[tedrodgerscpa]

I would NEVER buy a humidor in a B&M where there were cigars being regularly smoked. Further, I wouldn't buy one that was displayed opened (months at a time). Too much might have gotten into the wood (humidors should smell like tobacco, not stale smoke). Worse, if displayed open for a long period of time, the wood might be too dry or cracked, which you wouldn't want.

Given the number of reliable vendors out there (cigarsintl.com quickly comes to mind) that will stand behind their sales, you will easily pay half of what a B&M charges. Just be sure to research their return policy.

I do OCCASIONALLY go to a B&M, and appreciate the role they play in cigar smokers' lives, but there is a limit on the amount I will want to spend for the privilege of patronage. The markup on humidors is obscene, IMHO. This is only one person's observation, and I am sure there are those B&Ms who charge a more reasonable (i.e. Online) price.

I kind of feel the same way about movie theatre refreshments. Given shrinking margins, the owners are forced to recapture profits in other areas. Do I always avoid a movie theatre? No, but I would want to be driven to see the movie before parting with my dollars. If it is a mediocre film, or one I am mildly interested in, I will wait for Red Box or Netflix.


As for Opus, those prices seem about right, unfortunately. Some B&Ms will attend to the suggested MSRP set by the Fuentes, whereas others do not. I would expect the recent barn fires to put a tighter pinch on the high end Fuentes products.