intersting article

[Herf N Turf]

I'm a pragmatist, I guess. I dont think the rules of "Supply and Demand" are necessarily applicable here. To me, the point of the shop owner is that he simply cannot supply the demands of his new and increasingly more fickle clientel. What went like hot cakes last month (so he increased this months order for it), now just sits on the shelves like wallflowers at a prom. In order to get the wallflowers out on the dance floor, he's gotta make them show a little more skin. He sells this months "babe of the month" at full tilt, yet next month, panders her for half off. Guess what. His profit margain just got whacked to 25%.

On the other hand, "variety is the spice of life." I have a large humi full of five bands that I really love; my "GO-TO" collection. Then, I have another, which is filled with only singles and a few multiples of things I either want to try, or liked and want to try again. I guess that could be refered to as my TIVO humidor LOL One thing that worries me however, is that those five bands, might fall victim to the current trend of "dilution". Fact is, there is only so much tobacco to go around. If the tobacco used to make up my GO-TO, is found to impart a desired flavor to a new blend, my GO-TO might be sacrificed in efforts made to find something else, "close", in substitute. One case, which comes to mind is the AF Flor Fina. I used to smoke them a lot, but they've changed the blend so many times now that I've entirely given up on them.

I love to try new stuff, but I don't want to give up the old stuff. I like to see new blends and even new brands, but like anything else, there can be too much of a good thing.

Finally, I look at cuban cigars. In most cases, what you find is a brand, with 5-6 vitola. The blend doesn't really change much, just the size. The same brands have offered the same cigar for ever, and every so often, might introduce a new vitola. When I smoke a Punch, I know what to expect, whether a corona or a churchill. Im not looking to be "wow'd", Im just looking to be "Punched".

Thanks for such a thought provoking post, Ben.

[commonsenseman]

Great post Don!

I also have a few "go-to" brands that I enjoy on a regular basis.

[Yawgeh]

Hey, I'm in the middle here.

Even being a new smoker, I already have some favorites that I like to keep around, and I like to try the new blends that are being pumped out (and the old ones I just haven't tried yet...) to see if they're worth joining the 'favorites' club.