Pfeifen Huber Munich - Prices of tobacco

[unadoptedlamp]

Stopped in at Pfeifen Huber while in Munich to get some Virgina Golden Flake. Got two of the 400g pouches on a whim, and perhaps because I remembered it being recommended by Sable or someone else here. It's right up my alley. Those were $65 euro a bag, which is reasonable for here.

Decent store, but not a very big collection of pipes. Nothing caught my eye, but there were some pretty nice looking pipes on offer some people may enjoy. Pretty good selection of German blends. Nothing rare or too exciting otherwise.

I was looking for a Bolivar royal corona cigar (Cuba) because they are ridiculously expensive in Canada and Brazil where I otherwise have access to them. I usually buy a box or two while here and bring them with me.

Not this time.

They didn't even have a single for the hotel terrace at night.

So, when I asked, "where's all of your Cuban cigars?" and expected something about covid and shipping, he grimaced and said "China" instead.

Now, anything they get, which is rare, is 40% more expensive. That's more or less what it was in Canada and Brazil. Maybe a little higher, but not much. I'm guessing those prices have probably also risen by somewhere in the 40% range as well.

Not a huge pain in my ass, as I do like pipe tobacco more. However, I was partial to a Bolivar once in awhile and liked having a box or two kicking around to tie me over for the next trip to Europe.

Switzerland was the same. Around the corner where I'm living is a great shop, well stocked with cigars and pipe tobacco. It's a smaller town, so the cigar selection (aside from Bolivar) is still somewhat there at OK prices, but I was informed this is it. Prices are going up and new stock is hard to get. Again, China was cited.

Around the corner from my hotel was a little tobacco store with a small selection of Cuban cigars. All slots empty. Again, China. But I could take home a Cohiba for $45 euro.

Pfeifen Huber was annoyed that everything is now going to China, because they sold a fair amount from Cuba. Same for the little shop next to the hotel. The Swiss didn't give a shit. But maybe it was just the salesperson and not the owner talking there.

I don't really care either, but for me, it is some pretty strong confirmation that the market in China is scooping up a number of the premium brands -of Cuban cigars at least- and it seems logical that some of the desired pipe tobacco in constant shortage has a similar fate -as has been reported here several times. The shops here expected that the prices are the 'new normal' and that's the end, unless the Chinese economy takes a huge shit and things come back down. But probably unlikely the prices come down any time soon. Seems to be a huge pool of wealth there to sustain it all, for now.

Well, I guess I can't fault the manufacturer. If they can make an extra 40%, that's the free market dream... from communist countries, no less. Ha! Oh man. I was told prices are being set in Cuba, not here.

I guess cigars are now out for me, as I only really got my kicks on that one brand. I've had plenty of others, but for me, that was it for cigars. Ho-hum.

The Virginia Golden Flake is magnificent, so I'll sleep just fine. I'm hopeful that it's too obscure to become a status symbol. Shit. Isn't that what makes things desirable? Oh well, I've written this novel already and will just hit post. Damn the system!

 

[fireground_piper]

It's always risky to shrink your marketplace for short term profits. If the rest of the world market moves on because you've become mostly exclusive to a certain territory, you risk becoming beholden to that territory for your business. That seems like a potential gamble in an industry that is pretty turbulent.

 

[sablebrush52]

China's economy is going through some challenges, so the good times there may not continue to roll. Don't expect any price decrease or increased availability as a result. People are loath to give up an unearned advantage and these items will not be an exception.

@unadoptedlamp glad you like the Huber Virginia Golden Flake. One of my favorites.

 

[DanWil84]

Thanks for sharing, I think their houseblends are quite interesting.

That 40% increase in habanos cigars is a myth. 5th Avenue, habanos importer for Germany, has shared the prices. Halfwheel wrote a article about it with some PROOF (below plot graph) that almost nothing has increased 40%, mostly Cohiba and Trinidad are rising because that's mainly what the Chinese market is after. I sometimes get the idea a lot of shops and importers are limiting supply on purpose without being able to proof it.

