How To Stock A Proper Top Shelf At Your Smoke Shop

Break out your ropes, picks, and sharpest clawed boots - because today we are going to be scaling a peak higher than even Mt. Everest - the Top Shelf of your Smoke Shop.

That’s right, in this Got Vape Wholesale exclusive we have gone ahead and dissected the very notion of a “top shelf” to explain why customers revere it, how you can use it to your advantage, and finally what products you can stock that are worthy of the title.

By the end of this breakdown you’ll have all the information needed to tune up your inventory and start seeing your profits skyrocket with the implementation of proper “top shelf”.

Table of Contents:

What Does Top Shelf Mean?
What Are Top Shelf Vapes?
The Importance Of Catering To High End Customers
The Psychology Of Investment Pieces
How To Build A Top Shelf
Meet The Top Shelf Brand
The Storz & Bickel Volcano
Storz & Bickel Handhelds
Puffco E-Rigs
Puffco Handhelds
Stündenglass
Empire Glassworks
Focus V
Dr. Dabber
The Top Shelf Effect

What Does Top Shelf Mean?

The origins of the phrase “top shelf” comes from liquor stores placing their more expensive bottles higher up on the shelf, above the more commonly purchased options. This was born from the reality that higher priced items less frequently, thus they don’t need to occupy the most accessible shelving.

Despite not being purchased often, the brands on the top shelf were seen by all who approached the counter as special. If you saw the clerk breaking out the ladder to take something from the top shelf, you knew that someone was having a good day.

Fast forward to the 21st century and you’ll find that the term “top shelf” is now universally understood to mean the best of the best, occupied by undisputed champions of their respective genres.

Regardless of what the store is, people will always be after the platonic ideal of a top shelf. Thus for your smoke shop, the top shelf is going to consist of all the most technologically advanced, professional, and potent vaporizers on the market.

What Are Top Shelf Vapes?

When it comes to vaporizers, the top shelf options are going to be those that go above and beyond the call of duty, providing performances that are genre defining in their ability to reliably elevate all aspects of customers materials.

This includes everything from ease of use with perks like app connectivity for precise control, to cutting edge technologies like 3D heating tech that ensure 100% of packed materials are vaporized for enjoyment.

Thanks to this elite performance, many top shelf vapes have their own built in fan bases already, with legions of adoring fans who would jump at the chance to own one. With higher price tags to match their power, top shelf vapes are not in the price range of all customers - but instead exist as luxury items for high end customers looking to splurge or invest in a nice piece.

The Importance Of Catering To High End Customers

While the bulk of your sales are going to be from smaller sales, a significant portion of your profits can be derived from what retail business refer to as “high end customers” or those who are solely focused on the quality and performance of the device, instead of its price tag.

These are the type of customers that may as well bring their own ladder, because for them the only thing in your shop they want to see is the top shelf. Attempting to pitch these customers lesser items that don’t deliver will end in disaster, so make sure you're always breaking out your best.

Just because these high end customers are ready to dole out for the top shelf, it doesn’t mean they are going to hand over that money easily. The double edged sword of high end customers is that thanks to their large purchasing capacity, it’s no sweat off their back to walk out the door and find a different option.

This is why when you stock your top shelf, you never want to put all of your eggs in one basket and instead have a variety of comparably elite devices for them to choose between. Everyone wants to have a choice, especially those who are about to spend 10x what the average customer does.

If you successfully land these sales, you're not only making the immediate profit but setting yourself up for a repeat customer who will be looking for replacement parts that match their top shelf devices. And just like how expensive cars have expensive maintenance, costly vaporizers quickly run up a bill if you want them in top shape.

Luckily for us high end customers are the exact type who are ready, willing, and eager to drop that kind of change - so long as the product works.

The Psychology Of Investment Pieces

Now this insistence on having “the best” isn’t always those with the deepest pockets, instead a lot of the time you will find customers who are making a big purchase, on the premise that this is a worthwhile investment.

This could be due to these higher quality devices offering them the type of precision dosing abilities required for medicinal applications or simply due to them conserving materials, thus making up the price tag on the back end.

Customers who use CBD and other medicinal oils will often require certain temperatures and circumstances to be able to ingest a dose properly. The only way to achieve this certainty - high end rigs that put every dollar of their investment to work.

