Opus X and Diamond Crown Lounges

[e-man]

Most B&M's I've been to only get Opus X 3-4 times a year. Many owners have told me that they can't order anything, as they get whatever quantity and sizes that AF decides to send them.

I just went to a Diamond Crown cigar lounge here in the Denver area, and they were quick to inform me that they ALWAYS have EVERY standard shape/size of Opus X in stock at all times. The inventory in their humidor would certainly seem to back up their claim. They charge a lot more than other stores that I frequent, but they also have no limit on how many you can buy at a time.

Is there some special arrangement between Diamond Crown lounges and AF?

[JJG]

same company I believe

[mryellowx]

since Fuente rolls diamond crown cigars they have a deal worked out. and usually shops can keep opus x in as long as they are charing over retail.

[jimmy]

same situation with the casa fuente in vegas. always have everything, but you pay premium.

does your place charge premium prices? or msrp?

[JCK]

The Newmans and Fuentes have a long standing working relationship. It does not surprise me that Diamond Crown Lounges are well stocked with harder to find Fuente Products considering the distribution relationship.

Taken from Cigar Family.

http://www.cigarfamily.com/content/i...d=48&Itemid=33


.......Eric Newman now calls it "a miracle." Only three weeks after the '86 buyout, famous cigar maker Arturo Fuente "asked my father to get together on a deal."

The deal was a milestone for both parties. Fuente needed a solid American distributor and the Newmans needed a reliable offshore manufacturer to get them into the burgeoning market for premium, handmade cigars.

So M&N became Fuente's exclusive American distributor, and Fuente's factories in the Dominican Republic starting making Cuesta-Reys and La Unicas for the Newmans.
"We put our strengths together," Eric Newman explained. "Their big strength is manufacturing. They are second to none. We feel that we are the best at selling cigars. It has been a great mutual relationship. And our association with the Fuentes makes us the largest cigar importer in the country....

[Deuce Da Masta]

My local is a Diamond Crown lounge and their Fuente stock sucks! They hardly ever have opus and when they do, they never have more then 2 sizes.

[e-man]

Originally Posted by jimmy

same situation with the casa fuente in vegas. always have everything, but you pay premium.

does your place charge premium prices? or msrp?

I believe they were in the $20-40 range, depending on the vitola. I picked up an Opus X (Corona size with a torpedo cap) at another store for a mere $12, but will have to wait another 3 months or so for his next shipment.

[JDC20]

As a rep for Fuente/Newman I can assure you that the Diamond Crown Lounges across the country are NOT getting any more hard to find Fuentes because of the partnership with the Newmans.

By the sounds of it, the original poster's store must buy FFOX through other channels, as none of our retailers have "an unlimited supply of every size".

[Cigar Man Andy]

Very Cool. Let me know how much BBMF and Chili Peppers are if the have any...

[Vancehu]

First off, if you have own a crappy store, you can't get FFOX.

However

If you own an awesome store, you "might" get some FFOX (it is shipped every three months).

Finally

If you own a store backed by Arturo Fuente, such as the Diamond Crown Lounge and Casa Fuente, you will will get every thing.

Look at CASA Fuente, that place probably cost the guy $1 million just to have a store front and initial inventory. And his rent is probably $20k month.

How many FFOX do you need to sell at what margin/price just to cut even?


There is also a "Carlito's Lounge" in Lake Forest California. They charge $25 bucks for a FFOX Perfecion #4 and they get one box of each sizes every three months. How much profit can you generate from 13 boxes of FFOX? Not even half a month worth rent for those guys.

[JDC20]

Originally Posted by Vancehu

First off, if you have own a crappy store, you can't get FFOX.

However

If you own an awesome store, you "might" get some FFOX (it is shipped every three months).

Finally

If you own a store backed by Arturo Fuente, such as the Diamond Crown Lounge and Casa Fuente, you will will get every thing.

Look at CASA Fuente, that place probably cost the guy $1 million just to have a store front and initial inventory. And his rent is probably $20k month.

How many FFOX do you need to sell at what margin/price just to cut even?


There is also a "Carlito's Lounge" in Lake Forest California. They charge $25 bucks for a FFOX Perfecion #4 and they get one box of each sizes every three months. How much profit can you generate from 13 boxes of FFOX? Not even half a month worth rent for those guys.

You are wrong on so many points I don't know where to start.

