Have Pete & Pepin Gone Too Far???

[njstone]

[quote author=jayro75 link=topic=9378.msg52520#msg52520 date=1305724035]
There's a perception by those who blindly follow Pete like the cigar Pied Piper that his LE's are immediately more valuable than the price they were released at.  So it encourages those of lower moral values to immediately gouge. How many posts have we seen in the TSBC where within days of release guys are asking a ridiculous markup on one of Pete's latest one hit wonder smokes. [color=green][color=yellow]How long ago was the Barclay Rex cigar released?  6 months at most.  Guys now perceive they can get $20 for a $10 smoke.  Tat fans have these sticks rising in value faster than oil! [/color][/color] [color=teal]The sad thing about this is that these [b]Pete jock hangers[/b] who say how much he does for individual B&M's are the same ones running around calling these sticks things like T Rex, Barklay & Rex, etc.  Showing they couldn't give a shit about the B&M Pete is [b]supposedly[/b] trying to help out.[/color]
[/quote]

Hey bro!  

I'm going to try to be polite, but you did call me a "Pete jock hanger," which I'll admit I didn't appreciate.

So I'll start by saying that I'm a big fan of many Tatuaje cigars as I said, so I'll try not to react to your negativity against the brand supporters here (at least it felt quite negative to me), but that's my starting point so I am biased.

On the price/value issue, I guess we can just agree to disagree.  Objects do not have inherent value.  Cost of aquisition means nothing, all that matters (i.e. what determines value) is how much someone is willing to pay for it TODAY.  That's how people loose or make money in the world of "trading," be it stocks, commidities, or tangible items.

For example, my local humidor charges $33 for a Cuban Cohiba Robusto.  Let's say I buy 5 of them, and decide I don't want them and come here to sell them for what I paid.  What do you think will happen when I ask $165 for a 5-er of CoRos?  Lots of PMs, a BZ thread if anyone cared to start one, and certianly no sale.  Why?  Because in this market they are not "worth" $33/stick, regardless of what I paid.

The stick you used as your example (T-Rex) was I think $12/stick after NY taxes (could be mistaken, I only split a box).  What's that stick worth today?  Well, people are snatching them up like Girl Scout Cookies at $20/stick ... so yes, that's what they are worth.  If someone doesn't want to pay that, they don't have to.  And of course they're free to complain about it if they wish.  But that doesn't change the fact that if someone thinks these are worth $20 to them, they shouldn't be rediculed for paying that.  

I'll be honest, there are several sticks that I've paid $20 or more for that I would very happily trade for a T-Rex.  I personally think they are fantastic cigars and are right in my wheelhouse.  And no, I'm not selling any and do not plan to, so I'm not trying to pimp myself here.  If someone wants to mock me for trading a $20 retail cigar for a T-Rex, that's fine, but I'm still gonna be happy.

[color=yellow]As far as the rapid value increase, sure I think that's a bit silly.  But hey, that's life.  It's not unheard of in the Cuban world either, it just takes years in most cases instead of months, but I think that's likely because so many people don't like fresh Cubans and it often takes a while to know for sure if a specific stick will be awesome or not.  But that's just speculation.[/color]

[color=teal]I just don't get this one.  Nic-names are quite common forms of affection, and in general do the opposite of showing that someone "couldn't give a $&*#."  When my friend calls me "Nate Dog" it doesn't offend me because he's comparing me to a dog, lol (though I don't really like the nic-name), and when my wife calls me "babe" it doesn't annoy me that she didn't even bother to use my real name.  

I mean come on the Tatuaje Barclay-Rex ... why couldn't you call that a T-Rex?  T-Rex's are awesome, those cigars are awesome ... seems practically necessary to me :)  Though again, i'm baised.

Also, using the term "supposedly" implies that either I'm lying or Pete is lying.  Hopefully that's not what you intended.  In this case I'd recommend asking some of the B&Ms that have gotten the Tat LEs and ask them if it was helpful to them or not.  I have done so on several occasions, and they all said basically the same thing, paraphrasd "it was an insane headache for like 3 days with the phone ringing off the hook, but we made a great chunck of change in that time so it was great."[/color]

[KPP]

Nate, you need an honorary key to the Tatuaje city with as many words as you've used to defend Pete over the past year or two bro...lol. It's ok to let folks rant, and rightfully so IMO.

LEs are out of hand.....period. And to my palate at least, they all fit a very similar profile (dark, meaty, earth)....at least lately anyway.  

