Hey, Bargain-Hunters: Cigar Prices already Hiked

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Mar 28th 2009 at 10:02AM

The SCHIP takes effect next week, and cigar smokers everywhere are dreading Wednesday. We've seen it coming, and I'm sure a few committed, deep-pocketed smokers have been stocking up to lock in discounts now. For the rest of us, though, there's no choice but to bite the bullet. And, in some places, that bullet is flying faster than in others.

Employees at the 16 Tocacco Depot stores, for example, have been rushing around to put new prices on various tobacco products, even though we still have nearly a week left. Fred Hoyland, who runs the show at that chain, says that some of the manufactures have raised their prices early – weeks in advance, even – in a play to beat the bargain hunters to the tax punch. Hoyland calls this "keep[ing] the market and inventory stable."

So, all your planning was probably for nothing. The house always wins ...

Tags: cigar, cigarette, cigarette smoking, cigarettes, CigaretteSmoking, cigars, schip, smokers, tax, taxes, tobacco, tobacco industry, tobacco use, TobaccoIndustry, TobaccoUse

Filed under: Cigars

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Adam Mar 28th 2009 12:50PM

Pete Johnson has committed to keeping all of his cigars at pre-SCHIP prices. While we shouldn't punish any vendors for the new SCHIP rules, it's clear there are manufacturers who should be rewarded. And I'd be reluctant to support any vendor that uses this tax as a reason to increase their margins.

Pete's lines are Tatuaje, Cabiguan, Ambos Mundos and La Riqueza

gpr Mar 28th 2009 1:29PM

I get confused easily, so maybe you can explain. Didn't you say before that this tax works out to about 40 cents per cigar? Aren't cigar smokers supposed to be, you know, big swinging dicks? Tough uber-capitalists, showing off their success? Do they really care about an extra 40 cents? Do the rest of us care if they have to pay it?

And why is this a Luxist post? I thought the point of this blog was exuberant consumption. Million dollar yachts and what not.

This seems political and very very petty.