals, but because he's so limited in variety I tend to buy online more. Especially since I'm overnight from Hookah Company and pay Fed Ex ground prices.... The up side of living in Southern California.'Rani Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victim026 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 No complaints about my local guy, $10 AF 250's and $4 boxes of starlight coco's keep me happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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