The time that I've spent at BOTL is one of the many factors I don't  hunt these down anymore. The drama alone that these sticks bring is nauseating....and that's not a knock on the forum, cuz it's a great one.....but the adoration for Tats there is just too much. It's borderline cult'esque really.

[njstone]

[quote author=KPP link=topic=9378.msg52726#msg52726 date=1305905243]
Nate, you need an honorary key to the Tatuaje city with as many words as you've used to defend Pete over the past year or two bro...lol. It's ok to let folks rant, and rightfully so IMO.

LEs are out of hand.....period. And to my palate at least, they all fit a very similar profile (dark, meaty, earth)....at least lately anyway.  

The time that I've spent at BOTL is one of the many factors I don't  hunt these down anymore. The drama alone that these sticks bring is nauseating....and that's not a knock on the forum, cuz it's a great one.....but the adoration for Tats there is just too much. It's borderline cult'esque really.

[/quote]

I agree with that.  It can definatley get out of hand.  I don't even hunt them down myself either, I usually just pick up a 5er from someone after the fact.  If I really love it (like the T110, Pork Tenderloin, and T-Rex) then I'll try to get more.  I do like geting a box of the Monsters, though, and to me those are usually good cigars.

But I do think Tatuaje as a company is getting some of the reflected negative backlash that should be aimed at Viaje, and blame for the fact that some of the fans/collectors are kind of insane.

My original point in this thread was to agree that LEs are out of hand, and to comment that Pete Johnson even said that himself, and plans to focus more on regular production products.

[CSMoFo]

Newbie here and I came here from another board that made me jump ship because it evolved into a slavish lap dog admiration society whose only purpose is to bow down and kiss the ring of the Perfect Master, Pete Johnson. It has truly become vomitous ... all ryhme, reason and objectivity seems to have gone out the window in the name of admiration of his Majesty's clothes.

This seems to be a much more reasonable  place ...

[Knuck42]

[quote]Newbie here and I came here from another board that made me jump ship because it evolved into a slavish lap dog admiration society whose only purpose is to bow down and kiss the ring of the Perfect Master, Pete Johnson. It has truly become vomitous ... all ryhme, reason and objectivity seems to have gone out the window in the name of admiration of his Majesty's clothes.

[color=blue][b]This seems to be a much more reasonable  place [/b] [/color] ... [/quote]

:smiley-cool:  :smiley-cool:  :smiley-cool:

[tmoney2007]

Not sure which forum you are watching, but tatuaje le's aren't sitting around and dropping in price... With the exception of the tubos and maybe some of the monsters, they still fly.  I think people sell them because they can party for half a box with the profits from the other half.  I won't pay those prices but thee are plenty that will and that is their prerogative.

I have seen several threads with standard production tats sitting around.

[Fuente Fan]

Which forum, this one! 

[batista30]

[quote author=tmoney2007 link=topic=9378.msg53011#msg53011 date=1306253700]
Not sure which forum you are watching, but tatuaje le's aren't sitting around and dropping in price... With the exception of the tubos and maybe some of the monsters, they still fly.  I think people sell them because they can party for half a box with the profits from the other half.  I won't pay those prices but thee are plenty that will and that is their prerogative.

I have seen several threads with standard production tats sitting around.
[/quote]

Exactly.  One of the few brands out there that can be marked up 30-50% more only a few months later.  People sell them because they'll always make a profit on Tatuaje.  Hell, the Barclay Rex came out late last year and somehow people are willing to pay $20-25 bucks a pop for them. 

[Knuck42]

[quote][b]Not sure which forum you are watching[/b], but tatuaje le's aren't sitting around and dropping in price... With the exception of the tubos and maybe some of the monsters, they still fly.  I think people sell them because they can party for half a box with the profits from the other half.  I won't pay those prices but thee are plenty that will and that is their prerogative.

I have seen several threads with standard production tats sitting around.[/quote]
Well, I stated which forum in my OP but perhaps that escaped you.  You do bring up a valid point though.  Forums that openly harbor gougers, profiteers, and other parasitic wastes of life probably do see lots of marked up flipping of these bullshit sticks. 

[smelvis]

[quote author=batista30 link=topic=9378.msg53075#msg53075 date=1306339913]
Exactly.  One of the few brands out there that can be marked up 30-50% more only a few months later.  People sell them because they'll always make a profit on Tatuaje.  Hell, the Barclay Rex came out late last year and somehow people are willing to pay $20-25 bucks a pop for them. 
[/quote]

Hey Bro
Yes they are and I have bought some, I have come to think very little of the people who profit on these not so old cigars just because they can. I will not get into name calling but if I did use names they would not be polite ones.