I was in a mall here in Canada and decided to check out a new B&M. The place wasn't that big but they had a large walk in hunidor.
It was stocked ok. I was checking out the prices and wanted to see if they had the new Padron 80th which they didn't. But WOW I was in for a shock when he said they had an anniversry 1964 piramide for $80.00 ea!!!! And then saw some Cohiba Esplendios for $78.00 ea and Bolivar Gold Medals for $40.00 ea.
Yikes. That totally put me off. I can buy a box of BGMs for the price of 3 of them.
Tobacco taxes here are totally obscene. They are about 200% of the cost of a cigar plus the store has to make some money too.
Just wondering what it is like in other countries. Are your taxes high? Some USD prices for a cigar at your local B&M would give us a good indicator.
Thanks
Give that man a cigar and a blow torch to light it with. - Jack "The Shinning" TV Version
Posts: 420 | Location: Great White North | Registered: November 26, 2007
In the states, it is the individual state taxes that can drive prices up (at least for now, but SCHIP looms). Of course, CCs are illegal.
Render unto Caesar.
_______________________________
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins." (H.L. Mencken)
Yea CM this does suck big time. There is an even more outrageous B&M in Yorkville (Toronto), who sells boxes of Cohiba Siglo VI's for $1,500 plus 14% for additional sales tax for a grand total of $1,710.
All his prices are out of this world.
Now here is the kicker. A good friend of mine knows this particular store owner, and claims he cannot keep stock in the store as it sells so fast. WTF!
Cor: Steve, you have proven yourself to be a tremendous whack job.
These days the prices in my local B&Ms are anywhere between 2.2 and 3.5 times the ones I see on internet. It's not just the taxes (in fact they aren't all that high) - I'm sure small quantity shipping long distance has to do with this (the cigar market isn't too big here). Also, the dollar goes down against the local currency like a round rock down the hill. This day last year it was worth 20% more. Today I can buy more $$ priced cigars than before, but my purchasing power in local B&M's remained the same.
Originally posted by Steve Cohen: Yea CM this does suck big time. There is an even more outrageous B&M in Yorkville (Toronto), who sells boxes of Cohiba Siglo VI's for $1,500 plus 14% for additional sales tax for a grand total of $1,710.
All his prices are out of this world.
Now here is the kicker. A good friend of mine knows this particular store owner, and claims he cannot keep stock in the store as it sells so fast. WTF!
Yorkville yuppies like to pay high prices. It makes them feel all upper crust-like and important.
-------------------------------- When the facts change, I change. What do you do, sir? - Lord Keynes
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. - Kierkegaard
Posts: 2818 | Location: the GTA | Registered: November 28, 2007
Originally posted by cigar-monkey: But WOW I was in for a shock when he said they had an anniversry 1964 piramide for $80.00 ea!!!!
Never ever buy NCs in Canada. They are the worst deal that exists. I take a trip to the US -- or delegate friends -- a few times a year for those. (And participate in the NC Wish list.)
quote:
And then saw some Cohiba Esplendios for $78.00 ea and Bolivar Gold Medals for $40.00 ea.
That's bloody outrageous. Even for Canada. At the MTL LCDH, they are 25% less expensive. 28$ for a BGM.
________________________ "Tobacco is my favorite vegetable." --FZ
"Government is the Entertainment Division of the military-industrial complex." --FZ too
Hey someones gotta pay for the health care system.For those who do not smoke it does not matter.For those who do smuggling or quiting become reality.I wonder where the tax dollars are going to come from after they drive all the smokers away.
"Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God" -Thomas Jefferson
"The tree of freedom must be nurtured from time to time with the blood of its patriots" -Thomas Jefferson
"When the Government Fears the People, There is Liberty; When the People Fear the Government, There is Tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson
Posts: 7111 | Location: Reggio di Calabria, Italy / New York United States | Registered: July 12, 2007
Originally posted by flashman: Never ever buy NCs in Canada. They are the worst deal that exists. I take a trip to the US -- or delegate friends -- a few times a year for those. (And participate in the NC Wish list.)
Whenever we go up to the cabin in Canada, we get so busy that we seem to forget to remove the travel humidor full of NCs from the back of the truck; there are often other household items that get overlooked in this way as well.
_______________________________
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins." (H.L. Mencken)
Originally posted by cigar-monkey: I was in a mall here in Canada and decided to check out a new B&M. The place wasn't that big but they had a large walk in hunidor.
It was stocked ok. I was checking out the prices and wanted to see if they had the new Padron 80th which they didn't. But WOW I was in for a shock when he said they had an anniversry 1964 piramide for $80.00 ea!!!! And then saw some Cohiba Esplendios for $78.00 ea and Bolivar Gold Medals for $40.00 ea.
Yikes. That totally put me off. I can buy a box of BGMs for the price of 3 of them.
Tobacco taxes here are totally obscene. They are about 200% of the cost of a cigar plus the store has to make some money too.
Just wondering what it is like in other countries. Are your taxes high? Some USD prices for a cigar at your local B&M would give us a good indicator.
Thanks
The total of taxes and duties on cigars is actually 300% here. (Hard to beleive it's worse than you thought!)
Who's got 2 thumbs and loves cigars? This guy.
Posts: 143 | Location: Calgary, AB Canada | Registered: August 27, 2003
Yea CM this does suck big time. There is an even more outrageous B&M in Yorkville (Toronto), who sells boxes of Cohiba Siglo VI's for $1,500 plus 14% for additional sales tax for a grand total of $1,710.
That's pretty close to the going rate for a Siglo VI, it's not like their markup is that much larger than everyone elses. Also, it should only be 6% tax (soon to be 5%) as there is no PST on cigars.
Posts: 301 | Location: Toronto | Registered: February 02, 2007
I will definitely be doing a trip to Buffalo to see what they have there. Even with the taxes in NY they are still a bargain.
I'm still going to check out my local B&M to try out a few new sticks like the Bolivar GM and the San Cristobal Muralla for fun regardless of the cost.
Give that man a cigar and a blow torch to light it with. - Jack "The Shinning" TV Version
Posts: 420 | Location: Great White North | Registered: November 26, 2007
Unfortunately there will always be a lack of competition. It is just not lucrative to get into the cigar business in Canada. For one, you are not allowed to sell in other provinces unlike the States. If you do want to get into the market, you have to go through an approved Government Vendor (middle man) who tacks on his cut for importing them. If you want to avoid the middle man and import directly from the Dominican or Honduras, The tax man wants ALL (up to 300% of your purchase price)of his tax money up front. This can add up to a large sum if you want to stock a walk in humidor. This is how it is in Alberta anyway. I think the only way any of them are still in business is the associated accessorie sales.
