Crazy prices

[vewyphishy]

A new Habana House lounge and humidor opened in the south part of Austin. I went to check out their selection... and it damn near floored me. They had some of the most exclusive cigars to be had... but they were looking for first-borns in exchange.

• Perdomo Edicion de Silvio - $40!
• Hemingway Between the Lines - $30!
• Hemingway Maduros (UTSM, Masterpiece, WoA, Classics, Signatures) - these ranged from $25 to $50
• Fuente 858 Sungrowns - $20
• All shapes and sizes of OpusX - $30 to $70

*passes out*

DAMN... DAMN... I'm guessing if they were priced more reasonably, they would've already been sold out. ???

 

[servebig]

A new Habana House lounge and humidor opened in the south part of Austin. I went to check out their selection... and it damn near floored me. They had some of the most exclusive cigars to be had... but they were looking for first-borns in exchange.

• Perdomo Edicion de Silvio - $40!
  
• Hemingway Between the Lines - $30!
  
• Hemingway Maduros (UTSM, Masterpiece, WoA, Classics, Signatures) - these ranged from $25 to $50
  
• Fuente 858 Sungrowns - $20
  
• All shapes and sizes of OpusX - $30 to $70
  

*passes out*

DAMN... DAMN... I'm guessing if they were priced more reasonably, they would've already been sold out. ???

wow...thats crazy. i was at pebble beach this weekend and they had Opus X torps in the tap room bar for $90 per!!!! WTF?!?!?!?!?

barney

 

[other1]

Its a terrible double edged sword man. The places that charge reasonable prices never have 'em. The places that have 'em rip you off something terrible.

I think I'll switch to ISOMs.

 

[rnccen]

Man...I am amazed that retailers don't price shop competitors in the respective markets.

 

[Beefcube]

Actually if I had a "Betwen the Lines" right dead in front of me..... I'd pay the 30$ just to have one.


ok i'm gonna go hide now while ya'all shoot spit-balls at me for admitting that...

 

[gregor22]

I definately need to hang around with Barney, Pebble Beach.....

 

[gawntrail]

I definately need to hang around with Barney, Pebble Beach.....

I'm with you gregor22.

And a single digit address...........in the bay area...........I've got to get up to one of his BBQs.

Maybe a weekend in late July or early August. If not, it'll have to be after the holidays. I'm definitely gonna get up to Barney's place and HERF it up with him.

BTW. He sent me a bottle of that zin. It was good. My wife enjoyed it too!

I'll be sending a stick up there for his troubles.......as soon as I settle up a few things first

M. Gipson

 

[CoventryCat86]

I think I'll switch to ISOMs.

There ya go. It's beats paying the Fuente troll.

I know this is one of the perpetual arguments but I'll bring it up again anyway (mostly just so Moki can give the "counter-point" ).

Havanas are generally LESS expensive that the high end domestics.
Construction/burn of your average Havana is better than your average high end domestic.
Money and quality issues aside, the number one reason you should chose a cigar is TASTE and as far as I'm concerned, the best tasting cigars are Havanas. That's not to say I dislike PAM's, Opus xXx, Diamond Crowns, etc. BUT I'll take any Havana (hell, even machine mades) over high end Dominicans or Nicaraguans anytime.

The ridicuolous prices they charge for high end Fuentes is just that RIDICULOUS!! But, if you think about it, it's all supply and demand, apparently there are suckers out there who will pay $90.00 for a Dominican cigar. I don't begrudge a shop or a bar for putting crazy asking prices on cigars, the comedy of that situation is the idiot who acutally pays the $90.00 for an Opus torp. :lookup:

 

[Wascal]

What CC said. :thumbs:

 

[servebig]

I definately need to hang around with Barney, Pebble Beach.....

I'm with you gregor22.

And a single digit address...........in the bay area...........I've got to get up to one of his BBQs.

Come one, come all!!! Actually I make the trek to PB every memorial day, but to play tennis, not golf. I used to play that course, but since it went over 300 i just cant bring myself to it...I am going to go to Scotland on the 18th to play with 7 other buddies though

As far as my single digit address gawn...I used to have a double but my wife got it in the divorce ???

barney

 

[gawntrail]

I definately need to hang around with Barney, Pebble Beach.....

I'm with you gregor22.

And a single digit address...........in the bay area...........I've got to get up to one of his BBQs.

Come one, come all!!! Actually I make the trek to PB every memorial day, but to play tennis, not golf. I used to play that course, but since it went over 300 i just cant bring myself to it...I am going to go to Scotland on the 18th to play with 7 other buddies though

As far as my single digit address gawn...I used to have a double but my wife got it in the divorce ???

barney

Back in the day, I rented a 2 BR 2 BA beach house in Newport Beach, CA. The address was 4 1/2 17th St - Newport Beach, CA. Right on the sand. Back in 89-90 it went for $1,750/month. Worth every penny.

Is it like that up in the bay?.........the lower the number the closer to the water?

Regardless, I'm still coming up there soon Barney.

Now I have a 4 digit address in a 5 digit community. When I give it out, people look at me and get that 'oh.........you live up there' look.

M. Gipson

 

[vewyphishy]

I think I'll switch to ISOMs. 

There ya go. It's beats paying the Fuente troll.

I know this is one of the perpetual arguments but I'll bring it up again anyway (mostly just so Moki can give the "counter-point" ).

Havanas are generally LESS expensive that the high end domestics.
Construction/burn of your average Havana is better than your average high end domestic.
Money and quality issues aside, the number one reason you should chose a cigar is TASTE and as far as I'm concerned, the best tasting cigars are Havanas. That's not to say I dislike PAM's, Opus xXx, Diamond Crowns, etc. BUT I'll take any Havana (hell, even machine mades) over high end Dominicans or Nicaraguans anytime.

