Regardless of the holiday you celebrate, whether it be Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday, one thing is for sure: there is always an excitement in the air come December. The weather has cooled, the leaves have fallen, and the snow is on the ground. Okay, maybe no snow or leaves here in Scottsdale, at least not normally, but you can still see a difference. The chill in the air means the fireplaces are burning and here in Arizona, that means good smoking weather around a fire pit in the backyard. There is just something so relaxing and satisfying about grabbing your favorite beverage, picking out your evening stick and sitting cozy around a flame with family and friends that should truly brighten anyone’s day. I love spending a Friday or Saturday night with a group of people, sipping on a Sam Adams Winter Lager or Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, lighting up a deep and dark maduro and just losing myself into the evening. And maybe the best part is all of the great deals you start to see popping up at stores on everything from TV’s to shoes. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
Now the deals of course jump right into the cigar business as well. Shops all over the country have joined the Black Friday crowd and offer deep discounts on sticks and accessories. Some stores put together special holiday sampler packs and even manufacturers release special holiday gift packs. Ranging from simple stick samplers to travel cases with cigars to ashtray gift sets, the manufacturers have some great deals to be offered. Go into any B&M and you will see gift sets aplenty on the shelves and maybe even a specific area with gift sets for anyone. But how do you decide what to get for the person you are shopping for? Do they need an ashtray? How about a humidor? Or maybe it is a simple cutter and lighter combo they are in need of? There are so many options it is tough to decide, especially when you aren’t sure of what that person smokes. So here are some holiday shopping tips for that special cigar smoker in your life:
- If you want to gift them cigars, learn what they smoke. Whether it be a brand, a flavor profile or a strength scale, take the time to learn this. As a cigar smoker, I will graciously accept whatever someone gifts me because they put the thought into that gift. However if it is a cigar that I don’t particularly enjoy I may set it in my humidor and not smoke it. You have to be very careful when cigar shopping because like most clothes, it is not a 1-size-fits-all kind of hobby. Cigars can be too mild, too strong, too spicy or any number of other things that may not be enjoyed by the recipient of your gracious gift.
- Don’t be afraid to ask the person working the humidor. They are there to answer questions and help you select the right product for you or your loved one. They are (or at least should be) knowledgeable about their product and can help you immensely. Maybe the person you are buying for likes to smoke Romeo Y Julieta cigars but you want to get them something a bit different. Ask the tobacconist what would be comparable and you can put together your own personal sampler for them.
- If you don’t want to get them cigars but maybe provide accessories, learn what they need. If I already own 4 lighters I might not be in need of one. But maybe the ashtray in my backyard is a bit small and I need something a bit bigger. Or I currently use a cigar punch and maybe want to try something different like a regular cutter or V-Cut. Finding out these little details will make the gift mean so much more. I would happily accept a lighter even if I already owned 4 but maybe there was something else I was in need of.
- Humidors can be a slippery slope and while a great gift idea, they must be approached with caution. There can be several issues with purchasing someone a humidor and the biggest would be how big you buy. For a humidor to work as it should it needs to be ¾ of the way full. If the person you have bought for doesn’t have enough cigars to fill it that much then they need to buy enough cigars to do so and now you have cost them what could be quite a bit of money. Of course the other side of that is if they have too many cigars to fit into what you’ve bought them. The other big part of a humidor purchase is to consider what they look like. Humidors are as much of a furniture piece as they are a functional tool for a cigar smoker. The different looks appeal to different people and may not match the design of someone’s home. While this is a very nice gift for someone, approach with caution.
- There is of course always the last option, which many people do not like, and that is a gift card/certificate. While it is a bit more impersonal to go this route, it may be the safest, especially in the cigar world. Cigars are such a personal thing that it can be very easy to give the wrong gift. With a gift card you are allowing someone to get what they like and you know you are safe.
Hopefully this little list of things has helped you in purchasing the proper gift for that special cigar smoker in your life. I can tell you as a retail tobacconist that following this list will make the gift you give that much more special and will make it much easier for us to help you find it. Trying to find a cigar for someone when they come into the store with no knowledge of what the person smokes is a daunting task. The last thing we want to do is pick out the wrong gift for your loved one. Arming yourself with the above knowledge makes the entire experience, from purchase to ripping off the wrapping, a much more enjoyable experience. And when has it ever been a bad thing to learn a little more about your loved one’s hobby, even if it isn’t one you share.
Last but not least we here at Cigar King want to thank each and every customer we’ve worked with over the years. We have been around as long as we have because of you and plan on being around for years to come. Hopefully when you come to us we can make your gift buying experience as enjoyable for you as it is for us. We do what we love and that should show when you work with us. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to a fantastic 2012!
