It’s just so obvious Another Editorial by David Garofalo I wrote an editorial back in July called “It Looks Familiar,” you can go back in the archives of The Cigar Authority or find it here; https://thecigarauthority.com/it-looks-familiar-a-david-garofalo-editorial/ . In that editorial which surprised some people, I asked the question if you ever looked at something you never saw before and thought, WOW… that looks very familiar. Sure you have, we all have, but in the cigar industry […]
How awesome would it be to have a cigar tailor made to your tastes? I’m sure David Garofalo would know, considering I’m about to smoke one with his name on it. Back in 2010, on David’s 50th birthday, Nick Perdomo of Perdomo Cigars surprised him with a stogie of his very own. If you’re familiar with The Cigar Authority podcast or Two Guys Smoke Shop, you may already know that our friend is a fan […]
They rate the cigars but has anyone ever rated them? Cigar Magazines… How They Stack-Up Against Each Other An editorial by David Garofalo Some might say “print is dead,” meaning that nobody reads magazines and newspapers anymore but it doesn’t seem to be that way in the cigar world. At least 5 major publications continue to survive in this teeny-tiny industry called premium cigars. I’ve been in this industry long enough to remember when there […]
A Reflection of the Past 30 Years in the Cigar Business Another Editorial by David Garofalo For me, it is so hard to believe it’s been 30 years. Today, I reflect on how it happened for me and wonder where the time has gone? The first Two Guys Smoke Shop opened in 1985 in Somerville Massachusetts. I opened it with my life-long buddy Paul Antonelli who I still consider a brother. He now lives in […]
Are We Seeing the Beginning of the End of Buying Cigars On-Line? FedEx Corporation is an American global courier delivery service headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. In FedEx’s early days, Federal Express, (as it was called then) their owner and founder Fred Smith took the company’s last $5,000 to a Las Vegas blackjack table, after they were denied a business loan and won $27,000. In his first 26 months in business Smith racked up $29 million […]
Why Don’t Cigars and Poker Mix… Because Cigar Stores and Bars are Businesses. I’m a card player, I’ve played in tournaments and I even owned and operated an online site called Cigar Poker Room of all things, years ago before the laws were changed. I’ve never been at the World Series of Poker but it’s on my bucket list for sure. At the same time, I’ve been operating a cigar shop for 30 years now […]
Remembering “The Cigar Boom and Bust” Another Editorial by David Garofalo The Cigar Boom was the name given to the resurgence of cigar consumption in the United States between the years 1990 and 1997. As I remember it, in 1990, sales of premium cigars began to rise and manufacturers fought to keep up with demand. Before long industry-wide shortages of cigars were apparent. The trend continued as manufacturers began to import more cigars into the […]
Cigar Ratings… they’re not what they used to be… but were they ever? We’ve all seen it, you even see it here on The Cigar Authority. One of our crew “rating” a cigar with a number….89, 90, 91… what the hell does it even mean? When I was in school and got a 90 or 91 it was pretty much the same… it was an A. An 89, although quite good and almost an A […]
The Boutique Cigar Brand Boom is Over! The “Names You Know” That’s What Cigar Retailers were Buying Another Editorial by David Garofalo “What’s New” might be what consumers are asking for… but “What Sells” and what is “Most Recognized” is what cigar retailers are buying. I’m just back from the IPCPR Cigar Trade Show, the cigar industry’s largest convention and trade show world-wide. Walking through, I couldn’t help but notice the trade show booths that […]
KILO Returns at 2015 IPCPR What began in 2013 as a test blend marketed at cigar shops in New Mexico, Texas and Maryland, KILO was a labor of love for Barry Stein and was originally made at La Aurora in the Dominican Republic. Originally the Director of Social Media for Miami Cigar & Company he parted ways with them in the spring of 2014 when he relocated to New Hampshire to work for David Garofalo. […]