Is Habanos dead to you?

[Blakes]

4 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

  Quinteros, JLP, LFDC.  

 

It would be great to see more of these popping up on 24/24 🧐

[Capn_Jackson]

I keep saying I am done. “I’m done.” “That’s it.” “No more.... for awhile.” Ive got enough stock to smoke for several years, at my pace, mixed with some Padrons, Fuente, and a few other NC’s that I sneak in there. But I keep seeing “bargains,” or as close to that as we can get right now, and thinking “I’d sure hate to run out of that smoke.” My last purchase, last week, will be all for awhile. Going to stock up on some more Nudies and the other FOH blends coming out soon. If there ever comes a time when I run out of BBF or JL 1’s and 2’s, I might consider splurging on them, depending how high they go.

[Hammer Smokin']

I'm smoking what I got then moving onto a new hobby. 

this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way...

[LLC]

Never left. 

[Monterey]

Flying straight to Havana and picking up 10 boxes of Sir Winston for 331 and 10 boxes of Fundandores for 261.  Some RAS for 57 (yes, 5-7), Latrova for 125 and top it off with some Bolivar Libbys for 110.   Man those were the days.  I can still see those prices as my grubby little finders grabbed those boxes off the shelves when I close my eyes at night. Wake up in the morning with the image of me grabbing a 50 cab of Punch DC's for 570.

I'm now deep into the world of non-cubans.  There are some that are blowing me away.  This whole event has shred the delusion of the Cuban cigar superiority.  Makes me laugh when I see people choosing the cuban "cheapies: and still paying more than some of the cigars I have had of late  2021/2022 saw similar increases in qualitiy in non-cubans

[SmokyFontaine]

The value was just barely there for me. My mindset on cigars is if I'm having a bunch of friends over and want to focus on conversation, not potentially babysitting a plugged, underfilled or inflammable cigar, I'll grab a Padron. The QC is just too rough to warrant the current price. I'll roll the dice at $10 a robusto. At $20? I'm out. At $15 the QC has to be better... and it won't be. 

[KnightsAnole]

 

2 hours ago, SmokyFontaine said:

The value was just barely there for me. My mindset on cigars is if I'm having a bunch of friends over and want to focus on conversation, not potentially babysitting a plugged, underfilled or inflammable cigar, I'll grab a Padron. The QC is just too rough to warrant the current price. I'll roll the dice at $10 a robusto. At $20? I'm out. At $15 the QC has to be better... and it won't be. 

Yea that I think, wraps up the feeling of most price conscious CC enthusiasts. Cuban gov wrecked their own country and now they want cigar smokers to bail them out?

I think not.

[Doctorossi]

23 hours ago, therealrsr said:

In the current form it is dead to me.  It can be resurrected, but that would probably take the Prince Group led consortium selling the stake at a loss.  The impressive fakes in Asia and production issues in Cuba could help create such a storm.  I am fortunate having plenty on hand to play the wait and see game.

This is pretty much where I'm at, too. I've got a lot of stock, so I'm just going to ride it out and see where we are in a couple years.

[MrBirdman]

I built out a spreadsheet for my Habanos boxes with a Restock column which allowed me to highlight a particular cigar by selecting Yes from a menu. Served as a reminder for buying, especially when discounted. Not long ago I deleted the column to create more room for tasting notes. The only CC that are getting replaced are Monte 4 and possibly Short de Punch…and even that is contingent on the situation not further escalating on those. 

[Vortigan]

My age + my smoking rate (reasonable life expectancy) / inventory numbers = I'm probably set for life if I never buy another cigar ever again. That being said, there's more than enough in the world of NC that interests and satisfies me so either way I think I'll be contented enough.

[Rhinoww]

So I just got an email from a trusted vendor I used to frequent for their specials. Lots of NC. Also offering some 2017 R&J Mille Fleur 10 box for $220. So yes, if a five year old Mille Fleur is being offered for (I can’t confirm sold) at $22/stick, the end does seem near. 

[SCgarman]

4 hours ago, Rhinoww said:

So I just got an email from a trusted vendor I used to frequent for their specials. Lots of NC. Also offering some 2017 R&J Mille Fleur 10 box for $220. So yes, if a five year old Mille Fleur is being offered for (I can’t confirm sold) at $22/stick, the end does seem near. 

I see that from these grey market vendors. They literally have nothing to sell Cuban-wise. So they are pushing non Cuban cigars, and some extremely high dollar boxes of aged Cubans. Stuff the average Joe can't afford nor want. 

[helix]

At the duty free Puerto Plata Airport picked up a box of Bolivar #2 Tubos $250 US. Box of Punch Coronation Tubos $175. was a surprise, I guess they hadn't got the memo . Was looking for a box AF work of art however priced $100 over local Dominican B&M prices.

