Hookah Supply Monthly Subscription Idea, Thoughts?

[WhoBlowsThere]

what i think would be cool is you would get between 250-500g of tobacco and a box of coals or some accessory, you make a wishlist and then when something on the wishlist is available it gets sent out once a month...is this kinda what youre looking at? the problem then would be that a lot of people want to try tangiers but like neils problem..cant break it up to small pieces. thats definitely something to look at.

 

Hey, thanks for the response! This could be a great idea to look into. Members pick preferred brands, and we'll autosend when available through the program. This would probably be a retail feature on top of the shishbox themselves.

[WhoBlowsThere]

Hey everyone, thank you for your insight and replies. I really do appreciate it. I have a few questions:
1. How do I become a member here?

2. Besides scouring the forums, any tips on the "best of" topics, like hookahs, supplies, shish you all like.

3. Besides a monthly carepackage, I plan to have a store front of all of our partners products. What would you think about being more of a all-inclusive subscription website, you can subscribe to your favorite shisha/coal brands, and when they're in stock, I'll automatically send you whatever desired sub amount you choose?

 

I think the new idea (thank you for the idea, forum buddies) would be great for people with particular tastes/preferences and more veteran smokers as yourselves.

[fuckthatvincekid]

1. You are already a member, welcome!

2. Honestly, the best thing to do is just lurk and see what's popular. The big 4 for tobacco is always Nakhla, Al Fakher, Starbuzz, and Tangiers, although obviously there are other good brands/flavors.

3. That's also a good idea, but also keep an option like "choose for me" for people that are just interested in a random selection.

This is going to be a lot of work, the more I think about it though, the profit margin would have to be very modest in order for the customer to still see value. As an example, the guy on reddit wanted NINETEEN DOLLARS for 100G OF SHISHA. Ridiculous, there's not value in that. What am I gonna get to try, two flavors tops?

[WhoBlowsThere]

1. You are already a member, welcome!

2. Honestly, the best thing to do is just lurk and see what's popular. The big 4 for tobacco is always Nakhla, Al Fakher, Starbuzz, and Tangiers, although obviously there are other good brands/flavors.

3. That's also a good idea, but also keep an option like "choose for me" for people that are just interested in a random selection.

This is going to be a lot of work, the more I think about it though, the profit margin would have to be very modest in order for the customer to still see value. As an example, the guy on reddit wanted NINETEEN DOLLARS for 100G OF SHISHA. Ridiculous, there's not value in that. What am I gonna get to try, two flavors tops?

 

Yeah, he is going into it without a website because he saw my post and using shish from his hookah lounge... Will be difficult but I wish him the best. The biggest issue, especially with margin (and theres room for that to grow and potentially become a retail store as well), is that you need partnerships and wholesalers on board. Otherwise the value prop doesn't pan out.

[mushrat]

I might be wrong but some of you older members might remember, didnt neil try to do this and got in a lot of trouble?

sorta. I believe he was repackaging Tangiers, among other brands. As for the sample system itself, I THINK he was sending them out for free, then people started getting uppity if they didn't get their monthly free shisha. But I could be wrong.

[mushrat]

I see your project getting way out of hand for you. Keeping enough stock for different people's preferences is going to be bad enough, keeping TRACK of those preferences is going to be a nightmare, making sure each package has the right thing for each individual's preferences is going to cause you to end up in a tower with a scope. Then there will be the problem of someone spending $25 and getting a brand/flavour they don't like. One month will be bad enough, if it happens again most people will say screw it and stop the service. I know that's what I would do. Plus, if you send them what they want, then you aren't really fulfilling your goal of allowing people to try new stuff AND you will not be doing what a manufacturer will be wanting you to do with any free stuff they give you, and that will be getting NEW customers. Otherwise you just become a retail web site/service to deliver my smokes every month. Do you really want to spend your time talking to people who didn't get something they liked in their package for their money?

[Travis]

I might be wrong but some of you older members might remember, didnt neil try to do this and got in a lot of trouble?

sorta. I believe he was repackaging Tangiers, among other brands. As for the sample system itself, I THINK he was sending them out for free, then people started getting uppity if they didn't get their monthly free shisha. But I could be wrong.

 

That's how I remember it. I think he was also mixing flavors and selling ziplock bags of it under his brand name.

