Limits on cigar purchases

[Shooter]

I was in Philly today and geared up ready for a trip to Holt's, all ready knowing what I was gonna purchase for myself and a friend. I have a dress box of Opus A's that needs refilling so last week I was in Philly and grabbed 12 (10 for me 2 for another friend) I get back to the house and realize I need more than I thought, so this week I am gonna pick more up. I had a budget (which I must tell myself over and over again before I walk in).

I walk in and head straight for the Opus, when I see a sign on the A's "Only four per customer" DAMMIT I say to myself. The other sign says "OPUS 2 PER PERSON" no sweat that had four sizes out, that means 8 smokes, right. WRONG only a mear two cigars per person. That wasn't the case about 6 months ago when I got 2 of each size. I tried and tried to haggle with them to no avail. They had no sympathy mainly cause if you work there you can't even buy them. "We keep em around for our regulars" is what the kid told me. I even tried the whole "I came all the way from KY" didn't work. When I asked about the A's I got, "Some guy came in here last week and bought 12 of em, thats why". I laughed to myself.

So I walk out WAY WAY under budget with 4 A's and 2 rangers. As I walked about I got to thinking. Why the limit?

Did I look like the ebayer, who is gonna try and sell em for 70 bucks a piece? They didn't want that and I can understand but still its a free world and if a guy wants to buy em and sell em so what.

Do they think but limiting them to one person that would keep me from getting them? I am the type would walk straight to an ATM yank out cash and ask people right off the street to buy em for me. (It was tooooo damn hot today)

Do they think more people will visit the store if they have Opus?

SELL EM I SAY!!!! To those who do the foot work, go the spoils. Maybe next time that regular will buy a box if he knows someone else will get em, thats my theory.

Would I go way outta my way to buy 2 Opus, hell no. Does the fact that they have Opus make me want to go to their store, nope not at all, it is nice, but I go there for all the cigars. So a customer who was gonna spend X amount only ended up spending a hundred and change.

I can see the other side also. DAMMIT NO OPUS!!! Some jackass (like me) bought all of em. Thats the way I used to feel when I first got into cigars. I saved my pennies, worked on some connections to become that jackass.

Hard work pays off, I just get tired of the let everybody get some attitude! Bust your ass to get to the head of the line and get your own.

Losers make excuses, winners make it happen!

Now don't get me wrong, I don't horde them all, I end up giving most away, or helping out the less fortunate BOTLS. (Those who know, KNOW!) The one reason I needed more A's was I had only smoked one and looked in humi to find out I had two left.

So to you retailers, "If you sell it, I will come" at reasonable prices..... :sign:

Are you in the business of selling cigars, or displaying them was my question!

Just a rant

Cheers and fire away!!!
Shane

 

[bfreebern]

I see both sides, but it's nice when a shop tries to keep the hard to find cigars around for more customers to experience.

 

[tkoepp]

I hear ya Shane... although I can see (and SOMETIMES understand why they have a limit). But HELL this is HOLT'S, my local has Opus in a couple times a year and they have the same limit..

Are you in the business of selling cigars, or displaying them was my question!

Good one.. I bet they didn't know how to react

 

[Devil Doc]

They're going to sell them all, no matter what. So, they make as many of their customers happy as possible. That's what I'd do.

Doc.

 

[Capt Redbeard]

I think the limits are there to help out the average cigar smoker who, even without the limit, would only buy two cigars at that price anyway. They are protecting them from those who will buy up the whole damn box just to sell it on fleabay. From a business standpoint like Doc said, they are making as many customers as happy as possible. Majority of us here are way beyond the average cigar smoker, and many of you are way beyond an insanely addicted cigar smoker, so for us who are legitimately trying to get 6, 12 or a whole box it sucks. But another way to think of it is majority of you all love letting other people try great cigars by giving some to them, well we are letting others get the opportunity to buy them. Just my $.02

 

[mrjinglesusa]

If you were a retailer, would you rather make ONE customer happy (i.e., let him/her buy the whole box, a box that comes in only every so often) or MANY customers happy (i.e., have a limit of 2-4 per person). If it were me, I'd rather make 10+ customers happy than one.

 

[JHolmes763]

I can see the other side also. DAMMIT NO OPUS!!! Some jackass (like me) bought all of em.

That's the side I'm on. There's no way I could ever buy a box of these things, so I appreciate the places that have a limit so more customers can get a sample.

 

[tsmckenney]

They're going to sell them all, no matter what. So, they make as many of their customers happy as possible. That's what I'd do.

Doc.

X2. One of MN's shops will send an email around to their regulars before they put them out giving them an opportunity to get hooked up. It makes sense to me, and like Doc, I'd do the same. You're just hooking up your peeps and spreading the love.

 

[Fatken]

I am for everyone having limits except me! :sign:

I agree with most, by putting limits on them, it does give more people the opportunity to try some. The last shipment of Opus, I was able to get hold of 7, 2 of which I gave away.

Ken

 

[FlyFish]

Limits make financial sense for the shop too.


