Discount Cigar Store & More

The number of people shopping online for cigar accessories has been on the rise, in the past one decade or so. Perhaps this is yet another piece of evidence that the Internet market has come of age – so that people shop there for things they wouldn’t even have considered buying remotely, in days gone by. And the beauty of online shopping is that trends can be very easily monitored. It is from such monitoring of online shopping for cigar accessories that we can be in a position to work out what the most commonly bought cigar accessories are.

Understandably, cigar lighters come across as the most commonly bought cigar accessories online – and presumably, offline too. These, for the benefit of those who are new to the whole cigar smoking business, are the devices you use to light up your cigar, so that you can smoke it. Of course, anything that produces an open flame can serve this purpose. But using the ‘right tool for the right job’ (the specialized cigar lighter in this case) makes you come across as a person with a refined taste,  a person of class; which is definitely not the case when you use a matchstick for the job. Some cigar lighters will tend to be very beautifully crafted; whereas others are rather rudimentary, practical if you like. Ultimately, you tend to get what you pay for.

The reason as to why cigar lighters are amongst the most commonly bought cigar accessories is because their usage is inevitable. You have to light a cigar to enjoy it. And if your image is something you care about, you need to ensure that it is a proper lighter you are using. It also doesn’t help that the lighters are notoriously easy to lose; so that most people are perpetually replacing theirs.

Cigar tubes are another variety of cigar accessories that are very commonly bought. They are meant to serve the purpose of protecting the cigars, the same way an arsenal would protect the arrows in it. They are also image devices: you don’t want to be seen pulling cigars out of your pocket, if you can afford to be seen getting them out of a proper case.

Then there are cigar cases, as another variety of very commonly bought cigar accessories. These too, serve a practical purpose of protecting the cigars (just as the cigar tubes do); but they tend to be larger in size. They are also something of image devices – being seen pulling your cigars out of a case is definitely better than being seen pulling them out of your back pocket.

Cigar cutters are the next most commonly purchased cigar accessories. These find application in the smoking process itself; and they are quite indispensable. They are the devices you used to nip the ‘cap’ of the cigar so that you can start enjoying it. Of course, you could use your knife to uncap your cigars; but only will you look uncultured, you will also be taking the risk of making a mess of them.

Robert Frank’s book titled Richistan is about the lives of the new rich and those who make up the wealth boom occurring in the United States.  The book is 250 pages long and is fun to read.  While we know there are millions of millionaires in the world, Frank exposes them in completely new ways, from how they hire butlers to the silly ways in which they make their fortunes.  Frank gives us perspectives that we never think about when it comes to the self-made, rich population. 

To start the book, the author gives the reader an idea of just how many millionaires there are in the United States; about eight million as of 2003.  This number has risen drastically between 2003 and 2009.  He also goes on to define the term “Richistan,” and divides his new country into three different categories based on household net worth.  Lower Richistan consists of households worth $1 million to $10 million dollars.  Middle Richistan consists of households worth $10 million to $100 million dollars.  The elite Upper Richistanis consist of households worth $100 million to $1 billion dollars.  There are only several thousand households in the Upper Richistani category. 

Chapter one is titled, “Butler Boot Camp: Housetraining the New Rich.”  This chapter serves as a great introduction to the secret world of the new rich households.  Frank talks of butler boot camps, especially the boot camp held at the prestigious Starkey International Institute for Household Management.  Here, men and women train to simply run the households of millionaires and billionaires and get paid a ridiculous amount of money to answer to the wishes and needs of the super rich.  These butlers get paid anywhere from $75,000 dollars to well into six-figure territory.  They must know how to please the super rich, and tasks include washing high-end cars, rolling cigars, setting up home entertainment systems, and the usual services such as cooking and babysitting. 

