mattarios2 Posted November 18, 2012 Author Share Posted November 18, 2012 [quote name='king_lunchb0x' timestamp='1353274248' post='561983'] I would like to see other turkish brass manufacturers just to know price and quality differences, but I really think most don't sell outside of Turkey. So elmas and el nefes seems to be all we can get.. I like the ease of a male port of nefes but would still buy a elmas over nefes any day. [b] Imo buying directly from NargileStore with the guide Mattarios2 gave really helps you get what you want at good price.[/b] [/quote] And this is the second time I have ordered from them and both times they responded to my email prior to shipping and continually sent photos every time until I gave them the go to ship it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 I've always heard that there are a ton of Turkish hookah manufacturers over there. They just don't sell online. I think a vendor here in the States could tap into that. Hard? Yes. Impossible? No. I think bohos could probably be cheaper today, but the standard is now ~$100, so they sell for ~$100. Gone are the days of ~$50 bohos. At least from vendors, anyway. Same thing with KMs. I guess prices are just going to go up no matter what and we just have to deal with it. You keep quoting NargileStore's prices... Not everyone is going to order through them. Most people are going to order from a US vendor, most likely just for the peace of mind. I know I'd be more inclined to order from a US vendor over an international one. I'm talking about pricing here, not elsewhere, and not including shipping. If they can afford to sell them so cheaply there in Turkey and to us here with the extra shipping costs by purchasing internationally, then why are we paying so much to buy them from the US vendors? Either Elmas is charging more wholesale, or the US vendors are marking up more just for the convenience factor to their customers. Either way it sucks. I think there's opportunity in a vendor finding another Turkish manufacturer and selling them cheaper for those who might not be willing to pay the higher price for Elmas. It's great that NS was so accommodating to you for your purchases, and hopefully they continue to be. But I still think the Turkish hookah game still has some evolving to do yet before things get really interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1353268388' post='561968'] We need cheaper alternatives for Turkish pipes... I know there's way more than just Elmas and El Nefes over there, so it's gotta be possible. I want to own a Turk without feeling like I had to be anally assaulted to obtain it. Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit exaggerated, but you get what I am saying. [/quote] The only thing expensive about ordering an Elmas is shipping. In Turkey the basic models cost less than $50. And even with shipping, would you rather have a $150 639 or a $150 generic KM? There are indeed many other manufacturers out there, but very few marked brands, so it's hard to know what's what without seeing it in person. There are also plenty of online vendors, several of which will sell to the US - they tend to be a BIT cheaper than Nargilestore, but none of them have ANY English on the site, nor do they take MF (from what I remember), and to top it off, it's a crapshoot what you're getting. It'll probably be decent, but I've seen some crappy Turkish pipes in real life that looked decent in pictures. The bonus with NS is that they're in the same neighborhood with Elmas and obviously have an extremely close relationship. I'm happy waiting for quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1353275521' post='561986'] I've always heard that there are a ton of Turkish hookah manufacturers over there. They just don't sell online. I think a vendor here in the States could tap into that. Hard? Yes. Impossible? No. I think bohos could probably be cheaper today, but the standard is now ~$100, so they sell for ~$100. Gone are the days of ~$50 bohos. At least from vendors, anyway. Same thing with KMs. I guess prices are just going to go up no matter what and we just have to deal with it. You keep quoting NargileStore's prices... Not everyone is going to order through them. Most people are going to order from a US vendor, most likely just for the peace of mind. I know I'd be more inclined to order from a US vendor over an international one. I'm talking about pricing here, not elsewhere, and not including shipping. If they can afford to sell them so cheaply there in Turkey and to us here with the extra shipping costs by purchasing internationally, then why are we paying so much to buy them from the US vendors? Either Elmas is charging more wholesale, or the US vendors are marking up more just for the convenience factor to their customers. Either way it sucks. I think there's opportunity in a vendor finding another Turkish manufacturer and selling them cheaper for those who might not be willing to pay the higher price for Elmas. It's great that NS was so accommodating to you for your purchases, and hopefully they continue to be. But I still think the Turkish hookah game still has some evolving to do yet before things get really interesting. [/quote] I was only responding to the fact that you said the price makes you feel anally raped. The high price IN THE USA is probably from a mix of shipping costs and vendors jacking up pricing because they are the few vendors who carry the stuff. Also stuff must get broken and damaged which adds to the cost. When I spoke to George from HC a while back about Bohos he said the biggest issue was like 10% of the vases would arrive broken which would raise pricing on each item. At the end of the day the only downfall of ordering internationally through NS is waiting. Pay with MF, if something is wrong or broken open a case, and as the buyer YOU WILL WIN EVERY TIME (assuming you did not receive what you ordered, or something is broken)! You will get your money back and end up keeping whatever it is you got. I agree that the Turkish game can and hopefully will evolve in the USA. But considering shipping prices these days and with no sign of them going down, the weight of brass hookahs, and the risk of buying a large order like that internationally, I sadly think the high price we see in the USA for these Turk pipes will exist no matter who they (US vendors) buy from. Who knows though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 I do hope I am wrong though, I would love to have various pipes from all different Turk manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1353280368' post='561996'] [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1353268388' post='561968'] We need cheaper alternatives for Turkish pipes... I know there's way more than just Elmas and El Nefes over there, so it's gotta be possible. I want to own a Turk without feeling like I had to be anally assaulted to obtain it. Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit exaggerated, but you get what I am saying. [/quote] The only thing expensive about ordering an Elmas is shipping. In Turkey the basic models cost less than $50. And even with shipping, would you rather have a $150 639 or a $150 generic KM? There are indeed many other manufacturers out there, but very few marked brands, so it's hard to know what's what without seeing it in person. There are also plenty of online vendors, several of which will sell to the US - they tend to be a BIT cheaper than Nargilestore, but none of them have ANY English on the site, nor do they take MF (from what I remember), and to top it off, it's a crapshoot what you're getting. It'll probably be decent, but I've seen some crappy Turkish pipes in real life that looked decent in pictures. The bonus with NS is that they're in the same neighborhood with Elmas and obviously have an extremely close relationship. I'm happy waiting for quality. [/quote] $150 Elmas any day. But I'd like to pay a little less if I could. I just feel prices have gotten too high on hookahs and would like to see some of that alleviated if possible. [quote name='mattarios2' timestamp='1353283865' post='562004'] [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1353275521' post='561986'] I've always heard that there are a ton of Turkish hookah manufacturers over there. They just don't sell online. I think a vendor here in the States could tap into that. Hard? Yes. Impossible? No. I think bohos could probably be cheaper today, but the standard is now ~$100, so they sell for ~$100. Gone are the days of ~$50 bohos. At least from vendors, anyway. Same thing with KMs. I guess prices are just going to go up no matter what and we just have to deal with it. You keep quoting NargileStore's prices... Not everyone is going to order through them. Most people are going to order from a US vendor, most likely just for the peace of mind. I know I'd be more inclined to order from a US vendor over an international one. I'm talking about pricing here, not elsewhere, and not including shipping. If they can afford to sell them so cheaply there in Turkey and to us here with the extra shipping costs by purchasing internationally, then why are we paying so much to buy them from the US vendors? Either Elmas is charging more wholesale, or the US vendors are marking up more just for the convenience factor to their customers. Either way it sucks. I think there's opportunity in a vendor finding another Turkish manufacturer and selling them cheaper for those who might not be willing to pay the higher price for Elmas. It's great that NS was so accommodating to you for your purchases, and hopefully they continue to be. But I still think the Turkish hookah game still has some evolving to do yet before things get really interesting. [/quote] I was only responding to the fact that you said the price makes you feel anally raped. The high price IN THE USA is probably from a mix of shipping costs and vendors jacking up pricing because they are the few vendors who carry the stuff. Also stuff must get broken and damaged which adds to the cost. When I spoke to George from HC a while back about Bohos he said the biggest issue was like 10% of the vases would arrive broken which would raise pricing on each item. At the end of the day the only downfall of ordering internationally through NS is waiting. Pay with MF, if something is wrong or broken open a case, and as the buyer YOU WILL WIN EVERY TIME (assuming you did not receive what you ordered, or something is broken)! You will get your money back and end up keeping whatever it is you got. I agree that the Turkish game can and hopefully will evolve in the USA. But considering shipping prices these days and with no sign of them going down, the weight of brass hookahs, and the risk of buying a large order like that internationally, I sadly think the high price we see in the USA for these Turk pipes will exist no matter who they (US vendors) buy from. Who knows though. [/quote] Right, I agree with you. I just think the prices COULD be cheaper... And if not Elmas' prices then perhaps a cheaper alternative could be found and made available to us here in the US. Again, not everyone is going to order from NS, so it'd be nice to have some options here in the States to order from. I'm just hoping for competition, lower prices, and more options to choose from. Oh wait, I forgot, that doesn't happen anymore here in the US. [quote name='mattarios2' timestamp='1353284643' post='562006'] I do hope I am wrong though, I would love to have various pipes from all different Turk manufacturers. [/quote] Me too. More shit the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 Werd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Of the 150, almost exactly half of that is shipping. Would you buy a $75 one at a shop? I think that's a pretty good price. Shipping is just something we have to deal with. If you want cheap pipes, go Lebanese! Wholesale those guys go for nothing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1353296843' post='562017'] Of the 150, almost exactly half of that is shipping. Would you buy a $75 one at a shop? I think that's a pretty good price. Shipping is just something we have to deal with. If you want cheap pipes, go Lebanese! Wholesale those guys go for nothing... [/quote] See, that's my point, though- if half of that is just shipping, that proves that US vendors COULD be pricing them cheaper. You know they're getting some sort of wholesale price, plus a bulk shipping discount. Therefore, I believe they could be priced less. $75 is awesome compared to $150. I think they'd actually make more money selling them at or under $100 (the base models), because there'd be more people buying them. People see the $150 price and that makes them think twice. Hell, they'd sell more if they started out at like $125. A little difference in price goes a long way for some people and can sometimes make all the difference. I don't make a whole lot, so even just $25 is kind of a big deal to me. Why does no one import Lebs? Seems like another untapped corner of the market... