Macungie? Aren't you close the the 3 CI stores and Famous?
CI: good or bad for the cigar-buying experience?
- Thread starter TheKidCigar
- Start date
It is worth it to buy online when you local B&M have crazy high prizes...I support B&Ms but my wallet sometimes can't do it. CI is good, not perfect but good. I recently bought at "cigars at your price" and they gave me really good prices and really good selection.
As for B&M on Long Island, NY there are many of all shapes and sizes. You can pick up a decent stick for about $6 or $7 and go a mile down the road and pay $10 to $11 for the same stick!. These same cigars you can get from CI, Cbid, Cigarmonster for about $2 to $6 per cigar. Unfortunately, my budget screams for the best prices.
Here in Detroit, I'm all about the online cigar purchasing. The Detroit area has a few lounges that either have poor customer service and uneducated employees or overpriced stock (or both,) and the best location in town is difficult for me to convince my buds to meet up at because its not an easy drive for them.
So I weigh that plethora of garbage against the convenience of smoking at my house or or friends place all the while saving up to 50% of the cost (more when you factor in that the beer I drink will be a fraction of the cost and I don't have to tip) and the decision becomes pretty easy with what I'm going to do.
Not to mention that no B&Ms ever have HTF stock (especially DE releases) or much of Tat selection at all. One place has some Brown Label vitolas and thats it. Hard to want to shop when I can find things I actually want online.
So I weigh that plethora of garbage against the convenience of smoking at my house or or friends place all the while saving up to 50% of the cost (more when you factor in that the beer I drink will be a fraction of the cost and I don't have to tip) and the decision becomes pretty easy with what I'm going to do.
Not to mention that no B&Ms ever have HTF stock (especially DE releases) or much of Tat selection at all. One place has some Brown Label vitolas and thats it. Hard to want to shop when I can find things I actually want online.
It is.....but......more like a really nice warehouse outlet mall than a corner mom and pop cigar store. People are nice and lounges are comfortable....but it doesn't feel like my locals....at all.
Have a B&M around the corner and use that for most purchases, and the interwebs for buying LP's and harder to find things. Just love the smell of huge walk in...but then I'm a closet humi sniffer...admitting the problem is the first step...
I try to support local B&M's as much as I can but if it's going to cost me a lot more in a B&M than it would online, and in NYS it's not that uncommon, I have to go by my wallet. Now since one of the guys here owns my local lounge, I will support him as much as I possibly can if the difference is a couple of bucks, but if it's $10 difference....well, I have no choice. But you can bet my state representative will and does know about it....even though they don't seem to care.
I'm certainly not judging any of you for buying your cigars online, but if you enjoy visiting and smoking cigars at a B&M please consider supporting them year round. It's a tough business and many shops are just scraping by. I cringe every time I hear a guy bragging about how little he paid for the cigar vs buying it from me, while he sits in our chair and enjoys it.
That said, if a shop can't provide the basic service and products you're looking for, maybe they don't deserve to be in business.
That said, if a shop can't provide the basic service and products you're looking for, maybe they don't deserve to be in business.
Same here. Well actually I have 5. One in the mall and 4 that are ten minute commutes or less. If I were to expand my commute to 20-25 minutes I would have 7-8 B&M's I could frequent. But I do find myself buying online more often than not. But for me it is not because of the price as much as it is my time. I don't have enough time in the day to go out to a B&M.
This is just it. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Maybe I'm just lucky to have such a great B&M within a mile from my house. Awesome selection, including most htf tats and DE, good staff, all priced at MSRP.
90% of my cigars come from CI, if I place the order before noon I have my cigars the next day. I wish there was a B&M close to me and I would buy from them, but price would still cause most of my purchases from CI. The closest B&M to me is close to 2 hours away. I do visit them once in a while and heck yes I enjoy it and usually come out with one or more boxes if smokes. I have dreams of opening my own shop someday..... But I don't see that happening.
I don't have a good b&m around me, there is a large one near by but the guys arnt helpful. Prices are much higher at the b&m too, why on earth would I buy a cigar for 10bucks when I can wait a few days and have 5for 20 or so? I don't care for an experience I'm just shopping and I dislike shopping. So click click pay is what I do.