Chapter two is titled, “The Third Wave: The Era of the Instapreneur.”  There are thousands of people who are becoming instant millionaires every year.  In fact, in 2005 there were about 227,000 new financial millionaires in the United States alone.  Robert Frank describes in this chapter the six ways that most people acquire their wealth and points out several individuals who have instantly made millions of dollars through development and sales of several large companies.  Jared Polis, for example, has developed more than a dozen companies and sold them all for more than a total of $600 million dollars. 

Chapter three is titled, “Making It: Ed Bazinet, King of the Ceramic Village.”  This chapter is devoted to those who have made fortunes in an unlikely manner.  One person mentioned in this chapter is Sydell Miller.  Ms. Miller operated a hair salon and developed a shampoo line called Matrix Essentials, which she was fortunate enough to sell to Bristol-Myers Squibb for a mere $1 billion dollars.  Then there is the chapter’s title man, Ed Bazinet, who created miniature ceramic houses and ended up mass producing them for department stores.  By taking a chance and producing his line of mini houses, he is worth over $100 million dollars.  This chapter gives you the feeling that anyone can be rich if you have the will and a good idea. 

Chapter four is titled, “Living It: Tim Blixseth.”  This chapter talks about those who love their work and make their work their life.  Men and women like Tim Blixseth do not seem to have the capability to relax; they are always thinking about business.  Tim may be on vacation or relaxing on his yacht, but he never stops working on his business.  Blixseth started in business at a young age by buying and selling timber to various other companies, and eventually started the Yellowstone Club, which charges $250,000 dollars to join and millions of dollars for the right to build a house on his land.  This ultra-exclusive club has members such as Bill Gates and Dan Quayle who want their own retreat where privacy is at a maximum.

Chapter six is titled, “Barbarians in the Ballroom: New Money vs. Old.”  Formal celebrations and balls are popular in the world of the ultra-rich.  People are invited and expected to attend, knowing that a large monetary donation to the charity of choice is mandatory.  The rich must donate large amounts of money and when they fail to donate, controversy arises.  Not only are people expected to donate up to millions of dollars at a time, but there is also controversy about who is allowed or nominated to be chairperson of these formal events.  The chapter goes on to discuss homes owned by Donald Trump and Sean Combs and how much property in various parts of the country can sell for.  This chapter is the least interesting of the book, but still gives good information on the world of the ultra-rich. 

Chapter seven is titled, “Size Really Does Matter: My Boat is Bigger than Your Boat.”  The seventh chapter is all about comparing the property and expenses of the rich versus the ultra-rich.  Mega yachts seem like standard property for a rich person these days, and boats are coming in huge sizes with all kinds of crazy options.  Some foreign leaders are having boats made that are about 500 feet long, costing over $200 million dollars to build.  The boats come with smaller boats, helicopter pads, dozens of hot tubs, swimming pools, theaters, gold-plated bathrooms, etc.  The author goes on to mention how millionaires compare cars, watches, and homes, and spend vast amounts of money just so they can have the biggest and the best. 

Chapter eight is called, “Performance Philanthropy: Giving for Results.”  This chapter is intriguing, and it discusses entrepreneurial charity.  People like Philip Berber who made a vast amount of money with an online stock trading company which he sold for nearly a half billion dollars, are finding new ways to spend their money.  Berber started Glimmer of Hope, a company which uses large amounts of money to help make the world a better place.  Other millionaires and billionaires like Michael Dell have donated millions of dollars to help Berber build schools, health clinics, waters wells, and vet clinics in countries where poverty is a severe issue.  Men and women like Berber and Dell have high hopes to heal the world and have taken the initiative to help fight poverty with the fortunes they have accumulated.

Chapter nine is titled, “Move Over, Christian Coalition: The New Political Kingmakers.”  The ninth chapter deals with the money that drives politics and campaigns.  This chapter presents how policymakers ask for money to fuel their campaigns and the differences between the techniques Republicans and Democrats use to find their much-needed money.  Four Democratic supporters in Colorado helped to elect their candidate to the House of Representatives.  Not only did this happen in Colorado and the House of Representatives, but it happens all the time in the race for President of the United States.  The Republican Party often gains large sums of money in a public manner while the Democratic Party often collects money from the ultra-rich in a more private manner.  This chapter shows that people will stop at nothing to have their candidate nominated into office, even if it means donating millions of dollars every year. 