Ex 1 holts gets a box of Opus Robusrtos and sells them all to one guy whom we will call....Moki. Does Moki buy anything else? Likely not, he just dropped X hundred on one box.


Now in example 2 they sell Moki a limit of two or four or whatever. He is VERY likely to buy something in addition to his Opus. The shop not only sells all of the Opus, but they also sell a bunch of other product that they may not have sold.


See, I paid attention in Eceronomics class

 

[Big Stick]

First come, First serve.
I hang out here(CP) and know exactly when there coming to a shop near me

Thats just MHO, And we know about those dont we?

 

[audilicious]

I don't mind limits, especially when others don't play fair and buy lets say all 10 boxes of sharks the day they come in, knowing that they wont be shipped again for a year.

I blame the b&m and the botl who would do this. I say a 5 cigar/day or 1box/day limit per person on ultra rare cigars is fair. But nothings going to change the b&m owners from their way of doing things.

I'm just pissed because i'm in CA and we can't get decent cigars from most b&m's around here, and when we do they only let you buy a couple at a grossly inflated rate. I laughed when I walked into the Casa Fuente humidor and saw that Opus were considerably less than anywhere I've ever seen them in person for sale.

 

[Jack Straw]

They're going to sell them all, no matter what. So, they make as many of their customers happy as possible. That's what I'd do.

Doc.

X2. One of MN's shops will send an email around to their regulars before they put them out giving them an opportunity to get hooked up. It makes sense to me, and like Doc, I'd do the same. You're just hooking up your peeps and spreading the love.

My local calls his Opus "regulars" before putting them out, and limits us to 2 per size per day. A couple/three times a year my wife becomes a cigar smoker!! I guess the point here is that it pays to frequent your local, and spend a few dollars, as they are, generally, more than happy to alert their regulars when special smokes arrive, and by doling them out they keep as many of us as possible happy, and returning to buy their other lines.

 

[Ginseng]

I think that vendors are faced with a fine line to walk. On the one hand, to grow their business, they need to attract and satisfy new customers. They also need to grow those customers, if appropriate, in terms of their consumption (quality and quantity). To do this, they need to satisfy the curiosity which often involves exclusive or hard to find cigars.

On the other hand, high rolling regulars need to feel plugged in and a bit pampered. Privilege is often an outcome of a close, active vendor/customer relationship. To this end, the ability to bend limits and provide forenotice of impending arrivals are some of the things this group looks toward.

Each vendor manages these two different groups in different ways according to how the place relative value on these groups. In the end, there is no formula. Only what the vendor learns from experience.

Wilkey

 

[puffstuff]

I won't limit my regulars on anything. But I have a lot of guys that never spend a dime with me and only come around on Fathers day and around Christmas. They want only Opus and Anejo and if I don't have them they won't buy anything else. I usually tell those guys I don't have any at all. There is no fine line for me, I have to spend about $30,000 with Fuente just to get 10 or so boxes of Anejo. My regular customers are the ones who bought all the everyday Fuente stuff, so those sticks rightfully belong to them.

 

[Shooter]

I won't limit my regulars on anything. But I have a lot of guys that never spend a dime with me and only come around on Fathers day and around Christmas. They want only Opus and Anejo and if I don't have them they won't buy anything else. I usually tell those guys I don't have any at all. There is no fine line for me, I have to spend about $30,000 with Fuente just to get 10 or so boxes of Anejo. My regular customers are the ones who bought all the everyday Fuente stuff, so those sticks rightfully belong to them.

Right on!!! Good way to look at it. I have a healthy stock of cigars that I enjoy, but I buy a little of everything from everybody.

 

[Ginseng]

I won't limit my regulars on anything. But I have a lot of guys that never spend a dime with me and only come around on Fathers day and around Christmas. They want only Opus and Anejo and if I don't have them they won't buy anything else. I usually tell those guys I don't have any at all. There is no fine line for me, I have to spend about $30,000 with Fuente just to get 10 or so boxes of Anejo. My regular customers are the ones who bought all the everyday Fuente stuff, so those sticks rightfully belong to them.

I'm totally ok with that outlook. I like it.

Wilkey

 

[CalixEros]

Limits make financial sense for the shop too.


Ex 1 holts gets a box of Opus Robusrtos and sells them all to one guy whom we will call....Moki. Does Moki buy anything else? Likely not, he just dropped X hundred on one box.


Now in example 2 they sell Moki a limit of two or four or whatever. He is VERY likely to buy something in addition to his Opus. The shop not only sells all of the Opus, but they also sell a bunch of other product that they may not have sold.


See, I paid attention in Eceronomics class

I always thought moki had pallets of Opus shipped directly from Carlito to his house...

I can understand and support limits on the rare cigars, but that doesn't mean I won't buy most of them if there is no limit! Last summer I stopped by Holta and got 2 of each size, except for the As, of which I got a box. They said I could've had 2 boxes if I wanted them. Sucks to hear that's no longer the case...