The other type of shopper is those who realize that higher quality devices don’t just work better, but they also get more out of your materials. This creates a snowball effect where they end up spending less on raw materials, while simultaneously getting more out of them at the same time.

Whatever the reason, these high end customers are going to be even more cautious about buying the right product, as for them the consequences of a sub par experience are going to be felt harder.

That’s why it's your job to not only source the best high end products, but be able to talk about them fluently in order to explain their various pros and lack of cons. This will help people compare and contrast, resulting in more confidence to actually purchase their investment piece.

How To Build A Top Shelf

First off, your “top shelf” doesn’t need to physically be the tallest shelf in your smoke shop, it could as that has some natural bonuses, but it doesn’t have to be. You can do just as well by having a dedicated cabinet or designated area of your store where you group your high end products.

The goal here is to have a focal point that you can immediately point customers to when they come in asking you to lay your cards on the table. While it’s not like anyone is going to come into your shop and say “hi let me see your top shelf” it's more so that they will start asking about certain blue chip brands, clueing you into their status as a high end customer.

Once you realize this, this is when you direct them to the literal or metaphorical top shelf for an easy to digest breakdown of what your shop has to offer them. Luckily this isn’t too hard to do, with a little bit of time you can create your own “top shelf” area if you don’t already have one.

Meet The Top Shelf Brands

When it comes time to decide what to place on your top shelf, there are some brands that you need to be aware of. Note that these are not just our opinions, but undisputed facts concerning what brands actually live up to their price tag and reputation.

That means these manufacturers have both the quality of products and reputation required to entice customers to dole out some serious cash, while simultaneously being able to back it up with exceptional performance.

These top shelf brands include Storz & Bickel, Stündenglass, Puffco, Focus V, Dr. Dabber, and Empire Glassworks. Having a variety of these devices in stock is key to conquering the high end customer market and essential to taking your shop to new heights.

Take a look below to get a run down on all of the best top shelf devices from these exceptional brands and learn the who’s who of vaporizing in 2025.

The Storz & Bickel Volcano

Starting with the undisputed champion of the past 20 years, we have Storz & Bickel whose flagship device, the Volcano Vaporizer, has become ubiquitous with the very notion of high end vapor - to the point they were featured in Seth Rogan’s This Is End as a representation of the pinnacle of dry herb indulgence.

Based out of Germany, Storz & Bickel have created a massive ecosystem of products that are frequently pointed out as the “best vaporizers” to pick up should budget not be an issue. With a reputation that precedes them, Storz & Bickel is able to charge these premium prices because they know that their product actually delivers the value.

As they are the literal godfathers of luxury dry herb and concentrate vaping, no top shelf would be complete without some of the aforementioned Volcano Vaporizers, with their utterly iconic filling bags of vapor filling the dreams of dry herb fans the world over.

Customers love the Volcano so much that they re-released the original with a sleek all black paint scheme with the Onyx Edition Classic Volcano. With all the same functionality, this gives shoppers a chance to personalize their dream piece.

In addition to the classic, give the Volcano Hybrid a look as this newer version adds in a digital screen, expanded temperature control, and a fun whip system of solo chilling. These are great to have in stock for existing Volcano customers as well, people love their systems so much that the thought of an upgraded one will be the easiest sale of your life.

Storz & Bickel Handhelds

Since they first began with the Volcano, Storz & Bickel have been hard at work attempting to perfect the vaporizing experience in a more portable package. Just as you’d suspect, Storz & Bickel have absolutely nailed their series of hand held vaporizers to the point where they too, are considered the industry's best choices.

Considered one of the best by customers and reviewers alike (even the NYT) we have the extraordinary Venty Portable Dry Herb Vaporizer. This absolutely phenomenal dry herb vape is able to produce a vapor experience that is as close to the intensity of combustion as possible, all with the wealth of benefits that comes from vaping.

For shoppers looking to achieve peak mobile dry herb vaporizing, you can recommend the Venty knowing that it will 1,000% live up to even the loftiest of expectations. With the ability to alter temperatures by a single degree, the Venty lets customers experience the full spectrum of dry herb experiences all the way from 104˚ - 410˚F, all with heat times as quick as 20s.

