Why Cuban cigars are so expensive: Business Insider

[El Presidente]

There is nothing here that most of you don't already know and it's not necessarily Oscar material......but an entertaining 12 minutes 

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-cuban-cigars-so-expensive-2020-7

[Fuzz]

"You can’t buy Cuban cigars and get them shipped into America. It’s illegal for the Americans. And therefore, I don’t know where they’re buying from, unscrupulous people."

Rob, you unscrupulous person, you!

[El Presidente]

7 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Rob, you unscrupulous person, you!

Et tu, Brute?    

[PigFish]

Comic relief. MO saying I don’t know where Americans get Cuban cigars. A testament to honesty in retailing if I ever saw it...

[NSXCIGAR]

2 hours ago, PigFish said:

Comic relief. MO saying I don’t know where Americans get Cuban cigars. A testament to honesty in retailing if I ever saw it...

I think MO is subconsciously outing himself.

What a buffoonish statement. And since when is he pushing NCs? 40% of his customers prefer NCs? Sorry, I don't buy it. And how many CCs in the US is he seeing to know what's fake or not? He probably comes to the US once a year if that. He has very few US customers as do almost all UK vendors. Let's ask Ajay how many NCs he sells. 

And if I'm not mistaken the most expensive cigars in the world are, by far, NCs. How about average price? Just a thought Mr. reporter.

And what is "some connoisseurs" think? How about sales figures? Opinions aren't needed when we have data and lots of it. HSA's revenue is 10 times higher than all NC producers combined and 90% of that revenue comes from the US. 

 

[JoeyGunz]

TBH I can see that 40/60 split of NC's to CC's I'm also on a UK Cigar Forum and loads of people on their love NC's.

Also I think people like M.O push NC's as there is more room from profit margins.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, JoeyGunz said:

TBH I can see that 40/60 split of NC's to CC's I'm also on a UK Cigar Forum and loads of people on their love NC's.

 

UK divans to my knowledge are a minimum 25% NC sales out of the walk in these days. 40% in some could certainly be likely . Ajay has near equal billing from what I understand in his new premises. I hope to get there once we are let off the leash again.

[tigger]

Nice Fuente ad there.  

[Ryan]

For a video explaining the cigar market to non-cigar smokers, it's not bad at all. One of the better ones I've seen. Many are full of out-dated information or just myth. This one was good.

Non-Cuban cigars are selling better than they used to in many markets where both are legal. They are often cheaper, they are often more consistent. "Consistent" doesn't necessarily mean better though. Marlboro lights are consistent.

Non-Cuban cigars, currently, often have better supply. Cuban cigar retailers all over the world got their customers to start buying Behikes for example. Now they can't get supply, it's frustrating to say the least.

And yes, retailers in many markets make more margin on non-Cuban cigars, that's not a sin. Non-Cuban cigar distributors know they have competition with other distributors. Habanos distributors don't have to worry about that, at least within any local market.

 

[JoeyGunz]

5 hours ago, El Presidente said:

UK divans to my knowledge are a minimum 25% NC sales out of the walk in these days. 40% in some could certainly be likely . Ajay has near equal billing from what I understand in his new premises. I hope to get there once we are let off the leash again.

That does surprise me, I don't think I've ever noticed any NC's in Teddington.

I also wonder if a slight shift to NC's in the UK market is because people see them more on Youtube, Instagram, publications e.t.c

[MrBirdman]

Can’t say I’m surprised by the increased popularity of NC - they are always ready to smoke and have probably worked harder at marketing to non-US buyers. I can’t speak to relative prices given my market, but the non Cubans I was smoking before diving into CC were definitely not cheap, and in many cases more expensive. 

[Ash Bridges]

95% of cubans in the US are fake!?!? Does that put me in the top 5%?

[joeypots]

Why Cuban cigars are so expensive? Mmmmmm, taxes?

[Cairo]

5 hours ago, Ryan said:

Non-Cuban cigars, currently, often have better supply.

Some NC discussion forums are indicating Covid has hurt supply on some better known NCs, particularly in the last few weeks.    Hopefully this is a temporary situation.

[Hoepssa]

 

Bought some sticks from a US site and 3 months after they are in transit in Belgium (Europe), my shipping address is in Taiwan.

COVID19 is hurting the tempo we buy daily cigars, some comes late and some are out of stock...

[ha_banos]

Over here UK, Ireland seem to be the biggest taxers of tobacco? Tax based on weight. The US, well just no Cubans ok! Aus? Well your an English speaking nation so you get taxed too ok?! Why the native English speaking nations!? Coincidence? 

For sure I think supply is an issue. And will be more so, so Mitch is pushing NC. CC sell themselves.

Most UK walkins could be almost 50/50 split these days? But this could be because I don't notice the NC ?. Smaller sellers with cabinets are almost all CC. But I haven't been into a store for ages!

I do get the impression MO is well connected with the states though. Odd video. Now how we get some tax exemption over here....? 

Puff on.

[JY0]

Mitchell was the only guy they could find to interview? ?

[CaptainQuintero]

On 7/16/2020 at 4:59 PM, JoeyGunz said:

That does surprise me, I don't think I've ever noticed any NC's in Teddington.

I also wonder if a slight shift to NC's in the UK market is because people see them more on Youtube, Instagram, publications e.t.c

  I think he's been working on opening up a new store in central London, it was early in the year when I last saw an update and he was importing hand made wooden lockers from Italy that looked great.

  I'd hazard a guess that the new place has opened or was nearly there before the recent unpleasantness kicked off

[ha_banos]

7 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

  I think he's been working on opening up a new store in central London, it was early in the year when I last saw an update and he was importing hand made wooden lockers from Italy that looked great.

  I'd hazard a guess that the new place has opened or was nearly there before the recent unpleasantness kicked off

No6 Cavendish. Opened. Flooded. Reopened now! Looks very posh n plush if you like that sort of thing.

[Ginseng]

25 minutes ago, SPOOKYB said:

Cuban cigars have always been considered a sign of wealth. Although I never understood this desire to spend so much money on cigars.

So what is it that attracts you to Friends of Habanos, then?

[Fuzz]

23 minutes ago, Ginseng said:

So what is it that attracts you to Friends of Habanos, then?

The free chocolate chip cookies.

[dageshi]

My observation is that much of online social media regarding cigars is heavily US based and so new smokers outside the US end up being drawn to NC's since that's what they're seeing others smoke online. There are also probably cheaper options in terms of NC's than there are for cubans in terms of like for like size.

And of course there are people who just prefer the flavour profile of specific NC blends over Cuban. I mod r/ukcigars on reddit which I would say skews younger in terms of smoker age and NC's are probably the majority at this point although cubans are still popular and the people buying by the box are almost always buying cuban, those buying singles are mostly going NC

[BigGuns]

39 minutes ago, Ginseng said:

So what is it that attracts you to Friends of Habanos, then?

A glitch in his matrix

[RichG]

1 hour ago, SPOOKYB said:

Cuban cigars have always been considered a sign of wealth. Although I never understood this desire to spend so much money on cigars.

You and my wife are on the same page!

[La_Tigre]

6 hours ago, Fuzz said:

The free chocolate chip cookies.

Our plate of cookies always has a note that reads:

”Sorry all the cookies have sold ;-(

Thanks”

/s

😆