Personal Vape LearningTips

WARNING: This post has to do with vaping. If you are under age, please know that I do NOT encourage smoking or vaping for minors and this post is not intended for you.  I don't encourage nicotine use of any kind for anyone. This post has to do with my personal experience as I attempt to stop using nicotine.



This is not a post recommending that you use any particular vape shop. I am just sharing my personal shopping method when looking for vape devices and vape supplies. There will be a little bit of ranting too...

Decent Shop Listings Are Hard To Find

Let's start with a rant: Whenever I do a search for "best vape shop" or "best price on (fill in the blank)", etc. I don't feel a lot of hope. Most lists of "bests" and "recommended" seem as if they were written in exchange for something. Maybe the author is getting some free or discount devices? Maybe they are being paid? And there is nothing wrong with that - as long as there is a lot of honesty. Here are some recent listings that I found to be more credible-seeming than others:

• This is one list that I like a lot. They give decently objects Cons along with the Pros (even though each item is linked to a purchase page..)

Yep. One list. I found a LOT of lists but most were so obviously suck-up sell jobs that I just grew tired of looking. Let me know if you have seen any decent compilations.

MY List of good vape shops

• Electronic Tobacconist (good products & service & site is well-designed)
• Element Vapor (my newest spot; they have more variety than the others)
• Breazy (my first & forever)
• Vape Wild (if you don't have to pay the extra USPS cost for signing)
• EC Blend Flavors (fun juice lab)
• E Juice Club (no longer delivers to my area because of stupid laws)

Now for another rant: It's hard to find good YouTube vape reviewers who are a) not completely silly, childish, annoying, or just plain show-stoppingly narcissistic. I don't mind being entertained while watching the review, but I really do want to know more about the device. Tell me what you like about the device instead of showing off how wild and crazy you are. And be honest. I didn't stop at your channel to listen to you suck up to a brand so that they will send you more free stuff...

MY list of helpful video-reviewers of vape stuff

• Zophie Vapes (She's fun but knows her stuff & does detailed reviews.)
• Wendy Vapes (She sometimes seems a little bit biased, but she does really detailed reviews)
• Vaping With Twisted (He does great reviews & this is the most useful one I've seen for newbies)
• Jai Haze (He can be a bit... intense but he's one of my go-to channels when I'm checking out a device) 
• Speaking of videos, here is one from New Amsterdam Vape on "progressing in vaping" that is old but I think is super helpful for newbies. It's nice to see the parts and accessories that the narrator is talking about. Of course, there are more devices now than then, but basic info never gets too old. Be sure to check out the NAV playlists.

Rant Number 3: Why aren't there more easily accessible online helps for newbies? Here are some concerns I once had or now have that might seem silly, but I bet I'm not the only one:

1. What's more important - the tank or the device? I have great devices that do much better when I replace the tank (I see you over there, Smok, taking over for the Sigelei Shikra...)
2. Is there a list of the most popular coils and the devices they work with? I hate having to hunt around to figure out if there is another brand of coil that will work with one device or another. Often I would like to get one set of coils that will work across devices but I have trouble understanding compatibility.
3. How do I know if an online vape shop is or is not possibly legit?
4. Why does every vaping tutorial on shop sites care more about selling to you than teaching???

MY list of helpful info for the very novice vaper 

• Vape Wild's Info Hub - This was the first help site I used (and still do). It's broken up into sections that you can scroll through. My first stop when I started out explained the difference between PG and VG.  Do check it out.
• Mig Vapor did a nice job giving a brief history of vaping and explaining basics about device and juice types. I love that they were more concerned with educating the user instead of just pushing a particular product.
• Expert Vaping is a site I discovered a few days ago so I'm not sure about anything else on it, but the guides here are nice. This is one of their charts: 

• This chart is from Vaping Hardware (and now I have to go and see what else they have!) They test and review products so it might be a place to check out when trying to decide on a device...

• This similar chart is from Mister E-Liquid (another site I have to check out now! Dang!) 

So, yeah, there are plenty of charts but you more than get the idea. Let's move on to the last (for now) rant. 

How can I figure out if an online shop is legit and decent with good customer service and support, or is possibly scam-ish? Shopping online is always iffy. I do have a few methods for checking out a new vendor before I trust them with my orders and info.

