Pricing yourself out of the market

[jb]

Cigars, like other things for me, go through cycles. I go awhile where I am perfectly happy trying new things, looking for the ultimate $2 cigar. Eventually, I turn back into a crusty curmudgeon where I am set in my ways and only want to smoke what I want to smoke.

One big contributing factor is price. When we had the SCHIP we all worried prices would go up up up. I didn't see that. The first months after I saw things staying close to the same. I feel we are just now seeing the effects in new releases. It is no longer profitable to concept, blend, and test an inexpensive cigar. All new releases I'm remotely interested in are over 5 bucks. At that price, it's hard for me to justify not lighting up another Fausto, or spending a couple bucks more for a Cojonu 2003. I'm also hesitant to check out the new releases such as CroMagnon or Viaje lines as the price is up there.

Currently, I'm down to three cigars I really, really want to smoke: Tatuaje Cojonu 2003, Fausto, and Opus. Surprisingly, my interest in Opus is even at an all time low and I'm only really excited to find bigger vitolas like DC, PerfX, or RdC. Of the three, Fausto is the only one that has a decent price point, and I worry I will smoke myself bored on those too. I'm just not happy and this lack of enjoyment has kept me from buying for a while. At the prices for the stuff I like, I haven't felt like buying as much as I've felt like putting that money into other things.

As far as other offerings, I can honestly say that after 10 years I have lost interest in all the rest of my old favorites to the point I have considered hanging it up. Have any other long time cigar smokers faced this? How did you handle it? I guess I won't hear from the quitters as they wouldn't be here Suggestions?

[gui_tarzan]

A couple of days ago I was comparing a JR's catalog from just before SCHIP took effect and a recent catalog. Almost across the board prices were up $20/box. That's what keeps me from buying more, especially boxes. I would try a lot more brands, especially the "better" lines but not at prices like that. One now and then is it.

I hope the idiots in congress that supported SCHIP like not getting as much in tax revenue as they dreamed they would, at least not from me.

[carmine7075]

While I have enough cigars on hand last a lifetime at my current rate of consumption, I still find deals here and there. I tried one of these over labor day weekend and thought it was an excellent budget cigar.

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/p...m=CS-5LB&cat=3

Granted, before SCHIP, LVH was a $30 per box brand. That said, it doesn't seem as though these companies are pricing themselves out of the market as much as the new pricing is a reflection of the direct of the market as a whole.

Finally, and talking about being a fog, I have never even heard of most of the cigars of which you speak. In fact, I was thrilled to score a couple of dominican conn. broadleaf Henry Clays last week.

[bigw]

Lately I've been gravitating towards the Grimalkin Robusto and the Airbender Maduro..While not cheap,,certainly not a wallet buster..I'd rather smoke less,,but smoke better

[carmine7075]

Two more of which I haven't heard. This thread could get expensive.

[Mad Dawg]

I think we all go through phases something like that, Jason. Boredom is a crappy thing to have to deal with, but it's also a fact of life.

Thought about hanging it up? Yeah, I have. Knowing I could sell off my stash, at non-gouging prices, and buy a pretty nice truck with the proceeds, has driven those thoughts at times. Haven't made the leap, though.

Here's the thing: When I dropped into my Cubans-only phase, I got bored with all my old favorites and sold/gifted them all away. Two years later, when I emerged from that period of myopic isolationism, I came to sorely regret the decision to unload all of those smokes.

Price is a factor, yes, but it's not the determining factor...for me, anyway. I am thankful that Pete seems able to maintain control to the point where MSRP isn't a laughable concept, because even if I liked Opus, I wouldn't pay the stupid prices people pay for them. There are a bunch of cigars out there in the +/-$5 range that I really like, which is great, and when I want to splurge I can pretty easily swing the $7-10 I'm going to spend on a Tat.

I'm not going to break out a bunch of suggestions for things I'm liking, because I don't think haring off after new brands is likely to help. It doesn't help me, really, just fills up more storage space...that I don't have anyway.

Fact is, tastes change. That's not a bad thing, but it can be frustrating. Try taking a break for a while...that often helps break me out of a cigar funk.