CigarAuctioneer.com Now Offering Wholesale Lots to Cigar Smokers and Retailers

Now, both cigar fanatics and neighborhood cigar stores can buy their cigars just like the big boys. CigarAuctioneer.com has begun auctioning boxed and bundle cigars in bulk “Wholesale Lots.”

Wholesale Lot auctions are English auctions containing multiple identical items in which each bid placed is for the entire lot and sold to the highest bidder. The “Wholesale Lot” auction is simply an English auction containing multiple identical items. However, unlike a Yankee auction, which also involves multiple items, each bid placed is for the entire lot. If a cigar smoker usually buys a particular brand and size in quantity, they’ll now be able to bid on three, four, five boxes or more at once. Local “Mom & Pop” cigar stores, who normally buy in this manner, will also be able to take advantage of these auctions for brands that they already stock, or can’t get through the manufacturer.

All the rules of an English Auction still apply. Bidders bid the highest price they are willing to pay for the entire lot, and at the close of the auction, the lot is sold to the highest bidder. To help CigarAuctioneer bidders find the new wholesale lots, a special “wholesale lot” icon will appear next to each item. Bidders can also search on wholesale lots via a dropdown search menu at the top of all CigarAuctioneer.com pages.

Because wholesale lots are determined based on what’s available in stock, CigarAuctioneer.com will only be able to post cigars that qualify. Arthur Zaretsky, president of Famous Smoke Shop, which operates CigarAuctioneer.com, assures there will be a good selection of top-name brands. The first lots will all contain boxed and bundle cigars, but CigarAuctioneer.com eventually plans to auction single cigars and cigar samplers in wholesale lots, as well.

“It’s similar to buying from warehouse stores like BJ’s and Sam’s Club,” said Mr. Zaretsky. “Local cigar stores who buy from major manufacturers at higher prices can now compete for certain brands they want to stock. Another benefit to the local store merchants will be the ability to purchase multi-brand cigar samplers, something they usually can’t offer their customers,” Mr. Zaretsky added.

Others who will benefit from CigarAuctioneer.com’s new buying method will be what Mr. Zaretsky affectionately calls “cigar squirrels.” These are the cigar fanatics who always buy multiple boxes to insure they never run out of their favorite cigars. Moreover, cigar-smoking friends will be able to buy some of their favorite cigars at better prices by “buddying-up.” Similarly, the same advantages will extend to cigar clubs and their members, cigar community websites (where cigar swapping is a regular activity) plus, cigar-friendly restaurants and bars that have humidors on the premises, as well as golf courses and country clubs.

What will the reaction be? Only time will tell. But for the cigar smoker who can’t get enough of a good thing, the ability to buy cigars in bulk could be a herfer’s nirvana.

Posted on Monday, October 31st, 2005 at 3:31 pm.