How does a cigar line become branded (and expensive)?

havanaal

Given the volume of different offerings of some high cigar brands, I'm curious how they come to market particular blends, especially when they don't seem to own facilities of their own. By that I mean guys like Alan Rubin and Kaizad Hansotia don't grow any tobacco, yet at some point in the process cigars appear with their bands on them--ready to go out by the thousands often at exorbitant price points. So my question is: how do these expensive lines proliferate? I get the feeling the magnates walk into factories where they don't control production, try some offerings, then contract for as many boxes as they think they can sell. Am I close to the truth here, or way off base?

Amos Umwhat

Interesting question. I've often wondered if being given a rating by Cigar Aficianado automatically doubles or triples the price of a cigar.

kuzi16

Cigary

There is a cigar chain whereby those who control the distribution and manufacturing tend to lobby those who tend to hold sway ( CA, etc. ) and then there are those companys who actually make great cigars...Illuisione, DE. Fuente, Padron that when they talk....people listen. Gurkha tends to do things backwards in the industry and there isn't one Gurkha I'd pay more than $6 for. Fuente sells the Opus and Sharks which tend to charge quite a sum but they are some of the very best cigars IMO...and then there are cigars that just ride the quest of the wave by fans who drive the market when a new cigar comes out.

havanaal

Thanks for the enlightenment Kuzi. Cigary makes an interesting observation, that brands that control production from seed to box seem to be able to put out a superior product. I love AF's (doesn't everybody?) DPG products, and Padron, and I respect the fact that one family can vouch for the quality. However I will say that my favorite brand is Filipe Gregorio, the most consistently perfect cigars I've found--and he's just a middle man.

rzaman

You don't want to know the truth. Trust me it will hurt your feeling and your love about many top brands. That's all I can say for now.

havanaal:

Given the volume of different offerings of some high cigar brands, I'm curious how they come to market particular blends, especially when they don't seem to own facilities of their own. By that I mean guys like Alan Rubin and Kaizad Hansotia don't grow any tobacco, yet at some point in the process cigars appear with their bands on them--ready to go out by the thousands often at exorbitant price points. So my question is: how do these expensive lines proliferate? I get the feeling the magnates walk into factories where they don't control production, try some offerings, then contract for as many boxes as they think they can sell. Am I close to the truth here, or way off base?

big chunks

rzaman:

You don't want to know the truth. Trust me it will hurt your feeling and your love about many top brands. That's all I can say for now.

havanaal:

Given the volume of different offerings of some high cigar brands, I'm curious how they come to market particular blends, especially when they don't seem to own facilities of their own. By that I mean guys like Alan Rubin and Kaizad Hansotia don't grow any tobacco, yet at some point in the process cigars appear with their bands on them--ready to go out by the thousands often at exorbitant price points. So my question is: how do these expensive lines proliferate? I get the feeling the magnates walk into factories where they don't control production, try some offerings, then contract for as many boxes as they think they can sell. Am I close to the truth here, or way off base?

Now I'm interested

rzaman

LOL...Jesus if you have any specific question please send me a PM. Please remember that this is a commercial industry. I do not want to stir a controversy. I am a fact finder and I do this as hobby not to target any specific brand or any individual cigar maker. However I trust very few in the industry.

big chunks:

rzaman:

You don't want to know the truth. Trust me it will hurt your feeling and your love about many top brands. That's all I can say for now.

havanaal:

Given the volume of different offerings of some high cigar brands, I'm curious how they come to market particular blends, especially when they don't seem to own facilities of their own. By that I mean guys like Alan Rubin and Kaizad Hansotia don't grow any tobacco, yet at some point in the process cigars appear with their bands on them--ready to go out by the thousands often at exorbitant price points. So my question is: how do these expensive lines proliferate? I get the feeling the magnates walk into factories where they don't control production, try some offerings, then contract for as many boxes as they think they can sell. Am I close to the truth here, or way off base?

Now I'm interested

Lee.mcglynn

Rips actually correct! Some small batch stuff will hurt your feelings especially those that don't grow there own tobacco. Hint it's all about the buyer and the truck load of bundled tobacco...all bundles are the same price!

kuzi16

Cigary

rzaman:

You don't want to know the truth. Trust me it will hurt your feeling and your love about many top brands. That's all I can say for now.

havanaal:

Given the volume of different offerings of some high cigar brands, I'm curious how they come to market particular blends, especially when they don't seem to own facilities of their own. By that I mean guys like Alan Rubin and Kaizad Hansotia don't grow any tobacco, yet at some point in the process cigars appear with their bands on them--ready to go out by the thousands often at exorbitant price points. So my question is: how do these expensive lines proliferate? I get the feeling the magnates walk into factories where they don't control production, try some offerings, then contract for as many boxes as they think they can sell. Am I close to the truth here, or way off base?

Cigar insiders along with those who research product as you pointed out...will make you cringe as to how manufacturers and distribution will do things in their own marketplace...it will just leave you scratching your head but as was said...it's still a business and it's not about giving things away. You maximize everything within the potential of sales and getting as much as you can from every part of that business model. I know people who work within the industry around the world who tell me things I wish I didn't know because some of these companies I buy from are my favorites...but they aren't any better or worse than the next company in how they do business. Like any business I've ever worked in whether it be any product where you deal with shipping, production, waste and sales you do things in business that make you marketable and that makes money at the expense of grinding out product that you know to be sub standard as you can just take your waste materials and just throw it away...you sell it off to another business or keep it and use it yourself and brand it as XYZ with the Parent Company name that tend to say that this particular cigar is just as good as the Padron, Fuente, etc. product that is already made. Being a Plant Manager myself for decades shows me that when you can turn around your waste materials that is where your Profit and Loss column turns into a huge profit. Esp. when your product is something that already has a black eye with most people in the world...after all we're taking into our bodies something that isn't a bonus for us healthwise. I don't see outside agencies that are going to take the time to ensure that quality of cigars is at the top of their list. The only people that make a difference is the person who knows the product and has experience. What most cigar companys do is target the inexperienced or those who really don't know that much and then throw out some decent sticks in Samplers that will get a lot of attention and then sell a cheap box they call a humidor along with some $1 lighter and watch the masses go crazy buying them all for $29....this is why Thompsons sales go through the roof because they know their target audience.

havanaal

So, what you're saying Cigary, is that a cigar company will market whatever crap it can scape off the floor, put some bling on it, and make the consumer think they're getting something special? That's logical from a business perspective. As a consumer however, one has to be ever vigilant, trusting no brand, and carefully sampling every offering for value. That's probably as it should be.

kuzi16

raisindot

Cigary

Lol....hey..we don't know what brought you to the party just glad you came. Your story is a lot like others where their start was from one of these kinds of stories and I admit to my getting a few of them when they actually sold some really good cigars only to be harassed by them later to sell me more. Now that I have a fictitious email address I never hear from them again...boo hoo.

raisindot

Cigary

Darktower007

Cigary

Darktower007

Cigary

I've thought about opening up my own place because I love the hobby and the kinship of those who come in and talk about ....what else...cigars and everything else in between. I've been retired for 20 years and I'm only 60 and could probably be successful at it...but I love to travel more so I did what any smart person would do...I travel and smoke my cigars and cut out the expensive part of the whole thing. Opening up BIG cigar places is so expensive and you have to have honest business partners who won't skim off the top. You can't be there all the time so it presents an issue...can you trust your managers and your business model and where you don't have to be there ALL the time? I love my time off and I love cigars so it becomes something about your greater love.