Chapters ten and eleven are titled, “Worried Wealth: The Trouble With Money,” and, “Aristokids: We’ll Always Have Paris.”  These two chapters talk about the troubles that come with large amounts of money.  For example, more than half of America’s super-rich agree that money does not buy happiness.  Money can dominate their lives and leave little time for personal time with kids and spouses.  Money can cause such concern that millionaires have started meeting groups to discuss financial matters and meet with similar people in similar situations to get concerns out in the open.  Who better to talk about your millions of dollars with than other millionaires?  The final chapter of the book talks about the super rich children, or those who are in prime position to inherit fortunes.  Kids today are attending classes to learn about manners and living the high-life.  They also are being forced to learn about finances and what to do with millions of dollars so when they do inherit the money one day, they will not make unwise decisions and blow the money away like many of today’s celebrities and heirs/heiresses are doing. 

Overall, Richistan is an engaging and enlightening book about today’s new rich.  This book will keep you reading as you learn facts about the rich that you probably never knew.  The chapters about prestigious butlers and how “bigger is better” are especially interesting and will give you a great idea how millionaires and billionaires really live and spend their fortunes.  This book is rated 4.5 out of 5. 

Overcoming objections is not hard. It is a simple matter of assuming the customer is going to buy and then solving their problem. In this article, I am going to give a true example of how a salesperson walked right past a sale they could have easily gotten using a some simple techniques for overcoming objections.

First, let’s set the scene for the true life example for overcoming objections.

Last Monday, which was the 31st day of August (I mention the date for a reason you will see) my wife and I decided to buy a new car and went to a dealership. The salesperson showed us three vehicles that would have been acceptable. One was the most luxurious model and we really liked it but said it was we couldn’t afford it. That left two vehicles. One of them had a bad order and we rejected it. But then…out of the blue…came the final crushing objection. My wife said that she doesn’t like the color of either of them. The salesperson tried to find other inventory in his computer and kind of lost our interest while he was lost in working the computer for a long time. Then, he brought his manager to see us. The manager was nice but also made no attempt to close us. When we left, my wife said she was disappointed that they didn’t try to sell us as she would have bought any of the three vehicles if they had made it easy for us to make the purchase. Let’s look at some of the approaches they could have taken that could have easily turned a disappointed hand shake into a sale.

It’s The Last Day Of The Month

As I mentioned, it happened to be the last day of the month. What if the salesperson had asked if we really liked the luxury model we thought was out of our budget? If we said yes, he could have said. “Look, today is the last day of the month. Our expenses for the month are all paid. Any money we make now is just gravy. Now is the time to make an offer and see if you can get the luxury model to fit in your budget. Pick a number in your heart that will make you happy and I’ll get the paperwork started.” You can also adapt this to the beginning of the month and the middle of the month, to Saturdays, evenings and mornings.

Let’s Talk About The Color

My wife didn’t like the color, but what if the salesperson had said, “I know you don’t like the color but let me ask. Is there a price that would make the color acceptable? I mean if you saved enough would you accept a color that is different than the one you were hoping for? How much would you have to save? I doubt it but let’s see if we can get it in that range. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk About The Odor

One vehicle was rejected due to a string cigar odor. The salesperson just agreed with us that it was overpowering. What if he had said, “Carl, we have a great reconditioning department and we are great at odor control. In fact, we do all the police cars for the city. I am confident we can get that odor to completely disappear. I am going to write on the order that this purchase is subject to us getting the odor to you satisfaction or the purchase is null and void. I’ll’ get the paperwork started.”