[Gamehawker]

On 1/19/2023 at 1:35 PM, BrightonCorgi said:

Pretty much the same for me.  I have a lifetime supply and will continue to buy a few boxes a year for the heck of it.  I won't buy anything for the novelty.  It'll be all vitolas I'm regular with.

Ditto

The current prices are ridiculous 

I am glad I stocked up on a lot of boxes at reasonable prices and my current stock (around 2,000 cigars, I only smoke 1 or 2 per week) will see me out.

I very much regret selling about 23 boxes of cigars in the March of 2020 when I had to get some cash for paying my taxes.  That was a very costly mistake because they would have been worth at least 2 - 3 times now with these current crazy prices.

[cigaraholic]

For me I’d say about 95% of Habanos portfolio is dead to me. When I can find a good deal on something small I’ll jump on it. Was able to grab some Monte 5’s for a little under $150 a box lately. I’m chocking on $350 boxes of robustos, but occasionally I swallow.

I planned on smoking cigars in the afterlife, looks like I may go smokeless in Hell. At least Habanos has certainly increased my net worth substantially.

[NweakO]

Not at all, 24:24 is very reasonable to me.

[Jackdani7401]

While Habanos may be dead for some…it’s definitely not dead for all. 24:24 continues to sell out in seconds. Other online vendors, are the same. 
 

Sure Cohiba and Trini may sit on shelves, but just about everything else is gone in the blink of an eye. 
 

If people want the prices to come down across the board, then they’ll have to stop buying. HSA has no incentive to lower prices while shelves are bare. Sure some of this can be attributed to production, but the consumer is still buying what’s available. Until shelves get and stay full, and orders from retailers slow down, prices will remain. 
 

Habanos isn’t dead to me because if I’m going to smoke a NC, I have to spend roughly the same as a CC to get a similar level of complexity and enjoyment…might as well smoke a CC at that point🤷🏼‍♂️

[NweakO]

22 hours ago, Jackdani7401 said:

Habanos isn’t dead to me because if I’m going to smoke a NC, I have to spend roughly the same as a CC to get a similar level of complexity and enjoyment…might as well smoke a CC at that point🤷🏼‍♂️

Exactly! The good NC are so expensive I am surprised not many bring it up.

[Guest Nekhyludov]

23 minutes ago, NweakO said:

Exactly! The good NC are so expensive I am surprised no many bring it up.

The major difference - to me, at least - is that if I spend $500+ on a box of NCs, it's nearly certain that each and every one will be flawlessly consistent. 

If I spend the same or more on a box of CCs, there's a significant chance that some or maybe most of them will be plugged, underfilled, or garbage from a bad harvest.

At $250/box CCs are worth the gamble every day of the week. At $500-$1000/box there's no way in hell.

[Baccy]

I've never been on this side or that side but right in the middle. That's what's great about it. I can smoke a Cohiba today and an OpusX tommorow. Fortunately for me I stocked up years ago on CCs. It's truly a shame though for new smokers that they won't get to enjoy the CC life that we all have loved. It's sad really...


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[BlueRidgeFly]

Guess I'm option #0 technically, but have slowed way down on CC buying. Prices are ridiculous.

I'm rethinking things too. Had a Monte 4 the other day, and the day before I had an NC that shall not be named... b/c the rest of you ****ers might buy them all up! That NC used to cost almost twice the price of an M4 but is now a couple bucks LESS, and it was (and always is) much better. Truly ridiculous. Had another not-to-be-named NC in the sub-$7 range the next day. Also much better than most M4s I've ever had. And the CC price increases continue... 

 

[Monterey]

3 hours ago, NweakO said:

Exactly! The good NC are so expensive I am surprised no many bring it up.

PLENTY of fantastic non-cubans at half the price of Cubans.  Given everything going on, it won't be long until Non-Cubans are significantly superior to Cubans.  Amazed at how quickly NC's have caught up.  That Oliva article on CA was eye opening.  That rich soil.   Meanwhile Cubans are running out of basic fertilizers.  

[KCCubano]

6 hours ago, cigaraholic said:

For me I’d say about 95% of Habanos portfolio is dead to me. When I can find a good deal on something small I’ll jump on it. Was able to grab some Monte 5’s for a little under $150 a box lately. I’m chocking on $350 boxes of robustos, but occasionally I swallow.

I planned on smoking cigars in the afterlife, looks like I may go smokeless in Hell. At least Habanos has certainly increased my net worth substantially.

Yep. Totally agree. I also picked up those Monte 5. Tried one so far and was excellent. Wont be pounding them as could be $300 next year!

[BrightonCorgi]

Habanos is not dead to me.  There's just nothing to buy.  Pity as I have like 5-6 boxes I am in dire need to replace (nothing obscure either).

[KnightsAnole]

“While Habanos may be dead for some…it’s definitely not dead for all. 24:24 continues to sell out in seconds. Other online vendors, are the same.”

That’s an extremely poor method of calculation. You have no idea how many of each box was available. Could be 1. But go on, repeat it, there’s a sucker born every minute.