Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Well I just noticed a thread talking about how much a local cigar shop charged for a membership to there private lounge. Well my question is what are the prices your local cigar shops charge ? Names of cigar shops does not need to be said.
Our local shop charges 25 a month .
I was at a place this week where it is 2500 dollars a year.


PS. I just posted this on another forum just want to see the differences from state to state.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

There may be some Private Cigar Clubs in the area... but all of the local cigar shops that allow smoking (in compliance with stricter smoking laws) have free smoking lounges here in the Research Triangle Area of North Carolina.

You could build a nice smoking deck on your house for $2500. My porch works year 'round - and free works well for me. :ss

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I bought a 20 dollar Padron at a smoke shop in Annapolis MD and was told I couldn't use his lounge.You had to be a member and/or pay a fee.
I promptly got my money back and asked for the next closest shop.It was there I bought the same cigar and enjoyed it.
25 a month(300 p/year isn't bad at all depending what you get,if anything.
There are clubs around here that are thousands of dollars per year.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I would never patronize a shop that charged me to smoke there.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I don't think I would either. :td

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I can't imagine spending even $300 a year for a place to park my butt to smoke a cigar. Just isn't in the budget. In fact - I'd prolly be more interested in spending $300 a year if I had it to smoke in my shed with Barry, Mac, Tbone, Bo, etc with the rakes, lawn mower, and tools. We have some pretty decent Thurs. nights in the shed - hand bombing each other and chillin to the tunes. No "ettiquite" to observe except to have a good time.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Well spoken Mike!! Nothing beats a Thursday Night VCM Southern Crew Shed Herf!!! :tu :tu

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Not sure if any of the ones around me charge. I think only 1 of them actually has a lounge but I haven't asked about or tried smoking in there yet.

I could see charging if it comes with perks, Complimentary beverages and such. Maybe a cigar of the month type complimentary cigar pack or something. Unless they are serving up some primo cognac or high end wine, I can't ever see the justification of $2500 a year.

If they're charging me just to park my butt and light up, I think I would stop patronizing that establishment too. I'll take my $300 / year and go buy a box of something nice from another shop. :D

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

The closest and newest cigar lounge to me costs $2 per year but for that you get use of the lounge and a membership card that stacks up points for everything you buy so eventually you get some discounted items...plus they have a beer and wine bar...worth it to me...

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Yeah, that's not bad at all. I'd consider it for maybe even $25 / year at that point. Long as there is a potential perk other than just a chair to keep my ass warm. ;) I like the purchase tracking on the card for potential discounts thing. Kindof like a Subway sandwich card, buy 10 get 1 free.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Would indeed depend on how close it was, the cost, and what you got for the money. Depending on the previous, I would happily spend a couple hundred a year for a nice cigar shop/lounge. But much beyond that is getting quite iffy.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I don't know if any places around here charge. The guys at the local shop encourage you to smoke with them and he always has a great bunch of people in his place.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

There is a shop by me that has "public" smoking areas around the shop. The public area has seating for about 12-15 with a TV, leather seats. On the other side of the building is a private area with seating for about 40+, with 1= 120" TV and 2 48"s. It has not opened up just yet, but had open house on it this weekend. It goes for about $2000 a year with 24hour access, $100 in free cigars, personal humidified lockers, free beer (which everyone walking into the B&M gets), and you can bring in a guest once or twice a week. OR about $1200 a year; all as above except no free smokes, and limited guest privilages. I smoked in there during the open house, it was nice and chill.

Its a good bit too steep for me to come up with all at once. One of the operators of it is a "smoking buddy" and I went to college with. I am not gonna cross the line and even think of asking for a deal, I'll just smoke in the B&M (aka: common folk club).
I wouldn't mind to join, but I am "common folk" and not that a private club is a bad idea (keeps the rif-raff out) but, its just not my cup of tea in the long run for the price.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I am rif-raf.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Our local B&M is an open house for smoking but if you want a locker they run $300-400 a year depending on the size of the locker

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

the only way i'd join one was if i got an rfid card or key so that I could come in and smoke any time I wanted.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Other than a nice place to smoke what do you get for your money? Seems to be crazy where this is going. It seems that it all boils down to restricting the ability to find a nice place to enjoy your cigars with friends. When will we stand up and fight this stupidity? Ever? Just IMHO!:su

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Casa de Montecristo in Countryside IL requires purchases of $250 monthly to use their VIP lounge and have a private cigar locker. It is more than 30 minutes from my house so joining isn't a consideration for me, but at least one of my friends joined...and that gives his friends access to the lounge when they are with him.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

I don't think that's really bad. It's a perk for buying a lot of cigars there. They aren't charging an -extra- fee just to use one of their chairs to sit down.

