Does this sound right to you?

[Grim]

I have been meaning to post this but it slipped my mind last time I posted.

Because I am in school ive been relagated to being a bargain shopper for my cigars.

Ive been looking around really wanting to try some of DPG's cigars, any brand of them as they seem to get good reviews but they are out of my price range.

So I went to my semi-local (30 min drive) tobacconist to see if he had any of those, just to try em.

He didnt but he did have pretty much everything else.

So while I was browsing I decided to just pick up 2 sticks I really have been looking foward to trying.

An Oliva Serie V and an Oliva Serie G Cameroon, both torpedo.

SO I pick up one of each and approach the counter and he rings me up ......... 22.15 he said!!!

I looked down, the Serie V was $10 and the G was $8 something if I remember correctly.

I kinda paused and asked him if that was right and he said yes, sure enough that was the price on all of em.

But researching shows the Serie G should be at least half thatbecause a box is roughly 100 bucks.

I love supporting local business but this is the problem I have with them is the ridiculous mark up.

I still use this store for my General Snus portion buys, should I inquire about this or just keep my mouth shut?

 

[bdc30]

No point in inquiring, sounds standard to me. Shops will invariably have higher prices than you will find online, plus depending on what state you're talking about they may be forced to charge a higher % of tax on their sticks.

Also, you can't just take the box price and divide it by the number of sticks to get the price for a single.

Short story long here, if you're not buying from the shop to smoke it there or enjoy the atmosphere or whatever, make your purchases online.

 

[Grim]

I generally purchase online becuase of price.

The box price for the cigar I bought is $100.99 for 25 which is basically $4 a stick, I paid $8.

I live in Georgia which really doesnt have a high tax on tobacco last I check or any kind of ridiculous sin tax or whatever you want to call it.

I really try to support small business because without them we are forced to accept whatever big stores want us to pay.

Plus the guy is a nice guy, has a nice little lounge in the back for regular customers and a flat screen tv. Its small, but thats why I like it.

Plus, I had only been in there twice in the span of 2 months and when I went in 3 months later he remembered me and was asking how the pipe I bought was working out for me. Which garnered huge kudos from me.

When I bought my humidor he told me how to season it, which is the way Ive read on here, and said if I need any more info to call the store and he would be happy to assist me.

I dont know, maybe im just weird, but I dont want to engage in conversation about his prices and seem out of line but I dont want to over pay that much either. If it was $1 or even $2 bucks more, no prob, but double the price is semi-ridiculous.

NOTE: I do realize that the price of singles is higher than bulk buys, main question is am I out of line inquiring about the mark up

 

[GoingPostal]

Well first of all online prices will almost always be lower than a B&M. Here in CA where the taxes are high I always pay a couple dollars more than i can get em online. You may think it's ridiculous mark-up but you don't know his operating costs? have you compared prices with other shops in the area?

The bottom line is don't talk to the owner if you don't like his prices shop elsewhere. The few times i buy from a B&M is cause i want to support the shop and keep it open. The ones i feel are overcharging i pass on. It's capitalism were we choose to spend our money is how shopowners hear us best.

 

[bdc30]

and really at the end of the day if you're only buying a single or two, we're only talking about $5-$10 at most extra. If they have a comfy spot to smoke and great customer service, that's well worth it in my opinion.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Georgia has a 23% tax on cigars.

Standard GA prices should be:
Oliva Serie V - $9.21 + sales tax
Oliva Serie G - $5.58 + sales tax

The prices that most catalog retailers (CI, Famous, JR, Thompson) pay are significantly less than what retailers pay. In addition, the wholesalers operate on much smaller margins than the B&Ms given they have less (per capita) overhead and deal in more quantity.

 

[ciggy]

I have a B&M here that is okay on prices however as big as his humidor is he lacks the higher end stuff. He buys what he can move and so most of my buys are online only because I can't find them here.
To answer your question though...no way would I pay $10 for a regular Oliva V...That's the cost of the limited Maduro which I prefer.

 

[Dave]

hmmm.....
-You like to patronize the 'little guy' (as do I)
-Proprieter impressed you with his customer service skills/attitude
-He remembers your name (huge props with me)
-You like the lounge
-You know he has to charge considerably more than an online 'big-box'

I can't for the life of me see what the problem is. If you want to discuss his pricing, I think that is OK as long as you approach it in a well-mannered, inquisitive marketing/sales/retail conversation context. Or, if you see something that is much more obviously out of whack - say, the Oliva G petite perfecto is priced considerably more than an Oliva G churchill. Nothing says he has to have standard mark-up unless it is in the deal with his distributors or suppliers. I completely understand the sticker-shock, but I agree with bcd and GP above; buy online for price, but if you enjoy all that the B&M has to offer, pay what he's asking and enjoy. Or don't.

 

[Jfire]

Georgia has a 23% tax on cigars.

Standard GA prices should be:
Oliva Serie V - $9.21 + sales tax
Oliva Serie G - $5.58 + sales tax

The prices that most catalog retailers (CI, Famous, JR, Thompson) pay are significantly less than what retailers pay. In addition, the wholesalers operate on much smaller margins than the B&Ms given they have less (per capita) overhead and deal in more quantity.

Heres your shop owners prob like many around the nation and theres nothing he can do.

 

[VillageIdiot]

My advice is don't pay that much if you can't afford it right now. Sure, the local B&M has to make it, but so do you. Don't get yourself in a bind. Stop in now and then and grab a single you want to try. If you like it, buy more online. When you can afford to do more, then use the shop as much as you want. It takes more than one college student to keep a cigar store afloat.

 

[Fourtotheflush]

Buyer beware.
You got a pretty good deal on the Oliva V.
Not a huge B&M markup.
But you got a pretty good markup on the Oliva G.

you will find this at most B&M's
Some sticks are at MSRP or close to it, some are only $1-2 higher and others are double MSRP. Some places may give you a % discount if you buy X or more.
(Can be either lower cost or higher cost, doesnt matter).

Short answer is do your research before heading to the B&M (or at least have a feeling of what you like and then dont really mind if you pay a little extra).

 

[CAJoe]

I have a B&M here that is okay on prices however as big as his humidor is he lacks the higher end stuff. He buys what he can move and so most of my buys are online only because I can't find them here.
To answer your question though...no way would I pay $10 for a regular Oliva V...That's the cost of the limited Maduro which I prefer.

If you wanted to smoke a V in CA you would have to pay at least that. the Maduros go for 13-15 here....

 

[Headbanger]

Others gave good nuff reasons to justify the cost. To answer your question I would keep your mouth shut. Also you already asked of the price was correct and you got a yes response.

 

[Bsneed51]

It's also difficult to compare the price of single cigars to the box price. Most places will cut you a break on full box purchases. I know my local offers 10% off on full box purchases, and many places offer even better deals than that. You will always pay more per single than you will the per stick price on box purchases.

 

[unfairtoast]

Try to shop on a reservation....I never pay taxes.

 

[Nickerson]

For a good deal on Oliva G's check out CigarMonster.com. The very often have the Robusto's, which are my preferred size, for $12.50 for a five pack. $2.50 a piece. I bought 4 packs which equals a box of 20 for $50.00.

At 11:00PM to 12:00PM EST they have all the days deals at the end of the day for a 2nd chance to buy them. They have the Oliva G's up there at least once a week. You can also find a good deal on them at CigarAcutioneer.com.

If your looking for great prices on singles and a huge selection, check out SeriousCigars.com. Love them.

 

[CigarPointe]

Here is my retail price at my shop per stick in San Antonio Tx:
Serie G Torp $4.54
Serie V Torp $7.49
+sales tax which is .08125%