I certainly understand where your coming from and I support my favorite B&M. On Long Island, NYS taxes are a killer but some of the B&M shop owners shoot themselves in the foot by getting greedy. I have a local B&M that I pick up a 5 Vegas, Perdomo, Gurkha, etc.. for $5 to $7 and buy from him frequently. I stopped by a B&M near my work and stopped in because they have some leather chairs to smoke in and what better way to spend lunch. The same exact cigar ran me $10!
BTW: I stock my humi with stuff from the online guys because it costs me 30% to 40% less and sometimes much more. I WOULD NEVER TAKE IT TO THE B&M TO SMOKE! That's just not right. If I want to sit and smoke I purchase one from the store. Just common courtesy.
I think everyone would agree that if you don't have a B&M within a reasonable (10-30 minutes drive) from your home/work, that online purchases are fine. But, that said, if you develop a good relationship with a local shop, and you have a cigar or box of cigars you really are looking to purchase, the B&M will usually try to meet you in the middle on price. If it's a large disparity in price, I usually just ask if they can help out on pricing. My shop owner is usually nice enough to try and discount a little since I give him so much business.
I realize that may only really apply to HTF or limited stuff, and I don't buy too much of that anyway. I also have 3 B&M's within a 10 minutes drive of my home so I"m lucky.
I realize that may only really apply to HTF or limited stuff, and I don't buy too much of that anyway. I also have 3 B&M's within a 10 minutes drive of my home so I"m lucky.
California (never Cali) is very expensive due to draconian taxes on all smokers. I always buys cigars at local B&M's but when the difference is $100 a box I just cant make the connection. I tend to support the BOTL sponsors many of whom are smaller businesses on the web versus CI.
this is an interesting convo for a newbie to watch.
Please take my comments with that in the back of your mind. I am a newb to cigar smoking and will admit it.
TO be honest as a newb cigar smoker i find B&Ms to be a little intimidating. Especially if the people that are in there are not welcoming. I only have a few shops around me and the one that is closest to me is a craphole and the nicest one is a bit away but being a younger smoker i felt out of place. The other just aren't my cup of tea.....either too top of the line or too far away.
Taking the idea that you need physical storefronts for cigars out of the mix (which i know is a big thing....just look at how comic books have died as the shops closed) I honestly have not found a real good reason to go to a B&M. The prices are higher than online because of taxes/cost of storefront/greedy store owners. There is a wealth of information online. I can meet fellow smokers online. I can herf with those fellow smokers from around the world via google hangout or whatever. In general everything that a B&M gives me i can find other places and not be looked at strange because of my age or what i am buying.
I know there are events at the B&Ms and i plan on attending a few of those, but other than that I don't see what a B&M can offer me that i can't find elsewhere.
Please take my comments with that in the back of your mind. I am a newb to cigar smoking and will admit it.
TO be honest as a newb cigar smoker i find B&Ms to be a little intimidating. Especially if the people that are in there are not welcoming. I only have a few shops around me and the one that is closest to me is a craphole and the nicest one is a bit away but being a younger smoker i felt out of place. The other just aren't my cup of tea.....either too top of the line or too far away.
Taking the idea that you need physical storefronts for cigars out of the mix (which i know is a big thing....just look at how comic books have died as the shops closed) I honestly have not found a real good reason to go to a B&M. The prices are higher than online because of taxes/cost of storefront/greedy store owners. There is a wealth of information online. I can meet fellow smokers online. I can herf with those fellow smokers from around the world via google hangout or whatever. In general everything that a B&M gives me i can find other places and not be looked at strange because of my age or what i am buying.
I know there are events at the B&Ms and i plan on attending a few of those, but other than that I don't see what a B&M can offer me that i can't find elsewhere.
My local b&m's are close to an hour away. I do most of my shopping online, as there is no way that I could drive an hour after work, a couple times a week, with my family life. If I had one 10 minutes from me, I would most certainly frequent it more. However, here in NY, the taxes are crazy. I remember when the Little Monsters came out, one of the closest b&m's, was going to charge $115 for the box, to cover the taxes. No way. No way would I pay that. So unfortunately, its price and distance. For me anyway. NY taxes blow!!