They were everywhere......you couldn't give them away. Today they are superstars.

[Chibearsv]

19 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

How many cigar smokers in 2022 would seriously consider this large format? Just keep in perspective that members on this forum are not representative of the "whole" of the world's cigar smoking population. Heck, any cigar with a smoking duration of over 60 minutes loses my interest very quickly. I certainly am not in the minority.

Count me as a yes!  I’d love it if half my stock or more was Lonsdales, Churchill’s, 109s, and DC. All 90 minutes plus cigars. My generation might just have more time available to simply sit and relax for longer periods of time though. 

[Monterey]

4 hours ago, SCgarman said:

How many cigar smokers in 2022 would seriously consider this large format? Just keep in perspective that members on this forum are not representative of the "whole" of the world's cigar smoking population. Heck, any cigar with a smoking duration of over 60 minutes loses my interest very quickly. I certainly am not in the minority.

I don't know, the majority?

The nudies lancero's sold out much quicker than the shorter ones. 

I have no interest in any cigar LESS than 60 minutes. 

Probably an even spread of the sizes, but like those who like them long, I don't think you are in the majority either.

[SCgarman]

1 hour ago, Monterey said:

I don't know, the majority?

The nudies lancero's sold out much quicker than the shorter ones. 

I have no interest in any cigar LESS than 60 minutes. 

Probably an even spread of the sizes, but like those who like them long, I don't think you are in the majority either.

Robustos are likely Cuba's most popular selling vitola in this day and age. So I may not be in the majority, but neither are you. Cuba has axed more churchills and DC's for a reason, and you and I obviously know why. If it doesn't sell, they eventually axe it. 

[Monterey]

16 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

Robustos are likely Cuba's most popular selling vitola in this day and age. So I may not be in the majority, but neither are you. Cuba has axed more churchills and DC's for a reason, and you and I obviously know why. If it doesn't sell, they eventually axe it. 

Robusto's last longer than 60 minutes, to most of us anyhow.  I smoke them often.

Assigning logic to anything Cuba does is laughable.

Any time a churchill, lancero or DC shows up here, it sells out instantly, faster than any other size.  But we probably are an odd set of the overall market.  I, like a lot of people, like to sit, relax and have a nice long cigar session.

 

[Baccy]

Human nature is that people always want what they can't have...

[El Presidente]

Quai d'Orsay Imperiales 

They were so hard to move. 

There were always buyers for 10 boxes but you would think twice about taking too many as they had the ability to sit around for a long long time.  Until they were discontinued, retailers would have to incentivise via discount. 

[NSXCIGAR]

On 2/27/2022 at 3:30 PM, Baccy said:

Human nature is that people always want what they can't have...

Not me. I'm not missing most of what's been cut.

That said, the issue with cutting cigars is the very reason old portfolios were so bloated. People prefer certain vitolas, and they want that vitola in the brand they like. This was particularly true pre-2000 when brand loyalty/preference was much more prevalent. 

For example, lovers of Diplomaticos and Sancho Panza are pretty much screwed if they don't like Campanas and Piramides which many don't. The prior approach was to make sure every customer had a choice. Now they tell us what we will smoke. 

I can tell you that if I had my own brand I would have a much more complete lineup than HSA does with their brands. Of course by the 1970s and 1980s some of the CC brands were just way too bloated. But I think 12-15 models is ideal. One or two models in some of these marcas today is just bewildering. 

So while I don't personally miss much there are plenty who do simply because their choice was eliminated. 

[jakebarnes]

It was fun to revisit this thread. Shame a lot of these have gone by the wayside--but I can also agree that the portfolio was bloated at the time. 

A lot of my choices were eliminated and I had to adapt. While the RE program has helped bring some of those back (in limited numbers), I think what people miss the most is the ability to find value in the bloated portfolio. 

[NSXCIGAR]

13 hours ago, jakebarnes said:

-but I can also agree that the portfolio was bloated at the time. 

A lot of the issue was the machine mades and the duplicate vitolas. I thought once they cleaned that up in 2002 that would be enough (and it would have been) but they just kept cutting and cutting which I will never understand.

I just don't subscribe to the "poor sellers" theory. If something sells poorly make less of it. Making different models is cost-free. Just pull out a different mold. Look at all the crazy models and vitolas they do for the ERs. I just don't see the point in alienating fans of a brand because they don't like a vitola.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Campanas or Piramides. I would be much more apt to buy a Dip or SP robusto or lonsdale than a Piramides or Belicosos. So they are losing a customer in me theoretically although it's not really an issue when demand far exceeds supply as is currently the case. They could be rolling only Montescos and sell out.