MY tips and tricks for not getting jammed up

• I use sites like Trust Pilot (search by name or type of vendor) and the BBB (search by name & location or just by name). A UK site called Reviews UK is very, VERY similar in looks to Trust Pilot. There are US companies you can review (ie: I reviewed Vape Wild), but you have to verify either and order number or invitation email to post a review. Trust Pilot is my favorite to check up on sites.
• Ask Redditors for their feedback. I generally either search on Reddit, or I will add "Reddit" at the end of a Google or Duck Duck Go search. Redditors will give you the outright down and dirty.
• Do a general search "is -insert company/site name- legit/scam". 
• Another thing to do is look up the About Us info on a site.
• Check where the vendor is located. I'm not telling you what to do but I tend to avoid sites that ship from warehouses or straight out of China. I don't want the Wish version of a vape device...
• Check your browser address bar to check the site's security. There was a time, HTTPS indicated a site was secure. These days, in Chrome at least, I look for the little lock symbol to click on because it will indicate whether or not your info is secure.
• If at all possible, I try to use any debit or credit card payments via PayPal. This is a little more secure, IMO.
• As much as I hate Facebook, if I still used it for other than posting my blog, I would check with people in groups to see if they know anything about a company. You do know there are groups for vaping enthusiasts on there, right?
• If in any kind of doubt, don't use a site. You are giving them a chance to take your money and... do what they will with it. I tend to stick with my proven-safe vendors.

My final tips for you:

• Don't become a vape junkie. Listen, I was a hair product junkie and that was expensive enough to make me go to rehab. Vapes and vape supplies are fun but, like with a lot of products, there is always going to be the next newer and nicer thing.
• Instead of buying new vape devices, just upgrade your tanks or get some nice clean coils or pods to use. 
• See if a friend wants to swap out vapes with you for a while. My SIL and I check out each others vapes all the time. This is how I learned that, while I really like the Smok pod devices, I don't want one enough to buy one.

I hope this helped. Maybe at some point, I will remember to come back to do an update for 2020. In the meantime, enjoy this brand new year we are in.

Peace

--Free

I thought it would be fun to nod back at my former smoking days. This clip is hilarious and I remember watching it when I still smoked, God help me. This is now the way I feel about vaping...

Take it away, Bebe

Old & Vaping

Don't you hate when you do something so stupid that you hope no one in the world was looking? Maybe that's just me but I did such a thing just today.

I rarely use my smaller vape devices unless I am vaping a really strong or really flavorful juice. Otherwise, the flavors are just too muted. This is one of the reasons that, now I've run out of Snickerdoodle juice, I carry that beautiful Finic mainly for its looks and the compact size.

Remember, I won this lovely

Recently, I quit resisting and tried some mint-flavored juice. It's called Twin Mint and it's basically the flavor of mint gum. It's not overwhelming or harsh like menthol cigarettes can be but it's got a nice vibrant dazzle to it.

You remember being young and drinking Peppermint Schnapps while clubbing just so your breath smelled good? Again, maybe that's just me. Had vaping been a thing back then, I would have definitely been on this Twin Mint.

The mint in this juice is just strong enough to feel cooling. I couldn't wait to try it out in the Finic. I am in love all over again with the device. The Twin Mint is such a delicious vape in the device. It's way better than the Snickerdoodle because that one could be a little too intense.

So.

At first - just to test it - I only put in enough of the juice to wet the coil. Once I fell in love, I was ready to fill the tank. Now, I have no idea why I did what I did here. I think that, sometimes, my brain only has a certain amount of smart in it and every now and then, I try working past that limit. I don't know, but what I did - instead of unscrewing the Finic cap to get to the fill holes - I just started squirting ejuice right down into the drip tip.

What an idiot I felt like. The good thing is, I immediately caught my goof and stopped before I did a lot of damage. Also, no one was around to see it happen.

I was able to laugh at myself (once I realized the device was okay and working) because I was reminded of something I saw on Reddit.

That is so hilarious. I liked it so much that I saved the Reddit post and now I'm glad I did. At least, I've never thrown out a device. Thank goodness. But there are days when I wonder why I'm still allowed to walk around unattended.

Peace
--Free


EDIT: I am so used to scheduling my posts, this one has been just sitting dormant for a while. So... not "today".

**REVIEW** Uwell Caliburn Starter Kit

(With the loss of Google Plus, I am struggling to get visibility for these reviews back up. I'm working on finding replacement platforms. In the meantime, on I go.)

STOP: this post is ONLY for those of legal age for nicotine use.

