AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
With the present nature of the business (notwithstanding the big warehouse operations), the people that are still in it have to have a real passion for the hobby and the community.
You’re not going to become a billionaire running a small pipe tobacco shop in 2021. It’s a labor of love at the mom and pop level. I’ll support any that run a fair shop. Many are family run across multiple generations. And it’s fun to watch them change over the years. Boswells and Milan are two that immediately come to mind.
If someone takes an extra day or two to get a shipment out, or doesn’t have the latest website architecture, it’s no big deal to me.
All the online UK tobacconists are like that. One dropped out of the game not long back (EA Carey), and I do wonder how more haven't followed suit. Some, but not all, have brick and mortar stores too, and I've never been in a queue when I've visited one. Wilsons of Sharrow (the snuff maker) briefly dabbled with pipe tobacco sales too, but didn't stick at it long.