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Cigar Search Fiasco
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BrentM01 Offline
#1 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 6:09 AM EST
Joined: 05-30-2000
Posts: 343
So, my wife and I take off for a few days to head up to Cliffhouse, a very nice resort in Ogunquit, Maine, see? This was kind of a celebration of alot of hard work this year and our little present to each other. Anyways, my wife spots an ad in one of the local ragsheets stating a new store opening that has great wine and "Fine Cigars". Man, the old boy was happy then!. Well, we head out to the store the very next day, visions of CAO, LaLuna, Padron and Ashton VSG running through my head. I'm just giddy with excitement see? We finally find the place after a 30 minute ride. Walk in the door and....voila......one very small cigar cabinet about chest high with about 4 and 1/2 varieties of cigars......that's it!!. Man, I was so ticked off. The ad made it sound like they had walls and walls of cigars. If not for my private stash of sticks our little vacation would have been ruined! OH, then I asked for some matches and the owner holds up a pathetic limpy pad of book matches.....UGHHH! Why of why do they do this to us????..... :-{) .......Brent
Charlie Offline
#2 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 6:33 AM EST
Joined: 06-16-2002
Posts: 39,751
Brent, you were in Maine..........think about that! A fine cigar would probably be considered a White Owl or Dutch Master! Charlie
rookie139 Offline
#3 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 7:23 AM EST
Joined: 03-02-2000
Posts: 2,149
I agree Brent...It's happened to me many times...Just last week, Jack (Jcrimmins) and I were in Paducah, Kentucky and we saw this cigar shop with a huge sign that said "Biggest Selection of Cigars in Paducah" or something to that effect...We go in to their "walk-in" (more like a "peer-in"...Tiny little thing...and what do we see?...They have Partagas, Macanudo, and ONE type of Fuente (the "cheap" ones too)...now Paducah is a fairly large city...This was a huuuge waste of our time...I hate it when these tobaccionists/cigar stores have the usual selection...You know, the cigars that non-cigar smokers usually know of...I like the cigar shops that have a huuge selection and also carries those brands that are not often seen as much, such as CAO (L'Anniversaire), La Lunas, IT, Perdomo, and even Estavan Cruz or La Perla Habanas...THOSE are the stores that I patronize.
GDBeamer Offline
#4 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 9:43 AM EST
Joined: 12-28-1999
Posts: 3
Could I come to the defense of the cigar stores. Definitely not the shoppes that advertise to be "The Biggest and The Best" but the hometown mon 'n pop stores that do try to make a serious effort to bring fine 'hand rolled' cigars to their market. These cigar companies such as General in particular act as though we are still in the cigar 'Boom' phase and are the most arrogant jerks to try and deal with. When I opened my store 2 years ago, General told me upfront that they would not sell me cigars until I had been in business for 6 months. And, then they would require 54% of my walk-in humidor space with at least 42 facings. They offered to run my business and dictate to me with whom I could do business. On another matter, JC Newman (Fuente) has not signed a direct contract with any new cigar store in my region for over 7 years (not even for Montesinos). For me to offer these companies brands I have to find someone with an existing contract and pay prices that cuts my profit margins if I want to be competitive in the retail market. I'm not crying about the biz...I love it! I just hope that if you enter a shoppe that is somewhat new but carries most of the major lines and offers good, knowledgeable service, please understand the effort that has been put forth in order to be in the business that we love. I wouldn't do anything else for a living and am constantly searching to offer my customers the best cigars at the best price.
BrentM01 Offline
#5 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 11:41 AM EST
Joined: 05-30-2000
Posts: 343
Hey Beamer, I'd like you e-mail address. Mine is [email protected].....thanks :-{)
Deaddog Offline
#6 Posted: Fri, May 18 2001, 7:02 PM EST
Joined: 09-20-2000
Posts: 21
I'm amased at the problems you guy have, Guess I'm lucky to live in Tampa. Besides the sticks I get here I have access to more smoke shops than you can count. Sometimes I think there are more shops than gas stations, Tampa is not called Cigar City for the hell of it. My mom grew up here and the Fuentes and her family lived near each other over the years, Her uncle owned the only local theatre that ran Spanish movies. Now if Mom only would accept my smoking and call on a old friend or two......
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