America's #1 Online Cigar Auction
first, best, biggest!

Last post 1 day ago by Ram27. 1910 replies replies.
39 Pages«<212223242526272829>»
NEWBIES INFO: PLEASE READ (v. 2.1.3
delta1 Offline
#1201 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
TrishS@CigarBid wrote:
The original post was 3/7/05, updated 10/19/09 and 4/14/11. The original author was long-time forum member sketcha. I haven't seen him around here for a while but want to give him props for doing all the leg-work. I'm making it a sticky at recommendation of several of you along the way.

Edit, added 11/1/14: Despite what you may read or hear, there are NO platinum memberships here.

***********************************************

I thought I'd start this thread to answer some of the standard suggestions for the newbies in order to save some time. You’re looking at a collection of thoughts here in no particular order. Hope it helps.

First off, do read the "Forum Rules and Conditions" before posting. It's not a novel and this could save you some heartache.

Use the search function before asking questions. Many of the old-timers are a little burnt on answering some of the standard newbie questions; and rightfully so. There are lots of newbs popping in here every day.

Contact Customer Serv. with any problems before you post them here, they are excellent!

Some bidding hints…

Bid Low, be patient and let some go. There WILL be more. Do your Brothers and SistersOTL a favor and DON’T get wrapped up in a bidding war! No one gives a crap if you throw your own money away, but when your auction closes at a higher than usual price, this can set a precedent for anyone watching, and it may take weeks or even months for prices to return to normal.

Don't worry about over-bidding, zealous morons. They're the ones who pay to keep this site up and running for you and I to steal the rest

Keep Cigar International's site open for price comparison. The beauty of this site is paying LESS than standard internet prices, not more.

Try adding cigars that you’re interested in to your watch list. Track them for a few weeks and see what they close at. Then use the list as a reference for your bidding.

If you don’t already have a large capacity humidor, build a Coolerdor or Tupperdor, you will fill it soon, believe me. Thanks to little self control over several years, I am finally down to just 1 Cooler and one Tupper plus 3 large desktops.

Do a search for...

Coolerdor

Coolador

Coolidor

Colemandor

Igloodor

Tupperdor

Sweaterdor etc.

PG

Propylene Glycol (there have been reports that this liquid humidifying agent may cause a "chemical" taste in cigars

50/50

Hygrometer

Humidity

Credo

Climmax (better than 50/50)

Season

Seasoning (Humidors)

Cello (cellophane) on or off is up to the individual. They may breathe a little better and age a little faster with 'em off. They are delicate and prone to damage if handled improperly though, so use your judgment. The links below expand on this. Also, if you like, do a search.

BOTL, SOTL = Brothers/Sisters of the Leaf .

Don't know what to buy???

Everyone has different tastes so it is extremely difficult to tell you what you are going to like. The best thing to do is to get some Ideas and begin sampling for yourself. Here's a recent excerpt of a response to a newbie by Slimboli...

***"The choices out there are so numerous (thousands of cigars and factories to choose from) ... it would be hard to narrow it down, without you first providing a few parameters.

1) Light, medium or full-bodied smokes ...

2) Lengths and ring guages you prefer ...

3) Particualr shapes your like, ie. Corona, Torpedo, Robusto, Perfecto, etc.

4) Wrappers that you prefer, ie. Sun-Grown (Shade Grown), Maduro, Cameroon, etc.

These are just a few ... and once you provide us with a few guidelines, it will be a lot easier to guide you in the direction of a cigar (or cigars) that would be more to your liking!"***

Do a search for...

favorite

favorites

daily

everyday

special

premium

super premium

etc. etc. etc.


A little secret...

Keep an eye on the "Cigars and Related" forum. Once in awhile, one of us will post a favorable review of a cigar that they might not normally let slip for fear of bidding competition. Often times the prices will go up for a few weeks after. Be patient and get some when the gettin's good.

When you have an idea what you want, buy 5-packs. Let them acclimate in your humi for 2 weeks or more if possible (especially boxes). Sample at least 2 before critiquing. Generally the cheaper the stick, the younger it will be. Some may need at least a few months and some, even more expensive cigars can benefit from 6 months rest to a year or more. It’s always fun to lay down at least one of most every type for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years just to see how they do.

The flipside of this becomes apparent with certain, quality smokes. Some, like the PAM (Padron Anniversario Maduro,) for example, are pretty well ready to go and may actually lose some of their character with too much humi time.

Keep a journal

Most of us here have been, and will continue to buy 5-packs forever... even if we have already established our favorites. You'll often hear a pro use the phrase, "my rotation," for example. But there's nothing like always having new cigars to sample!

A contribution from Smelly4tay...

