Does this sound right to you?

irratebass · 08-28-2011, 09:07 AM

Me and my wife went to a local B&M Friday night and I was looking at their selection and was pretty impressed at what they had.

I asked the guy if he had any Opus X (thinking I would be laughed out of the store) he said sure and he pulls out a single stick in a box, a sealed box and a 3 pack. I told him I had heard these were hard to find, since the Cigar Haven didn't have them when I asked a couple weeks back. He said they are a big supplier of them and they always keep them in stock.

Anyway, onto the question at hand. A single stick was $22....that didn't sound unreasonable, but 3 sticks was $92.71!!!! Now does that sound right to anyone else?

I also asked to look at his digital hygrometers and he had one and it was a small one for $35!!

I then looked at humidifiers, the cheapest one was a 50ct desktop for $110.

Does this place sound too high or what? Or am I just that much of a noob?

DaBear · 08-28-2011, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irratebass

Me and my wife went to a local B&M Friday night and I was looking at their selection and was pretty impressed at what they had.

I asked the guy if he had any Opus X (thinking I would be laughed out of the store) he said sure and he pulls out a single stick in a box, a sealed box and a 3 pack. I told him I had heard these were hard to find, since the Cigar Haven didn't have them when I asked a couple weeks back. He said they are a big supplier of them and they always keep them in stock.

Anyway, onto the question at hand. A single stick was $22....that didn't sound unreasonable, but 3 sticks was $92.71!!!! Now does that sound right to anyone else?

I also asked to look at his digital hygrometers and he had one and it was a small one for $35!!

I then looked at humidifiers, the cheapest one was a 50ct desktop for $110.

Does this place sound too high or what? Or am I just that much of a noob?

The Opus X price was a bit too high. I think when I went to Pipes by George to buy my first I believe I only paid 14 or 15 for it plus tax, and he had those tins for like 50 or 60.

Many places will try to jack up the price of "super limited" cigars that aren't very limited. *cough cigar.com cough*

The hygrometer price is about right depending on what it was. We sell our Xikar hygrometers for 32.95. If it was one of the Madelaine ones then they were over charging by 15 bucks, when we had them in stock they were goin for 20.95.

Humidors thats about right, its hard to find a "cheap" humidor offline, when you buy from a B&M you get the added security that it wont be damaged when it gets to you, and the seal is just right, you can't do that online.

Emjaysmash · 08-28-2011, 09:55 AM

Without knowing the brands of the Hygrometer and Humidor, those prices could be spot on or way over priced.

The Opus' seem a bit over priced. Like Bear said, those three packs usually go for $50ish depending on your state tax and such.

irratebass · 08-28-2011, 10:34 AM

Thanks guys. I didn't look at the make of the hygrometer or the humid, but I knew. That price on the Opus couldn't be right.

Skywalker · 08-28-2011, 11:58 AM

Just buy three singles!

bobarian · 08-28-2011, 01:35 PM

Those prices are in line with what we pay out here in Cali. $20-30 for single OpusX.
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bruceolee · 08-28-2011, 04:04 PM

If it's a Perfecxion A then it's a good deal.

If it's a Double Corona then it's only over by a couple dollars.

everything else (just the opus basic line) then it's a little steep.

Just buy 3 sticks at $22 each ($66.00) if they'll let you.

irratebass · 08-28-2011, 04:40 PM

They only had 1 stick and the 3 were in a metal looking case

dwoodward · 08-28-2011, 04:41 PM

My B&M sells all Opus X at higher prices than that. I think it depends where your from. If you have multiple B&M's in the area, chances are prices are going to be lower.

BTW, my B&M also has whole boxes of aged Opus X on hand, but the prices are pretty insane.

Boz · 08-28-2011, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwoodward

My B&M sells all Opus X at higher prices than that. I think it depends where your from. If you have multiple B&M's in the area, chances are prices are going to be lower.

BTW, my B&M also has whole boxes of aged Opus X on hand, but the prices are pretty insane.

So they'll just keep on aging then huh? Oughta be right nice when someone decides to drop the coin on em.

Ive found one B&M that sells them around me and they're prices are all reasonable at $12-15.

Brutus2600 · 08-28-2011, 06:26 PM

A b&m in my area has them ranging from $15 to really expensive. They don't gouge too much, and those tins are $69 I think? For the robustos three pack. I haven't been there in so long though that I don't know the prices exactly.

cobra03 · 08-28-2011, 07:12 PM

I am lucky enough to have a store on the Indian reservation were i live that sells opus and has them in pretty regularly. They are not required to charge state tx so they go any where from $8 -$16 depnding on the size . the tins usually go between $40 and $50 depending on size. Anywhere else in NYS they are way over priced due in part to the tax.

tedrodgerscpa · 08-28-2011, 08:44 PM

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.