We are creatures of habit. And because we have an innate fear of the unknown, we tend to go with what’s familiar. Even if it costs us more money. But let’s face it. This hobby is expensive, and in my mind, finding the best deals far outweighs sticking with what’s familiar. I spend thousands of dollars on cigars each year, so I’m very price-sensitive. But I can understand people’s reluctance to reach beyond their wheelhouse. In light of this, below is a small list of vendors whom I purchase cigars from often. Their shipping is good and I’ve gotten consistent quality service from all of them.
One big hint: I price-compare between all of them when searching for cigars.
Atlantic
Atlantic is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites to shop. I originally went there because it was one of the only sites that carried Regius and had the best prices on DTT Umbagog Bronzeback sticks. But as I explored the site more, I found that they have incredible regular prices on lots of different sticks. Their Specials and 10-pack Steals pages are where it’s at for me. I’m not sure how they do it, but it’s filled with 10-packs that blow most of the competition out of the water – even CigarPage’s Scorchers sometimes! Their box prices are also super-competitive and oftentimes way better than other retailers, so I tend to look there first.
CigarPage
CP is well-known on the Internet as having great deals and lots of people recommend them, and for good reason: their prices are often better than many sites out there. Out of all the retailers I mention here, I buy from CP the most. That said, because they’re mostly a clearinghouse, they don’t always have what I want, but when they do, they usually have some of the best prices on the market.
MiamiHumidor
This is the place I go to get Paul Stulac and now Don Emmanuel cigars. For Paul Stulac sticks, there’s no better place to get them. Their prices cannot be beat. Also, their regular prices are super-competitive with much larger operations, and they ship FAST. I usually get an order within three days, and the cigars always come packed in an airtight container with a Boveda pack.
Honestly, I originally shopped there only for Paul Stulac cigars but when I saw their prices on other stuff, they became one of the sites I search for cigars of any kind.
On top of that, their customer service is stellar. Twice they’ve contacted me directly when there was an issue with my order and resolved them within minutes. Another time I contacted them because I forgot to add a coupon code to my order and they honored it, even after they ran my credit card! Nice!
CigarBid
CigarBid is another clearinghouse for cigars and it’s the place I go to get most of my bundles of CAO Brazilia, La Gloria Cubana, Alec Bradley Magic Toast, AJ New World, and other value sticks. I’ve gotten a couple of good scores on Undercrown Maduro, but there are other sites that sell boxes cheaper.
The thing about CigarBid is that it is easy to get distracted by the energy of the auctions. Bear in mind that they charge for shipping, so you have to factor shipping and taxes into your max bid. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way thinking I got a great deal but after shipping and taxes, ended up paying more than competitors.
Also, CigarBid uses a Yankee bidding system. People are used to the eBay style of auctions. But in the case of a Yankee auction, you should bid early because you’ll often get your sticks at a better price than what the final bid goes for. Yeah, it’s a bit of a game.
CigarPlace
This is a sleeper site that I discovered while searching for Curivari. I will buy Curivari sticks from here if CigarPage or Atlantic doesn’t have the one I’m after. They’re also a big Gran Habano retailer and usually have the best price on the Corojo #5 Maduro. But unless I’m after Curivari or Gran Habano, I usually check this site to price compare.
JR Cigars
I’ve only recently added JR because of their stackable coupon code specials. They have inventory clearance sales where you can stack a bunch of coupon codes together and get INSANE deals. For instance, I just bought a box of LADC Noblesse Monarchy for $232 including tax and shipping! That box retails for over $450 on other sites before tax and shipping. Amazing. But other than those sales, JR tends to be much more expensive than other sites, so I don’t buy from them unless I can use coupons.
Other Sites
I will occasionally check the following sites if I can’t find what I’m looking for at the sites above or simply to price compare. But my experience with these sites is that their prices aren’t usually that competitive.
- Hiland’s Cigars – I don’t always buy from them, but if I do, I usually call them direct because I found I can get better deals by speaking with a person than their online prices. Also, if I’m in Scottsdale, I will go to their store. They give great prices to walk-in traffic.
- Famous Smoke – I occasionally buy from Famous, but usually for only deals I can’t get elsewhere. For instance, I recently got four boxes of LGC 8th Street for $50/box. Not bad.
- Best Cigar Prices – I have only purchased from these guys on occasion, but they get a lot of love online. I have seen some very good deals there so I typically use them for price comparison.
