Quote Originally Posted by ggiese View Post
Online retailers fall into two distinct categories:

1. "Hawkers" - those that push out anything that will sell, hoping to make the big bucks in the short term. i.e. - typically guilty of selling things such as glass top Cohiba's.

2. "Reputable" dealers that look for the reputation to generate repeat sales.


Hawkers tend to be very flash in the pan - oftentimes they are caught trying to sell something that is valueless for big bucks. Very short term business plan, as it doesn't take long in these comunities to identify and weed those chuckleheads out.

Those that try to establish a solid online reputation know the inherent risk to their reputation, and generally do a very good job of screening out the illegitimate product. It does not generally benefit them to risk their reputation over the sale of one bad cigar - so they tend to back what they sell, and only sell good quality cigars.



So, FWIW - I believe FraGil falls in the latter category...
Fair enough !
Perhaps "hawkers" was a bit harsh on my end.
I guess the point I was trying to make was that if the retailer I use in Europe was
to aquire a hand full of 40yr old boxes, he would have sent out a private email to select clients.
Not posted it on the forum were not only members can see it but also every other Tom, Dick, & Harry who pops in to our little cigar world, but I guess because I also have a relationship with my retailer I would not hesitate to purchase something and then hope they are not fakes. I have no history with Whiskey's and would not start one with a $1,800.00 box of Davidoff's.
Maybe a $200.00 box of RyJ's. Please no hard feelings FraGil