Like clothing, sometimes you're paying for the label. Not only does price not necessarily mean a great cigar, but consistency can be a problem too. Tobaccos from various areas have their good and bad years. That means that the quality of a certain brand can vary significantly between cigars of different batches. That being said, the more expensive cigars generally have a higher chance of being consistently good. Sometimes, I wish they'd put the factory and year on the cigar. That way, like wine, you could find the exact cigar you're looking for.