Help me fill my 60 box humidor...

[Aithos]

To be honest I think you have far too many high end cigars and not enough mid range, as came up frequently in the discussion you started on Puff.com - most of your customers aren't going to be cigar smokers and you need to focus on what is affordable and recognizable. Not high end, rare or boutique brands that won't mean anything to 99% of the people who walk in the door. Add more stuff like Romeo y Julieta and think of less stuff like Liga Privada, speaking of which: if you're not a distributor you won't be able to get those at a reasonable price anyway, my understanding is DE limits the number of places that can carry their high end stuff in an area.

Also, don't forget that you are going to owe taxes on anything you sell, so the more expensive stuff you buy the more taxes you are going to owe. That's why B&M can't really compete with online in most areas and if you forget that you're going to lose a LOT of money.

[Hardheaded]

Dont forget Brickhouse or Brickhouse Maduro. Nice, affordable, always good and fills a much needed cheap to mid range priced cigar.

You have a lot of high end cigars on that list, which is good in a dedicated smoke shop. Probably not so much in a homebrew store.

[Jaybird]

There is so much out there I couldn't imagine trying to pick just a few, good luck to you sir.

I really like the idea of smaller/boutique cigars though. Here in Medford the B&Ms are pretty much set in the old stand by cigars, (Lower AF and DE, Perdomo, CAO, HdM, Punch, RP, Macanudo, Oliva, RyJ) So things get boring, I always hoped to walk into a place and see Tats, Viaje, Warped, Padron, OpusX/anjos, illusione, Crowned Heads, Ave Marie, Quesada.

Jay,
If you ever need help I'm free Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I would be more than happy to make the trip south to help you. I do plan on making the trip done to see you once you're up and running anyway.

Don't know what kind of help your offering up brother..... But I am ALWAYS open to getting much needed help in EVERY department in the store and fab shop..Can you cut and weld stainless??? I REALLY REALLY REALLY need another guy in the fab shop.


Hay guys what kind of mid range cigars are you all talking about? I have 3 sections to fill about 20 boxes in each and I want section 1 to be low end with some low end boutique stuff. Section 2 mid range and some mid range boutique stuff and the 3rd to be mid to high end stuff and some hard to finds. I was looking at my list thinking there were a fairly well rounded basic selection there but maybe I am just not sure of the actual RANGE of the offerings.

Great feedback guys!

Cheers
Jay

[Aithos]

Hay guys what kind of mid range cigars are you all talking about? I have 3 sections to fill about 20 boxes in each and I want section 1 to be low end with some low end boutique stuff. Section 2 mid range and some mid range boutique stuff and the 3rd to be mid to high end stuff and some hard to finds. I was looking at my list thinking there were a fairly well rounded basic selection there but maybe I am just not sure of the actual RANGE of the offerings.

I would be more focused on having a split like 30% low, 55% mid, 15% high or something of that nature. I know the idea of having each case be a range is symmetrical and and sounds attractive but from a money making standpoint it would be a big mistake. I can tell you right now that high end will not make up even close to 30% of your total sales. Out of 60 boxes I would say no more than 6-8 should be high end.

Keep in mind that if you end up selling a ton of high end cigars you can always skew the numbers that way later as you sell low/mid boxes. It's a lot harder to do the opposite...

Edit:

I would say low end would sell for 3-5 dollars, mid would be 6-9 dollars and high would be 10+ if you want a dollar range. The vast majority of what you stock should fall into the mid range, even your high end should be mostly on the low side. Not many people are going to buy homebrew and then grab a $15-20 cigar...

[Hardheaded]

Don't know what kind of help your offering up brother..... But I am ALWAYS open to getting much needed help in EVERY department in the store and fab shop..Can you cut and weld stainless??? I REALLY REALLY REALLY need another guy in the fab shop.


Hay guys what kind of mid range cigars are you all talking about? I have 3 sections to fill about 20 boxes in each and I want section 1 to be low end with some low end boutique stuff. Section 2 mid range and some mid range boutique stuff and the 3rd to be mid to high end stuff and some hard to finds. I was looking at my list thinking there were a fairly well rounded basic selection there but maybe I am just not sure of the actual RANGE of the offerings.

Great feedback guys!

Cheers
Jay

It is a very nice list, that skews a bit to the high or HTF end of cigars.

Some mid range, or $6-$9 cigars based on normal, B&M pricing would be...