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1353296843' post='562017'] Of the 150, almost exactly half of that is shipping. [b]Would you buy a $75 one at a shop? I think that's a pretty good price.[/b] Shipping is just something we have to deal with. If you want cheap pipes, go Lebanese! Wholesale those guys go for nothing... [/quote] Yeah and that is kind of what I was going off of with Chreees above. But I do get his point that there has gotta be another manufacturer where we can get cheaper shipping, or some kind of deal that is better than the deal with Elmas. I think we all agree for what you get Elmas pipes are priced extremely well. So it MOST LIKELY isn't their wholesale cost (unless Elmas is raking US vendors over the coals b/c they know Turkish pipes aren't abundant here) BUTTTT, US vendors that are carrying Elmas have them priced too high, whether it is b/c of shipping costs, damaged goods, vendors having an edge being the only few to stock them, or whatever they are too expensive here in the US. I've been considering contacting Elmas and asking them for pricing and minimum orders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Elmas doesn't have wholesale prices for international orders, back when Mahir was still active he was majorly annoyed about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 So how do you get discounted prices? You just put together your order and ask for the total including shipping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1353299380' post='562022'] Elmas doesn't have wholesale prices for international orders, back when Mahir was still active he was majorly annoyed about that. [/quote] Well then that makes a lot of sense. I talked to him a bit about it, but didn't really want to say much about it publicly... I just know he was annoyed with some of the pricing he was getting, but I didn't really know all the details. If they're not getting any wholesale pricing, then that would make sense why they're being sold for so expensive here in the States. All the more reason to find an alternative company who does offer wholesale pricing, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king_lunchb0x Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 I may be getting an elmas for x-mas, im torn between the el kewhanky egyptian chiller model but thats another story... So if I were to order an elmas most likely 628 or the 639...should i order from 5star or NS...in your opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 [quote name='king_lunchb0x' timestamp='1353316159' post='562036'] I may be getting an elmas for x-mas, im torn between the el kewhanky egyptian chiller model but thats another story... So if I were to order an elmas most likely 628 or the 639...should i order from 5star or NS...in your opinion... [/quote] I'd say with enough ordering guidance from mattarios and Hassouni, NS might just be the better option for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Package was put on the boat yesterday for departure. A correction: the last order I put with them took exactly 22 business days to arrive. So 4.5 full weeks give or take, not 5.5 weeks like I originally mentioned. Also I found more info through my tracking number on their official tracking site and once the packages reach the USA they are delivered with usps priority mail. So once it hits the states it takes 1-3 days to be delivered depending on where you are. Just an FYI for people who place future orders with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king_lunchb0x Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 good to know, im wondering how did u pay if you don't mind sharing? Credit or Moneyfriend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 I paid with Moneyfriend. Was a piece of cake. I checked out in a matter of a minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 24, 2012 Author Share Posted November 24, 2012 Another update USPS tracking says the package was sorted through their NY NY USPS facility on Nov 22. 6:33am ... it shipped Monday ... I'm bound to think its a mistake. The Turkish post site says location: united states .... I'm not getting my hopes up but if it arrived sometime next week that would be unreal!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoapplesplease Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Awesome choice of pipes.....I've been wanting the short version of the luks for some time ( in red ) cant wait to see detailed photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 24, 2012 Author Share Posted November 24, 2012 [quote name='twoapplesplease' timestamp='1353762831' post='562700'] Awesome choice of pipes.....I've been wanting the short version of the luks for some time ( in red ) cant wait to see detailed photos [/quote] hell yeah, the kafesli models are the best ones! So apparently the ISC NY NY is the customs place. So it has been sorted through customs but when it says it has been processed through (according to the internet) that does not mean it has cleared customs, rather it has reached customs. So it can take 3 days to 4 weeks of sitting in customs according to the web. So if it clears quickly it will be here next week, if it clears slowly it could take a few weeks. Didn't realize how quickly it goes from Turkey to the USA and the hold up with these orders is the package sitting in customs. I always figured it would be a couple weeks to get to the states and then a couple weeks in customs. BTW, all this info is for people who are considering ordering from Nargilestore so they can track their package and have an understanding of what is going on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahLover25 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Wow nice pipe! I want one XD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 More updates, I believe it does not get put on a boat like many have said and I thought. It took like 2 days or so to get to NY, don't you think it would take longer than that if it went by boat? Also, it is still in customs, now we are on business day #3 in customs, I expect it to take a minimum of 7-10 business days before it is out of customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 My order took quite a while in customs too, for what that's worth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 My first order with them took about 3 weeks or so in customs, I am hoping this one goes through quicker. How long did yours sit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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