Storz & Bickel additionally have the Mighty + Portable Vaporizer, which is slightly wider and shorter than the Venty, while still offering a comparable experience. While not quite as excellent as the Venty, this is a great choice to let customers compare the body styles to choose the one that speaks more to their sensibilities.

The closest you could get to an “entry level” Storz & Bickel product would be with their Crafty + Portable Vaporizer. The Crafty + is almost half the cost of the Venty, while still having all the same monumental quality that all Storz & Bickel have. This could be a great upsell item to have, or to use as the perfect gateway top shelf experience that introduces people to the world of elite vaping.

Puffco E-Rigs

For the ultimate brand of the moment, there lies the works of Puffco, who since their founding in 2013 have absolutely taken the industry by storm with their line of sleek concentrate vaporizers that make enjoying dabs easier than ever before.

Think of Puffco the same way you would Apple - their products are of exceptional quality and come jam packed with useful features - while simultaneously being easy enough to use at all skill levels.

Thus the trick that Puffco has perfected is making anyone feel like a concentrate expert, with their devices doing all of the heavy lifting for you. This has proved to be a winning formula, as Puffco is without a doubt the most popular top shelf brand out right now.

Starting off at the top, we have the Puffco Peak Pro Concentrate Vaporizer with 3DXL Atomizer offering the most straightforward, high powered concrete experience available. With quality of life features like a joy stick carb cap, water filtration, and larger 3D XL chamber, the Peak Pro makes taking huge hits of concentrate incredibly easy.

For precision temperature adjustments, stat tracking, and saveable user profiles - the Peak Pro has a dedicated Puffco Connect App that makes tweaking settings precise and simple. Add in the fact that the Peak Pro is compact and easy to bring out, and you have yourself the ultimate portable dab rig.

There also exists the New Peak Smart E-Rig, a slightly more affordable model that gives customers all the same elite concentrate dabbing but in a slightly smaller package. The New Peak comes with 4 preset temperature settings, giving customers a variety of different experiences to experiment with.

Puffco even periodically releases special versions of their rigs, complete with unique paint schemes that really up the collectibility of the pieces. Take a look at the most recent, the New Peak Limited Edition Bliss Smart E-Rig, with its gorgeous full pink color scheme really helping this one pop.

Puffco Handhelds

Puffco doesn’t just cater to customers looking for e-rig, they also realize that there is a significant market available for concentrate vaporizers that, while small, still come packed with top shelf technology.

For all of these customers, there lies the Proxy Concentrate Vaporizer and Pivot Mobile Vaporizer, two excellent devices that push the boundaries of what’s capable out of a smaller package.

The Proxy is a modular system, consisting of an elite chamber that can be combined with different pipes to create a highly customizable experience. Take a look at the Terra Pipe and Ripple Bubbler, to get an idea of just how many different ways you can use the Proxy.

Going even smaller, we have the vape pen esque Pivot Mobile Vaporizer, which has shrunk the technology needed for dabbing to its most condensed form, while still retaining the incredible Puffco potency that customers flock to the brand for.

The most affordable of options, the Pivot is here for customers that want the convenience of a pen style vaporizer, but with all the bells and whistles that come with a Puffco product. Be on the look out for the Mocha Pivot, a limited edition release that remixes the device with a gorgeous brown paint scheme.

Stündenglass

For another hit of top shelf German manufacturing, there lies the exceptional works from Stündenglass with the collection of leveled up water pipes and vaporizing devices providing supremely unique experiences.

Stündenglass first made a name for themselves by combining form and function to create their series of Gravity Infusers, available in several different designs including collaborations with Mike Tyson, Cookies, and The Grateful Dead just to name a few.

These Gravity Infusers take the concept of a gravity pipe to all new heights, with their dual glass chambers and 360˚ rotating capabilities working in tandem to create a vacuum that sucks up the smoothest, most potent smoke for customers to enjoy.

With a casual tube system to draw from, using the Gravity Infusers is incredibly intuitive and has the combination of smooth operation and elite results that shoppers demand from a top shelf pick up.

In addition to the water pipes, Stündenglass broke into the vaporizing game with their excellent Modul For Dry Material and Modul For Concentrate. Both of these are the same device, just with different insertable chambers to cater to each type of material. And what a device the Modul is, with its 6,000mAh battery absolutely blowing its competitors out of the water with its fiery strength.

