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desperation in Cuba......

Nacho Daddy

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cigar prices have reached absurd levels.

I don't know, and don't want to know, anyone who will pay $50 to $200.00 a stick for cigars, regardless of origin.

and these are not vintage sticks, they are current.

Cuba is falling down, and raising cigar prices to try and keep the country afloat is failing.

Also, customers are not buying it, and where were all of these Grand Reserva sticks a year or so back ?

Possibly these cigars were initially sent to shops around the world, and were not selling, so now they are all showing up online.

really sad to see a great industry having to grub in the dirt to survive.....
 

Nacho Daddy

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'seems to be pretty universal with every vendor. '

Habanos vendors are rigidly controlled by Habanos.

when the prices go up, EVERYBODY goes up.

It used to be there was a small annual increase around 6% , until 2019 when they tossed the rule book in the trash.

also ,the initial release prices of new formats was increased to absurd levels, like the Hoyo Rio Seco for 17.00 at release.

Even the Hoyo double corona was not that much at the time.
 
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Now is the time for Cuba to find out if they can survive in a Market Economy. Maybe the Chinese have the extra cash and expect to pay higher prices for Cuban cigars so the Cubans can sell all the cigars they want at inflated prices. If the market can't bear the increase then there will eventually be good cigars at more reasonable prices for the rest of us. Not long ago we where talking about the quality of Cuban cigars going down because market demand was so high.
 

Thebutcher

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I heard there was civil unrest do to food shortages and covid deaths or lack of treatment???? and most of the cigar production was at a stand still and this would cause supply to drop

But it can be difficult to get good information out of Cuba so.....
 
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'seems to be pretty universal with every vendor. '

Habanos vendors are rigidly controlled by Habanos.

when the prices go up, EVERYBODY goes up.

It used to be there was a small annual increase around 6% , until 2019 when they tossed the rule book in the trash.

also ,the initial release prices of new formats was increased to absurd levels, like the Hoyo Rio Seco for 17.00 at release.

Even the Hoyo double corona was not that much at the time.
I was aware that official Habanos vendors were tightly controlled by Habanos S.A., but even the grey market vendors have raised prices as well.

That's what I was referring to

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I'm still going to buy some Partagas Serie D when my work bonus hits. So, it probably isn't hurting them too much.
 

icehog3

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I smoked a lot more than I bought the last 18 months. Guess that's why we stock up in the first place.

Now I want to replace some staples (BBFs, PSD4s or PSP2s, Connie 1s, SLR Regios, Monte Edmundos or DEs, etc). But I just sit waiting for some flash sales, specials or something. $350 for a 25 box of BBFs? Crap.
 

AlohaStyle

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I smoked a lot more than I bought the last 18 months. Guess that's why we stock up in the first place.

Now I want to replace some staples (BBFs, PSD4s or PSP2s, Connie 1s, SLR Regios, Monte Edmundos or DEs, etc). But I just sit waiting for some flash sales, specials or something. $350 for a 25 box of BBFs? Crap.
I'm with you Tom... fortunate that I've stocked up, while watching these crazy price hikes. I've realized the last year that I need to buy my staples when I see them on sales...

I can cry on demand when I think of the low prices we paid years ago, especially doing big group buys... lol
 
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I've been stocking up on boxes of mainly my winter staples and a few larger ones as well, and dont think the prices I paid for them were too bad from the particular vendors I used.

I'm sure they were even cheaper not that long ago though.

I have watched my regular singles vendor raise prices by several dollars each over the last few months though.

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Steve0

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PSP2 from a reputable seller in my country is now $2,200.00 a box, early last year they were around $1,600.00.

I tried to source from offshore last month and ended up with what I think are suspect. Box is stamped not printed, cigar shape is slightly different to a reference specimen i have in hand ( dated NOV 2016), and they smoke nowhere near as smoothly. I could go on but i will just get pissed off even more. I will post a detailed analysis in a new thread in a week or two for some forum feedback. It may save some fellow members the from the same fate I appear to have suffered.
 
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I have been out of the game for a few years. it AMAZING how much prices have gone up. A Trini Reyes used to be $5.60 a stick, now it's $11.33. . . . Crazy!
 
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Now is the time for Cuba to find out if they can survive in a Market Economy. Maybe the Chinese have the extra cash and expect to pay higher prices for Cuban cigars so the Cubans can sell all the cigars they want at inflated prices. If the market can't bear the increase then there will eventually be good cigars at more reasonable prices for the rest of us. Not long ago we where talking about the quality of Cuban cigars going down because market demand was so high.
Last two years have definitely been a shock to prices. Certain vendors have sections explaining the process of being a legitimate grey market vendor specific to the Chinese market with separate ordering sections. I figured also lead to price increases because of the market being hot in the east and the prices (even now) being way cheaper than the shops and outlets catering to that area.

I read somewhere (I’ll track it down and link) that many farmers are switching to food crops in areas that have historically been tobacco growing regions to help the farmers (fertilizer shortages and government control)

I can’t bring myself to buy in these conditions known what I used to pay for 10 years with minimal increases. Prices rarely drop but I’m waiting with crossed fingers:rolleyes:
 
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I'm seeing a couple things on sale that I usually like at reasonable prices, but certainly few and far between. Going to have to be a special occasion like birthdays or Christmas for me to stock up on the boxes I really want. 2019, 2020 and 2021 are smoking well too, so it's a bit of a bummer. Would hate to spend that sort of money on dud boxes.
 

Nacho Daddy

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"Not long ago we were talking about the quality of Cuban cigars going down because market demand was so high."

Quality has never been very high.
Demand has shifted from Europe to the Eastern hemisphere ,and the US.

For example, France and Spain have shown less demand than in the past, and the US market has grown a lot.

Cuba's output has been up and down due to weather.
 
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