Is It Worth Pursuing Cigars for Sale Online?

There are some tobacco enthusiasts who probably just wouldn’t buy their tobacco online. It’s one of those niche things that many people see as appropriate for, and only appropriate for, in-person shopping. But we’re not so sure it should be that way.

Forget tobacco and think about groceries for a second. Who could have ever imagined that people who do their weekly grocery shopping online, even two years ago - or less? Yet today, businesses have capitalized on streamlined logistics and low-cost initiatives to get people to bite. Now, many people throughout the country have their groceries delivered to them. Go figure.

The same thing could be said about cigars and tobacco, and don’t get us wrong. There are many arguments in favor of shopping for tobacco in person at a tobacco shop, like our shop in Syracuse, New York. What we can’t do, however, is make the blanket statement that there’s no reason to buy online. In fact, we’ll say the opposite. For many of our customers, shopping for cigars for sale online is not only the superior option but also the only viable one.

Here’s what we can say about the differences between them and where one is preferable to the other, but make no mistake about it. Shopping for cigars and tobacco online has its benefits, and it’s here to stay.

Differences Between Online and In-Store Shopping

If you’ve ever gotten into a debate with another fellow smoker about shopping online, you’re probably no stranger to some of these arguments. Perhaps you’ve even fronted some of them on your own.

For one thing, shopping for cigars in a tobacco shop is inherently a personal experience. Even larger tobacco shops typically possess a fairly close and intimate air, and most tobacconists, and even other customers, will be more than willing to enthusiastically answer your questions and make recommendations.

There is also the potential that a local tobacco shop will present you with special deals that aren’t available online, and of course, you never need to pay for shipping when you visit a shop. You do, however, need to pay for gas or other transportation expenses.

One of the greatest arguments for shopping in an actual tobacco shop is that you can actually interact with the tobacco before you purchase it. If you are a pipe smoker, most tobacconists will gladly encourage you to sample the aromas of their loose tobaccos. Some might even demonstrate that it has been kept well hydrated by pinching it.

As for cigars, you can feel, smell and interact with a cigar before you make a purchase, which is significant enough if you’re only going to buy one. If you really intend to pull the trigger on a whole box, you might not want to go into it without feeling and sampling the notes of the cigar firsthand. These are things that you can really only do in a shop and can’t replicate online.

There’s something else directly related to this. When you do your shopping in person, you can see how the tobacconist keeps his or her tobacco. An excellent cigar can be ruined by exposure to light, by being allowed to dry out, or by experiencing too many cycles and shifts in atmospheric moisture levels. These are things that will only be apparent with an in-person evaluation of a cigar.

All of that being said and accounted for, there are several reasons that shopping for cigars for sale online really is worth it. Here are some of our more pointed arguments on the matter.

Key Benefits of Finding Cigars for Sale Online

If you’re looking for a justification for shopping for cigars online, consider it found. When you shop at RockysCigars.com, you’ll enjoy some of the following benefits.

1. Greater selection in cigars for sale online

Most cigar shops are going to carry a respectable selection of cigars and tobacco products. Some might even have walk-in humidors where they display the finest additions to their product collections. Truth be told, most cigars shops around the country are going to carry staples of RYJ, Montecristo, Arturo Fuente, Cohiba, Macanudo, and other big names. If you can’t find an RYJ 1875 in a shop somewhere, you’re doing something wrong.

The difference between in-store shopping and shopping online is that many online sellers simply carry more of the big brands and more selection from their lineups. Say you’re looking for something specific, from RYJ or Arturo Fuente, but you can’t find it in your local shop. Just go online and pretty soon you’ll find several listings for the cigar you want to try. You might not be able to interact with the cigar first, but at least you’ll be able to find it at all!

The other thing is that many online sellers simply are able to carry a larger inventory because they are freed from the constraints of the small footprints of most shops. Shopping online will simply put you in front of more options in fine tobacco, that you can find with nothing more than the investment of a few keystrokes.

2. There is a great wealth of information online

One of the other great things about shopping for cigars online is that there is such a wealth of resources online that you can utilize to help you make your top picks, or just to learn more about what you’re shopping for.

While it’s not the same as consulting the tobacconist across the counter, you can still learn a lot from the resources at your disposal online. There are a wealth of reviews - probably for the exact cigar you’re looking for - from people that have actually enjoyed the experience of smoking said cigar. If you’re looking for a reliable testimonial, chances are the internet is your greatest resource of all.

