Cigars as Luxury Items

[Colt45]

I sometimes wonder if by choosing to promote cigars as luxury items, cigar producers worldwide have to shoulder much of the blame for anti cigar sentiment. That if they'd instead chosen to try and make cigars something for every (wo)man, we, and they, might be better off.....

[SlimOne]

Possibly but probably to late to change.

[NSXCIGAR]

Main problem: cigars are luxury goods--at least premium cigars are. 

Smoking in general has been sharply declining since the 1960s, and certainly by then cigars had been quickly going out of style. Their heyday was nearly 100 years ago. But keep in mind pipes have also virtually disappeared. Perhaps they both are simply victims of changing tastes and trends, or perhaps the demand for luxury goods isn't what it once was.

I recall much of the marketing and image of cigars during the 90s cigar boom was very much in the spirit of luxury goods and it resulted in a very favorable outcome.

[MahDooRow]

8 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Main problem: cigars are luxury goods--at least premium cigars are. 

Smoking in general has been sharply declining since the 1960s, and certainly by then cigars had been quickly going out of style. Their heyday was nearly 100 years ago. But keep in mind pipes have also virtually disappeared. Perhaps they both are simply victims of changing tastes and trends, or perhaps the demand for luxury goods isn't what it once was.

I recall much of the marketing and image of cigars during the 90s cigar boom was very much in the spirit of luxury goods and it resulted in a very favorable outcome.

Despite the steady decline in smoking (including cigar smoking) there sure doesn't seem to be any significant decline in the demand for quality cigars.  

[NSXCIGAR]

2 minutes ago, MahDooRow said:

Despite the steady decline in smoking (including cigar smoking) there sure doesn't seem to be any significant decline in the demand for quality cigars.  

True, I suppose the OP's premise may not even be that true--cigar production is at fairly high levels historically. I'm sure if even more hectares were planted and prices dropped a bit they'd sell in numbers close their all-time highs 100 years ago. But at that time, most cigars weren't premium puros. I suppose the case could be made that premium cigars and certainly Cuban puros are doing as well as ever.

[Colt45]

11 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

True, I suppose the OP's premise may not even be that true--cigar production is at fairly high levels historically.

My thought is not really about sales and production, but the general sentiment with regards to cigar smoking.

[NSXCIGAR]

9 minutes ago, Colt45 said:

My thought is not really about sales and production, but the general sentiment with regards to cigar smoking. Cigars are luxury goods - as promoted by  producers. Cow's milk is also a luxury item - it's not truly needed by anyone 

Sure, I know what you are getting at. I suppose the general sentiment and public perception of cigars is separate from sales--but it is really? I mean, it certainly appears that cigars are out of fashion, but sales numbers don't necessarily support that claim. Not saying it's not true, but how would one objectively evaluate public sentiment? Polls perhaps? 

It's also possible that the promotion of cigars as a luxury good is helping keep the demand up. You'd have to engage in some serious market research in order to figure out if that image is helping or hindering the public's sentiment. However, the question is certainly an interesting one.

[PigFish]

21 hours ago, Colt45 said:

I sometimes wonder if by choosing to promote cigars as luxury items, cigar producers worldwide have to shoulder much of the blame for anti cigar sentiment. That if they'd instead chosen to try and make cigars something for every (wo)man, we, and they, might be better off.....

Been preaching this for years now Ross!!! This luxury item business is the death of the smoking custom... The rich will always be a able to find what they want and consume it. That is not what made the tobacco industry!

Without it being a simple pleasure for everyday people, cigars would have never existed, not in this form, nor will they continue to exist for long. MHO...! -Piggy

[canadianbeaver]

At $8-50 a unit, Cuban cigars are a luxury item, no? IMO the most luxurious element for these is time. Half hour to two in a place that permits, not just by legislation, but the peers around you in a park or whatever.

Not the same as a $1 variety store special of course. But this would not be an FOH topic I do not think. 

As long as we have friends here to discuss and B&M wherever I travel, I am convinced this will be ok.

[bman75]

Very interesting topic.  One thing to consider...I don't believe the latest FDA (U.S.) rules would have been put in place had it not been for teens smoking Black & Milds.  In some ways, the exclusivity of premium handmade cigars have shielded them from regulation until recently.  It's when they get grouped with cheap "cigars" that are popular with teens that we see big brother stepping in.

[laficion]

22 hours ago, Colt45 said:

I sometimes wonder if by choosing to promote cigars as luxury items, cigar producers worldwide have to shoulder much of the blame for anti cigar sentiment. That if they'd instead chosen to try and make cigars something for every (wo)man, we, and they, might be better off.....

Dear Ross,

The big bad and rich boss with the big cigar in his mouth is a western tradistional look at  cigars as a luxury item that is NOT looked

as a luxury elsewhere,"look at South America and Asia". We've had this look on cigars since 1890 or 1900.

Before that,it was a normal thing.  That"s all !!!!!!!!

Guy

[Nino]

2 hours ago, canadianbeaver said:

IMO the most luxurious element for these is time. Half hour to two in a place that permits, not just by legislation, but the peers around you in a park or whatever.

 

Completely agree. The luxury element is time. Very rare item nowadays ....

[CaptainQuintero]

I would probably think that if this course of action had been taken, let's say in the 1940's, then cigars would probably have been lumped (Even more) in with cigarettes and we would be in an even worse state than we are now.

Even though I dislike it, I would say that the premium/luxury marketing of cigars has somewhat given them a bit of protection that cigarettes did not and do not get.

[MrGlass]

When they command the prices they do in Australia, I don't see how they could ever be considered anything other than a luxury good.  Even cigarettes are reaching that stage over here.

[David88]

I quite like it that cigars are promoted as a luxury item. I personally do not smoke every day so do not mind paying premium prices. I do however have expectations of a premium product, be that packaging or quality of the finished item. Mostly I am happy with the price I pay for what I get. Although Cuban QC can be hit or miss, when the boxes are checked by retailers (such as here) you do get a premium product. Although I haven't smoked many NC cigars, the quality control of them does seem very high and a higher level of care and effort seems to go into packaging. Although good packaging does not make a good cigar, I see it as part of the whole thing that I pay for.

[Fugu]

Funny, this somehow skewed perspective of the 'premium cigar' smoker  . Folks, like it or not - Cuban cigars had always been a luxury product, from the get-go. Look back in history, look how they were marketed, look at historic pricing, look into literature and arts. Since the days they were made in Cuba they had been a comparatively costly product. People had always had cheaper tobacco alternatives (for nicotin intake), such as snuff, snus, "Dutch"-type cigars, MMs and pipe smoking, later also cigarettes. Times and pricing changing, but Cuban handmade longfillers had always been a luxury import. It seems it has been overly carried to new extremes lately with certain special editions - but even that is not a recent invention.