The Modul is designed to attach to any compatible water pipe, and is even usable with their Gravity Infusers for the ultimate Stündenglass combination. This makes the device incredibly versatile for a top shelf option and ensures customers get plenty of use out of it.

Stündenglass has also released the Stündenglass Modul and Dok Deluxe Travel Set. This combines the Modul with a stand and beaker, effectively turning the battery into its own stand alone e-rig set up.

The Deluxe Travel Set also has the bonus of coming with both a dry herb and concentrate chamber, giving customers everything they need to use their Modul just how they want it. Plus the set even includes a dedicated carrying case, designed to make bringing the set out easy and safe.

Empire Glassworks

Now we have mainly been focusing on vaporizers, but your top shelf should also include some excellent glass options that are both well made and gorgeously designed. Luckily for all of us, Empire Glassworks is here with their collection of borosilicate glass creations that exceed all expectations.

Just take a look at their Baby Beaker Collection, a series of 5 different pipes that each has their own gorgeous artistic flair dedicated to a different theme. With options like Galactic and Koi Pond, there is a Baby Beaker to speak to every sensibility.

Empire Glassworks doesn’t just have pipes, but also creates dedicated accessories for brands such as Puffco, giving you the opportunity to have some top shelf synergy with items like a 15 inch Peak Glass Attachment that supersizes customers cloud sessions.

Should they want to give their rig a visual overhaul, Empire Glassworks also has Puffco Peak Attachments that go all out with authentic designs such as a faux Avocado or Sriracha, that give the Peak an entirely different look.

Focus V

Another excellent brand you should be aware of is Focus V. As manufacturers of vaporizers since 2019, the team has managed to build themselves a sizable reputation in a short number of years thanks to their dedication to crafting only the finest of devices.

Their Carta 2 Electronic Dab Rig is the perfect demonstration of this ethos, with its 2,000mAh battery providing luscious clouds of both concentrates and dry herbs, for the ultimate dual use experience.

For a true top shelf experience, the Carta 2 comes with dedicated temperature ranges for both sets of materials, instead of forcing them to use just one. This has resulted in a range of 275˚ - 500˚F for dry herb materials and a range of 365°F to 635°F for concentrates to ensure optimal temperatures specially tailored to bring out the best results.

The Carta 2 has been so successful, that Focus V recently released a Deluxe Kit that combines the Carta 2 Rig with a Saber Hot Knife and dedicated mini-backpack to provide customers the perfect all in one luxury pick up. Instead of having to track down all the accessories themselves, these Deluxe Kits give customers a more straightforward way to elevate their sessions.

Focus V additionally has a wonderful handheld choice, with the Aeris Portable Concentrate Vaporizer. The Aeris takes the fiery dabbing power that Focus V is known for and shrinks it down into a chunky pen style body. Coming complete with its own mini-backpack, the Aeris is a formidable choice worthy of the top shelf name.

Dr. Dabber

To round out our collection of top shelf brands, we have Dr. Dabber who just last year brought the Switch 2 Concentrate Vaporizer to market and was instantly met by rave reviews from industry critics and consumers alike.

The Switch 2 has a modern appliance look that turns dabbing into a science with its 3,000mAh battery, precision temperature control between 250˚ - 650˚F, and cutting IR sensors providing unparalleled cloud control.

Taking the Switch 2 to a whole new stratosphere however is its use of omni directional induction heating and 10mm all quartz insert working in tandem to produce clouds that are rich in flavors, potency, and size.

With three distinct modes of operation (Descent, Ascent, Steady) the Switch 2 is able to provide several different speeds of vaping and has the depth that customers would expect from a top shelf offering.

The Top Shelf Effect

Now that we’ve broken down everything there is to know about the “top shelf” effect, including what products are included and what benefits are available to you by catering to these high end customers.

Take your time reviewing the options and then craft your very own top shelf collection! For more tips on how to improve your smoke shop, check out our Smoke Shop Business Blog here!

In recent weeks Got Vape Wholesale has provided a definitive list of the best vape pens and gone into detail on how global tariffs can affect your smoke shop.