See the guide for state-by-state regulations

state-by-state regulations

This review is for the newest (and most talked about) pod system. The Uwell Caliburn is raved about as big competition for the Juul. I'm using it for the first time today and the raving is warranted. Right off the bat, the $27-$35 Caliburn is cheaper than the $35-$50 Juul. Make sure that you shop around though because prices right now are varying wildly (and this is why I'm not linking to any specific shop, including where I got this one.)

I'll back up right now to say that Juul not only has competition but serious competition. Most people first coming off cigarettes want something to sate the nic craving and soothe their budget. After all, one of the benefits of quitting smoking is saving money. It's ridiculous to go broke when switching to vaping.

Came fully charged, by the way

PROS:

1. One of the things a lot of people like about the Caliburn is that it can be button-fired or just mouth-drawn. I find that there is more of a flavor release when using the button. Also, I think most vapers are just used to that method.

2. In comparing this to the Juul, I like that you can hit this mouth-to-lung or direct-to-lung. With the Juul, DTL is not as easy or nice, in my opinion. That leads to the next point.

3. The draw (or airflow) on the Caliburn is the perfect balance between tight and airy. I found the Juul to be tight which is why it was not a decent DTL device. And I get it, a lot of people reserve DTL for sub ohm devices and not pod systems. I like to switch between the two styles. MTL reminds me of smoking cigarettes, but DTL seems to give me a bigger nicotine hit when I am just doing one or hits.

4. One of my favorite things about this system is the top-fill design. You basically pop off the top of the pod and use one of the two holes underneath. I had no spills and leaking like with some of the side fill devices.

5. The device is extremely light and comfortable to hold. Again, more so than any other pod device I've used this is akin to the Juul. The Infinx, for instance, feels bigger and heavier.

6. Even with salt nic, the cloud vapor was better on this than with the Juul. One of my peeves with using the Juul right after giving up cigarettes was the lack of vapor. That was a big deal for me because I really wanted to recreate the experience of having an actual cigarette. Since then, I find that I love the vapor more than the nicotine - which I often go without. I'm not a cloud fanatic, but vapor is part of the satisfaction for me.

6. Uwell did a great job with the appearance of this device. It's sleek and comes in some nice colors. The blue looked a lot more like teal out of the box. There's not much difference in hue from seeing the product photo on screen but... I do like the color though. (I haven't received the pink one yet.) Also, although the finish has a slight shine to it, it's matte and isn't a fingerprint magnet.

7. Probably the biggest pro is that this uses refillable pods. With the kit, you get a spare so you can switch between flavors if you want or not freak out about losing one. And the pods hold 2ml of liquid (versus 0.7ml in standard Juul pods).

CONS:

The one and only real negative I want to point out is that the top is so freaking hard to remove. Other reviews mention that this gets easier with some. That makes sense but I damn near erased my fingerprints trying to remove the cap for the first fill.

The minor negative is that the view window for the liquid level is useless. In the right light, I could kind of see the liquid level but it's easier to just pop out the pod for a glance. Like I said, minor.

Overall, I agree that this is one of the best pod systems out there. I think it's a better alternative than the Juul for people getting away from cigarettes. The lower price combined with the refillable pods puts this so far above the Juul that I see no reason to bother with the other device.

Since I started using sub ohm (and squonk) devices, I found that I liked them more than I did the pod systems. This Caliburn is the one pod system I can see myself often choosing over the sub ohms. I like it a lot and it's going to be my on-the-go when I don't want to lug the heavier sub ohms around.

By the way, in some forums, people are asking if it's feasible to use anything other than salt nic in the Caliburn. A few people have mentioned that they use 50/50 pg/vg juice and I've seen one person say that they have used 70/30 juice. The Caliburn coil is designed for nic salt so that's what I plan to stick with. I've thought about testing the spare pod using some 50/50 juice but don't want to ruin it. If I take the chance, I will update this review with the results.

Peace
-- Free

**REVIEW** The Dollar E-Juice Club

STOP: this post is ONLY for those of legal age for nicotine use.

See the guide for state-by-state regulations

state-by-state regulations

Although I now know of more than a few places to get vape juice, I have gotten used to the juice from  Vapewild. The VW brand is generally $6.99 for 30ml and I have favorite VW flavors but I'm not a flavor fanatic, as long as it vapes well enough. However, I am always on the lookout for new juices and great prices. Naturally, as soon as I heard about The Dollar E-Juice Club, my eyes lit up.

I also like the Dollar Store and Dollar Tree but I know that not all their stuff is worth even a dollar. Just to be safe about The Dollar E-Juice Club (DEC), I made my first order up of the smallest size bottles (5ml).

