Cigar Shop

Today's picture is from about 1900, and it shows an old Cigar Shop. I spent quiet a bit of time this week complaining about modern grocery stores. On a positive note, I will say that I believe cigar shops to be positively old school on customer service. Not that I visit cigar stores or anything. First, each cigar store is run by an owner/proprietor. Each store is unique, and represents the interests and tastes of the owner. They typically have rich warm carpet, lots of woodwork and cabinetry, and then a wonderful walk in humidor. A cigar shop usually will have some fine leather chairs, and you are welcome to sit down, visit with others, read the paper, and enjoy a fine smoke. The owner is passionate about cigars, and if you went in one to buy a fine cigar as a gift, the owner would spend lots of time with you helping you pick out the perfect cigar. I have heard that often when you come out of the humidor with a selection of several cigars, the owner will ask you how much they were, in effect, trusting you to tell him the correct price of his cigars. I think they do this on purpose as a sign of respect to customers. Others out there might have other good examples of exceptional customer service in other niche markets, but for me, I believe Cigar Shops are among the best when it comes to customer service.

Cowboy by Bunkhouse

Today's Old Picture was taken at the Quarter Circle U Ranch in Big Horn County in Montana. The photo was taken in 1939. The cowboy is enjoying a smoke in front of the bunkhouse. One thing you can pretty much bet on is that he rolled that cigarette himself. I can remember growing up in the country back in the 60's, the ranch folks would never think about buying a store-made cigarette, they all rolled their own from a little pouch of Bull Durham. 

Funny thing happened to me yesterday. There are a bunch of old timers in the little town I live in who sit around and drink coffee. They used to sit in the coffee shop, and smoke cigarettes and drink coffee. I had noticed that they stopped going to the coffee shop, and then found that they had started gathering across the street at Ross's welding shop. Ross has a coffee pot, so they go over there and drink his coffee. It is cold in the welding shop so he has a little open flame propane heater set up for them and a little table. When I was in the welding shop yesterday, I noticed that all the old timers were smoking roll-your-own Bugler cigarettes instead of ready made ones. I am guessing that the old timers are getting hit by the higher prices such that they are now drinking free coffee and rolling their own cigarettes. I am wondering what a pack of cigarettes costs today. I have been told that a little pouch of chewing tobacco, that one would expect to be a dollar or two, is now up to costing $9.48.