Trade value??

[kaisersozei]

Wayne, as a newb I still get relatively anxious about my put/take values in passes. As others have said, I always PIF by putting more than I take, but I still hold my breath in hope that someone doesn't question the value-for-value end of my takes.

Here's what I do:

I use something close to single-stick MSRP as a benchmark of value. I think that's a fair way to do it because the pass is about single stick trades. I take it from the perspective of "what would this cigar I am taking cost me if I was going down to the B&M and buying one today?" To me, passes are about trying new cigars, and when I try a new cigar I buy a few singles or a sampler first--not an entire box from an on-line retailer.

My B&M lists their prices on-line, and I also use the Top25 database which usually lists the MSRP & "average price paid." I'll also compare those prices to CI or other on-line sites, but it's still on a single stick (or small quantity) basis. I try to get the value close, and always err on the conservative side. I don't take vintage or hard-to-find cigars because I don't have anything to replace those with; the same for CC's.

I've participated in a number of passes this past year and run one, and they've all worked out okay using this method. At least, no one has complained.

[Silound]

I think that, since money is merely a concept for bartering, that cost doesn't matter in the long run. Typically, I simply measure the overall value and difficulty of finding sticks in a rough sense, then I overvalue it by a large amount. I figure the dollar values don't matter because there's nothing static about them. Besides which, a $50 cigar no one wants really has no value, while a $4 cigar everyone wants has a lot of value.

I try to follow the concept of always give more than you get, and you'll always be able to get when you want it next. That doesn't mean I can simply demand something and get it; it does mean if I'm looking for something, odds are someone I've bombed or traded with in the past is going to be willing to hook me up.


More importantly, I occasionally feel like making someone go "Woah!" hence I sometimes dish out way more than I get just for the fun of it.