It does effectively forces people to hang out with their own 'class' though. One of the great things about Cigars, and even Cigarettes, is that a Company VP and a Janitor can stand next to each other and have something in common. Two people that normally would not even talk to each other can have a real conversation with each other when smoking. I've witnessed the effect first hand multiple times.

In this case they're keeping the Janitor out of their club cause he can't afford to hang out with them, even though he may enjoy cigars and good company just as much as any of the others. :rolleyes:

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

There's a Lounge maybe 1/4 of a mile from my house that charges $5 for a daily membership, or close to $360 a year for annual membership for local residents. This includes a pass to the lounge 24/7 and 2 guest passes (although apparently they give you more when you run out.) I was given a good deal for a summer membership (when I'm home from school) for around $120, but my porch works just fine in the summer and I dont have that kind of money to throw at a membership.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

BTW, this place is open til 10PM Sun thru Wed, and Thu thru Sat they're usually around until midnight or so...an added bonus is that they're about five minutes from where I live and as the nights get hotter through the summer will be a great place to go to smoke indoors in the evening when it's too hot to sit on the patio...

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

The one small B&M near me tried the VIP lounge (not sure what the charge was) and it didn't work. This is too much of a plain, good old working folks town. They eventually took down the walls and put in a few more pool tables in the space where the VIP lounge was!!

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

The B&M closest to where i work now has a small (5-8 people) area with couch / tv / tables that you can smoke in for free. I enjoy visiting this shop because they have a good selection of smoke and most of the people who frequent it are friendly.

There is a B&M closer to where i used to work that has seating in the front area (4 people) that is free. If you want to use the VIP section it costs $100 a month. The benefit to using it is access to the alcohol bar and the ability to store smokes in your private locker. I have never been to the private lounge except for when they first showed up they had an open house. was not worth the $100 imho.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

My local shop runs $40/year. Nice smoking lounge with comfy chairs and couches with a 10 percent discount on all sticks.
They call it a "Diamond Crown Lounge" they talk about it like it is a nationwide franchise type deal.

I'm not a member, been thinking about it though.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

The cigar bar I frequent has a similar practice as what MJ just mentioned. They don't use actual 'fees' but you must have a $5 minimum purchase to smoke there. ie. if you want to smoke your own stuff you have to have spent $5 dollars in there. Easy to do, and not a pain at all.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

There are actually quite a few Diamond Crown Lounges in the US. My shop while I'm at school is a Diamond Crown lounge. The shop has both a ~1500 sqft private lounge and a smaller public lounge. The membership private lounge is regularly $500 a year with a locker and less with military, student discounts or non resident member membership. The membership allows access to the private lounge area which includes a big TV room that sits 15+ with 4 tv's all with Direct TV HD, a computer nook that has 4 seperated areas to work, a card room with its own flat screen, a quiet room, and a conference room. It also includes invites to members only dinners and priority to other dinners as well, discount on purchases, a free cigar on your birthday, and the ability to "rent" out the lounge for a function.

For everything that you get for ~$500 a year I think this is quite a steal especially when winter hits.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

Unfortunately only full-fledged members can bring in their own stuff. This means people who are not members need to buy a cigar and the $5 pass.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

There is a Diamond Crown Lounge (Briar Patch) here as well in Sacramento. A few of the BABOTL have been there with me. Yes it is very nice, and a great place to smoke during the winter time. I am not sure on how much they charge exactly, I believe it is a $12 day fee to use their lounge, and I believe a $1500 yearly usage.

The guys that work at the shop are pretty easy going though, we have been able to smoke at their lounge for free every time that we have gone, although we do purchase a few singles to support the shop.

Re: Private Cigar Club question ?
 

My local shop has two membership rates: $200 yearly just to be a private member, or $250 yearly to be a private member with a personal wall locker humi. That's it. It's nice however, as this place has a small public lounge that all you have to do is buy the cigar you're smoking from the store. The public lounge is just as nice as the private lounge, just smaller.