You can also turn to the “online archives,” for lack of a better word, in order to learn more about the history of a cigar or cigar company, to learn about what went into the growing and making of a specific line, and much more. Want to learn more about a comparison between butane lighter fuel and other methods of lighting a cigar? The internet has it.

You can also turn to the annals of the online sphere to learn more about how to store and age cigars, how to keep them at a proper humidity level, and how to prepare and even light them. From history to process, shopping for cigars online comes with its other perks, and the wealth of information out there is one of them.

3. We compliment that corpus of information with our own expertise

Something else about shopping online is that it is not an abandonment of the traditional method of shopping for a cigar in person, but rather a translation, or another iteration, of it. For example, when you come to our shop online, think of it not as an entirely different experience from shopping in-store, but as a different shade of the same thing.

The case in point here is that you can tap into our expertise any time you so desire. The same modern technology that makes shopping for cigars online practical also means our customer service team is never more than a call or an email message away. Whether you’re looking for a recommendation or have some product-specific questions, our customer service representatives are here to help.

Give us a call and it’ll be like you’re enjoying the same experience over the phone that you would otherwise have in-store. Let us know what you need and we’ll be quick to help. We know our stock and we’re one of the best complimentary resources out there.

4. You can score better prices online as well

Here’s something that makes a pretty powerful argument and doesn’t really need too much explanation. When you shop for cigars online, there is more than a good chance that you can also save some hard-earned money on those cigars.

This is not a blanket case, but in many situations, larger online operations and distributors have more buying power than smaller shops. This enables them to cut the fat out of the supply chain, negotiate better prices on their tobacco, and in turn pass those savings onto their customers.

Long story short, many online sellers of cigars make a point of selling premium tobacco at substantially discounted prices, and Rocky’s Cigars is no exception. We offer reasonable prices on some of the most popular cigars out there, including particularly exclusive lines and limited editions that are hard if not impossible to find elsewhere.

5. You can save with bundles and discount packs

Another thing about buying cigars online is that many times online sellers offer special value deals like bundles and discounted packs. Some online sellers also make a habit of selling “seconds” or “blemished” cigars that won’t gather market rates but which are still, for all intents and purposes, indicative of the same level of quality as their “prettier” counterparts.

There are a whole host of reasons that some cigars are bundled and discounted, but if you shop smart and follow the sales and deals, you can stock up on your favorite cigars and substantially discounted rates. Learn how to store and age them, and you can furnish your hobby very efficiently and cost-effectively.

6. Many online sellers also sell all of the accessories necessary to store, age and smoke cigars

Another reason to shop for cigars online is that many online sellers serve as one-stop shops where you can get everything you need for a humidor, or for a collection of cigar accessories. For our part, here at Rocky’s Cigars, we sell not only a huge assortment of cigars and other tobacco products, but also cutters, punches, lighters, cigar knives, lighter fuel, ashtrays, cigar cases, travel humidors and humidification accessories, and so much more.

That is to say, you never need to reach too far when you shop online with a seller like Rocky’s Cigars. You can get everything you need in one, convenient place, and at great prices, at that.

7. There’s no convenience like online shopping

Another big argument in favor of buying cigars online is that you can save much more than money. Consider this, you no longer need to get in your car and brave the road in order to pick up a box of your favorite cigars. You can save time, money and gather peace of mind by opening up your laptop and relaxing at home.

Additionally, consider the fact that shopping at home inherently saves you money, even disregarding the element of convenience. It takes less time, and time is money, but on top of that, you no longer will need to pay for fuel or transportation expenses. Granted, there might be shipping costs involved, but for our part, orders over $140 ship free, so you can save on that as well!

8. For some tobacco products, it just doesn’t matter whether you get them online or in-person!

There is one more argument in favor of shopping online, and for some shoppers, it might be the most important one of all. Unless you are shopping for loose pipe tobacco, or cigars singly, the place you buy it from might not matter. Many tobacco products come prepackaged, which means that price and accessibility are more important than storage and handling.

Tinned tobacco, pre-packed cigars and more all won’t vary across sellers. Get the best price you can on these, which you can more often than not find online!

Still Missing the Traditional Experience? Rocky’s Cigars Provides Both!

We feel we’ve made some pretty compelling arguments for shopping for cigars for sale online, which you can do right here on our website - but let us close with this.

We started in Syracuse, New York, in 1985, and our bread-and-butter operation is still located there. We still take pride in offering our customers the old-school experience of shopping for tobacco as people used to (and continue) shop, and we’d be thrilled to see you in our store. Anytime you’re in our neighborhood, by all means, stop by - but till then, reach out to us at 888-216-5834.