Ridiculous bidding on cbid

IMHO, some of the overbidding is a result of punitive TAXES
on tobacco, in some states.

It would not surprise me that there might be 100% tax on
tobacco in some states, like CA or WA.


So, if you or I could get and OpusX single for $20, in CA or
WA the price might be $40 EACH. Then add to that, the fact
that Opus isn't available in some places, say North Dakota or
Idaho boonies, someone might have to beat out a bidder from
CA, just to get one to try. You'd be surprised how many
high end vitolas are out of stock at the usual suppliers.

Yes, some of the bids are outrageous, but some people have
the means to buy what they want, regardless of the price
and regardless of the logic.

Chemyst :cool:
 
QiCultivator said:
Wow, I just checked the auctions ending 5-16-07 (later tonight) and I see someone is bidding $43 for a 5-pack of Padron 3000s...You can almost buy a box of 25 for twice that. I see that CI has them IN STOCK right now for $21...this is just silly...

That said, the Padron X000 is a fine cigar IMO...

Anyone else see anything like this with other brands?
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Yup, and if you do a search you can find some very sad;funny and equally ridiculous examples of bidding over at C-Bid. FWIW, when you see that kind of thing going on, quietly back away and avoid nimwits like that forevermore.:ss
 
Addiction said:
This was a good thread guys, as I begin to enter the box market this is good info because I really have no idea how much is too much. I was in a B&M yesterday and saw a single Opus X for 49.95. I thought that was a bargin price because the His Majesty Reserve next to it was "only" $695.
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I notice you're new to the site... and I don't know if you're new to cigars. As a guy who started in Dec/Jan... my advice is KEEP READING here and buy slowly... there's no rush to fill the humi NOW. (You can always overspend later when you at least know what you're doing!) I went nuts early and overspent on a fair amount of $$$ in cigars when I later learned (1) they could have been had way cheaper, and (2) I didn't really wan't them in the first place.

Best example: Dominican Cohibas at $10 each. Flat-out wouldn't buy them now, but was an uneducated name-brand idiot at the time and thought I had to have Cohibas. When I think that I could have had Ashton VSGs, Tatuajes, Padillas, Pepins, and others at less than $10, it makes me sad.

As far as Opus X's go... hold out for at or near MSRP, which, depending on the make, is still usually less than $15, I think. I got a Fuente Fuente (5.5 x 46) for $8.95 last week at Tampa Sweethearts (but that was in person, not via mail), and i had a friend snag a Belicoso for me at around $12 at his B&M in Memphis. So $50 is really, really obnoxious. (Although there are some limited edition Opuses that I think are MSRP in the $25 to $40 range...)
 
i signed up for ubid.com and got 10 5 vegas golds for $17 bucks shipped, they dont have but there are some fine deals.
I got a humidor that's in cigars internationals catalog for $40 for $15 too.

Ubid junkmails to death though, but could probably get them to stop.
 
chemyst said:
IMHO, some of the overbidding is a result of punitive TAXES
on tobacco, in some states.

It would not surprise me that there might be 100% tax on
tobacco in some states, like CA or WA.
Click to expand...
43.5% of wholesale in California. At a locoal tobaco shop in so-cal they get $13.95 for an R.P. vintage 1990 Torp. That's a fiver on cbid. I'd probably pay $30 for a 5 pack and think it was a great deal if I didn't know any better.
 
My local B&M (NY) charges $10.29 for Rp Vintage Torps...I can get them regularly off Cbid for $15-$20 (5-pack). I still buy singles of VSGs from my B&M when I am looking for a higher-end smoke for a special occasion. They go for $10-$12 there and that is about what I find online. Since the owner is an awesome guy and gives me samples frequently, this gives me a good reason to go there. Also, to try out new smokes.

It's also great that I can find Gurkha Legend 5-packs on cbid for $15 when it is supposed to be a $18-$20 cigar (MSRP)...

It still puzzles me why people get caught up in this bidding frenzy for certain brands but not for others...
 
chemyst said:
IMHO, some of the overbidding is a result of punitive TAXES
on tobacco, in some states.

It would not surprise me that there might be 100% tax on
tobacco in some states, like CA or WA.

So, if you or I could get and OpusX single for $20, in CA or
WA the price might be $40 EACH.

Chemyst :cool:
Click to expand...


Cigar Tax here in Alaska is 125% so pick what is listed here as a good 3-4$ smoke and I can buy it for 8-12$ after taxes and mark-up. The OpusX's are all 25-40$ depending on the size. There are no taxes for mail order as of now, but it is coming so sayeth the shop keeper. I paid 14.50 for a Indian Tabac Cameroon legend the other day, becasue I wanted to try a few before I bought a box. So In my head if I buy boxes in the 50-80$ range I am getting a steal. That said I will not pay $40 for a single stick here and doubt I would do it online either. But I am still new.
 
$14.50 for an IT Cameroon Legend? I'm glad I don't live in Alaska. I was complaining recently about the 37% tobacco tax in New York. I guess it's worse in some other states...I was reading something about it recently in Cigar magazine I think. Every state does it differently.

Those Indian Tabacs you can get on cbid for $35 a box on a good day. It's a pretty good cigar according to my experience.
 
Maybe I have am missing something here. It seems to me that your local tobacco tax should not have any bearing on over bidding at cbid. What I don't get is people paying more on cbid than they would if they ordered from CI, which are one in the same. :2
devil-smiley-029.gif
 
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I was just trying to illustrate how much I have been able to save on some cigars since I stopped buying exclusively from my B&M and discovered online retailers and then cbid. It's a little off-topic (I should know since I brought up the topic)...

The only problem is that I buy a LOT MORE cigars now that I have found Cbid/CI and places like that...
 
paying more on cbid than they would if they ordered from CI, which are one in the same.
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I know what you mean, I was looking for some Fuente Double Chateu sungrowns - I can get a fiver for $25 but the bidding was up to $31 with two days to go. :hn
 
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