My friend went to a local B&M because I received an email and told him that some new sticks were in.

He went and picked up a few for me and I asked him how much they were his response was "Very expensive, but very yummy."

So, again I asked him how much and his response was "Between $15-$30!!!" I couldn't believe this, so I went online and found 2 of these cigars pictured below, the Octoberfest and La Duena for $7.50-$8.75

This really upsets me that this B&M would hike the price up an extra $7-$14.....I heard about taxes, but c'mon......I want to support this business, but if I can get them for WAY less online why bother? Any feedback??

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Depending on where your friend is, that may be right. Some states like New York have a 70% tobacco tax. There is also the possibility of additional mark-up. We have a shop here that charges on average $1-$2 above retail. Why you ask, "Because We Can", is the response I got when asked.
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The nice thing about a free country is that you can take your business elsewhere. It's a hard lesson, but I never ask someone to buy sticks for me unless I know what it will cost.
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That seems to be in the ballpark for the PG's.
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It was Alan Larry, we are both in Indiana and I just couldn't make it so he went instead.
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Ouch. Lesson learned.
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Being from the land of taxes, aka California... I have succombed to pretty much ordering all my cigars online.... Not to mention, the only decent cigar shop with a lounge in the area is no longer in business. There is a decent cigar shop near my work, but there is no lounge, and no smoking in the shop. I will occasionally pick up some smokes from there, but they are $$$. Online is where it's at.
Scott
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I am on the north side of Indy and we have 2 local B&M's here. I find usually a 2 to 3 dollar markup at one and a 4 to 5 at the other compared to online. And that is before taxes......
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There is a B&M here that marks up LPs and other semi-htf sticks 100% or more. In Alabama where taxes aren't bad at all, it's just gouging. That same place also sells wine at damn near restaurant prices. Some proprieters will charge whatever they can get people to pay.

They might even need to charge such high prices to pay rent, if people who know cigars don't come to your store because the prices are stupid high then your business will rely on the odd curious newby than comes in and doesn't know what cigars are worth. So if your prices are too high to start with and run all the customers away, then prices just have to keep going up, next thing you know you're selling LP9s for $25.00

That's my theory, anyway.
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You also have to take into account that the online big boxes are buying the cigars in larger quantities than the local B&M so the online places buy cheaper and sell cheaper. It's just like Wal*Mart coming into your neighborhood and putting the local family owned shop out of business.
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This is my take on all this. Take it for what it's worth. I love my B&M, great place run by a great guy. The thing is he is a little overpriced compared to online vendors. That is because of state taxes and such. I understand that. What I do however is if he has a stick I have yet to try, I will pick up 1 or 2 just to support him. I will then buy a box online if I truly like it. To each their own however.
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There is one B&M on Maui and no smoking in the shop. There about a handfull or less on Oahu and the tobacco tax is 50% in Hawaii. I always travel with my own cigars, but when visiting a B&M, I will always purchase a couple of cigars to support their business.

I don't have to buy the most expensive cigar in the shop, but it must be nice to have them around, to sit and light up a smoke and enjoy the moment. Just saying.......
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This was at Indy Cigar Bar

This is exactly why I want to support my local B&M's

Now this I didn't think about, nice strategy.
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Down here in Evansville, IN, we have a couple of pretty decent B&Ms. But one is quite a bit better. I've personally witnessed an employee from the second shop come into the better one, purchase a box, then go back to their shop and mark them up $4-5 a stick.

Pretty much have stopped visiting shop #2.
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I'm with the majority here. I really do want to support my local B&M, so I stop in periodically to pick up a few sticks (new releases I want to try) and if I enjoy them, I'll buy a box online. Best time to buy boxes from a B&M are during cigar events. While I don't like the mark up...fully understand it. Now for the folks in the high tax states...I feel for ya brothers.
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I think I'm also in the majority here. The B&M in my neighborhood has good prices and sells at MSRP, even Opus, but if a B&M decides to mark-up their prices to ridiculous levels, then why should I (or anyone else) support them? Customer loyalty isn't automatic, nor should it be, but it must be reciprocal; a business gets my loyalty when they earn it.
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Well. That's the issue heh. I have only been there a few times but since its not a typical B&M its beyond marke
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Pretty much my deal here in Southern Oregon. Very rarely do I buy local.. If I can get a free shipping(which happens 99.99% of the time) it is always cheaper.

Sucks not to buy local, but in an effort to help them, I need to help myself save money as well.
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How are there prices on cigars you are familiar with? Maybe he had to pay a premium to get them, hence the high price? Maybe the high price is push customers to another cigar instead?
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Wow! That's a D1ick move for sure.
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