Another ICPCR is approaching, and the press releases are coming out fast and furious. It seems that in the (legal) US market, a cigar maker/marketeer not only has to come out with new sizes for existing labels each year, but also new labels and some kind of small batch - and preferably all three combined, plus catalogue exclusives plus retailer exclusives, plus collectable cards.

Note that I am not blaming the makers (well, Beach Cigars can take some of the blame) - but somebody (else) is buying all these new cigars, and it is a self-perpetuating cycle - if smokers go into a B&M and are always looking for what is new, then there is going to be a lot of 'new' - and a lot of dead brand leftovers to be eventually blown out as a one-time catalogue special.

An automotive show that I used to watch called "Fifth Gear" had a segment called, "It's new, but is it any good?" where they looked at a couple of new cars. More often than not, one of the choices wasn't better than what was already out in the market; the new car was merely different.
I guess that is what people want. Myself, I'll stick to tried, tested, and true.

/end rant