Joined: 10-20-2023 Posts: 1,006
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LeeBot wrote:Alright, I'm going to be a contrarian. I have pent-up thoughts on this. If you gave me the option of which to smoke, a free Plasencia Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro, or a Padrón anything, I would take the Plascencia.
I think Padróns are relatively linear, unremarkably flavored but well constructed, standard Nicaraguan cigars. Really just not that noteworthy other than that they do have good quality control, and that's valuable.
One of the big reasons Padróns have the mystic they have is because they engage in what I think is price fixing. They call it MAP. Minimum Advertised Pricing. They do this to keep the price artificially high because if the free market were to determine their value, the price would fall to something much more in line with what they are - a relatively linear, standard Nicaraguan cigar that is well made. They're good $15 cigars, and if the market were determining their value, that's about what they would sell for. They create an image and brand that makes them seem better than they are. But think about it - why do they need MAP if their cigars are really worth the $30 or whatever they ask for them? The market would just produce that result. But they know it won't. From what I gather, before MAP, their cigars didn't sell for what they sell for now.
Take the bands off, and the Plasencia is richer and fuller in flavor to me. But there are lots of people on here who have smoked way more cigars than I have who disagree, so I could be wrong. I could change my mind one day and say "wow, now I get it." But for now, I don't get it.
On MAP, for the life of me I don't see how that isn't price fixing. I know people on here say it isn't, but from what I have read, the issue is not as well-settled as all that. Especially on an auction site. What advertising support, etc. are they providing Cbid? Again, I don't get it. Saying you can't "advertise" our cigars for less than $X on an auction site is saying "you can't sell it for less than $X." That sure seems like price-fixing to me. It sure is not a free market determining the value.
After that spiel, I should say that I went in a B&M yesterday, and felt I should buy something, so I bought a Padrón 6000. It was $15, which is more than I think that cigar is really worth (it's a $10 cigar), but I will smoke it and enjoy it. I believe price fixing is when multiple competing manufacturers or retailers agree to raise the price of an identical item so consumers have no choice but to pay an inflated price. And cigars arent essential goods they're definitely luxury goods so they might not qualify. Also I get Padron 000s for $10, 1964s for $15-$18 depending on size, and 1926s for a tad more at my local B&M. He sells everything at MSRP and no extra excise tax in PA though. I've never smoked the 40th, 50th, or 80th which run about $30
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