From your experience, what % of Cuban cigars available in the USA are fake?

[HopeUgood]

  On 10/7/2019 at 7:53 PM, SenorPerfecto said:

The question should be, "What percentage of the time have you looked to purchase a Cuban cigar at a shop in the States and found the cigars to be fake?"

 

Much narrower scope and far less room for ambiguity.

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I am at 1 of 2, so 50/50 off of my incredibly small sample size. 

[jbosma]

Never seen a real or fake cuban in the US retail market.  Think more people are getting real cubans (and some fakes) off the internet these days.  Even see a few cuban cigar bands sporadically at cigar lounges etc.

[MigsG]

I've been in private cigar clubs where real ones are sold discreetly.  At a 300% markup.  

[SenorPerfecto]

  On 10/7/2019 at 11:02 PM, MigsG said:

I've been in private cigar clubs where real ones are sold discreetly.  At a 300% markup.  

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Sounds right. If you can get a real D4 at a shop in the US for under $20 (and more likely $25-30)... are you SUUUURE it's real?

 

lol!

[Cigar Surgeon]

How many at retail? My guess would be 99%. How many people are acquiring 'Cuban cigars' and end up getting fakes? I would guess over 80%.

[dominattorney]

I have not had experience with games at retail. Maybe I am shopping in the wrong (or right) places. I've been to 3 shops in nyc who have carried then under the table if you know how to ask. 

[The Squiggler]

  On 10/7/2019 at 7:53 PM, SenorPerfecto said:

The question should be, "What percentage of the time have you looked to purchase a Cuban cigar at a shop in the States and found the cigars to be fake?"

 

Much narrower scope and far less room for ambiguity.

Expand  

agreed here... I think for me it's always depended on where I was looking.  I've never seen a genuine Cuban cigar available in a cigar shop.  On the other hand, most of the people I trade and smoke with know the difference, so I don't encounter many fakes in my day to day.  I see a lot of fake CCs on reddit, but usually the source is "a friend gifted this to me after their recent trip to the D.R." or something to that effect.  I am confident 100% of my cigars are genuine because I trust my sources, but around Christmas time when the second cousin or third uncle whips out their recent acquisition from Mexico, I assume it's a fake 100% of the time, so it's hard to say. 

Really, it depends on where you look, so it might be easier to break it down in categories and venture a guess for each:

My collection: 0% fake (pretty confident anyway--know your sources and sleep easy)

Private collectors with some experience:  <10% fake

Private internet groups I frequent: <20% fake

Reddit Legit check: 65% fake

Cohiba regular line: 75% fake

For sale at local tobbaconist:  85% fake

Behike: 95% fake