I used to be a 3 or 4 cigar a day smoker. For a variety of reasons, 11 or 12 years ago, I cut WAY back and only smoked 2 or 3 a year. Until a couple of months ago. Anyway, I had (still have) a bunch in my humidors, so I haven't bought cigars, kept up with new brands or lines, or read magazines or anything for a long time. Here are a few thoughts from a castaway whose been out of decent society for more than a decade.

First: PRICES!! WTF happened? Some stuff that used to cost $80 a box in 2008 is now $160! It's not SCHIP, and it's not inflation. SCHIP added about $10 a box, and handy-dandy online inflation calculators tell me that general inflation has added $16 or $17 to an $80 box. So, my the $80 box should be coming in at around $107-ish. It really can't be as simple as cigar manufacturers taking standard blends, tweaking them a little (if at all), revising the band, adding a narrow strip band below the first calling it "Serie F" (or what the F ever), then jacking the price up by $50. Is it?

Second: RING GAUGES!! WTF happened? I really am trying to keep an open mind about this one. Some things become fads for good reasons. I've ordered some larger stuff, been puffing. But when you have this big paper towel tube sticking out of your face, you have to puff and puff and puff to get the smoke from one end to the other. Maybe I’m a wimp. You also get less of the more expensive wrapper and binder because the ratio of wrapper to filler goes down as the cigar radius increases (see, you do use geometry in real life). The result is that pound-for-pound, large ring gauges are cheaper to make (yet, prices have gone up - see gripe No. 1 above). I mean, I don't care what other people wanna smoke, but it seems like the large gauges are crowding out smaller offerings like lonsdales. I like a good lonsdale.

I'm hangry!

Just what we need - another Bot.

When I was a kid, if you wore LeeBot, you got made fun of. Not so, if you wore LevisBot.

🌫

law of supply and demand...more peeps smoking cigars...driving up prices...

Welcome back I guess...

I’ve only really been in the cigar world for about 10 years, but that seems to be about the time that the industry boomed. Lots of interest in reviving the craftier things in life(craft beers have exploded too for example). As such cigar manufacturers were able to increase prices as demand warranted. I haven’t purchased much in the last 3 years, but prices have risen a bit even in that period.


As for the larger ring gauges, it seems to have been a stupid fad that has stuck around. New cigar smokers look for those big fatties thinking they get a bargain. They don’t realize they are paying premium prices for mass quantity and that the teal game in cigars is to improve quality. I hate to smoke anything over a 50rg. I’ve got buddies that will grab a 60rg first every time. He’s got no taste.

PM CelticBomber with your complaints he might can get you a discount on certain smokes. Just let him know what you like and he will see what he can do. He has been helping alot of the folks on here with shipment problems.

what name did you post under back in the old days?

perhaps taxes have added a few shekels in 12 years?

I agree about ring gauge increase...tough to find coronas at the shpo these days.

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever posted anything. I used to buy (lots) of cigars on Cbid, but I don't remember a forum. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention.


But, on the bright side, I have probably 300 cigars that have been sitting in the humidors for more than a decade. Some of it is standards, some of it has been discontinued. I used to have a habit of taking 5 out of the first box I would buy of something and storing them away. I now have some nice old 5 packs! There have been some interesting surprises. I'll try to post more later.

Them decade old cigars have gone bad. Send em to me, I’ll make sure they are properly disposed of...

I really appreciate your offer to help! That's very generous.

Name something you like from 10 years ago, and if I have it, I'll send you a couple (if I have a couple). You can pm me a place to send them.

Man, I love this place. . . Everyone here is fantastic. No need to send me anything. I was just bustin chops. Now, if you have any of the cloth blue banded Oliva's A different BOTL shared some of those with me one time. sweet perfection. . .

Those were good. I preferred the maduro wrapper blue band ones over the red band habano wrapper but both were nice smokes. Reasonably priced too if I remember correctly.

I might know what you're talking about, but if so, I only have the red band (robustos).

This were good too. I preferred the Maduro.

Yea prices have been increasing at an alarming rate for some time now.I started hoarding about 10 years ago when I saw this coming.I still buy cigars occasionally,usually just replacing some of the 3-4 favorite old stand-bys I always keep on hand.

As for those ring guages.......RIDICULOUS.My older stock is mostly PC's,corona's,lonsdales,CG's up to robusto's(back when robusto's were 48-50 ring guage).I have a few of the new age 54 rg robusto's but I think at 50 rg or down they'd be a much better cigar.One of the things I love about my favorite cigar,the Ashton VSG,it is made in a multitude of vitolas my favorites being the Illusion(lonsdale),Corona Gorda and the robusto.For those that like jawbreakers it is available in those sizes too.

If you have any of the old Perdomo2 torfecto's in cameroon or maduro I have plenty of trade fodder,PM me.

Have any Padilla Signature 32 Pepin Rolled.....I would take that junk from ya

we wouldnt know if you have been away for a while if you never posted??

Oh man, those bring me back. Loved those

When they were discontinued I reached out to Nick with questions.His response was they had ran out of tobacco..........My response was how the **** could you let that happen to the one and only Perdomo line that warranted fanfare?I think I threw in an "only a moron could let this happen".He quit responding to my emails for several years.LOL