Modern Age Tobacco and Gift

If I could give less than a 1 star I would! Been here twice, and both times had a horrible experience. Needless to say, I will not be returning. My first experience included ZERO greetings and no assistance, even after I requested some. The elderly gentleman, chatting with his friends, just sat there said he was busy (he was watching a football game with a buddy). Today, the second of my bad experiences, was still not greeted, but even worse, after about 3 minutes of browsing the humidor, was confronted by the angry elderly man who angry asked «what are you doing!» I kindly replied «what do you mean?» From which he accused me of comparing prices (since I had my phone out and was texting), he even went so far as making me show him my phone. I’m sorry, but this is not the service I desire at a cigar store. Columbia has too many other choices for me to waste my time at this place anymore. If I owned it and knew that my manager was treating customers like this, I would be quickly showing him the door.

So this is one of the main smoker hangouts is in Columbia. Right across the river from downtown on 26 is this little gem of a smoke shop. I say little but it’s got to be 1500sq ft between the large walk-​in humidor and the display case. The thing that sets this place apart is service. The owner has been each time I have come in. I had only been in Columbia a few months and I showed up there with a humidor issue. I had built this gigantor humidor and I was having trouble regulating the humidity and I was leaving town. The owner, get this, volunteered to babysit my humidor that I had not bought from him, full of cigars I had purchased elsewhere. Oh and did I mention he said he’d do it for free? Seriously, why aren’t there more places like this floating around? They’ve got a nice selection of all the major labels and some not so major labels: Black Pearl, Cain/​Nub, Fuente Padron… In terms of buying by the box, this is your best bet in town. They have a nice little seating area where guys are always around shooting the breeze and smoking.
One more note on the service. The owner is so honest he actually costs himself money. Example, my calibri broke, finally, which is no suprise. I asked the owner for a suggestion, he told me to keep my money and use the Zippo I already had or a Bic. He said they were the two finest lighters on earth. I mean, he could have pointed at any of the 100.00 lighters he had and I would have happily differed, instead he talked me out of spending money. Amazing.
My only complaint with this place, and it is not their fault, is no drinking. I wish I could get a beer or a glass of scotch there. Some places in my hometown have skirted this issue by letting patrons rent lockers where they can store a nice bottle of whiskey to enjoy with a smoke. No such luck here but again, it’s clearly not Modern Age’s fault, the law is what it is.