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How much did you spend stocking up for the ban?

Pastorfuzz

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I already had a ton of gear and all the DIY supplies before the panic. However I did grab 6 more liters of nic the last few weeks just to be sure. That ran about $480.00.
Expensive, but good nic for sure.
Have 12 liters now. Had 12 liters last year but I sold 6 to a local vape shop that was in a hurry for it.
I'm good now.
I maybe have around $6000 or more worth of vape shit. And that's not counting the mechs
 
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~Don~

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
$300 on a Bestia Furia Copper Mech
$250 on a BMM Stash 2.1
$140 on Nicotine from River - bunch of small 150ml bottles.

Nic was the most important thing, the two devices were just spur of the moment buys… didn’t “need” them, but wanted them.

Was good on everything else truly, even Nic… now I have enough Nic to last til 2045


Sent from my iPhone 4(2+) using Tapatalk
 

inganeer

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Don't remember the dollar amount but I added 2 gallons of nic to the 10 year stash I have. I'm always buying trading or something lol.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk
 

Synphul

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Maybe $300. $120 or so on 1500ml of nic, around $200 on mods and a few more atomizers. Keeping in mind I hit a lot of sales, a number of mods and atties in the $10-20 range. An extra swell was the most expensive, 2 gens ran me like $35-40 combined, I think the eclipse and trantor mods were 14-15/ea so got like 6 of them. Some $20 tm 24 rda's, $10 iconic and occular rda's. Still have some other stuff, so gives me around a dozen mods, 17 or 18 atties. May still get stuff in the future but even if it's difficult have plenty to last me a good while. I'm not a huge collector, pretty minimalist when it comes to vaping. Who knows by the time it runs out I may not even be vaping anymore.
 

wildgypsy70

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Hahahahahahahaha.........

Well, actually, not that much. But I’ve been stockpiling since 2017-ish. I really didn’t need much this time. :banana:
 

MC5

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Member For 4 Years
My original stockup for 2016 was around $1500 and I've spent as much again. Finances are better than in 2016 so I've accumulated a bunch of equipment for most any style of vaping I may want in the future. I stocked up for three people, so I rationalized buying MORE! A couple more gallons of nic ended up in the freezer too.

Without some of the blowout clearances over the last couple years my $3000 stockpile could easily have cost over $6000. It was fun while it lasted.
 

"11"

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@MCS now that makes me feel better! :) I was always a minimalist - just a couple mods and a few Aromamizer RTAs (plus really old stuff and stuff I tried that sits in a box). So had to build a stash. Have no idea how long I'll be vaping but wanted the choice, and don't wanna sign for packages in the future. Or buy locally. Too expensive and vape shops have to provide a list of names/purchases monthly to the... ATF ? to someone for the PACT act - not interested in being on lists.)

[EDIT - deleting what I put earlier cause I'm still embarrassed! Will just say I'm at least south of MCS!]

In my defense I didn't have an arsenol to start, like our friend @Pastorfuzz and many others! But was still hoping there were people who spent more!
 
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nadalama

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One of the first observations I made when I came to VU was that, one of these days, the government was gonna screw all this up for us, so I started buying extra gear, learning to use rebuildables, learning to mix my own juice, and buying a little extra when I could. Several Christmases there have been such good sales on gear that it was impossible to resist. My vaping habits and style have changed a couple of times over the three years I've been here, so I've got gear of almost all kinds (never did fall into the Billet Box rabbit hole - it's cost-prohibitive for me).

About a year ago started stocking up on nic and flavors and mechanicals, in earnest, and in some circumstances I improved the quality of the stuff I was buying. But it's hard to tell which purchases were "stocking up" and which were just my compulsive nature to buy at least two of everything - if I find a piece of gear that I like, chances are I'm gonna buy at least one more if I can find it.

In three years, at local prices, at a pack a day, I'd have spent about $5k on cigarettes. I've spent at least that much on gear and consumables, but going forward I won't have to spend any money on anything in order to keep vaping. I may decide to, but I won't actually NEED to. I'm almost 66 years old and my health is wretched, so I imagine the supplies I have will last me the rest of my life. One correction: I may need to buy a few batteries every now and then.
 

"11"

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@nadalama I'm sorry to hear your health isn't as good as it could be. That sucks.

I also started DIY juice and rebuildables from the moment I hopped from the short-lived ecig period to devices. But only because it was cheaper and I like knowing what I'm vaping - and like rebuilding. Had no foresight into it one day being threatened. And yup... I also buy two of everything I like!
 

dubya314

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I've been stockpiling since day one, 7 1/2 years ago. Or collecting/hobbying, whatever ya wanna call it. So 7 1/2 years, maybe 30 grand? Still 12 grand less than cigs and snuff. I didn't switch to save money though, I switched cuz I was tired of smelling like shit ;)
 

gopher_byrd

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I was stocked up from the deeming threats in 2016. Since then I've only bought stuff that caught my eye or needing to replenish consumables. The only stuff I've bought this year is flavors for DIY, another liter of nic, DIY bottles, and batteries. I guess you could say the nic was stocking up for the vape mail ban.
 