The label print was miniscule but so is the price

You can't really go wrong with $0.99 bottles of juice. That's one of the things I really like so far about DEC. I can try a lot of different flavors without going broke or ending up with large quantities of juice I don't like. So far, Vapewild's smallest juice comes in the 30ml bottle (for around $7). 30ml of DEC juice would be under $6. But, like I said, trying small quantities first is always nice.

By the way, 5 of the bottles came encased in the cardboard box you see above. The other 2 were nicely bubble-wrapped and the whole set of bottles was mailed in a thick bubbled-envelope. The bottles are plastic so there was no issue of breakage, but if any had leaked, the packaging was great protection against spills.

It's tough to see the bottle labels in the photos, so I'll tell you what I got:

1) Mango (described as "fresh ripe mangoes). OMG. This was so flavorful that I felt like I was eating a fresh piece of fruit and the smell was mouthwatering. This is the best Mango flavored juice, hands down, since the Juul. For the last few weeks, I thought that my tastebuds were getting dulled because I haven't been getting as much flavor from my usual juice. I like this Mango so much that I have already put the 30ml bottle in my cart to order next time. SO glad that I ordered 2 in this first sample pack. (NOTE: There is also a menthol version of this.) 

2) Glazed Donut ("sweet, freshly baked, glazed donut"). This one was just okay. On the first couple of hits, there was not as much flavor as with the Mango and what I did get was not "sweet" enough for me. On the next few hits, I realized that this is a juice where the flavor is so muted overall that I don't get a sense of "donut" at all. I don't mind it but I won't order it again. I think that the flavors are just not strong enough in this one.

3) Sugar Cookie ("freshly baked butter cookies topped with sugar crystals"). Like with the Mango, I could smell this so much better than I could the Glazed Donut. Once again, the flavor really came through but I'm not a fan of that flavor. That was a little bit of a surprise because I generally like juices with the flavor of baked goods. I got a slightly (very slight) taste of cinnamon. This isn't bad but I won't order more.

4) Creamy Yellow Cake ("golden sponge cake filled with whipped cream" - so basically, a Twinkie!) This is another "Yes!" I liked that it wasn't overpowering but still let the flavor come through. In fact, it's pretty mild. The smell is more like baked yellow cake with the tiniest hint of... lemon?. Maybe, but the taste is not as vanilla-ey as expected. I have to say that this one - also with the Mango - is one I tasted on my tastebuds and in my nose if that makes sense. This one was nice, mellow, and really yummy. Anyone who likes a very mild custard or baked goods taste would probably enjoy this one. A larger size is going into my cart the next time.

5) Strawberry Cheesecake ("creamy smooth cheesecake filling in a soft graham cracker crust topped with candied strawberries") Once I got this open  (I hate opening tiny juice bottles!) I was a little put off by the scent. Keep in mind that, while I love cheesecake, I can do without the strawberry topping. However, this was not bad at all. It's another nice rich flavor, very lush and tasty. Surprised me and I might even have to order more.

6) Cotton Candy ("thin spun cotton candy") I chose this one more as a "novelty" because I wanted to try some flavors out of my norm. I really couldn't smell this one, but I did get the flavor. The taste of this one was mild on the exhale but came through stronger a moment later. Weird. It's not bad and I am surprised that I like it enough to probably order more.

So I guess it won't surprise you to know that the Mango is what's in my device right now. I can't get enough of that one. If you want to know something, I often vape to curb my appetite. Does anyone else do that? I mean, if I can just get a good scent of fruit or baked goods, I can just sip my coffee and keep it moving past the fridge.

Bottom line, DEC is going to be one of my go-to places. I like that I can sample in small quantities for under a buck and the flavors are true to the descriptions. My order arrived really fast and the shipping was basically USPS First Class or Priority. I used the cheaper First Class option and got my order in 3 business (week) days. Not bad at all. Orders over $35 score free shipping. In addition, I want to mention that, no matter what (if any) other codes you use, the Honey extension might give a better discount. I'm not recommending you do use Honey, but it gave me a better discount than the Welcome code I tried first.

I'm happy that I heard about The Dollar E-Juice Club because it's definitely one that I am adding to my regular sites to use.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** iStick Pico Squeeze 2 TC Squonk Kit

STOP: this post is ONLY for those of legal age for nicotine use.

