Many of you know that I occasionally get a wild hair and curiosity gets the best of me over some trivial matter. It’s in these moments that I post up a Cigar Poll to satisfy said curiosity, but serves little purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Today is just such a day.
I’ve noticed in recent weeks and months that when I’m cigar shopping around the Great State of Florida, I keep a mental checklist of which stores sell which lines….and which ones have the best prices on those lines. If my wife sends me to the market to buy three grocery items, I’ll come back without two of them if I don’t write a note. But, for some reason, I have a seemingly laser-sharp mental acuity for cigar availability, inventory, and pricing for dozens of Florida tobacconists. Priorities, I suppose. When I am planning on making a stop by one of these tobacconists, I know which cigars they carry that I enjoy, how likely they are to have what I need in stock, and whether or not this shop is the best fiscal alternative for that particular line.
Knowing that certain cigars seem to sell better or worse in some areas, many tobacconists will price those cigars they have trouble moving somewhat more competitively than those which fly off the shelves. So, since I’m fortunate enough to have many brick and mortar options in my travels, it pays to know the right place to buy. The differences can be startling. In fact, I’ve noticed pricing on a favorite cigar of mine to vary as much as 40% from one store to the next – in shops that are a mere 6 miles apart. That translates to an $87 difference per box. I don’t care if you’re driving an HMMWV, it’s worth the 6 mile drive.
So, the question of the day is: how much shopping around do you do when buying cigars? Do you have a single go-to shop and just figure it all averages out in the end? Do you buy online only – whether out of necessity (no local B&Ms) or frugality (it’s all about the money, baby)? Do you maintain a relationship with a few (or many) shops – and do as I do, knowing where to buy what you need at the right price? Just take your chances wherever you happen to be and get what you want at the moment?
So if you don’t mind, take a moment and cast your vote in the poll below.
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THIS POLL HAS BEEN MOVED. NEW (as of 10/30/14) POLL IS ON THE FORUM.
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