"11"

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@dubya314 .... yes, why smell like an ashtray when you can smell like Cinnamon Danish, Bavarian Creme, or Peanutbutter Pie! :) You may not vape sweet flavors like this but it does raise the point that I don't know WHY the gvmnt thinks sweet flavors are directed to kids! I DIY my juice and they're ALL sweet flavors. (Like also just read yesterday they will be moving to ban flavored cigars. When I occasionally smoked, before discovering vaping, all I bought were Grape and Raspberry Prime Time cigarillos. And the occasional Black & Mild which is basically vanilla.)

@gopher_byrd I have seen reference to the "deeming regs" a few times lately. In 2016 I was not active on the forums and missed this. What are the deeming regs?
 

ajvapes

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I started stocking up about 2 1/2 years ago when the writing was on the wall. Other then what I already had, maybe a little less than 3k. I focused on back ups , consumables and DIY...So I am self sufficient for at least 5 years, maybe much more. By then I'll be 72 and will worry about it then...
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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I began stockpiling well before the deeming regs were published 2016, but of course gear kept improving. For awhile there I was spending around $500 a month stockpiling. But, it was money that woulda gone to cigarettes if I'd of kept up that habit....

I stopped buying in earnest somewhere in the year 2018 because I needed to save money to make a big move, and bought only one vape item that wasn't batteries or VG per year since then and nothing this year
 

"11"

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I started stocking up about 2 1/2 years ago when the writing was on the wall. Other then what I already had, maybe a little less than 3k. I focused on back ups , consumables and DIY...So I am self sufficient for at least 5 years, maybe much more. By then I'll be 72 and will worry about it then...
OK I'm starting to feel better. My output of just under $1400 isn't so bad! I should be good for 8+yrs [aside from more VG buys eventually]. In fact I will probably quit before my stuff dies or runs out. Not that I have plans, but might eventually get tired of rebuilding RTAs... (though it's been 7yrs so far and it's not bugging me yet)... except on moodier occasions when I've thought, "this is a pain in the a--" ... then think about how much time I'd save if I didn't vape. :giggle:
 

"11"

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I began stockpiling well before the deeming regs were published 2016, but of course gear kept improving. For awhile there I was spending around $500 a month stockpiling. But, it was money that woulda gone to cigarettes if I'd of kept up that habit....

I stopped buying in earnest somewhere in the year 2018 because I needed to save money to make a big move, and bought only one vape item that wasn't batteries or VG per year since then and nothing this year
Ha! Yeah, early on (circa 2014-2016) I'd think I had everything I needed... then new gear would come out that was so much better. But gear has pretty much stabilized now, imo. There are still improvements and innovations but if you have nice stuff that was purchased in the last few years, it's still good and probably always will be (esp if it gives you a good vape, because nothing else really matters in the end!).
 

JuicyLucy

My name is Lucy and I am a squonkaholic
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Ha! Yeah, early on (circa 2014-2016) I'd think I had everything I needed... then new gear would come out that was so much better. But gear has pretty much stabilized now, imo. There are still improvements and innovations but if you have nice stuff that was purchased in the last few years, it's still good and probably always will be (esp if it gives you a good vape, because nothing else really matters in the end!).

Oh man, the temptation was almost unbearable at times, lmao

But, reaching back into the stash to use something primo that I hadn't used in a long while helped a lot
 

gopher_byrd

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@gopher_byrd I have seen reference to the "deeming regs" a few times lately. In 2016 I was not active on the forums and missed this. What are the deeming regs?
2016 was when the FDA regulations on vaping were supposed to start being enforced. Anything for sale would require the maker to submit for approval by the FDA anything related to vaping: e-juice, mods, attys, etc. What has happened since then is manufacturer's have been selling stuff until it's banned. If a manufacturer submits a device or juice for approval they could sell it until denied. Submitting the paperwork costs thousands of dollars and every little change in something would require another submission.
 

"11"

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2016 was when the FDA regulations on vaping were supposed to start being enforced. Anything for sale would require the maker to submit for approval by the FDA anything related to vaping: e-juice, mods, attys, etc. What has happened since then is manufacturer's have been selling stuff until it's banned. If a manufacturer submits a device or juice for approval they could sell it until denied. Submitting the paperwork costs thousands of dollars and every little change in something would require another submission.
Ah, ok! Thanks for that. I remember now (didn't know they were called deeming regs)... I largely ignored it at the time, never thinking they could stop the vape wave... and they didn't. And they haven't really now. They just made it inconvenient. But kinda wonder if this will be like prohibition was... something that happened, then eventually got reversed. Can't count on that of course. But where there is demand, there will always be supply. One way or another.
 

ajvapes

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Oh man, the temptation was almost unbearable at times, lmao

But, reaching back into the stash to use something primo that I hadn't used in a long while helped a lot
Shinyitis is still a problem, but I am fighting temptation... My second detonator died yesterday, was thinking of replacing them then realized I still have 4 mods BNB,,,Hah.....How ya doing Lucy.?
 