See the guide for state-by-state regulations

state-by-state regulations

This is the next-to-last vape device I will be reviewing for a while, but it's a unique one - at least for me. It's the iStick Pico Squeeze 2 TC Squonk. This one in "dazzling" (aka Rainbow) came from over at Breazy but it's currently available at a couple of other places. It's a beauty, yes?

Like I said, this one is unique for me. First off, I really had zero clues as to what half the name meant. In my opinion, "TC" and "Squonk" sound like descriptions for space shuttle equipment.What I have learned (from the 20-something younguns in my family) is that "TC" stands for temperature control and "squonk" is too complicated to explain in a few words so this link is highly useful for details. Very basically, to squonk is to squeeze soak the cotton and coil with a juice bottle attached to the vaping device. I did say "basically". This is another laymen explanation.

The entire kit (minus a battery)

Until now, I had only ever used the simpler methods of vaping. I didn't want to deal with anything as complicated as building and setting up a mod device, but I did want to experience something designed for better flavor and vapor production. Apparently, squonking is a nice compromise. Still, I had to have my nephew come over and attach the coil and cotton so I could try the Pico Squeeze 2.

Since I am in 'For Dummies" mode with this device, you will do better to view this extremely helpful video from Wendy Vapes for details on setting things up.

Her nails are always awesome, by the way

Speaking of Wendy,  you should subscribe to her channel anyway. She's very knowledgeable and has a way of clarifying things for newbies. And she's great fun to watch.

Once my nephew got everything all set up for me, I was ready to test the device. I'm not sure what I expected. I've now tried so many devices - pods, mods, pens... - that I can't really anticipate the experience. With this one, I was careful not to hit it too hard.

Wow. This is a whole different level of vaping for me. The closest I've come to such flavor is with the Smok Veneno or the Voopoo Caliber. The Pico though is super, super smooth. That's the best way I can describe it. The juice I used was one from Vapewild called 21 Jump Treat (Funnel cake, raspberries, powdered sugar) and it doesn't rate high with other buyers but I love it. It's smooth enough in my other devices but with the Pico Squeeze, it was so rich and creamy tasting.

The second time around, I took a deep hit and got the same smoothness. I really like the experience. And I cannot say enough how pretty the dang thing is.

What I want to do is try one of my stronger flavors - like the RoseChamp from ECBlends that I customized. Let's just stop here and list the Pros and Cons of the Squeeze.

PROS:

• Not too difficult to use once it's been set up with a coil. What I'm saying is that I can at least change the cotton with no problem,
• The size and weight are Goldilocks nice - not too heavy, not too light - and fits nicely in even my smaller feminine hands.
• I love that the firing pin is situated so that both right-handed and left-handed users can see the OLED screen. (There's no screen on the Pico Baby but the firing pin is positioned awkwardly in relation to the flash indicator light.)
• The juice bottle is soft and pliable. I like that I don't have to apply a lot of pressure to "squonk" the liquid. WendyVapes made a similar observation.
• I can adjust the display to view the set wattage and battery usage at a glance. These are the 2 things I'm most concerned with when vaping.
• As far as looks: I just lurve the color and the LED lights.

CONS: ( most of these are due to user inexperience)

• While accessing and using the main menu is fairly simple, the submenu is a different story. (This helps a bit.)
• The "coral" drip tip that came with it was a) hard as hell to get off, and b) too short, in my opinion. I changed it out for one from the Veneno.
• The user manuals were just okay. For instance, it didn't really explain using the menu in enough detail. And it was in the tiniest print ever. Don't these people know us 50-plussers are vaping now?
• The coil might have been easier to insert if it had been pre-cut for this particular device. I don't know why it wasn't. Experienced vapers seemed to prefer their own coils and knew how to size and cut them to fit. The coils that came with the device should have, again in my opinion, should have been ready to go.
• As good as the device looks (and it looks fabulous), don't leave it behind at any crime scenes because your prints will damn near be in 3D. (Just kidding about crime scenes, but not about the fingerprints.)

As I said, my gripes are mostly those of a newbie. The whole thing with the coils not being pre-cut really irritated me since this was the biggest obstacle to using right out of the box. Access to the menu (or rather the poor instructions for) was the other major annoyance. Since the screens on these devices are small, there really should have been more detailed instructions for the menu - even for experienced vapers.