A little info on cigar aging....copy & paste.

.... the cigars go to the aging room, where the media-ruidas are placed in cedar cabinets called escaparates. Each factory ages their cigars for a certain amount of time. The Fuentes typically age their cigars for at least a year, with the Don Carlos and Hemmingway lines undergoing a eighteen month period of aging, and the Opus X, Anejo, Diamond Crown, and Ashton VSG lines undergoing an aging period of two years. Most cigars made by Altadis undergo an aging period at the factory of six months, and end up undergoing about a year's aging by the time they hit the shelves, as they are first transported by ship from the Dominican Republic, and then transported to the stores by ground. Carribe's cigars undergo an aging period of six weeks, which is sufficient to dry out the cigars, as the cigars straight off the bench are somewhat wet, and will burn and taste differently. Carribe’s cigars also get a good deal of aging in during transport by ship from Honduras to Florida... Furthermore, cigars need to age at least a year. Cigars are best smoked during the first three months after they are rolled, or a year after they are rolled. During that nine-month period, known to aficionados as "the sick period," cigars are relatively tasteless compared to the brash young cigars, and the much more refined cigars that have been aged a year or more. From the one-year mark on, cigars will get more refined as time goes by. Typically the flavor peaks after about five years for cigars from the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and peaks at fifteen years for cigars from anywhere other than the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Practically every single cigar available on the shelves of tobacconists in the US has been properly aged, and "the sick period" is something that only people who smoke Cuban cigars should worry about.

Seasoning Humidors...

Any new Cedar lined Humidor will require "Seasoning" before you can place your precious babies inside. This is the process of slowly bringing the humidity inside up to the desired humidity of 65 to 73% (I prefer 68. Most wouldn't go over 70).

Here's an excerpt from the...

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/

***I can't get the humidity in my humidor high enough!***

Be patient! A new wooden humidor will take up to 3 weeks to stabilize. Misting the interior lightly with distilled water can hasten the process in a new box, but only patience will stabilize it. Don't try to rush a new humidor....

Also, is your hygrometer calibrated correctly? 70% is the "correct" storage level, but since many new analog (dial-type) hygrometers are as much as 20% out of calibration when received, you should verify its accuracy before trusting it.

Check the lid. Is it a tight seal? Looking along the "crack", can you see daylight through it? In dry weather, this small crack can result in enough moisture loss to limit the humidity...

If you've checked the cal and the lid, the problem's almost gotta’ be in the way the exterior wood is finished and sealed. You see, the moisture must be going somewhere.... Moisture will readily seep right through the wood of a poorly sealed humidor - especially in the dry season. Be sure the bottom is properly finished (and sealed)!!! This is a common oversight of home-finished boxes. You can check if poorly sealed wood is your problem, simply enough. Put the whole system into a tightly sealed plastic bag (with wet credo and hygrometer inside), and let it sit for 3 days. Did the humidity come up? If so, you'll have to seal the exterior of your box better. (See section on humidor finishing)

Trading...

If you're looking to make some trades, or perhaps just looking to broaden your horizons, there are several, newbie trade threads on the "TRADES" board. At press time they’re up to 24 now. May not answer all you questions, but should get you started. There are some real cool BOTLs and SOTLs over there that get a kick out of spreading the love to worthy brothers and sisters.

(A helpful hint from Leoscat)

“Don’t jump into a thread and get all offended by the banter of the ol’ timers. Keep in mind that what may seem mean spirited to you may just be playful banter between old friends.”

(I deleted the links because several of you said they didn't work. If you would like to find the 'working' links and post them, please feel free)

Watch out for E-Chick! She's a bad, bad girl!

{ =^ )

(“Esplendido Chick”/Marla hasn’t been around in awhile, but I’m leaving this here as something of an homage. She was a real credit to these boards!)

Remember to post an introduction after you've read the above. And above all, just have fun!

Thanks



1. "Read more, post less.

2. Learn to "return to forum without posting". Practice until you can do it reliably.

3. Proof read twice. Post once. " dstieger

4. "Platinum memberships do not exist here." La Princessa (aka: TrishS@CigarBid)

5. When you top this post, you must also top the "commonly used acronyms" post. ram27bat
delta1 Offline
#1202 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Herfing Beer
dhoppe_rock Offline
#1203 Posted:
Joined: 01-14-2013
Posts: 1,070
Woot
SMOKEYOU Offline
#1204 Posted:
Joined: 10-14-2015
Posts: 2,275
Is it sunk now?
delta1 Offline
#1205 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Gonz


didn't take long...
delta1 Offline
#1206 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Frying pan



Shame on you
Bur Offline
#1207 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
1208...
Bur Offline
#1208 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
120....NINE!
Bur Offline
#1209 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
toppity top top
jackal98 Offline
#1210 Posted:
Joined: 02-10-2016
Posts: 5
Hello, I hope all is well.

