When Stephen Mann sent me a message about wanting a quick call to talk about his ‘cigar’ idea, I really thought it was going to be yet another club, membership, group, or online retailer.

What happened next kind of surprised me.

Stephen created an online site to sell leftover, unused, or no longer wanted cigar accessories.

I had two immediate thoughts.

One, I have boxes of stuff I don’t use.

Two, If I did want to sell anything*, why would I not just list it on eBay or Facebook marketplace?

[Full disclosure: I don’t consider myself a pack rat. Or a hoarder. That said if anyone needs a 1978 JVC VHS power adapter…I’m your man.]

I sat down with Stephen, managing partner of StogieHub and asked him some questions about their new venture.

Q: What inspired you to create this platform? Did you notice a particular gap in the market?

A: As a longtime cigar aficionado, I noticed an unmet need in the marketplace. As my palette for cigars evolved over time, so too has my palette for cigar accessories. As such, I found myself with a lot of great accessories that I could no longer use. I wanted to create an honest, community-focused platform to allow me, and others, to trade quality cigar accessories, as well as discuss cigar-related topics on our Burn & Learn podcast. Prior to creating StogieHub, I focused on using eBay, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and other platforms in order to sell great accessories. I experienced very limited success selling on these platforms.

The idea for StogieHub was borne out of these personal experiences. The initial 40 or so items on StogieHub were items that I had lying around the house.

Q: Why do you think there is a demand for an online marketplace specifically for cigar accessories? How does it differ from existing options?

A: My personal experiences in trying to sell cigar accessories indicate that there is a market for a platform such as StogieHub. As a collector and connoisseur of great cigars and great cigar accoutrements, I’m always on the lookout for that next great lighter or cutter. Although I currently have 12 DuPont lighters, I have my eye on a beautiful new lighter that DuPont recently released. Realistically, I can’t justify buying that new lighter until I lighten my present load. For me, it’s a psychological decision, not a financial decision. Am I able to buy it? Sure, but should I? StogieHub addresses this dilemma. My research indicates that the average experienced cigar aficionado has the same issue. I’ve built this platform for them.

The StogieHub differentiator is the fact that once an aficionado creates a StogieHub user profile and starts to review items available on the site, he or she knows that only cigar aficionados have posted or purchased items on the site. Essentially, every user could potentially have an interest in his or her listed item. This is definitely not the case at eBay or other sites. I am focused on creating a like-minded online community of cigar smokers comparable to the community feel of entering your local cigar lounge.

Q: How do you see your platform fitting into the broader cigar industry? Are you aiming to complement traditional brick-and-mortar stores or compete with them?

A: I’ve had conversations with quite a few cigar lounge owners. During those discussions, it’s become apparent to them that the StogieHub platform is an enabler to their accessory sales. In my example above, every time I walk into my local lounge, I see that next DuPont lighter that I would love to buy. However, I know that I can’t pull the trigger on it until I move away from some of my current items. As such, the impending transaction on StogieHub is a win-win. Someone will get a great accessory from a trusted StogieHub user and I’ll be able to confidently walk into my local lounge and make that new DuPont purchase.

Q: What challenges have you faced in launching this business, particularly in an industry with such strong ties to in-person retail and community?

A: I tend to look at markets and opportunities differently. I spent 20 years or so as a corporate lender, following by 9 years in technology. From those experiences, I’ve come to realize that, from a business perspective, you either evolve or you perish. No markets or sectors are immune from this risk, including the cigar industry. As such, the things that have brought you success aren’t necessarily the things that will provide enduring success. It’s with that growth mindset that I created StogieHub. Is my approach different? Definitely. Will it be accepted by the market? Only time will tell. However, I do know that the feedback that I’ve gotten so far has been positive. I’ve been both honored and humbled by the conversations I’m now having about StogieHub, many of which are face-to face conversations with lounge owners and aficionados, which squarely hits on the need to drive awareness and success through in-person conversations and relationship building.

Q: What’s your own background with cigars? Are you a longtime aficionado, collector, or industry professional?