I prefer the taller drip tip from the Veneno

One thing I can mention that would be a sort-of-kind-of negative to squonking, in general, is that, because you are using a juice bottle, it's not as easy to switch out flavors. With my other devices, I can just swap out the pod or coil for each flavor type. With the squonk, I would (for the best flavor experience) need to change out the cotton and/or finish the bottle I've filled. Or, I guess I could just use smaller amounts of juice in the bottle. Still, it will be more of a hassle until I get used to changing cotton and, possibly, coils. And this brings up something I forgot to mention about the Pico Squeeze: you get one complete squonk bottle (cap and all), but the spare bottle is only the bottle; you have to fit the cap from the first one onto the spare. So that leaves out easily swapping bottles for flavor changing.

Here's the thing though: for all my fussing about the few negatives, this thing is too marvelous for words. That might be the newbie in me talking, but I really can't imagine myself giving up this device.

Changed the drip tip!

When I do get around to changing the juice in the bottle, I plan to try each of my juice flavors. With this device, I feel like I am getting so much more taste from the 21 Jump Treat. Can't wait to try the PB&J that I've been using in the Caliber and Veneno.

I am doing this particular device kit for this review but as far as price, I think that the current cost of around $30 (without the battery) is pretty decent. As recent as a few months ago, the price seemed to be around $50 for the device with the battery. Even good batteries are cheaper than $20.

If you are getting the Pico Squeeze as a gift for someone, the overall packaging is lovely. That's not a hint, but if someone in my family would like to get me one in another color, I'll take the red!

Bottom line, this device is NOT for newbies (unless you have friends to help you get started) and safety is so much more of a priority. Where you always need to be careful of batteries and charging and everything else with other devices, you really want to be on your toes when using this kind of device.

Free
--Free

P.S.: I just now screwed up the setting while messing around with that damn menu!

**VAPING** ECBlend Flavors

5STOP: this post is ONLY for those of legal age for nicotine use.

See the guide for state-by-state regulations

state-by-state regulations

UPDATE 3/1/20:

I still love this site. I love it even more now that VapeWild is off my personal lists of places to get ejuice. (I don't like the way they charge extra for an adult signature when other sites manage to get a signature without the charge.)

Anyway, about EC Blends - I learned a valuable lesson by accident. Normally, I get my juice and start using it asap, or at least within the first few days. The last time I ordered, I already had just gotten a new bottle of juice so I tucked my ECB juice away in the bedside table and forgot about it. I noticed it a few days later when I was reaching for something else so I took both bottles out, shook them, opened and smelled them. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to use them or just keep on with the other juice. I put them away for another few days. I didn't get around to using the juice for at least a week and a half. I took one of the bottles out, gave it a good long shaking and poured it into my tank. (Did that sound weird to anyone but me?!)

Guess what? This was some of the best-tasting juice I've ever vaped. I mean it was SO good.

The lesson I learned is about steeping. This is suggested in the ECB pamphlet and on their site. As a matter of fact, almost every vendor suggests that you either steep your juice or buy it pre-steeped. Because I use the wizard at ECB to come up with my own flavor combos, it's not pre-steeped. Well, it will get the steeping treatment from now on.

Steeping really mellows out the juice - especially for a high-nic juice - and it just ripens the flavors like crazy. So worth the wait.

I recently ordered from their Dragon series of flavors after getting a sample. I cannot wait to steep and vape that creamy heavenly goodness!



NOTE: This post is part of my ongoing list of vape shops.


As much as I love the juice I've been getting from VapeWild, I'm glad that I am discovering new sources. ECBlend Flavors (ECB) was suggested to me by someone on Instagram and I was excited to know about a place that provided customizing of flavors. I won't do a long intro; let's just dive into the Pros and Cons before we summarize.

PROS:

1. Being able to customize has to be the top benefit of ECB, but it ties with something else I'll get to in a moment.

ECB's flavor menu is so extensive, my mind was boggled. Where most places give choices of Dessert, Beverage, and Tobaccos, ECB gives that and a whole lot more. My first order included a printed copy of the menu and the flavors took up 15 pages. The photo below is of just 2 pages.

 2. Not only does ECB have a ton of flavors, but they have several "Create your own" options. I created 4 separate liquids and I learned something: I don't like Champagne flavored ejuice! I also learned that it's a lot of fun to be able to put together custom blends.

Not only can you customize liquids but, when you do, ECB goes all the way. When customizing, you get to name your creation and when your order arrives, you don't get a generic-looking bottle of personalized liquid. Nope. This is what my creations look like:

They actually labeled the bottles as I had named my creations! That's a new kind of cool. If I had realized they were going to do this, I might have thought up better names...

