What on earth will happen when the embargo against Cuban Exports is lifted? Imagine when Cuban Cigars will be legal here in the USA which will be very soon. I can,t wait till everyone can buy legal Cuban Cigars and join in the elitist group of "I have smoked a Cuban Crowd". Then what will happen?

Even Rush Limbaugh with his elitist attitude of "I wont tell you what I smoke cause you cant get them anyway", will be a thing of the past. Finally all Cigar smokers can join in one group and no one be elite! Just fellow brothers of the weed, who smoke in peace and brotherhood with no argumnents over where the fakes are. Can anyone imagine that?

Wow never thought about that possibility and no-one has ever made a thread like this. Excellent question.

quote:

Originally posted by RBW56:
with no argumnents over where the fakes are.

I don't think that will stop arguments over fakes. Much of the discussion on buying fakes is often about buying them in countrys where they are already legal.

Actually, it will be a great opportunity to sell more fakes. Imagine this . . . the embargo is lifted. Cuban cigars start to flow into the country. Every Tom, Dick and Dick will want to try a genuine cuban. Demand increases. Supply is strained. Prices increase. Why not sell some fakes to take advantage of the increased demand.

Supply increases, quality declines, people wonder what all the fuss was about anyway. Demand declines. Prices get more reasonable. The elite are left to their cuban cigars again.

quote:

Originally posted by csmithnj:

quote:

Originally posted by RBW56:
with no argumnents over where the fakes are.

I don't think that will stop arguments over fakes. Much of the discussion on buying fakes is often about buying them in countrys where they are already legal.

Actually, it will be a great opportunity to sell more fakes. Imagine this . . . the embargo is lifted. Cuban cigars start to flow into the country. Every Tom, Dick and Dick will want to try a genuine cuban. Demand increases. Supply is strained. Prices increase. Why not sell some fakes to take advantage of the increased demand.

Supply increases, quality declines, people wonder what all the fuss was about anyway. Demand declines. Prices get more reasonable. The elite are left to their cuban cigars again.

being a former econ major. i like that breakdown you did. and fairly realistic as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Jon Paul:
being a former econ major. i like that breakdown you did. and fairly realistic as well.

Thanks. Good to know my Economics Major can be useful.

So in other words, stock up now.

"Even Rush Limbaugh with his elitist attitude of "I wont tell you what I smoke cause you cant get them anyway"

So you have never listened to the radio program before? I can tell you have not as he has listed his favorite smokes in great detail numerous times on the air. They are ALL non-cuban for your information, and only one cigar was specially made for him and not available to the public. You need to get your facts right before you go off on someone thinking they are an easy target.

He knows his excriment about cigars, and is well connected in the cigar industry. You'll find much more elitism with some of CA posters here about CC's than you will old rush boy. But you don't care about that, you trust cruise ship employees more than a guy with only 20 million listeners.

What makes you think the embargo will end soon?

Maybe you need to visit his web site as I was quoting Rush not going off on him! I have listend to Rush since 1992 so I guess I do not know what I am talking about. Are you a member of the Ditto Cam 24/7? Look at the tour there and check out the Humidor and boxes. Look at the article here in CA. His fav cigars are Cuban. So don't go off on me before you have your facts straight.

RBW -

I have to say, beside any Rush quotes, your additional commentary could easily be assumed to either be jealous of the 'elite', or anti-Rush Limbaugh. No offense meant, just my observation.

I'd love to have the money to get custom-blended and exclusively-packaged NC cigars myself, but I can't fault him for doing so just because he can. Many of us have been able to enjoy Cubans, whether traveling or someone lets you in on their supply.

In answer to original premise, if the embargo is ever lifted, the supply of CC's will come in at high 'novelty' prices to start, then will quickly become constrained. Counterfeits will flourish, able to be easily lost among the increased US-bound supply. After awhile, the Cuban factories will manage to vastly increase their production, and you will see the quality and consistency take a nosedive. Csmithnj had the right rise-and-fall scenario IMHO.

Someone I met a few years ago at a charity smoke was an audio engineer who had done work on Rush's broadcast studio at his home in Florida. Rush is an AVID CUBAN CIGAR SMOKER (although I'm sure his PUBLIC face dictates he be seen with and talk non-Cuban). As a matter of fact, at that charity smoke in 2003, this person gave me a Partagas EL Piramide that was from a box that Rush had gifted him the last time he did work for him down there.

