What we track
Allocated and limited cigar releases sell out fast, often through a small set of specialist retailers rather than any single central source — which means missing one usually just means missing it, full stop. Rara Avis watches those retailers on your behalf and tells you the moment something on your list opens for order, restocks, or goes up for pre-release.
You build a watchlist of the specific releases you're actually chasing — a blend, a series, sometimes a specific retailer's allocation of it — and that's what gets tracked. No noise from releases you don't care about.
How it works
- Star what you're chasing. Start Reserve (the first 7 days are free) and build a watchlist from what's currently tracked — takes a minute.
- We watch the retailers. Tracked releases get checked on a regular cycle across every retailer we cover.
- You get told. An instant email the moment a watched release moves — usually the only window that matters.
Why we re-check every alert
A false "in stock" alert at 2am that sends you to a sold-out page is worse than no alert at all — this is a one-strike product, and the first wrong alert is usually the last one anyone trusts. So instant alerts get checked against the retailer's own page within minutes of firing, and we keep a running record of how often each retailer's stock signals actually hold up. A source that's prone to false starts gets flagged internally rather than trusted blindly, the same way a collector who's been burned by a shop once starts double-checking them.
We'd rather send you fewer alerts that are real than more alerts you stop trusting.
Give a month, get a month
Reserve members can send their referral link to another collector. When that person subscribes, you both get a free month — no cap on how many times it stacks. It's in your account once you're signed in.
Who this is for
Adult collectors, 21 and older, chasing specific allocated or limited releases rather than browsing for whatever's in stock. If that's not what you're after, this probably isn't the right tool.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rara Avis affiliated with the retailers you track?
No. We're independent of every retailer we watch. We don't get paid by them, and being tracked isn't something a retailer applies for or pays for — we choose what to track based on scarcity, not any business relationship.
Do you sell cigars, or set the prices shown?
No. Rara Avis doesn't sell anything and never sets a price — every price and stock status shown comes directly from the retailer's own listing at the time we last checked it. We're a tracker, not a store.
How fast do alerts actually go out?
The moment we see a watched release move. Alerts are part of Reserve ($9.99/mo, first 7 days free): an email straight from the retailer's own page, re-checked minutes later — usually the only window that matters for something that can sell out in minutes.
What makes a release "allocated" or "limited" enough to track?
We track releases that are genuinely scarce — numbered humidors, allocation-only lines, boutique exclusives, and cross-brand collaborations — and leave out a brand's everyday, always-in-stock catalog, even from brands we otherwise cover. See how allocation works for the full distinction.
I don't see a release I'm chasing. Can I ask you to add it?
Yes — there's a "Request it" option on the homepage, and no account is required to use it. Every request goes into a real queue we review by hand.
Do I need an account to see what's currently tracked?
No. Browsing what's tracked is open to everyone. A personal watchlist, price ceilings and alerts are part of Reserve.
Is Rara Avis free to use?
Browsing is free: every tracked release, with live stock and prices from every retailer we cover. Watchlists, price ceilings and alerts are part of Reserve ($9.99/mo or $99.99/yr, first 7 days free), which also includes a referral program — refer another collector who subscribes and you both get a free month.
Get in touch
Questions, a retailer we should be watching, or something not working right — contact@raraaviscigars.com.