Opus Gouging Of Monumental Proportions

[Newfie]

I was walking around the downtown area Wednesday night and came across this smoke shop that had a huge banner indicating a stock of cigars, so naturally I went in to have a look. Their walk-in humi was basically a bit pathetic in regards to selection, and pricing was a bit poor too, I didn't look much past $4.50 for a Curley Head ???

In the main area of the shop, they had a cabinet full of Opus. They had 9 boxes in this locked cabinet, along with some of their renowned gift packs (first BBMF I've ever seen). The gift packs weren't priced (I guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it) but the 9 boxes ranged from $14 (Corona size, maybe Perfecxion #5) a piece to $44 (Torpedo or Belicoso shape). Needless to say I left there without splurging and supporting their gouging, but I do wonder how a shop with such a small stock of lower end smokes ends up with the biggest selection of Opus I've ever seen (by far)?

 

[tomthirtysix]

At $44 for a Super Beli, they probably have been sitting there forever, waiting for some poor soul to come along and rescue them.

 

[rbbrock]

If I had to guess, I'd say they're probably buying them on the secondary market, which explains the absurd prices (they're marking up a product that has probably already been marked up two or three times).

And/or they're gouging a-holes.

 

[KayakinBoy]

Out them... and hopefully that shop will either lose there Fuente account (I doubt they have one) or they will lose there business (what little the have left).

 

[Gator]

if they canbe supported by their supplier and get those prices, more power to 'em. Personally, i wouldn't EVER buy rom them, but it's about supply and demand, if they've got idiots willing to pay that price, then so be it.

 

[badhangover]

If I had to guess, I'd say they're probably buying them on the secondary market, which explains the absurd prices (they're marking up a product that has probably already been marked up two or three times).

And/or they're gouging a-holes.

I would concur with this possibility. Well, the former possibilty. I cannot think of a small shop as described having the means to support a Fuente account of that type. It is quite likely that they are indeed paying full retail pricing and then marking them up accordingly to support their overhead. If this is indeed the case, I disagree with the latter assessment. I don't see that as gouging. I see that as catering to a customer demand in bringing a difficult to obtain product to their clientele, despite the prohibitive resulting cost.

 

[fetterjohn]

I have come across accounts like this time and again... So I asked the owner of a shop why his Opus prices were so high as compared to his other cigars with normal pricing. He said "If I don't price them high...they sell out too quickly to a few Opus whores, while this way others have the opprtunity to try them".

Makes sense to me...

We are all so damn spoiled with our ways at getting them at retail...that we bitch about any price over...screaming GOUGER! We all just need to relax and buy the cigars that are in our own price range.

-Fetter

 

[Martin2D]

I have come across accounts like this time and again... So I asked the owner of a shop why his Opus prices were so high as compared to his other cigars with normal pricing. He said "If I don't price them high...they sell out too quickly to a few Opus whores, while this way others have the opprtunity to try them".

Makes sense to me...

We are all so damn spoiled with our ways at getting them at retail...that we bitch about any price over...screaming GOUGER! We all just need to relax and buy the cigars that are in our own price range.

-Fetter

I smell bullshit. If he's that much of a martyr; put a 1 stick limit on them. But this way they'll stay longer and line his pockets even more.

 

[Newfie]

snip....We are all so damn spoiled with our ways at getting them at retail...that we bitch about any price over...screaming GOUGER! We all just need to relax and buy the cigars that are in our own price range.

-Fetter

Not sure I agree with this. I have no issue with paying a couple of bucks over MSRP (works to about 20-25%, which is a nice tidy mark-up IMHO) but to jack it up 100% or more is total bullshit.

 

[wanlail]

well, at this rate, the opus have to be aged! The extra price is for all that dust sitting on it!

 

[BlindedByScience]

I have come across accounts like this time and again... So I asked the owner of a shop why his Opus prices were so high as compared to his other cigars with normal pricing. He said "If I don't price them high...they sell out too quickly to a few Opus whores, while this way others have the opprtunity to try them".

Makes sense to me...

We are all so damn spoiled with our ways at getting them at retail...that we bitch about any price over...screaming GOUGER! We all just need to relax and buy the cigars that are in our own price range.

-Fetter

I completely disagree. There's a quality local shop that gets Opies three or four times a year. They sell at retail + OR state tax. Jan limits each customer to two of each vitola, per day. They usually get five or six sizes so you can usually walk out with 10-12 Opies. No gouging required; no "I'm doing this for the little guy" nonsense. This makes sense to me, not gouging the unknowing and pretending that they are "doing them a favor"....

My $00.02 - B.B.S.

 

[Newfie]

I completely disagree. There's a quality local shop that gets Opies three or four times a year. They sell at retail + OR state tax. Jan limits each customer to two of each vitola, per day. They usually get five or six sizes so you can usually walk out with 10-12 Opies. No gouging required; no "I'm doing this for the little guy" nonsense. This makes sense to me, not gouging the unknowing and pretending that they are "doing them a favor"....

My $00.02 - B.B.S.

Two thumbs up here.

 

[rbbrock]

[N]ot gouging the unknowing and pretending that they are "doing them a favor"....

I agree with BBS, and the above quote is the key. There's no way that anyone really into the hobby would pay that much, because they would likely know (a) there are places you can go to pay MSRP or close to it, and (b) if you start marking regular production Opus up too much they cease being worth the price (to most people). Anyone who markes them up as much as this retailer is taking advantage of people that don't really know what they're doing and are just succumbing to the hype.