By the way, when you customize, you're not just choosing flavors. In addition to the bottle size, of course, and up to 4 flavors, you are in control of:

• Adding "extra" or "double" flavoring
• Nicotine strength (0, 3, 6, 12, 18. 24. 36)
• Base Mix with various PG/VG levels (Max VG; 30/70; 40/60; 50/50; 60/40; 70/30; 80/20; or 100% PG)
• Option of adding Menthol, Cool Hit, or Extra Menthol
• Option of adding Sweetener, Enhanced Sweetener, or Double Sweetener
• Option to make it Sour
• Naming your creation

3. The prices are amazing. As an example, my 15ml "Honeyrose" creation included the added sweetener and 2 flavors and cost $4.10. It was the most expensive in my order. My other 10ml bottles were $3.10 and 2.95. That's a good price for any nice juice, let alone for ones I customized and added sweeteners and extra flavoring. Basically, the current pricing ranges from $1.99 to $34.95 for bottle sizes from 5ml to 250ml.

4. I thought it was super nice that not only did ECB toss in tp my order a couple of sample 5ml bottles of liquid but they also included one of those rubberized "friend tip" things that will let me safely share my vape with someone else.

CONS:

There are just a few things that could be improved but they are negative enough to take away much from the overall experience I had.

1. Customizing slows up your order. Of course, it does, though, right? I mean, these folks are mixing liquid to your specifications, then they are taking the time to make a freaking personalized label... So, yeah, I'm impatient, but I didn't mind this too much. I placed my order on the 7th of the month, it was shipped on the 12th, and I received it on 14th of the month. Keep in mind when placing orders and understand that ECB does not work weekends or holidays.

2. The site is a little busy and disorganized. I found myself hunting and pecking for information because of the cluttered look of the crowded look of the pages. This is one of the reasons I asked for a printed menu for future reference. In defense of ECB, it looks like the online site came after the several brick and mortar operations they have. At any rate, I don't mind hunting and pecking to find good deals.

3. This is really a negative, but you're not going to find a lot of starter kits and devices and what is there I found to be higher priced than elsewhere. I think this might be because their online shop specializes in juice. However, some of the drip tips, coils, and other random stuff seemed more reasonable - but I'm a novice in that area.

To summarize, I'm super happy with the choices, prices and, so far, service from ECB. I will most definitely be ordering from them again. I was thinking that their customized bottles would make really nice gifts for friends.

Peace
--Free

**VAPING** My Ongoing List of Online Vape Stores

STOP: this post is ONLY for those of legal age for nicotine use.

See the guide for state-by-state regulations

state-by-state regulations

UPDATE - Add ECBlend to the list. You can read the full review here.


One of the things I wish had been easier when I started vaping was finding online vendors. I wanted to know about places where customers had good experiences and felt like they were getting quality products. That list exists - all over the freaking internet. I decided to start my own list and you can just take it or leave it.

Obviously, I can't vouch for everyone's joy and satisfaction when dealing with vendors on this list. I can tell you all about my experiences. I will do one of my Pro and Con bullet-ings for each place.

The list is pretty short right now, but just keep checking back as I post updates. Here we go...

Breazy

Breazy was one of the first sites I bought a device from. I got the SMOK Venepromno from them. That first time was not a good experience, but I have since ordered my Eleaf Pico Baby from them and was much more impressed.

PROS:

• Site setup is awesome. It's easy to search for and sort products.
• There is a set of FAQs and a Support page with Chat, Email, or Phone options.
• They have a really nice array of hardware, juices, and accessories. I LOVE looking for starter kits there.
• Prices are not the lowest, but also not the highest
• Each item has a note of whether it's shipped and sold by Breazy (vs, I suppose, another vendor?)
• Site was secure and I had no problems sharing payment information
• The shipping was fast (except for my first ever order) & they offered a Flat Rate USPS option.
• They offer international shipping except to Turkey, according to the site.
• You can access details of past orders.

CONS:

• Service was erratic back in 2018 - as in slow delivery and some communication issues. I found help from the via Reddit instead of on the actual site. Afterward, I had no other problems but read of a couple from other Reddit folk.
• Not as friendly to newbies as they could be. I had asked if everything was included in a Smok device that I ordered ("as a newbie"). The chat rep assured me that I had everything. I discovered that I didn't have the 18650 batteries. A little bit of a newbie error because this bit of info was listed somewhere on the product page, but the rep could have been more helpful.

