Cinder · methodology
How the desk works
Cinder is a cigar price comparison site. We watch a short list of brands, record the everyday list price, scan online shops, and flag when a pack is a steep cut versus that list — and versus the lowest price we have ever seen.
1. Watch a brand
The starter desk covers Montecristo, Cohiba, high-end Macanudo, Florida Man, and Graycliff Barber Poles. You can add any brand or blend you actually smoke. Mild and medium sticks sort first. Churchill sizes sort first among vitolas. Packs of ten or fewer lead, unless a larger box is a genuine cabinet deal.
2. Set an everyday list
List price is the lowest price we could find on the open internet without a special offer — not MSRP, not a flash sale. That number is the yardstick. A 40% cut off a padded “was” price does not count as a steep cut here.
3. Scan the shops
The desk checks JR Cigars, Cigars.com, Famous Smoke, Cigar Place, and Cigora for live catalog prices when those catalogs answer. Best Cigar Prices, Cigar Page, Thompson, and Small Batch stay on the desk with modeled quotes until those shops answer an automated pull. Signed-in desks scan early morning, early afternoon, and early evening.
4. Flag a steep cut
We compare the current pack to list, then to the best price we have ever recorded for that same stick. If it is a deep discount, it lands on Steep cuts. Open the cigar to see every size we found, price per stick, and which shop has it.
5. Buy on the retailer's site
Cinder does not sell cigars and does not take payment for tobacco. Shop links send you to the retailer. Some of those links are affiliate links — if you buy, the shop may pay V2S2M, LLC a commission. That does not change the price you pay. We rank by the low quote, not by the commission. Read the affiliate disclosure.
What is free, what is a member desk
Watching brands, scanning prices, and opening a cigar to compare sizes is free. Logging a purchase by hand is free. No paid plan is required for that. An account is only needed to sync that list across phones. Humidor, ratings, tasting notes, “similar / similar but cheaper,” and scanning a shop confirmation email are member features. Email import records the price paid per stick, or an equal effective price when a mixed pack has one line price. We do not hide shop prices behind a paywall, and we do not log into your inbox.
Age
You must be 21 or older. We store that confirmation on your device. We do not collect a date of birth.
Operator: V2S2M, LLC · https://cinder.v2s2m.com · jack@v2s2m.com