Recent price hike and supply problem?

[Uwiik]

I didn't buy cigars for about a month or so while I adjust my finances to this current worldwide economic slowdown, then last week I started buying again and was very surprised by the price jump and lack of stocks from all of my local vendors. The price jumped about 40-50% and I couldn't find any of my usual favorites like D4, Lusi, etc. The vendor told me he that he is really struggling to get stocks nowadays, even when he is willing to pay the price. If there was a major hike discussed here recently, I must have missed it. Care to share? 

[SCgarman]

The logic is....the less supply, the price continues to rise into the stratosphere. There are no rules anymore, I believe HSA used to have one price increase per year sometime late spring/early summer. All the unwritten rules have been torn up. Welcome to Cigarmageddon! I'm out of the game, $600 D4 is just insanity. $400 Monte 4 nope. Padron 1964 is the new bargain, and all the cigars in the box are smokable. No plugs.

[Uwiik]

6 hours ago, SCgarman said:

The logic is....the less supply, the price continues to rise into the stratosphere. There are no rules anymore, I believe HSA used to have one price increase per year sometime late spring/early summer. All the unwritten rules have been torn up. Welcome to Cigarmageddon! I'm out of the game, $600 D4 is just insanity. $400 Monte 4 nope. Padron 1964 is the new bargain, and all the cigars in the box are smokable. No plugs.

Any recent worldwide scarcity problem that you know of? One of my vendors is extremely resourceful, he can get cigars from many sources including Spain and even he is very very low on stock right now. Here it's more like $1000 D4, $600 Monte4, and $2300 CoRo now, if they have it...terrible! I still have more than 10 boxes of various Padron including the 1964 that I don't really touch anymore, I like Cubans too much but now I think I need to adjust my palate to like Padron again.

Now I wonder when will the cigar buyers worldwide run out of cash, thus driving price down with this current economic slowdown? Even the previously economic resistant luxury assets like Swiss watches and Hermes bags are crashing hard in value right now. I just bought a brand new Rolex on the reseller market with only a $2000 markup from retail price, that is previously unheard of, indicating how hard the market for luxury assets has crashed right now. Not that I consider Cuban cigar as assets, I burn it and I don't like burning my assets.

[Arabian]

Prices are crazy due to the recent price increase (happened more than one time) along with government taxes. However stock in the GCC region is quite good. You can get a box at any time for most marcas. Cohiba are easily accessible and very hard to move for the shops. 

[loose_axle]

I was in a store in Melbourne today. Boxes galore. However at the prices I thought not surprised they're stacked up. Was chatting away to the staff though and they were saying they move a hell of a lot of stock. Plenty of cashed up people out there. Wish I was one. 

[Chibearsv]

11 hours ago, loose_axle said:

Plenty of cashed up people out there.

Or debt up people 🙄

[MagicalBikeRide]

Can’t see prices dropping direct from HSA, but there are more deals to be had now vs start of summer - and also more supply now vs couple months back. 

[MrFolgers]

27 minutes ago, MagicalBikeRide said:

Can’t see prices dropping direct from HSA, but there are more deals to be had now vs start of summer - and also more supply now vs couple months back. 

I 100% see prices dropping, especially for Cohiba and Trinidad. They won’t go back to pre-price hike, but that stuff just isn’t moving. What has worked for HSA is a new normal for avg price of a box of 25 anything which is now $500-$600. If you get a box of 25 for $450 of say BBF, that’s still twice what they used to be. Win for HSA

[Nevrknow]

Prices dropping would be logical in a capitalist market. However, this is Cuba. So, throw that common sense shit out the window. You MAY however, see some discounts from vendors. That's as far as I would take the "price drops".