He said on the air recently, within the last couple months, that he no longer smokes cuban cigars. He did not elaborate, but he clearly was a cuban cigar smoker as his interview with CA indicates. It is possible that he has taken this stance to avoid any problems with the legal side of this issue, and its also possible he is keeping the cuban cigars secret.

No one can know for sure other than rush or those in his immediate circle, but he has publicly indicated this shift. I suspect that it is due to the very close relationship he has forged with the top names in the cigar industry, and much like the top 25 list of CA he feels a personal responsibility to those guys.

I am a long time 24/7 subscriber and I listen to his show every day. When he discussed cigars, I have pen/paper at the ready. I would like rush to discuss on air this shift to see if its political or legal in nature. You know he can't land a plane without customs all over his butt so you can only imagine what they would do to him if he flew in cc's. Frankly I don't blame him for leaving the cc's to foreign soil consumption only, if that indeed the case. He is high profile, rich as heck, and doesnt need the aggravation.

As I said I like Rush and listen to him daily. I watch him on the ditto cam. I do not mean any dis to Rush, but I do not agree with every thing he says. He has made several statements that lead to an elitist attitude, such as "I have a huge plasma tv that only Bill Gates and myself own". Not just the Cigar statement. Like I said it leads to an eliteist attitude. Elite does not dis you, it means you are in a position of something or a club that very few can boast of. I do not care how much money he makes, does not bother me, I do not care who he buddies up with either. I listen to his show for his political commentary and other topics, and not because he owns a cigar factory or smokes whatever or knows so and so.
I choose to listen to him. If he POs me, I turn him off, LOL. Wish I could do that to others.

Considering the guy got busted for narcotics, it's probably not a bad idea to distance himself from illegal cigars, at least publicly.

Seriously when the embargo will be lifted, I dont think we will notice an increase in demand or price for Cubans. Actually every "amateurs" who already didnt smoked one, will all jump on the wagon, for the first months, Cuban will be very popular and people will smoke one or two and say "Oh, thats it!" and most will be disapointed with Cubans products. Also, dont forget, the other premium cigars companies that are in NI, DR, Hon trying to counterproduct the arrival of the Habanos on their niche market.

I mostly think that Habanos will be reduced in price to supply Havana with fresh money.

quote:

Originally posted by 3Vandoo:
I mostly think that Habanos will be reduced in price to supply Havana with fresh money.

Why would they reduce the price of a product that sells so well? Do they have such a built up supply of inventory that they'll want to off load it at reduced prices?

Following this logic, Fuente would reduce their Opus prices just to increase revenue.

Assuming there are no investment restrictions when the embargo is lifted, they'll be plenty of capital flowing into Cuba.

Good old supply demand curve will dictate prices if we are talking about a capitalist system. It is interesting how AF cigars are msrp well below the intersection of S and D curve. Just look at cigarbid prices. Take a $10 AF cigar single and it can sell for $20-40 depending on rarity. That is a strange situation.

There has been some writing in CA recently about the end of the embargo, and I can't remember who the maker was that was being interviewed but he said that he looks forward to that day. He also said that he would like to blend in some cuban leaf with his products. At the end of the day, I think we will see lots of cuban blending in our existing lines of other cigars.

Back to rush topic, the thing you need to understand is that he is being trying to be funny with the elitist talk. True he and the Dell owner are the only two guys that have the super big tv, but its a fun topic. I'd just say lighten up a little bit and don't take him so seriously. Its a funny intertaining program with some serious content mixed in.

The man really knows his cigars. I hope CA does a second interview with him. I think its high time!

Fuente has created an supply constraint. So as demand remains high, the middle man (shop owners), jacks up the price and charges really high prices. Why wouldn't the same thing happen with Cuban cigars?

The supply could very well be constrained unless they have an inventory of cigars that can come into the market once the embargo is lifted.

There are many examples of this like when a car manufacturer like Ford remade the GT. It has a sticker price, but no one will ever buy one for that price unless you own the dealership.

I think the same thing can and would happen with cuban cigars and cuban blend cigars from other counties. I would figure that it would be similar to the end of prohibition in the U.S. It will take some time for the markets to adjust, but we will all end up with better cigars as a result. Bathtub gin to bushmills.

As with all embargos or prohibitions only the middle class and below feel the impact. The wealthy will always be able to source whatever product in any quality they wish. Just the way of the world, and I hope to get there myself one day.

It is interesting how AF forces the authorized dealers to sell at MSRP, which is great as far as I am concerned. Frankly, the can't wait until the embargo is gone. It will make for some very interesting times to be in the cigar hobby.