Most Outrageous B&M Prices

[Rubix^3]

Originally Posted by K Baz

Try livng in Canada - if you can find a B&M your lucky if it has more then 20 boxes in stock your blessed.

Now for price I have seen 90 $ Opus in a B&M in Calgary

I was gonna mention that to my American BOTL's. Was just in Canada earlier this month and was dumfounded by how expensive cigars were. For comparison with a nc cigar; a Rocy Patel Vintage 1990 toro was about 25$ usd! Even full retail at my local B&M in the states is around 8 or 9$.

[gjcab09]

I love our B&M, even though I can't afford to buy much from them. There's little as enjoyable to me as walking into their humidor and being smacked with the aroma of boxes and boxes of fine cigars. Those guys gave me essential direction at the very beginning of this hobby of mine, and haven't steered me wrong, I could've wasted lots of money trying to find sticks I like without their input. I still buy a few sticks a week from them just because I like the experience, but the bulk of my purchases do come online.

[Stinkdyr]

did you say you are from......Reg g g g g GYNA ?
A friend of ours here is from there. I still can't say that name without smiling a stupid little Beavis and Butthead smile to myself.

Originally Posted by K Baz

Try livng in Canada - if you can find a B&M your lucky if it has more then 20 boxes in stock your blessed.

Now for price I have seen 90 $ Opus in a B&M in Calgary

[AspiringGent]

Definitely any Canadian B&M. For example, RP Vintage 1990's = $5-8 online, $35 in store.

[rajuabju]

Originally Posted by LightsOut

Bought a 1964 Imperial sized Maduro Padron for the nice price of $21.95 on Monday!

Thats not that crazy...

My local B&M sells that stick (which is my #1 favorite) for $29.95

Add in the fact that I live in Los Angeles and taxes here are insane, and its close to a $35 smoke.

I bought a box off CBid last week, and it worked out to about $11/stick. Yea, I know boxes are always more cost effective, but less than 1/3 the price?

I've resorted to using them only for buying single sticks when in emergency situations. I want to support my local B&M, but I also have to think about my own wallet first. If we were talking about a 10% or 15% difference in price, its one thing, but unfortunately California is so anti-business that its become impossible to compete with online stores.

[ribletman]

I am with Herf N Turf on this one. I still buy singles at B&M stores. I seem to pay about 25% more for 5 singles at the B&M compared to a 5-pack from an online retailer. I have to add tax on one, or shipping on the other. Since I am only going to smoke a few singles in a month, it costs me $5-$10 a month extra to shop at the B&M for singles.

But sometimes I bid on five-pack samplers on cbid. Nothing feels quite like winning a bid for $10 when the B&M price would have been $25+.

[Buddha024]

I agree with most of you here. I cannot afford to regularly buy from a B&M, but I do occasionally when I can. But the other week I was on vacation in Jacksonville and my brother and I went to one to get a couple of cheap pipes. Since I had plenty of smokes with me I wasn't planning on buying a cigar, but of course I had to look anyway. I was very impressed with the different smokes they had, but was quite surprised to see 5 opened boxes of Opus X's on the top shelf. They ranged in price from $8-$16. I'm no expert, but those prices seemed kind of low to me, so I had to pick up a No. 4 (I believe) for $10.

[ghe]

I think some of you are neglecting all that is offered at a high quality B&M and not available on the Internet. First, and foremost for many, is a comfortable place to smoke, enjoy the company of other smokers or engage in quiet time reading or watching TV. Though I realize many of you cannot, there are many who can also enjoy a drink with their cigars as well. Then there is the ability to purchase a single cigar, something that is rarely possible with online sites and cost-prohibitive with shipping when it is. A good local shop gets new cigars you can try without having to buy in bulk. A good tobacconist can also give you insight into which sticks you might enjoy. A good shop also keeps cigars in tip-top conditions you can observe. And while not paying sales tax may appeal to you when you buy online, it's reducing the revenue your state is collecting and results in raising other taxes it can collect. I'm not anti-online retailers -- and I don't have any connection to a B&M other than enjoying those around me. I just think there's a perspective beyond simply price.

[Hemingway in Havana]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

Where will we be in 5yrs? Will I read on some forum somewhere how some one has discovered that they can buy a pint of Haagen Das for 14% cheaper ONLINE?

I laugh, and yet, this will probably come to pass. Big Brother knows what's best for you...

[negncic]

Originally Posted by ghe

I think some of you are neglecting all that is offered at a high quality B&M and not available on the Internet. First, and foremost for many, is a comfortable place to smoke, enjoy the company of other smokers or engage in quiet time reading or watching TV. Though I realize many of you cannot, there are many who can also enjoy a drink with their cigars as well. Then there is the ability to purchase a single cigar, something that is rarely possible with online sites and cost-prohibitive with shipping when it is. A good local shop gets new cigars you can try without having to buy in bulk. A good tobacconist can also give you insight into which sticks you might enjoy. A good shop also keeps cigars in tip-top conditions you can observe. And while not paying sales tax may appeal to you when you buy online, it's reducing the revenue your state is collecting and results in raising other taxes it can collect. I'm not anti-online retailers -- and I don't have any connection to a B&M other than enjoying those around me. I just think there's a perspective beyond simply price.

I agree with your post, but when a B&M sells cigars for double MSRP I refuse to buy from them. I don't expect their prices to be comparable to online sources but I do not expect to be raped either. Just my 2 cents

[ghe]

I agree: I don't believe a retailer who charges double MSRP is operating what I think of as a high quality B&M

[teoulennon]

I second everyone supporting their local B&M, I enjoy the local ownership and passion the owners of my B&M have for the hobby. I can walk in and shoot the shit, ask them what's new, and they can help me find new cigars. I buy a single from them about once a week and if I wasn't a poor college kid I'd buy more. I probably would have never gotten into cigars if it wasn't for the B&M. Plus, there is something exciting about walking into the store with all those cigars. I don't buy singles online, just samplers to try new things and 5-packs of cigars I know I like. I didn't know online cigar stores existed until about 2 months ago, I just thought B&M prices were how much cigars cost, period.

My B&M actually has some really good deals on singles, as well as some bad ones. They have Bucanero Red's for $8! While a box of 20 toros on CI is only $15. Their Omar Ortez Originals are $6 while at CI you can get them for $2 (i know, thats if you buy a box, but still..)

[Sigarz]

agree! 23 dollars for an 9 dollar opus fuente fuente is completely out of control.

[KINGLISH]

I love the B&M's but it is sad that the prices are so high there. I am unemployed so it is harder for me to go in there and buy a cigar!

[Nickerson]

Last year I got an Opus X and Anejo for around $13.00 each from my local B&M. They tend to be good priced on some stuff, bad on others.