The ridicuolous prices they charge for high end Fuentes is just that RIDICULOUS!! But, if you think about it, it's all supply and demand, apparently there are suckers out there who will pay $90.00 for a Dominican cigar. I don't begrudge a shop or a bar for putting crazy asking prices on cigars, the comedy of that situation is the idiot who acutally pays the $90.00 for an Opus torp. :lookup:

Agreed. Most of us are not so financially free as to be able to drop whatever coin is necessary to try a particular cigar. Although we'd like to, that just isn't a reality. So by nature (not necessarily by choice), we're forced to be selective in what we pursue, given our limited resources.

For that above statement is why Havanas are so enticing. Many wonderful brands and blends, shapes and sizes, all for prices often times less than or equal to an equivalent domestic.

Sure, there are good domestics, but what are they? PAMs, VSGs, Opus, Perdome EDS, etc... all top-shelf, top-dollar sticks. The dilemma I find myself in these days is this. I walk into the local shop and I look for one of my favorite smokes, PAM 64 Torpedo. These usually run about $15 each. But before I can get myself to take one out of the box, I run some calculations in my head. For $15, I can get 3, maybe 4 Monte #4s. Or 2 Monte #2s. Or 2 RASS. Even a Sir Winston AND another PC of some sort.

Heads up taste test, I would give the nod to the PAM (except in the case of the Sir Winston). However, money for sticks isn't 1-for-1. Is a PAM 64 Torp better than 3 Monte #4s? 2 Monte #2s? Etc? For me, it's not. I'd much rather have more above average smokes then less exceptional ones. Carry that philosophy out over a longer period of time, and you find yourself smoking more Havanas than not... and by that, you'll develop a taste for them. It's not like Havanas are nasty grocery store sticks. Havanas are damn good. Better than domestics? Definitely a neverending debate. However, close enough to where the price difference becomes a dominating factor in the decision making process.

I'll qualify my argument by saying that not everyone buys on value... but a large number do.

 

[gawntrail]

I'll qualify my argument by saying that not everyone buys on value... but a large number do.

Very well put vewy. I like the idea of an Opus or a PAM in the Humi like the rest, but, I like the idea of a few LGCs, CAOs, 5 Vegas, etc...even better.

I didn't get hung up on how much something costs, until I realized I could have 3 good sticks for the price of 1 great stick. Especially if that great stick is hard to find.

I'll stick with the $3-$7 sticks (internet prices)........and the high dollar stuff is nice for special occasions.

I've pretty much given up on my 'local' shop (12 miles away). LGC Wavells - $6.75 / ea.

I haven't bought any stogies retail since I started here in March. Just doesn't make fiscal sense anymore.

M. Gipson

 

[other1]

Local shops are good when you want to just try one or two of something (of course trades are better ) I also like to go and pick out sticks, especially when buying higher end stuff. That being said, I've started ordering a lot more online. It's certainly the only place I would consider buying boxes unless it was an exceptional case.

 

[lucasbuck]

I went by a local shop I used to frequent a year or so ago last night. They were pretty new back then and very limited but had decent prices on singles. Well they've expanded quite a bit and now have some limited stuff. Just a taste for ya all:

Opus X Super Beli - $30
PAM '64 Torp -$28
PAN '26 #9 -$45
Gurkha Pre Embargo 1940 dbl corona -$38
VSG Beli #1 -$18

:0

I'm guessing they're not an authorized Fuente or Padron dealer but still....

 

[vewyphishy]

It should be illegal to price gouge like that! If you want to sell a brand, you should be an authorized dealer. Otherwise, they might as well sell some sort of KY jelly with those cigars. :angry:

 

[gawntrail]

Otherwise, they might as well sell some sort of KY jelly with those cigars. :angry:

Miamicubano knows a guy that gets Vicks with his stogies :0

M. Gipson

 

[Toaster]

I agree with the statement, its not sad to see a shop charge $x.xx amount for a cigar, its sad to see the idiot who goes in and pays $175.00 for a Opus A in a coffin box (yes, true... Cool River Sports bar in Las Colinas, its a ritzy upscale sports bar outside Dallas where they have BTL, all the Opus, etc.. and the highest priced cigar there is a Opus A in a coffin for $175.00 and they've sold a few of them!)

As for what CC said, I agree whole-heartedly. Most Havana's are better than even the top of the line domestics... I don't know why, but they just are. I know I'm not the only one who knows that, as most of my local herfing buddies all agree- visiting local cigar shops for most of us has all but stopped, why? Because most of us feel bad going in there to smoke OUR cigars we bring in and not buy anything from the shop, that's not fair to the shop. But honestly, to buy the things most of us will smoke there, is just too damn high. I'll go in from time to time and buy something, but admittedly its rare. :lookup:

Back on topic though: If the shop can actually collect those prices: MORE POWER TO HIM. (but OF COURSE I agree, that is OUTRAGEOUS!)

 

[PuroBrat]

I go to the local shop from time to time to smoke one with the clientell. I always buy from the shop, unless I want to smoke on the Dark Side of course. But the prices I pay, like $5.95 for a Short Story, is paying for the atmosphere along with the cigar. Lets say that SS was like $5 (about msrp) then I payed $0.95 for the time spent in the shop enjoying the company, not a bad deal really. If however, that shop had OpusX for $35, I would NOT buy that. I might not go back if the shop was gouging like that.

 

[lucasbuck]

It is a shame because I used to love that shop. I won't be buying from them anymore. There's a shop just a couple blocks from them that actually has decent prices. Unfortunately their hours are limited so it's hard for me to get in there.