Best time to buy

[basil]

There may be too many variables involved to answer this very well, but I thought I'd make a stab at getting some opinions here.

Is there an optimum time to buy a particular brand or line?

I'd think that some level of (standardized?) quality control across the industry would see cigars reach a retailer in good condition, but there seem to be many other things that can affect that condition.

Taking into account that tobaccos for premium cigars are often (always?) aged, even so, do factors like company/producer policy, growing season, production year, etc., influence when/if a cigar will be released to retailers at its peak quality for smoking or for a wait in a consumer's humidor?

Restated, supply and demand notwithstanding (if you can find 'em, buy 'em. or not.), are there brands/lines out there you have noticed that are better when acquired at a particular time?

[MMAB]

with little sucess in getting any vendor at any level to give me any answers.

I wonder mainly about shipping cigars and the effects of high temps on them.

As far as buying specific brands at specific times of the year, that might be a bit tough IMHO.

Unless you know box codes, it's difficult to say what you are buying in any store at any given time. In other words one store could have a box or two of brand "X" from one year ago where the next store could have boxes from two years ago, etc. I would think that reaching any type of an agreement about a shipping/QC standardization in the industry would be unlikely.

I do know from reading up on the subject that cigar makers struggle on a yearly basis to keep blends and tobacco as close as possible from year to year or crop to crop. From what I understand it is quite difficult.

Did I make any sense? I'm too tired!

[basil]

with little sucess in getting any vendor at any level to give me any answers.

I wonder mainly about shipping cigars and the effects of high temps on them.

As far as buying specific brands at specific times of the year, that might be a bit tough IMHO.

Unless you know box codes, it's difficult to say what you are buying in any store at any given time. In other words one store could have a box or two of brand "X" from one year ago where the next store could have boxes from two years ago, etc. I would think that reaching any type of an agreement about a shipping/QC standardization in the industry would be unlikely.

I do know from reading up on the subject that cigar makers struggle on a yearly basis to keep blends and tobacco as close as possible from year to year or crop to crop. From what I understand it is quite difficult.

Did I make any sense? I'm too tired!

I've wondered that myself

and this may not be the right question. see below.

I'm sure that vendors who're in the business of quality (read: targeting future markets via return business) work to get their product to distributors and retailers in prime condition. So then quality becomes the job of these people - rh & temp of walk-ins, storage, etc.. Maybe the best answer to 'when' is while you're in a reputable dealer's shop.

Yeah, annual consistency in something affected by the weather, genetics, etc. is probably pretty hard.

[CoventryCat86]

Interesting. I tell ya, I honestly never thought about it. My first reaction was "These are silly questions." BUT with MMAB's posts and your follow up posts, you've got me wondering.

I do remember that back quite a while ago, I was buying "Remedios" from JRCigars. A nasty hurricane hit Nicaragua back then and it really screwed up production of these and other cigars that were made in Esteli.

I'd say most of your questions/concerns probably cannot related to a certain time of year that produces "better" cigars than others, it's probably a function of many variables that really have nothing to do with the time of year (like in my case a hurricane).

I don't know if I made any sense but I tried