Holiday Cigars, do you like waiting all year for them?

[tx_tuff]

Ok there is a lot of talk this time a year about the Holiday cigars coming out. You know what I'm talking about. All the AF cigars that just come out once a year. The Anejo, the Hemingway Maduro, the Between The Lines. Even the Cuesta Rey Stanfords Cameroon Reserve comes out just once this time of year.

Why do you think AF does this? I mean I can see maybe only having enough wrappers for the Anejo for just a once a year release. But do you really think they can only put out the Hemingway Madure and BTL onle once a year. Come on that has to not be true! They have enough Maduro wrappers to put out more. Or is it that if they where out year round they would not be very special and would not sale the way they do now.

The bad thing is that AF really isn't making much money off these hoilday cigars. But there are a lot of on line store and even B&Ms that charge way over MSRP on these cigars and stick it to us! So by doing it the way they do, rather the MSRP is a decent price or not, AF is sticking it to its loyal fans by coming out with these sticks just once a year. Plus you have to hunt them down and get lucky to find them.

I can't say I will never buy any of these sticks again, but I was in a local B&M the other day that had all of them, and at the MSRP price. But I still didn't buy any. This just kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth right now. Maybe I'm just getting to old and cranky LOL.

Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

[Coop D]

You're getting old and Cranky

I think they are cashing in on the holiday shoppers that buy cigars for the friends and family.

[Architeuthis]

It's planned to make a readily available or not-too-rare cigar look like it's the rarest thing since sliced bread. Since I enjoy the cigars, I don't protest by not buying any of them, but it's still hokey and just gives the manufacturers an excuse to raise the prices a bit more.

[tx_tuff]

Originally Posted by Coop D

You're getting old and Cranky

I think they are cashing in on the holiday shoppers that buy cigars for the friends and family.

I think they are cashing in more on the smoker in this case. There are plenty of gift packs and samples etc that come out also this time of year that they use to cash in on the shopper. But most of the time the gift packs are good deals.

[Coop D]

I still want a AF Between the lines... is that bad???

[tx_tuff]

No that's not bad at all Good luck finding one.

[saxmanJJ-cl]

"The bad thing is that AF really isn't making much money off these hoilday cigars."

Really???

It's just marketing - this way everybody talks them up.

[saxmanJJ-cl]

Oh, and I have some BTLs if anyone can't find them locally.

[tx_tuff]

Just think, if AF made them year round, sold them a couple dollars cheaper MSRP (which would be cheaper then a lot of cigars) they would make much more money off them.

[Camacho Junior]

Frank you make a good point. But also like with all items that come out once a year it makes em seem "special". Just cuz of this thread I want to look for em and possibly try em if the price is good.

[tx_tuff]

LOL sorry Gabe!

[Don Francisco]

Just buy enough to have them year round, then it's no big deal!

[mhlatke]

Not my problem - Dutch Masters and Phillies are available year-round and with no sneaky pricing! hoohoo:

[Rusty Shackleford]

I've never been a big fan of "limited" cigars. I think it's more of a selling point, and I hate seeking some of them out and having my high expectations brought down when they're no better than my Perdomo Habano or other cigars that aren't "limited production." It's not that I won't buy any, I just get annoyed with it. One thing that comes to my mind when I hear about "rare," or "limited" cigars is the Montecristo No. 2 Cuban. This was the number three cigar of year in 2007 and I recently heard that they were upping production of these by a decent amount. So somehow that ends up an number three and isn't a "holiday" cigar.

[Phantom57-cl]

Fuente is a master at marketing. Don't know if they have an outside company do it, or it is their own department. I'm certain they are marketing their high end stuff in the most profitable manner to them.

Ninety five percent of what they make is pretty mediocre stuff in my opinion, then they have the half dozen or so cigars that are highly sought after. I don't seek out the high end cigars, but, I guess because of the economy, some local shops had them sitting out for all us common folk to view, whereas in the past they would hide them.

I am not a fan of Dominican tobacco, but I did buy a holiday pak and some assorted singles this year, just for the novelty aspect. I also have a problem with the flavoring agents they use, ie, rum on Opus and cognac on Anejo. Just don't like the idea of it. In addition the sweetened glue they use on most their stuff is a definite turnoff to me.

All that said, I did buy some this season, but, no I don't wait with baited breath for them.