Support Your Local Cigar Shop

By George Edmonson

I like cigar shops. For me, the essence of the experience is summed up in the motto of The Big Easy, a welcoming little shop in Studio City, California: “A Cigar Sanctuary.”

Since you’re reading this, I’m guessing you are a cigar shop fan as well. Oh, sure, we’ve all run into that occasional cranky owner and the obnoxious customer who insists on telling everyone his political views or loudly complaining about something or other. Really, though, they’re the exception. In fact, cigar shops more often have the inviting atmosphere of a club that grants membership immediately upon entering.

Even for those of us who frequently visit cigar shops – and are fortunate enough to have more than one or two fairly nearby – it can be easy to forget some of what makes them a special experience and well worth patronizing.

Okay, their prices aren’t likely to be as low as on-line sellers. With those vendors, you’re paying shipping, but probably not sales taxes and possibly not state tobacco taxes. No one would deny there are incredible deals on the Internet, and I’m not at all opposed to those operations. I have no connection to any retailer, on-line or brick-and-mortar, and I think both have their place,

Below: Ryan Boyd; Boyd’s Tobacco and Elegant Gifts,

Paso Robles, California

But I also think it can be shortsighted to focus only on dollars. Remember Oscar Wilde’s definition of a cynic: “A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

A list of the values available at your friendly cigar shop would be long, whether it’s a small spot like The Big Easy or an upscale colossus like Cigar Masters in Boston, where reservations are recommended for their extraordinarily well-stocked lounge.

At the Retail Tobacco Dealers Association (RTDA), a trade group for tobacconists, Chris McCalla said more shops seem to be adding lounges, particularly as restrictive laws make them one of the few spot for legal cigar smoking.

“Cigar shops can no longer be simply a retail space, but must become a ‘smoking club,’ insulated from anti-smoking legislation and from those who are hostile to cigar smokers,” according to Heather Waibel, who become nationally known in the cigar community last year for leading the successful opposition to a proposed tobacco tax hike in California.

She’s planning to open a shop in Texas and wrote me an e-mail saying, that while she originally had reservations about entering the retail arena, she believes she can succeed by making it her mission to “bring the art, calm, and elegance of the cigar smoking lifestyle to men and women who appreciate the simple joys in life.” Sounds like a shop we’d all enjoy.

One development that seems to be gaining at least some traction is cigar shops establishing fee-based membership venues. Amenities vary, as does the cost. Again, it’s another choice being provided.

At Telford’s Pipe & Cigar in Mill Valley north of San Francisco, proprietor Brian Telford is a believer in the power of cigar events, a booming trend at shops across the country.

Below (and in header): Doug Shaw; The Sanctuary Tobacco Shop,

San Luis Obispo, California

“It expands our business and draws people from all over the Bay area,” said Telford, who estimates he holds an event of some kind about every six weeks. “It definitely is a way of making your business special.”

Events may be built around a new release or a special occasion or even the opportunity for smokers to test wine pairings with cigars. Sometimes, Telford told me by phone, he’ll have a roller on hand.

And going back to that question of price and value, manufacturer events invariably include discounts as well as a terrific opportunity to talk shop with a company rep or even the top person. There’s also the possibility of some one-of-a-kind sticks, such as the fresh ones Telford was expecting the Graycliff rep to bring up from Nassau for his March event.

You’ll probably meet some new friends and undoubtedly have a great time. Many shops maintain e-mail lists to alert patrons to upcoming events, so sign up. (In fact, I got an e-mail the day I was writing this from Bethesda Tobacco, a terrific shop not far from where I used to live outside Washington, D.C., announcing an impromptu barbecue the following evening and deals on La Flor Dominicana cigars. Wish I could have gone!)

At Iwan Ries & Co., a Chicago landmark with a history that predates the Civil War, general manager Kevin Levi said over the telephone that they are focusing on buying from manufacturers who want to make exclusive deals with retail shops rather than Internet merchants.

Ries was one of the few U.S. shops to make a Forbes list of the world’s best tobacconists. I liked the article’s general description as well: “What Notre Dame was to Quasimodo, these friendly [cigar] shops have become to the persecuted that puff.”

Of course, this doesn’t begin to exhaust the pluses of dealing with a local shop. Good owners learn what their good customers like and help them get it, whether it’s a scarce new release or a box of coveted hard-to-get smokes.

So, if it’s been a while since you visited your local shop, stop by. Check to see what other shops are nearby and visit them as well.

You’ll find more than cigars. You’ll find value.

To find a local tobacconist in your area, consult the Cigar Live B&M Location Map.

Featured Web sites:

Boyd’s Tobacco and Elegant Gifts: http://www.boydcigars.com

The Sanctuary Tobacco: http://www.sanctuarytobacco.com/

The Big Easy: http://www.bigeasycigars.com/

RTDA: http://rtda.org

Cigar Masters: http://www.cigarmasters.com/

Heather Waibel: http://www.fumeeworld.com/

Telford’s: http://www.telfordspipeandcigar.com/

Bethesda Tobacco: http://www.bethesdatobacco.com/