BOTTOM LINE:

I will most definitely order from Breazy again if I find something I want at the right price. I recommend that newbies make sure to read everything on the product pages and just keep asking questions before placing your order - but that is true no matter where you shop the first few times. By the way, I did find cheaper batteries on Amazon that day.

Electric Tobacconist

This was the second place I ever shopped and I think I heard of them on Reddit. I used to order my nic salts from them (the Kwit brand). My Innokin Endura, Voopoo Caliber, and the Infinix came from ET.

PROS:

• Their shipping is free on orders over $20 and Priority for orders over $80. That's one of the best I've seen anywhere. 
• The site is user-friendly and so easy to navigate.
• They give a lot of good and detailed  information on the product pages for each device. That is really helpful for comparison shopping or for newbies.
• They carry a variety of brands of juices, devices, and accessories.
• Nic Salt juices are affordable. I particularly liked the Kwit brand when I was using nic salts.
• As if today, they still carry Juul pods, devices, and accessories.
• Prices on devices are pretty competitive and ET is one of the first places I check when comparing.
• You can go back and look at detailed records of your past orders. 

CONS:

• Regular juice is kind of high, IMO, and deals are okay but there's not a ton of variety. They have a 3-for section of juices - either $13 or $18 - but they are 10ml sizes and I've found better juices in larger quantities at better prices.

BOTTOM LINE:

ET is one of my favorite online stores. The only thing I will probably never shop for there anymore is juice. 

VapeWild

You can almost see how I have progressed as a vapor by following my shopping trail.

I first heard of Vapewild from a chick on Instagram. We both like discovering new places and we chat all the time about our vape experiences. She made me very happy when she told me about the Welcome Pack of eliquid for $1 instead of $17. That's the first Pro, by the way.

PROS:

• Best customer service EVER.
• Samples (juice) included in almost every order
• Shipping is fast and well-priced
• Online chat available & staff is super helpful - especially to newbies
• Staff is fun. They put out cute videos and they always personalize the bags they send you
• Pretty good website - easy to use and has a search function
• The site includes a lot of info for newbies, including a Beginners Guide for new vapers, vape stats, and a how-to if you want to "steep" your own juice.
• Great prices on the VapeWild branded juices & the juices are, IMO, really good
• That Welcome sampler that I mentioned is awesome. It's a total of 120ml 
• They have a paid membership customers can opt for that will give them perks including free shipping on any order.

CONS:

• The non-VapeWild juices are, IMO, kind of pricey.
• You have to look up what flavors are in the VapeWild brand juices. They have cool names (my favorite named one is Hannibal Nectar) but you often have to pull up the product page to see what flavors are included.
• The membership fee is, again, IMO, kind of high. It's $50/yr. That could be worth it if VW is the only place you buy from. I still prefer something like Electric Tobacconist's free-over-$20 deal.

BOTTOM LINE:

I can't really complain about VW because they are so fun and, for the most part, reasonably priced. The samplers and especially that Welcome bag is a great way for newbies to decide if they prefer their juice with certain flavor profiles - desserts, fruit, breakfast, candy, etc. - of it they just want to stick to tobacco or menthol flavors. When I stopped using primarily nic salts, I discovered that I prefer dessert flavors, but that may change.

VanVal Vapor

Just so that you know, I have only just received my first ever order from VV in the past couple of days. I heard about them from someone on Instagram or Reddit.

PROS:

• Prices are awesome. I got the Sample Pack of 7 flavors (that I got to choose) in 17.5ml for $22. Bam!
• They shipped the package 1st class for less than $5.50 and it arrived lickety-split.
• The juices are fresh and clean tasting.
• The juices are potent and would be a great choice for the newly smoke-free or folks who like a good nicotine hit.
• They sell CBD liquid also. And coffee. They sell coffee beans.

CONS:

• There's not a whole lot of variety. If you are a person who likes to explore variations and a lot of different blends, you won't have a lot of choices here.
• The juice seemed potent. I normally vape 0 or 3mgs and have some bottles of 6mg around from when I first quit tobacco. I don't know what possessed me to try 7.5mg this time. This would have been a perfect choice when I first quit and I might not have had to try nic salts. Being over 6 months tobacco free, I got in over my head. Choose your nicotine level wisely with this juice!

BOTTOM LINE:

I will most definitely buy from VV again - but I will go low on the nicotine. I like the clean, no-nonsense approach they take to making affordable juice.

So far, that's it. I am going to be adding EC Blend Flavors to this list really soon. I am just waiting for my first order to arrive.

Peace
--Free