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BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE
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B&M vs. Internet
- Thread starter ElectricMayhem82
- Start date
99% online for me so far. Still new at it but local shops just charge too much for what I can find on CBid currently. Once I branch out a little more and start looking for the more popular/harder to find cigars then yeah, I'll check out a local shop. But the ease of online and costs are a huge reason to stick with online for now for myself.
ChuckMejia
The General
Delete your cbid account bruh, a lot of stuff there will fool you into thinking you're getting a good deal.
PamunkeyHub
Jayson
So, buying online or over the phone with a B&M counts as what?? I used to by a lot of cigars on the auction sites, as my taste developed, I tend to buy from out of state B&M retailers (online), International CC retailers, or fellow BOTL.
Depends on what it is that I'm buying but if I can get it from my local shop I get it from them. Since they came out, Ive been a big fan of the Sobremesa. My local shop sells them for the same price that I can get them for online but on top of that usually does a 10% discount if you're buying in bulk, and does a punch card (1 punch for every $10 spent, 10 punches gets you $10 off your next purchase) so Its actually cheaper to get them there. Some things he may be, at most, $1 more but I'd don't mind paying it because I feel in the long run I get it back from them giving me a free cigar every now and again.
on the other hand, I realize that they cant carry every line of cigars out there so when something new comes out that they don't carry i go to online sites. All of the TAA stuff, and new internet hyped stuff comes from online.
I'd probably say 70/30 or even 80/20 in the B&M's favor
on the other hand, I realize that they cant carry every line of cigars out there so when something new comes out that they don't carry i go to online sites. All of the TAA stuff, and new internet hyped stuff comes from online.
I'd probably say 70/30 or even 80/20 in the B&M's favor
CBid is just like any other auction. Just know what retail is, how much you can buy directly from online, and what your B&M charges. Then factor shipping and decide what you're willing to pay.
Don't get into bidding wars and do not budge on your hard limit on price. Personally, I try to stay at least 25% less after shipping on any auction (cigar or other wise) than I can get at the cheapest other places.
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BigSkySmoke
Lanceros, Cowgirls and Burritos
99% online
3 store within a 30 minute drive...
#1 decent selection, high prices, unhelpful and rude staff, great location.
#2 crappy selection, still high prices, staff knows nothing of cigars, great selection of rolling papers.
#3 pretty good selection, friendly staff, high prices, terrible location, lots of tweaker customers. I'll grab a couple singles if I am ever close to it.
A distillery just opened that started carrying 10-15 cigars...and saying they are a Davidoff retailer. Knowing the area and customer base, super fucking expensive. Probably only buy 1-2 a year when we have drinks there. I believe it's the only place where you can buy and smoke, but it's only outside by the fire pit.
3 store within a 30 minute drive...
#1 decent selection, high prices, unhelpful and rude staff, great location.
#2 crappy selection, still high prices, staff knows nothing of cigars, great selection of rolling papers.
#3 pretty good selection, friendly staff, high prices, terrible location, lots of tweaker customers. I'll grab a couple singles if I am ever close to it.
A distillery just opened that started carrying 10-15 cigars...and saying they are a Davidoff retailer. Knowing the area and customer base, super fucking expensive. Probably only buy 1-2 a year when we have drinks there. I believe it's the only place where you can buy and smoke, but it's only outside by the fire pit.
BigSkySmoke
Lanceros, Cowgirls and Burritos
269 lighters is a impressive collection...
60% on the wire / 40% at a small PUFF shop thats about 25 minutes away. The shop has two 5ft sliding door humidiors and the rest of the floor is bag tobacco and dutch master/swisher stuff. Some vape gear and i believe rolling papers. but they resisted turning the place into a head shop which is nice.
Their singles..mostly.. are as if box priced.. if you know what i mean. So i dont have to commit to a box to get a sampler and bomb variety singles inventory at a good price. . No lounge.
Then for my box buys is the online. Thats dailys. Yard gars and mid shelfs.( Which is why i have to go to the walk-in shop a town over to spice up my bombs)
Their singles..mostly.. are as if box priced.. if you know what i mean. So i dont have to commit to a box to get a sampler and bomb variety singles inventory at a good price. . No lounge.
Then for my box buys is the online. Thats dailys. Yard gars and mid shelfs.( Which is why i have to go to the walk-in shop a town over to spice up my bombs)
Last edited:
A Huge Nerd
Lee-Hair-Oh
I would love to spend more at the local shops and support the cause, but it makes no financial sense to do so. MN cigar tax is full retard. You never go full retard. And you never pay full retail+oppressive tax.
Before I setup ventilation in the garage, I used to go to my B&M about once a week to sit and smoke. Didn't keep any on hand at home either, if I did it was less than 5 and only in the summer when I'd have a cigar sitting by firepit.
But, at double the average online price or more on most things, I rarely stop in anymore. Sometimes if there's something I want to try I'll grab a single. But, they don't store at my preferred RH, and really it costs the same as if I were to order a single and have it shipped to me...
But, at double the average online price or more on most things, I rarely stop in anymore. Sometimes if there's something I want to try I'll grab a single. But, they don't store at my preferred RH, and really it costs the same as if I were to order a single and have it shipped to me...
I also haven't bought any cigars in about a year.
I was 30/70% with most special occasion cigars coming from the B&M with boxes, five packs and samplers coming mail order. Now I'm trying to build a supply of special occasion sticks so other than cigar shows I hope to be 5/95% to extend the budget a little farther.
Oh I take care to note current prices and shipping costs. I'm done ordering anything for now but I always looked at current prices. I don't order anything considered premium anyways as most are $2-4 cigars. Thanks for the reminder though
Sometimes I can find a good deal at a shop and I'll buy some quantity then. One local shop prides itself on carrying a stuff from smaller makers, I can sometimes find stuff I want to try there that I can buy one or two or three of to try. Anytime I find something like that in that shop, I buy. Stuff that is generally set price and I want a few of, I buy at a shop. Boxes usually I buy online. Anything that I know I can't get local, I buy online.
I have some really good shops in my area and I need them so I can smoke in the winter, so I try to strike a balance between trying to give them business and being able to afford buying cigars.
I have some really good shops in my area and I need them so I can smoke in the winter, so I try to strike a balance between trying to give them business and being able to afford buying cigars.
I buy almost exclusively online, but that's because I work for Famous. I will say that whenever I travel I always buying stuff in whatever B&M I end up visiting of herfing in.
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- Joined
- Apr 19, 2016
- Messages
- 76
Me, about 50/50. I attend a monthly cigar tasting at a cigar bar about 30 minutes away. He discounts all boxes 25% during these, so the price is the same as ordering online. There is a bulk candy dealer about an hour or so away with a nice walk-in humidor and average prices wife likes shopping for the candy and snacks, I get to cigar shop. I do, however, get to pay for both orders (my wife is very generous that way). So the half I like and can't get on line I pick up here. The other half that I can get online, I order there.
I'm about 95% online/5% B&M. I just moved to St. Louis so I do have better options now, but before that my B&M didn't have great options. There was no lounge and the hours were bad. My preferred store now still has bad hours, but a MUCH better atmosphere and selection. I largely buy singles at B&M, anything else comes from online.
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