The difficulties of getting cigars

[camelfarmer]

Having decided I wanted to get more cigars and having no holidays planned I am left with two options- buy them in the UK for what I consider unfair and unsustainable prices, or get a friend to buy me some when they're on holiday. So I have a friend in Seville for a couple of weeks and he agrees to bring me back a few. I contact a local shop and they have nothing in stock. I'm currently waiting to hear if he can order them in in time for my friend to pick them up before he returns to the UK.

Seems like unnecessary nonsense tbh. I'd be happy to pay a reasonable tax and mark up in the UK, but it seems unfair to me that I can buy a litre bottle of alcohol for under ?20 and not a pack of small cigars.

I've got the price lists from Spain and Italy and they 2 - 3 x cheaper than the UK.

I'm communicating with the Spanish shop in spanish so that's a bit of entertainment.

I'll update the thread with what happens and if I can work it out!

[ha_banos]

If you are preparing to buy a couple of boxes. A round trip on a cheap flight will still be cheaper. the more you buy the more you save. And from the EU you can bring in 200 cigars. That's 8 boxes [emoji16]

Then you can get onto the monopolies and mergers commission and report H&F and HMRC [emoji35]



Sent from the interwebz

[camelfarmer]

If you are preparing to buy a couple of boxes. A round trip on a cheap flight will still be cheaper. the more you buy the more you save. And from the EU you can bring in 200 cigars. That's 8 boxes [emoji16]

Then you can get onto the monopolies and mergers commission and report H&F and HMRC [emoji35]



Sent from the interwebz

Yeah I know. It's just I don't really have the time to have a proper holiday and it's the wrong time of year for Europe. Considered going to Venice for new years... But I reckon it will just be cold and besides a decent hotel at new years is ?150 a night!

[ha_banos]

Wonder if it's time to organise a UKCF day trip ...?

Sent from the interwebz

[PeeJay]

Venice is no good for cigars and judging by Matt's post neither is most of Italy!

[Emaresee]

Venice is no good for cigars and judging by Matt's post neither is most of Italy!

Rome is good, but supply is fickle...

[PeeJay]

Wonder if it's time to organise a UKCF day trip ...?

Sent from the interwebz

Geneva is cheap and accessible and hosts Gestos but its not in the EU. Dusseldorf hosts Cigarworld which is a big shop as well as other. Martyn had good luck in Murcia, Northern Spain.

[Hookmaker]

I had a friend roam a few Spanish shops during summer and its not easy, - best thing is to have your friend visit a few shops and call you when in there ie. on messenger/Facetime so that you can actually see what they've got. I've tried to contact and communicate with Spanish shops all on phone but most say they have nothing of interest. I think they are just not interested. Best thing though is to do as said: Jump on a cheap stogie flight for a long weekend - the flights from the UK to Spain are so cheap you almost get them thrown at you. B&Bs in spain are cheap - remember you are just going to go for cigars, no other bullshit.

OH, and try and pick some city off the general tourist track - they definitely have more cigars.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Some people have luck with Cigars in Barcelona... I found it fairly bad with one exception.

In general the shop staff couldnt care less about anyone actually interested. They wanted quick tourist transactions.

[camelfarmer]

I had a friend roam a few Spanish shops during summer and its not easy, - best thing is to have your friend visit a few shops and call you when in there ie. on messenger/Facetime so that you can actually see what they've got. I've tried to contact and communicate with Spanish shops all on phone but most say they have nothing of interest. I think they are just not interested. Best thing though is to do as said: Jump on a cheap stogie flight for a long weekend - the flights from the UK to Spain are so cheap you almost get them thrown at you. B&Bs in spain are cheap - remember you are just going to go for cigars, no other bullshit.

OH, and try and pick some city off the general tourist track - they definitely have more cigars.

Can't really ask him to spend much time looking for me. Hoping that this guy will reply and accept an order with payment on collection. Otherwise I will just have to wait until I can organise a weekend away. The trouble with flights are they're cheap out of bristol but expensive or non existent coming back on a Sunday. Also none of these shops seem to have stock so if I showed up without pre ordering I might get nothing.

[Moley]

I try never to buy from UK retailers, although not of any fault of the retailer's, more to do with the stupid tax/H&f monopoly as [MENTION=13372427]ha_banos[/MENTION] mentioned.

However, these are a 'luxury' product for the vast majory and like most on here, its all down to priorities and sacrifice to acquire cigars. So plan how much you can afford to buy and how many you plan to smoke and you might find your current stash may last longer than you think. I worked out how many I smoke in a month enabling me to budget my costs and I could easily afford UK prices for the amount I smoke if thats where I could aquire cigars from.

You can buy hand rolled, long filler cigars in the UK for ?5-6 each maybe less i.e Regius half coronas

[Mike72]

So if we don't support the UK retailers, and they go under, then who is left to fight for our rights to have a cigar or three with Big Brother?

[Mike72]

Was going to make a comment, but best not.

[PeeJay]

So if we don't support the UK retailers, and they go under, then who is left to fight for our rights to have a cigar or three with Big Brother?

We're not the people who keep the UK retailers in business Mike

[camelfarmer]

We're not the people who keep the UK retailers in business Mike

You're right...just seen the boss booking some business class tickets for 5 grand each...