A: I’ve been an aficionado since I enjoyed by first Davidoff in 1996. However, I would say that I’ve definitely elevated my cigar game and experiences over the past 15 years or so. I tend to travel a lot and I always make certain that I try new cigar lounges while traveling.

I do consider myself a collector of high-end cigars, including Davidoff, Fuente, LFD and Liga Privada. Similarly, I also collect high end cigar accessories, including items made by Davidoff, Dupont, Project Carbon and Brizard.

Q: Do you have a personal favorite cigar or accessory that sparked your interest in this business?

A: This is a frequent conversation that I have while out visiting lounges. My first cigar was a Davidoff Grand Cru. Although I’ve tried, and liked, quite a few different cigar lines, Davidoff is currently my favorite manufacturer. In my humble opinion, it’s very hard to beat Davidoff’s quality and craftsmanship.

Although a bit pricey, my friends know that my current go-to stick is the Davidoff Royal Release Robusto. When I light one of those great sticks, the question is always asked – what are we celebrating?

As far as cigar accessories, I’ll admit that I’m obsessed with DuPont lighters. I consider myself an evolving collector. I absolutely love the workmanship and quality that DuPont puts into their products.

Q: How does your platform compare to other online marketplaces like eBay? What makes it unique or better suited for cigar enthusiasts?

A: eBay is a great platform with over 120 million users globally. I love the platform and I use it regularly. However, my experience in using the platform as an aficionado has been met with limited success. On eBay, there are so many people selling so many different items, it’s difficult to find a core group of aficionados that would be interested in your cigar accessory. Conversely, by creating an online trading platform solely dedicated to cigar smokers, each user that peruses your listing will have at least a general interest in the item that you’ve listed. That is the StogieHub competitive advantage over the current generalized platforms.

Q: Do you see traditional cigar shops and lounges as competition or potential partners? Have you received any feedback from them?

A: I consider StogieHub to be an enabler to local lounges’ accessory sales efforts. Essentially, creating a community-based trading platform where you can sell a great item to an evolving aficionado will allow you to apply the sales proceeds to the purchase of a new accessory at your local lounge. This is a win-win in my opinion. My thoughts on this subject have been confirmed through conversations with several lounge owners.

Q: What’s your vision for the platform in the next few years? Do you plan to expand beyond accessories or introduce other features?

A: My vision is to create the preeminent members-only online cigar accessories trading platform solely dedicated to discerning cigar aficionados. As I build out the site and create a vibrant online community, there are additional benefits and features that I’d love to bring to the site. Some of the things that I’ve thought about include a digital humidor for users to track and share their cigar inventory, a digital accessories locker to store and track vital accessory information, an events section to find out what’s happening in your local area, as well as a lounge locator and review function.

The first actual enhancement that I made to the website was integrating my Burn & Learn podcast videos into the website, rather than simply relying on the standard YouTube link to access my podcast content.

Q: Tell us about the podcast and how it interacts, if at all, with this platform. What makes your podcast different?

A: The true differentiator for my podcast is the live, on-set nature of the offering, coupled with great conversations about great cigars and topics that are important to our everyday lives. In my opinion, people have grown weary of Zoom meetings in their professional settings, so the last thing I wanted to create was an Instagram Live or Facebook Live-type podcast. Unlike other cigar podcasts, Burn & Learn is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcast, as my research indicates that three-quarters of podcast content is consumed via audio in the car or while doing other things.

I’m also excited to have the opportunity to take my podcast show on the road, something I’m now calling PaaS, or Podcasting as a Service. My mobile video production team will allow small lounge owners to be featured in their own unique lounge setting, creating great exposure for their business without the need of worrying about all of the logistical challenges of recording a live video podcast. At the same time, I’m exposing the StogieHub platform to the lounge owners and their respective customer bases. A real win-win for all parties involved.

What’s next?

It remains to be seen if StogieHub takes off. I have no doubt there is a need (or want) for this kind of thing. I ordered something off the website and it arrived at my doorstep a couple of days later. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS. The idea, at least for me, is stuff goes OUT of my house, not more stuff coming in.

Repeat after me…I WILL not check this site daily to see if something cool get’s listed. So, let me know what you find :)