Diesel
Punch
Partagas
Brickhouse
Room 101
CAO, Brazilia and Mx2 specifically
Asylum
Ave Maria
Most Fuente Offerings.

I would also suggest a small section of smaller smokes, maybe in place of some of the low end sticks. A small selection such as Cult Blood Red Moon, The Nat Sherman .5s in all three options and MUWAT Baitfish give a pretty good range flavor wise and are affordable. Nive size for a ride home from your shop too.

[Jaybird]

I would be more focused on having a split like 30% low, 55% mid, 15% high or something of that nature. I know the idea of having each case be a range is symmetrical and and sounds attractive but from a money making standpoint it would be a big mistake. I can tell you right now that high end will not make up even close to 30% of your total sales. Out of 60 boxes I would say no more than 6-8 should be high end.

Keep in mind that if you end up selling a ton of high end cigars you can always skew the numbers that way later as you sell low/mid boxes. It's a lot harder to do the opposite...

Edit:

I would say low end would sell for 3-5 dollars, mid would be 6-9 dollars and high would be 10+ if you want a dollar range. The vast majority of what you stock should fall into the mid range, even your high end should be mostly on the low side. Not many people are going to buy homebrew and then grab a $15-20 cigar...

Gerat feedback my friend! I like how you are thinking! Its right about where I would like to be...

It is a very nice list, that skews a bit to the high or HTF end of cigars.

Some mid range, or $6-$9 cigars based on normal, B&M pricing would be...

Diesel
Punch
Partagas
Brickhouse
Room 101
CAO, Brazilia and Mx2 specifically
Asylum
Ave Maria
Most Fuente Offerings.

I would also suggest a small section of smaller smokes, maybe in place of some of the low end sticks. A small selection such as Cult Blood Red Moon, The Nat Sherman .5s in all three options and MUWAT Baitfish give a pretty good range flavor wise and are affordable. Nive size for a ride home from your shop too.

That is a great list right there. I was thinking Diesel too because I really like them myself. I do have about 4-5 boxes of small cigars on that list too.

I think you guys are all onto something!

Love the feedback gents!

Cheers
Jay

[chris19]

To be honest I think you have far too many high end cigars and not enough mid range, as came up frequently in the discussion you started on Puff.com - most of your customers aren't going to be cigar smokers and you need to focus on what is affordable and recognizable. Not high end, rare or boutique brands that won't mean anything to 99% of the people who walk in the door. Add more stuff like Romeo y Julieta and think of less stuff like Liga Privada, speaking of which: if you're not a distributor you won't be able to get those at a reasonable price anyway, my understanding is DE limits the number of places that can carry their high end stuff in an area.

Also, don't forget that you are going to owe taxes on anything you sell, so the more expensive stuff you buy the more taxes you are going to owe. That's why B&M can't really compete with online in most areas and if you forget that you're going to lose a LOT of money.

I am going to have to agree. As I was reading through I was saying to my self this is all high end stuff. High end isn't bad but it isn't what is going to sell day in and day out. Drew Estate has a wide variety, Tatuaje White label are very affordable and still very good.

[Ropey]

Might be best to ask the people who will be frequenting your store. Like somebody else said, 99.8% of the general population have never heard of the brands that hobbyist sites like this one take for granted.

Therefore I'd go for brands that more people have heard of... Macanudo, Montecristo, Punch, RyJ, Cohiba, etc.

[SmokinSpider]

Don't know what kind of help your offering up brother..... But I am ALWAYS open to getting much needed help in EVERY department in the store and fab shop..Can you cut and weld stainless??? I REALLY REALLY REALLY need another guy in the fab shop.

Sorry Jay, its been a long time since I have welded stainless, wasn't very good at it if memory serves. Cutting, polishing, painting refinishing etc I'm pretty good at.
Just general help I suppose, restocking, heavy lifting, grunt work lol.

[Jaybird]

Sorry Jay, its been a long time since I have welded stainless, wasn't very good at it if memory serves. Cutting, polishing, painting refinishing etc I'm pretty good at.
Just general help I suppose, restocking, heavy lifting, grunt work lol.

Ha Ha ha... I can see how that weekend would play out. We would sit around the fab shop smoking cigars and drinking beer talking about cigars, woman and booze. Baahhaaaa

Hay man thanks a BUNCH for the offer and I would totally take you up on it, 1 because I would like to meet you.... But as for the shop and the store man were not really doing anything major where I need any major help. BUT that said, if your ever down here you better find your ass in my store so we can waste a day away smoking cigars


Cheers
Jay