Expert: James Yee - 4/13/2009

Question
James you said you answer this already I did not receive it. can you resent it to me?
Also on the same subject what about pricing between buying in Hong Kong,China or from Duty Free at the airport? Which is the better buy?



I have already answered this question for you once before.

Your Question was:

Hey James,

I bought some Cubans online they look and smoked fine. But I have nothing to really compare them to except one RJ Short Churchill I had bought and kept the box.

I have one friend that lives in Vancouver and one that will be coming from Hong Kong.

Both said they could send or bring me a box.

Which will be a better price and less hassle? From Duty Free at the Hong Kong Airport before he hops on the plane or from downtown Vancouver?

What price range should I tell them? Online  I paid around seven dollars per stick of Monte Cristo #4, RJ #1 and #2 and ten dollars per stick for Cohiba Siglo 2.

These were shipped free from Switzerland do you think they were a little too cheap and might be fakes? I compare the boxes and stickers to the one I had.  I thought they looked real so far the two I smoked were fine. I will try the others this weekend with friends.
Thanks,

Jr.


Answer
Jr.,

I actually don't discuss mailorder sources so if you're looking to confirm the authenticity of mailorder sources, please use google or visit cigar message board forums for more info and feedback. In regards to duty free shopping, Hong Kong duty free has been known to stock nice looking Cubans (compared to most places) but price is high and cigar selection can be somewhat thin. You will most likely have better luck buying from Vancouver (if you can, shop at La Casa del Habanos as it is an authorized retailer of Cuban cigars.)

In terms of price, I'm not sure what you're looking for. Are you looking for singles or boxes? Just give your friend a price range that you're comfortable with plus a list of cigars you're interested in. When shopping for Cuban cigars, you may not always find what you're looking for so you should make a list for your friend.  I forget what the prices are in Vancouver but to give you an idea of what cigar prices are like in Canada, a Montecristo #4 is about $16-18 CAD which is about $13 USD. Robustos are about $22-24 CAD each.

Regards,
James