[Stuie]

he also sold 50g packs of tangiers. I remember buying a 10 pack sampler of 10 different 50g Tangiers samples... only getting 5 and being called a liar... but that's beside the point... it was 250g packs broke down into 50g, put it in ziplock baggies and sold.

 

FOTM club was something else, people did get uppity about, I was just grateful to get a pack a month or whenever, because at the time I could hardly afford to smoke.

[Chreees]

 

I might be wrong but some of you older members might remember, didnt neil try to do this and got in a lot of trouble?

sorta. I believe he was repackaging Tangiers, among other brands. As for the sample system itself, I THINK he was sending them out for free, then people started getting uppity if they didn't get their monthly free shisha. But I could be wrong.

 

That's how I remember it. I think he was also mixing flavors and selling ziplock bags of it under his brand name.

 

Yep. Before my time here, but I remember reading the old threads regarding it.

 

Also, I agree with much if not all of what Mush had to say regarding the topic.

[WhoBlowsThere]

I see your project getting way out of hand for you. Keeping enough stock for different people's preferences is going to be bad enough, keeping TRACK of those preferences is going to be a nightmare, making sure each package has the right thing for each individual's preferences is going to cause you to end up in a tower with a scope. Then there will be the problem of someone spending $25 and getting a brand/flavour they don't like. One month will be bad enough, if it happens again most people will say screw it and stop the service. I know that's what I would do. Plus, if you send them what they want, then you aren't really fulfilling your goal of allowing people to try new stuff AND you will not be doing what a manufacturer will be wanting you to do with any free stuff they give you, and that will be getting NEW customers. Otherwise you just become a retail web site/service to deliver my smokes every month. Do you really want to spend your time talking to people who didn't get something they liked in their package for their money?

 

I am definitely considering the manual labor requirements. At this point, and this forum is definitely a more "elite" crowd of shish smokers with different wants/needs, but I do believe there is a market for a package like this. Simply, most people don't know good hookah, I'm sure we've all seen it and cringe. It's the only time we pass on a hose at a party. I believe the middle of the market would enjoy this as well, which is why I am getting out there with the idea a bit ahead of any dedicated launch. Which form my estimates, held true.

 

I have a scope of what I want to create now, and whether it's viable will be completely based on what partnerships/wholesalers I can get on board, given its unique concept. You've had a great number of points, mish, for me to dig into and think more than once about, I appreciate it. The monthly box will be the initial brand focus, but I plan to create a retail store to purchase the things people like. From my great interactions and advice from you guys, I am also considering subscription-based purchasing from the regular retail store... autopurchase/autoship that flavor of tangiers w/ your coals to you when it's in stock, or on a monthly set rate.

 

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As for the other comments, I don't plan on breaking open bags at this point. The reason that law is in place is to stop me from cutting twigs and sawdust into it. I'll look more into it, but I believe that would be illegal especially for tobacco under any circumstance.

[WhoBlowsThere]

Also, at this point I want to thank everyone for their comments... and just become a regular engaged member. Maybe if questions arise I'll ask particular people when I get more acclimated. If you have any additional thoughts or questions about what I am doing, feel free to PM me.

[mustang67n]

Now..... you mentioned a service that would immediately ship out certain flavors to us when it's available. This kind of reminds me of netflix, but moreso, gamefly. Where not everything on your list is in stock, so you get the next on  your list, but when the item first on your list does become available, it's immediately sent to you. I can see this being enticing especially to those of us tangiers smokers who havent had flavors in months because it keeps getting sold out before we can get to it. However... I find it hard to pay for a monthly membership when I'm not sure what i'm getting.. even if i get to pick everything I might be getting. But I do think it's a good idea (with tangiers) just not necessarily feasible with how fickle taste buds can be and how quickly our minds can change. If theres a movie/game i want to play.. I want to play it no matter how long time goes by. With a flavor.. its entirely different. One day I NEED one flavor.. the next, I've already forgotten about it.

[mushrat]

and um, just to ask, what are YOUR credentials for being able to pick out what is good and what isn't? :)

Or put another way, why should people trust your judgement?

[WhoBlowsThere]

and um, just to ask, what are YOUR credentials for being able to pick out what is good and what isn't? :)

Or put another way, why should people trust your judgement?

