Okay… so I’m giving some real consideration to this podcast idea… more importantly I have the green light from Mrs. SnuffnStuff so the hard part is done. 
So I want to get some ideas, feedback, thoughts and opinions from all of you… First off for those of you who might not know what a podcast is… it’s basically a radio program that is broadcasted over the internet. So think talk radio and you have the idea. Anyway the idea I have is to make the show about a wide variety of tobacco related interest. Snuff, pipes, cigars, snus and anything else that might come up. The reason for making it such a broad platform is to open up the topics of conversation. You are eventually going to tap yourself out of interesting things to talk about on just one of those subjects and to be honest most of us are interested in more than just one of them. With that said, what kind of things would you (the potential) listeners be interested in hearing about? News, interviews, reviews, tips and advice… etc. Be as specific as you want to be I’m just trying to get some ideas to see what people would want.
Most podcasts, YouTube, etc. become redundant, as you mentioned elsewhere. News is always important and not every issue is easy to find or come by. Keeping up with that takes a lot of time but if you could generate any news from manufacturers, distributors, even some vendors might be willing to provide information that would be nice. Addressing beginners is always good but there will be many who are not beginners that would like more information than that (e.g., a beginning pipe smoker will care little about the difference of grain, coolness of the smoke, etc. that an older piece of briar can offer but others who might not want to spend the coin that older wood costs might be interested, etc.). I would be interested in hearing from blenders what they had working what’s new coming out, etc. The cigar side of things can be found without too much difficulty but snuff outside of those who are active on here has been very difficult to find. If you were able to find professionals in each area that would be willing to do interviews, that always gets me to take a look at what is going on. I love the fact that you are willing to try this it is a big undertaking.
Pick a snuff and/or pipe tobacco and/or cigar and have people email you their thoughts and reviews which you could read on the next show. They could also send it as an audio clip which you could play.
The guys from Snuff Takers Ephemeris would be a good source of information and episode topics. Not only do they have a broad knowledge of the subject, but they also acquired the late Tom Dunn’s (editor of the long-running Pipe Smokers Ephemeris) entire smokeless tobacco archive, so they’ve got a library of historical materials to draw on. They are apparently working on another issue of their irregularly published periodical, and they’d probably love to have opportunities to promote it, as well as the hobby and history of snuff in general. I don’t have an e-mail address for the editor, but they can be reached via their Facebook page, presumably: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Snuff-Takers-Ephemeris/157446407610133
@J_S you are 100% correct a big part of why I’m even entertaining this idea is due to the redundant information that a lot of these podcasts seem to provide… you end up with a few of the first episodes being about 101 stuff and then they jump into months of reviews or talking about pipe shows or just talking with artisan pipe makers who all tell the same story. This is one of the big reasons I want the show to have a little something for everyone. If you like snuff and cigars there would be a reason to listen if you smoke RYO cigarettes and chew Red Man there will be still be a reason to listen. I’m still in the early… early… stages of looking into this but I want to make sure that it is geared towards the people who would enjoy these things. I’m definitely not an expert on any of these topics but I think it would be awesome to learn new thing along with the people who listen.
You need a sidekick. listening to just one person talk on any subject for an extended period will put me to sleep. Although it does not matter to me since I can’t hear - currently . Is it possible to have a live podcast ? so you could take phone calls. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Personally I would only be interested in snuff news and reviews, though as long as that are in there then I would download and listen, I think besides just snuff reviews cover topics like storage, bullets, tap boxes etc… All the stuff we all ask when we join the forum ? Keep it simple and straightforward is the key I think.
Judging by your avatar and handle, do I rightly assume you’re a pipe guy? If so, are you familiar with Brian Levine’s weekly Pipe Radio podcast? He’s got a pretty solid format, although I think the pool is considerably smaller for interviews in the snuff universe.
@idbowman Yes I listen to Mr. Lavine’s show quite often. He has a pretty solid show however I (personally) think over the last year or so there has been a lot of focus on Artisan pipe makers (which is absolutely fine) but it begins to get a little redundant after a while. If I move forward with this project I’m not planning on focusing on just pipes or snuff or cigars but a little bit from all of them. The hope is… 1. It will provide a longer run of shows that don’t become boring after you have covered the basics and now just turn into show after show talking about the pro’s and con’s of XYZ topic over and over again or review after review of different tobaccos. 2. Hopefully this will appeal to the larger audience because as I’ve said before many of us are more than just snuff/pipe/cigar/snus users. We enjoy two three or all of the above plus sum. 3. One thing I’ve noticed is that most of the podcasts out there are created by people with some tie to the industry. This is all well and good but eventually (again this is just my opinion) it begins to alienate the average listener who isn’t spending hundreds or thousands of dollars a month on these things. Would I love to only smoke pipes that cost $200+ dollars? sure… but eventually I get sick of hearing about them while I smoke my $50 or $60 pipe. 4. Another idea that I’ve had isn’t just talking about these “products” because eventually the podcast just becomes a big infomercial. That gets boring too. What about the culture in general? What other things are we all interested in that criss cross into this. Taking a look around the forums here and you can see that while many of us come from all over the world we are all have similar interests beyond just continually talking about snuff/pipes/cigars/etc… It’s going to be a big undertaking if I move forward with it and I’m really trying to put a different spin on this than what is already offered. It might not be for everybody and that’s cool too.
@snuffnstuff I agree…my enjoyment in the pipe hobby is “tobacco first, pipes second,” so the focus on pipe makers is a bit much, sometimes. Otherwise, it really sounds like your brain is moving in the right direction - frankly (re: #3) I think it’d be awfully refreshing to hear a show built by folks (or just one folk) who aren’t “in” the industry and just love it and the hobbies and enjoyment it provides. I wish you nothing but the very best if you decide to take the leap!
@idbowman Thanks, I will take all the support I can get. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m looking into the logistics of it and exploring the cost for some decent beginner equipment as well as hosting and things like that. I’m of the same mindset… I think the idea of an “average” guy doing this kind of show is going to bring it back down to reality a little bit. One of my biggest problems with any of the shows that I listen to is that they want to be accessible to the novice in the hobby and maybe for an episode or two they talk about basic stuff. Then all of a sudden once the basics are out of the way it starts to feel like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. So my plan/goal/mission statement is, what can the average guy on a budget get that is going to be worthwhile, enjoyable and of decent quality but at the same time isn’t going to involve taking out a second mortgage or selling a kidney. Do you need to spend the money on special apothecary jars to cellar your snuff in or can you use baby food jars? You only have $6.00 and want a cigar what should you buy? You want to buy a nice pipe for around $50.00 what should you be looking at? To me that is more beneficial than episode after episode of “artisan this” “high end that” because I already know that a freaking Dunhill pipe is great, I don’t need you to tell me about it for 20 minutes. I need to know what I should buy if I don’t own a private jet.