[Only Fuentes]

I understand, so please explain this: " Casa Fuente ALWAYS has an unlimited amount of Opus X 7 days per week / 365 days per year. You could theoretically buy 30 boxes a week, every week, and it would never exhaust the inventory. "

[Vancehu]

Originally Posted by Only Fuentes

I understand, so please explain this: " Casa Fuente ALWAYS has an unlimited amount of Opus X 7 days per week / 365 days per year. You could theoretically buy 30 boxes a week, every week, and it would never exhaust the inventory. "

Theory is to be proven. When I said they can get every thing, they cannot get every thing all the time. They will always have most of the FFOX all year round.

I was there during the IPCPR (Old RTDA) show for venders last summer, and I was at Casa Fuente. They did not have every size Opus X in stock. In fact, they had the lowest inventory I have seen since they open. They didn't even have every Casa Fuente cigars in stock.

And Carlos Fuente Sr. with his gang was there too. I need to dig out the photo I took with him.

Originally Posted by JDC20

You are wrong on so many points I don't know where to start.

Please start some where. I like to learn what you know. I'm friend with Joe Dickman, Retired Fuente Rep for California for over 20 years.

[e-man]

I think it's safe to say that "We always have every size in stock" does not equate to "Unlimited supply".

Like someone else mentioned: at double MSRP price they don't sell very many, and Diamond Crown lounges are synonymous with high prices. They're a full service lounge with a Barista and munchies as well. I certainly wasn't going to pay $35 for an Opus.

So long as you can acquire enough stock to stretch until the next shipment arrives, you can legitimately claim that you always have them in stock. They could even have a small stockpile built up over time.

Regardless, if you're ever in the Denver area and want an Opus, you can make it happen.

[Vancehu]

For Fuente, it is all about showing off.

If you kiss their ass, willing to stock every thing they make, you will get the Opus X account faster.

I'm in the cigar business for over 10 years, since I'm in California, the tobacco tax makes things a lot more complicated. Many small timers are buying cigars from Internet venders because they can actually get cigars cheaper than getting direct. That includes generic stuff from Altadis and General.

My old buddy had a beautiful shop in the city of Alison Viejo, his shop probably does about $200k in Fuente products every year. They don't even give him enough Hemingways. Every time a shipment arrives, the invoice shows "back order" on almost all the Hemi line.

When he finally received a Opus X notification (A framed giant opus x label) after three years in business, he was over joyed. However, his joyfulness was killed when the actual shipment arrived. Two boxes of Opus X. He's out of that shop now and I occasionally snoop into the giant walk in humidor to see what they got, after five years, they still only get few boxes of Opus every three months while the La Unica, Green Label Fuentes, Don Carlos, Diamond Crown, Montesino, and Cuesta Reys are piling up to the ceiling and he had to dump them at cost just to move them.

FFOX is a great cigar, but it is also a tool used by Fuente to push their other craps. The trade off is not worth it, that is why you see so many small time venders buy them through the back channel.

Imagine you have to buy 20 boxes of Montesino just to get a box of Short Story. Just imagine how many boxes of standard stuff do you have to get in order to have one box of FFOX? It's joke!!!

Just five miles from his shop, there is a cigar store dedicated their lounge to Carlos Fuente called "Carlitos Lounge." Every thing in that lounge is Fuente related, from Ashtray to posters on the wall. They carry 90% Fuente and they get one box of each size every three months. They had to do casino nights, wine tasting just so they can keep the account when their rent is over $7k a month. They over charge the Opus X and every shipment gets sold out within a week.

Side notes:
Fuente is very good to some of their East Coast clients, because they stuck with Fuente when they almost went out of business back in the 70's. New account west of Mississippi usually get the sorry deals.

I was in Montana two years ago as a guest trumpet player for a college band, our bus stopped by a shopping center for a dinner break. I stumbled into a cigar store, they had boxes of FFOX, not from one shipment but accumulation of previous shipments. Every thing was marked at MSRP and they couldn't sell them. A short conversation with the owner taught me that Fuente wanted "a" shop in Montana to carry FFOX, so he got the account, but the price was too high for local buyers. I bough five boxes worth and the owner even gave me 20% off. Imagine smoking a Perf #2 for $12 bucks, that's the price of a Macanudo gold in Cali. After the band tour, I couldn't find their business card. I almost jump off the bridge!!!