 

Trust me bro! Kidding, just a long-time hookah smoker and tech-startup guy. For people in this forum, they really know what they do and don't like. But, as evidence in my college/high school/beyond years of smoking... most people don't venture out or try to laod their bowl correctly/better, etc. I think for mid-market smokers and below this would be very enticing, as well as, some adventurous high-end smokers (as long as the brand holds up and quality).

 

The service isn't just about trying new things, I will also put my creativity, research, and time into making sure it's really fun and interesting. Not just a box of products.

[mushrat]

Just checking. I still say you are going to be doing a lot of work, working with a lot of idiots, and dealing with a whole lot of crap for no monetary reward. But let us know how it turns out. :)

[Tyler]

The idea I like but there are some things that worry me. Unlike most of this forum, I hate Tangiers. I don't want to be sent a bunch of Tangiers flavors all the time when I'd rather be smoking AF/Mizo/SS/AA/AT. How would you keep up with individual likes and dislikes?

[Stuie]

The idea I like but there are some things that worry me. Unlike most of this forum, I hate Tangiers. I don't want to be sent a bunch of Tangiers flavors all the time when I'd rather be smoking AF/Mizo/SS/AA/AT. How would you keep up with individual likes and dislikes?

 

That's why I think you have to do like a "Fruit of the month club" style thing. Keeping up with likes and dislikes is a pain, virtually impossible to not make mistakes and hire on extra people, plus the time factor in personalizing each order. My brother got me fruit of the month club last year for Christmas...Awesome Until May.... Grapefruit... Grapefruits the size of your head. I won't eat grapefruit, my wife won't eat it, My kids don't like it either. So my neighbor got a big ole box of Grapefruit in May.

[Teddy Zou]

Terribly sorry about bringing this old thread back alive… but I'm curious if this guy ever did anything with this idea? 

 

I was interested in signing up for something like this so I googled it and this thread came up. 

[Chreees]

Sure didn't, but who knows, maybe it still can... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Skoozle]

Terribly sorry about bringing this old thread back alive but I'm curious if this guy ever did anything with this idea? 
 
I was interested in signing up for something like this so I googled it and this thread came up. 

What is it about this idea that intrests you? Finding flavors that you otherwise wouldn't know about, or just getting stuff without having to shop or place an order?

[Bawhee]

There is a nerds equivalent of this called the loot crate, they send cool random stuff once a month in these boxes of goodies, plus a small number of randomly selected people get a larger variant with some more expensive goods. Im pretty sure that this could work, the thing is, Im not entirely sure the hookah smokers community is large enough to make it viable though.

[Teddy Zou]

I thought it'd be cool just to try different brands of shisha and coal that I have never tried before, I'd be done to pay for like 4 100 gram packs and a small box of coals for 20 a month. honestly 250g is too much, what if I don't like the flavor? So I'd rather have more flavors in smaller sizes than bigger size and less selection. The whole point is I want to use it as an exploratory process, if I find a flavor I really like, I'll go buy the 250g or kilo myself. 

[Chreees]

This is something I could see a larger already-established online vendor being able to do as a side thing, but as a company just doing it by itself? I don't see a whole lot of profit to be made honestly. Maybe I'm wrong, though.

[Bawhee]

No, Im pretty sure youre right, not enough people would be interested for a company to actually purchase tobacco and coals and stuff just for that, an already existing vendor on the other hand could do it for sure!

[Skoozle]

I thought it'd be cool just to try different brands of shisha and coal that I have never tried before, I'd be done to pay for like 4 100 gram packs and a small box of coals for 20 a month. honestly 250g is too much, what if I don't like the flavor? So I'd rather have more flavors in smaller sizes than bigger size and less selection. The whole point is I want to use it as an exploratory process, if I find a flavor I really like, I'll go buy the 250g or kilo myself. 

 

That's what I figured.  You could do this yourself though.  Being active on forum(s) you are probably more informed on what's going on than you would get from a box of stuff selected by someone else.  I think somebody mentioned it earlier in this thread; it would probably be crap that doesn't sell well.

 

Maybe someone should start a tobacco of the month thread where we all nominate and vote for a good flavor or a few good flavors.  If it sounds good order it, if it doesn't sound like your thing save your money.

 

I think I would be disappointed way more often than not with something like this.  Hell, I'm disappointed more often than I want to be when I pick the stuff myself.