The Loyalty Bonus

“Carl, normally you couldn’t get that luxury model in your price range but I see you bought your current vehicle here. I am going to try to get you a loyalty bonus that will make this vehicle affordable. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk Paint

Carl, I understand that you wife dislikes the color, so I’m going to write here that the vehicle if to be repainted in the color of your choice at no additional charge. I’ll get the paperwork started”. Now this may or may not be possible but it will get the buyers to sign a contract and get the negotiations rolling.

The Coin Flip

A last ditch “Hail Mary” approach is to find out which one they are “leaning towards” and then say, “Tell you what, I’ll flip you for it. Heads you buy it, tails you walk away”. You flip a coin and you have a 50% chance.

If Your Daughter….?

“Carl, let me ask you, if your daughter was looking for a good vehicle from a good dealer and she saw the ones you saw today, what would you advise her to do?” Many customer will say, “I’d advise here to take the XXXX”

Would These Methods Work?

We have discussed seven ideas to get the sale. Would they work? They will work on some people and not on others. But we know for sure that they won’t work if they are not tried. In our true example, the salesperson and the manager failed to try and lost the sale. Be sure you have lots of ways to solve the customers’ problems and always assume that they are buying. It is easy to overcome objections if you just don’t give up and if you try to solve the customer’s problem.

The day of your wedding is a very special day. Many people help to make it even more special to the bride and groom. Generally, they’ll be a rehearsal dinner prior to the wedding. A gift for the ushers and bridesmaids can be given out at that time. This is a way to say “thank you” to them for helping to make your day wonderful. There are lots and lots of choices for gifts. Something that can be personalized is the best choice. It shows you went to the extra trouble of engraving or monogramming and that the gift was really chosen just for that person. There are many gifts to choose from and they are available in every price range. If your wedding is out of town, you will want to choose something that can easily be packed in your lightweight luggage. To begin with, choose the price range you’d like to stay within. Then you can look at the many choices. Some popular items for the ushers are key rings, money clips, wallets, and pens. Cigar items and flasks have been and will always be popular. For the executive types, there are clocks, and desk style pieces. Leather pad holders are also popular and come in an array of different leathers and price ranges.

Because travel is so popular today, there are gifts that stay with that theme. You can choose among many engravable or personalized travel accessories. For the ushers there are leather shave kits, leather grooming cases, or travel duffels. All of these items may be individually personalized with their initials. Another popular choice today is men’s watchcases or valets. Valets will hold their change, keys, cell phones, etc., in one place and protect dressers and other surfaces from scratching. There are also the recharging valets that will hold everything while charging your cell phone, ipod, etc. This is a new item that has become extremely well received for ushers. Poker chips has also gained in popularity along with the many different games of poker being played nationally. These can be individually monogrammed on each chip, or the case can be monogrammed with the individual’s initials or name.

There’s an equally large selection for the bridesmaids. Jewelry boxes are one of the most popular gifts for the women. Jewelry is also popular and it is often given with a trinket box that is monogrammed with the name or initials of the recipient. Many of the same items that are given for the ushers can be given for bridesmaids. Pens, key chains and wallets are popular with women as well as men. Leather jewel rolls for travel are also popular. These gifts last a lifetime, and the occasion can always be remembered fondly. Some of these items, which have been popular as corporate gifts, will work equally as well as wedding attendant gifts. Women, as well as men, also appreciate some of the newer travel alarm clocks made by companies such as Movado. These gifts are elegant as well as practical.

You do not want to leave out the junior ushers and junior bridesmaids. There’s also a ring bearer, flower girl and any speakers who will come up to the podium and say a few words, or a prayer or special poem. A small thank you that is personalized will go a long way to saying your appreciation. Don’t forget the parents of the bride and groom. They have contributed to the success of the party and would love a picture frame or clock engraved with a “thank you” and signed from the new Mr. And Mrs. Last, but not least, do not forget each other. While purchasing for your wedding party it’s nice to remember the main participants – the bride and groom.

Say I went in (a young guy) and tried to buy a cigar – would the sales person inform me of the dangers or simply sell me the cigar, perhaps even advising me to buy it?

Or if i asked of the dangers, what do you expect they’d say?