Anyone else figure the July price increases (in some cases 167%) will kill the ISOM market? I used to buy them, and picked them up on trips to Europe, as well as import them. A box of 12 Trinidad Reyes for $240 though? For me Cubans have always been "forbidden fruit" and smoking what I am not supposed to had an allure. In reality, I have tossed FAR more cubans for being rolled poorly, being green, having an acrid taste, etc, etc, etc than I have any Honduran, Nicaraguan, or other cigar from C.A. Like, the entire world minus the USA consumes all Cuba can offer legally. Communist delusion at its best with this price increase. Same thing happened with me and Rolex. All getting to big for their britches.
ISOM Increases
- Thread starter Kendoll
- Start date
i still have my stash aging and will smoke one very judiciously as it is harder to fine something today that I would be willing to pay those kind of prices for. It seems that more recent vintages can be more about reputation than taste. Lithium aside, the industry has gotten to a point where price, quality and taste are not aligned.
- Thread starter
- #3
I may have to sell mine to afford groceries. My chief complaint is the inconsistency. From the same box one will be heavenly and another just terrible. I can't risk $600 on a small viola Trinidad that may or may not have 24 workable smokes in it.
My favorite everyday is the Oliva V torpedo. He has kept that cigar consistent for over 10 years. Never get a dud. If I did I wouldn’t have a problem putting down a $12 cigar like I do with a $60+ cigar.
I’ve never seen such price inelasticity as we’ve seen in the last year or so with CCs. Somebody, somewhere will pay the asking prices.
Granted, Cohiba and Trinidad are sitting around on shelves unsold. But the other 90%, the regular production marcas that are now 2x the price from a year ago? Gone in minutes.
Goes to show how little I really know about the CC market. I figured by now most of the enthusiasts would have stopped buying, but nope, (almost) completely inelastic demand from what I see.
I’ve bought a few boxes in the last year (Monte 5’s and Monte 3’s mostly) but I’m pretty much sitting on the sidelines watching the madness now. And the boxes I did buy were old school pricing, needle in a haystack finds.
Granted, Cohiba and Trinidad are sitting around on shelves unsold. But the other 90%, the regular production marcas that are now 2x the price from a year ago? Gone in minutes.
Goes to show how little I really know about the CC market. I figured by now most of the enthusiasts would have stopped buying, but nope, (almost) completely inelastic demand from what I see.
I’ve bought a few boxes in the last year (Monte 5’s and Monte 3’s mostly) but I’m pretty much sitting on the sidelines watching the madness now. And the boxes I did buy were old school pricing, needle in a haystack finds.
I’m basically priced out of CC now. Refuse to pay $400 for what once was $190. Every now and again you can find farm/custom rolls for reasonable prices.
