Here are the cigars i mentioned on another thread yesterday. As you can see there is definetly a difference in gauge/size. The two in the middle were purchased at a local retail shop, and the two on the outside were purchased here as a "Special". My question is why is there such an extreme difference in size. Unless I am mistaken, the Super Toro should be a 58ga. which is what the two in the middle are that were purchased at a local retialer. The ones on the outside are closer to 54. I will save my other questions and concerns until i get some input.

Different pictures will follow.

thanks,

Keith

I think its simply a matter of them using less experienced rollers. Its an inexpensive cigar and most of the time to keep costs low, they will higher rollers just starting out as oppossed to the people they higher for rolling the Opus X who are much more experienced and I would imagine paid more for that expertise. Maybe I'm wrong, but that would be my opinion.

fpaternostro,

Steve is all over this one!! Da*mn he's good! haa. I think we are both on the same page on this. This seems to be a little more than a "variation in size". When you purchase a cigar strictly for it's known large ring gauge, you would expect a something a little closer. You are 100% correct in your comments. Couple that with the production of thousands of cigars, and the price, there are going to be mistakes. Mistakes is what pays my bills everymonth, so im glad they happen from time to time.!!

Keith

Nice job buddy! I tell you what, c-bids customer service is top notch.

Nice job buddy! I'll tell you what, c-bids customer service is top notch. By the way, my apologies for more of my stupidity. I meant to say hire, not higher. Sheesh.LOL

what we were told and shown was the new rollers do not work on production cigars...all of the cigars rolled by the new people are inspected and then reopened again and again to keep practicing with...only the experienced roller were doing the production rolling...as stated before I was very impressed by the conditions there...

also, again this is what we were told, but what is sold to B & M Vs. what is sold to "Online" retailers is sometimes a slightly different cigar...kinda like the mattress factories, they make slight varations so each store selling can say these were made espically for them.

TANK

tank71663

thanks for your comments

sorry if you mentioned this before and I missed it, but are you a wholesaler or retailer?

just a lover of the leaf...

went on a tour of rocky patel operation in Honduras this last March with my local shop, the trip of a life time !!

again, I wouldnt swear by my comments, but thats what we were told while there.

That sounds neat.

The wife said we can go to a Dominican Republic factory or the Graycliff factory in the Bahamas but I am leery that I might never actually see a cigar factory.

patience Grass Hopper....your tour will come

I felt the same way, then BAM it happened

and when it does you will think you are in cigar heaven

at one point I was standing in a aging room with over 4 million cigars...I was speachless...and then I couldnt stop talking and asking questions and rambling on

TANK

Tank, you bring up an interesting point that I've been curious about for a long time. I've been told by an owner of a LCDH the same thing is true with cuban cigars as well. He told me that the reason the on-line retailers are able to sell boxes so much cheaper is not only that they purchase in larger volumes, but that they also purchase the stock that is sometimes less than perfect. It makes sense if you think about it because whenever I have been in a LCDH, the prices obviously are always higher, but the cigars are always higher quality and they also always seem to be in perfect condition with each one almost identical to the next. It would also explain a lot of the flaws & discrepencies we seem to always run into with the on-line guys. Suppossedly, the LCDH's and Gov't run Stores all are stocked with the cream of the crop and that also explains the shortages you always seem to find in these types of places as oppossed to the on-line guys that seem to always have stock of every single brand cigar. Wondering if anyone else has heard this or your thoughts on it? Thanks.

I agree completely with that statement, which in paraphrasing, thats kinda what we were told at the tour..alot of what goes to the big online guys are those cigars...now dont get me wrong...those are still perfectly good (great) cigars but maybe instead of a 9 or 10 (rating) on a cigar in the B&M they are a 7 to 9.. again still a great cigar and I get a great price !...

Long Live C-bid/CI..

TANK

while I was there they were working on the vintage line, there was a table of 2nd's that didnt make the cut..there were thousands on the table, they looked just fine to me but didnt pass mustard...as we walked by we were told to grab as many as we wanted...I think my total was about 26 !!...

I wonder if these are now the ones being marketed as those vintage seconds....I couldnt tell any diff. between those and the ones that made it into the boxes..

Fantastic buy !!

TANK

tank71663 - That's them. We saw them on our visit, too. That's how the deal went into action. Same tobaccos, same cigar, same great flavor and burn...just some minor inconsistencies that the untrained eye will likely never notice.

like I said...Fantastic Buy !!

Long Live C-Bid/CI !!

TANK

Hey Steve, does the same thing happen with cubans? I would imagine it would have to otherwise what would they do with all these less than perfect cigars. The thing is, there is no such thing as cuban seconds at cheaper prices, at least not to my knowledge, so thats what prompted me to believe thats what some of these big Hong Kong on-line guys are selling at these slightly discounted prices. Nothing really wrong with the cigars, just a little different color wrapper than others or slightly odd shapes compared to the rest of the batches. It would make a lot of sense.

Anyone notice the ligero in the feet of these cigars? MMMmmm....ligero.