 

[bullet08]

Used to smoke occasional cigars back in 80's. Then 90's rolled in and cigar price went up like crazy. Not the Chinese, but damned yuppies. There will always be some a-holes taking good things away from honest men. Make more money.

 

[Terry Lennox]

Trinidas Reyes are the only Cubans I keep in the humidor. Everything else I like is Dominican.

 

[karam]

Stopped in at Pfeifen Huber while in Munich to get some Virgina Golden Flake. Got two of the 400g pouches on a whim, and perhaps because I remembered it being recommended by Sable or someone else here. It's right up my alley. Those were $65 euro a bag, which is reasonable for here.

Decent store, but not a very big collection of pipes. Nothing caught my eye, but there were some pretty nice looking pipes on offer some people may enjoy. Pretty good selection of German blends. Nothing rare or too exciting otherwise.

I was looking for a Bolivar royal corona cigar (Cuba) because they are ridiculously expensive in Canada and Brazil where I otherwise have access to them. I usually buy a box or two while here and bring them with me.

Not this time.

They didn't even have a single for the hotel terrace at night.

So, when I asked, "where's all of your Cuban cigars?" and expected something about covid and shipping, he grimaced and said "China" instead.

Now, anything they get, which is rare, is 40% more expensive. That's more or less what it was in Canada and Brazil. Maybe a little higher, but not much. I'm guessing those prices have probably also risen by somewhere in the 40% range as well.

Not a huge pain in my ass, as I do like pipe tobacco more. However, I was partial to a Bolivar once in awhile and liked having a box or two kicking around to tie me over for the next trip to Europe.

Switzerland was the same. Around the corner where I'm living is a great shop, well stocked with cigars and pipe tobacco. It's a smaller town, so the cigar selection (aside from Bolivar) is still somewhat there at OK prices, but I was informed this is it. Prices are going up and new stock is hard to get. Again, China was cited.

Around the corner from my hotel was a little tobacco store with a small selection of Cuban cigars. All slots empty. Again, China. But I could take home a Cohiba for $45 euro.

Pfeifen Huber was annoyed that everything is now going to China, because they sold a fair amount from Cuba. Same for the little shop next to the hotel. The Swiss didn't give a shit. But maybe it was just the salesperson and not the owner talking there.

I don't really care either, but for me, it is some pretty strong confirmation that the market in China is scooping up a number of the premium brands -of Cuban cigars at least- and it seems logical that some of the desired pipe tobacco in constant shortage has a similar fate -as has been reported here several times. The shops here expected that the prices are the 'new normal' and that's the end, unless the Chinese economy takes a huge shit and things come back down. But probably unlikely the prices come down any time soon. Seems to be a huge pool of wealth there to sustain it all, for now.

Well, I guess I can't fault the manufacturer. If they can make an extra 40%, that's the free market dream... from communist countries, no less. Ha! Oh man. I was told prices are being set in Cuba, not here.

I guess cigars are now out for me, as I only really got my kicks on that one brand. I've had plenty of others, but for me, that was it for cigars. Ho-hum.

The Virginia Golden Flake is magnificent, so I'll sleep just fine. I'm hopeful that it's too obscure to become a status symbol. Shit. Isn't that what makes things desirable? Oh well, I've written this novel already and will just hit post. Damn the system!

Whereabouts in Switzerland were you? I live near Basel for almost a year now. There are a lot of nice tobacco shops here, most have the same selection of tins (MacBaren, Peterson, F&T, Samuel Gawith, Rattray’s), but some have “house blends” which really are K&K and Gawith rebrands. Lots of cigars too, Basel has a Davidoff shop and Sven Steinmann’s amazing Pfeifenladen shop, along with a smaller but still good shop. Konstanz has a really great pipe and cigar shop (Urs Portmann), as does Zurich (Tabak Laedeli) I am also aware of good tobacco shops in Lausanne and Geneve (my wife jokes that I pick our trips, or at least parking lots based on tobacco shops, not entirely untrue!!!). No shortage of Cuban and other cigars either. Can’t comment on Germany, though I know they are a massive cigar market.