Freyja

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Member For 3 Years
But kinda wonder if this will be like prohibition was... something that happened, then eventually got reversed. Can't count on that of course. But where there is demand, there will always be supply. One way or another.
1st they take it away, then they allow it back in a way that allows them to make money off it.
Witness marijuana.
but I am fighting temptation
Personally, the prospect of getting put into an ATF database without having done anything wrong keeps me from shopping.
 

ajvapes

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1st they take it away, then they allow it back in a way that allows them to make money off it.
Witness marijuana.

Personally, the prospect of getting put into an ATF database without having done anything wrong keeps me from shopping.
i'm going to wait and see what ends up in the vape shops. Those that survived are gonna need support...
 

"11"

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1st they take it away, then they allow it back in a way that allows them to make money off it.
Witness marijuana.
And alcohol. It was after prohibition (but don't know how long after) the alcohol tax skyrocketed. We don't realize how much of a bottle of rum or vodka is actually taxes. I forget the figure now but it's ginormous.

MJ.... got it the old way for decades when I smoked... no reason not to get it the old way, still. If I smoked.

Personally, the prospect of getting put into an ATF database without having done anything wrong keeps me from shopping.
At the local B&M or any US online site, true. And you have to wonder what the ATF does with all those names... like let's say you're someone who usually orders from a favorite Chinese vendor, but you're in a hurry for something and pick it up at the local B&M... now who's to say that when the ATF is screening packages that were kicked out to them from the regional customs clearing center, they don't scan the barcode of the package to run the recipient's name through their DB of known vapers collected from US sales.... Now they look at the package with a declared contents of something perhaps vague, (e.g. "electronics"), and if your name did not pop up in their db they might have let it go. But because you are a known as someone who has purchased vape products... they decide instead to open it and check.

And who knows how else they might use it. Or who they might share that db with ... maybe the customs clearing center will have it (the step before the ATF that refers suspicious packages to them)... to let them know to kick over any packages being sent to anyone on the list... insurance companies? No one can say.

Only thing that IS known is that whenever you "volunteer" personal information you no longer have any control over how it's used. And by purchasing gear from a US vendor, you are "volunteering" (without choice!) your personal info via the PACT act to whomever ends up with it, which I imagine is eventually (if not immed) the ATF. And why else would they possibly want that info, except to use it to enforce the ban? I mean really. Who ever had to submit their name/address to buy cigarettes or beer?

It sucks that these laws are throttling US vendors (online and B&M) who are trying to make a living and have nothing but good intentions. But the sad fact is., I will never buy from a US-based vendor again. It pains me to say that because they're the good guys. But they have no control over this either. IOW, it ain't their fault but that doesn't make it any more palatable.
 
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Carambrda

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Member For 5 Years
My output of just under $1400 isn't so bad!
8 days ago I spent 2,290 Euros ($2,748) on a single purchase from a friend: a heat treated titanium Cipher FTR─Fuck The Rats tube mech for 2k Euros, a black ultem Cipher cap for 24mm Goon (Goon RDA not included) and bundled together with a matte black delrin Cipher button section for 140 Euros, and a rare Cipher FTR build mat for 150 Euros.
 

Grandpa

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Member For 4 Years
I never added the money up yet, but 7 DNA mods, a YiHi SL Class, a half dozen Steam Crave tanks and 3 more litres of Carolina Xtract nic. Already had 2 litres on hand. So a pretty penny but I think I'm set for now. At least until the next crisis.
 

crazydmnd

Gold Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I'm compiling all my orders from the past 2 months in a spreadsheet, and I'm very afraid to do autosum.... I'm betting it will be about 3 grand...

I do want to try to gather everything together for one epic vapemail shot...
 

Pastorfuzz

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I'm compiling all my orders from the past 2 months in a spreadsheet, and I'm very afraid to do autosum.... I'm betting it will be about 3 grand...

I do want to try to gather everything together for one epic vapemail shot...
Yeah I just spent too much in the last week.
Bought 9 Limitless Classic mods in Bronze and Coral Blue Resin for $18 each.
600 coils for my Sense VJet tanks on the cheap.
90 more coils for my Hextron tanks.
790 more Crown 2 coils from a friend that doesn’t like those tanks. Only $100 for those.
Got 3 Gyrfalcon All 44 chargers.
40 of the LG Brownies
16 Uwell D2 RTAs for $1.99 each.
$200 worth or 26 and 38 wire from Wire Optim.
I think that’s it.
 

ajvapes

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Member For 5 Years
VU Patreon
I just calculated what I would have spent on cigs over the last six years, at least $22.000. The amount is probably closer to $30,000. I have not spent anything close to that on all my vaping supplies.
 
Yeah I just spent too much in the last week.
Bought 9 Limitless Classic mods in Bronze and Coral Blue Resin for $18 each.
600 coils for my Sense VJet tanks on the cheap.
90 more coils for my Hextron tanks.
790 more Crown 2 coils from a friend that doesn’t like those tanks. Only $100 for those.
Got 3 Gyrfalcon All 44 chargers.
40 of the LG Brownies
16 Uwell D2 RTAs for $1.99 each.
$200 worth or 26 and 38 wire from Wire Optim.
I think that’s it.
Where did you find the LGs? I haven't been able to find them in stock anywhere.
 

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