New cigar guy in Dallas, Texas. I thought cigars were going to be a small hobby...now it's become almost like a part time job attending the cigar events around town, keeping up with new cigars and working on finding an humidor.

I started with samplers from various manufacturers and the cheap lighters near the register.
Now I have nearly a fourth of the Xikar lighter on their site and carry a travel humidor from Grammworks to work.

I started with Connecticut wrapped cigars but after a few months, I moved onto medium blends and now I smoke all cigars except flavor infused cigars.


Side note:
As soon as I get into a hobby, the government wants to regulate something so small as cigars and e-cigs.
I can think of a few dozen things other than cigars the government can regulate.
I have signed all of the petitions I can sign and contacted my congresspersons.
delta1 Offline
#1211 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Welcome, jackal.

Most of the regulars don't look in this thread, only those with OCD and a sadistic variation. You'll get a bigger welcoming audience by posting your intro (cut n paste will do) in a new thread/topic.
Bur Offline
#1212 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Topping now that I've synched the other thread count.

"only those with OCD and a sadistic variation"-who you talking about Delta?
Bur Offline
#1213 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Ha, Cameroon is thwarted, and the posts are almost paired off.
cameroon Offline
#1214 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
This is an interesting discussion
cameroon Offline
#1215 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
I will have to follow it more carefully in the future
cameroon Offline
#1216 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
And see where it leads
delta1 Offline
#1217 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
...saving Bur's, my buddy with OCD, blood pressure...


...those sick, savage bassturds...smh
cameroon Offline
#1218 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
Having friends is a good thing.
gae9jang2j Offline
#1219 Posted:
Joined: 12-13-2012
Posts: 5,612
ttt
dhoppe_rock Offline
#1220 Posted:
Joined: 01-14-2013
Posts: 1,070
Going up.
Bur Offline
#1221 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Topping
Bur Offline
#1222 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
ram27bat
Bur Offline
#1223 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Over a week! Speaking of slackers....
dhoppe_rock Offline
#1224 Posted:
Joined: 01-14-2013
Posts: 1,070
Bur wrote:
Over a week! Speaking of slackers....



Gae resembles that remark....
Bur Offline
#1225 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Up we go
Bur Offline
#1226 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Inching my way....
Bur Offline
#1227 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
posting to synch numbers
Bur Offline
#1228 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
and now pairing them back up
Bur Offline
#1229 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
I got nothing for a snappy comment
Bur Offline
#1230 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
OCD Fix
Bur Offline
#1231 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
really
Bur Offline
#1232 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
closing in on 5000 posts
Bur Offline
#1233 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
filler
Bur Offline
#1234 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
and matching up Forrest....
Bur Offline
#1235 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
read and heed, Noobs!
dhoppe_rock Offline
#1236 Posted:
Joined: 01-14-2013
Posts: 1,070
always off by one.....
sketcha Offline
#1237 Posted:
Joined: 03-26-2003
Posts: 3,238
Cheers!
cameroon Offline
#1238 Posted:
Joined: 04-06-2014
Posts: 810
dhoppe_rock wrote:
always off by one.....


A pity
Bur Offline
#1239 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Keep them paired.

And on the same count.

Retired bomb tech with OCD here.

Tick tick tick....

:-)
Bur Offline
#1240 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Topping for the weekend
Bur Offline
#1241 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Jiminy
Bur Offline
#1242 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
..for the weekend
Bur Offline
#1243 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
TTT
Bur Offline
#1244 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
and quitting time
Bur Offline
#1245 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
just a few more to go on this page
Bur Offline
#1246 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
For the weekend Newbs
Paradise1 Offline
#1247 Posted:
Joined: 01-24-2016
Posts: 13
All good information. Thanks
Intro Huh? Well, I had my first cigar at the same time I had my first good drunk and both came shortly after I joined the Army in 1971. I liked them so well, I still drink, smoke, and retired from the Army in 1994. Until lately, I made all my cigar purchases from local shops and no even one of them said anything about online auctions. And it was not until Jan this year that I got so serious as to smoke one a day. That's when I jumped in with both eyes shut. I'm up to three humidors that share about 5 five mixed boxes of Fuente Cuban Coronas, Flor de Las Antillas, Inch by EP, 601 Steel, and R&J Real. Different sizes and strengths depending on the mood or time open to smoke. I'm doing my part in helping hold down the price on the big dollar cigars for the rich folks out there. This post has been an interesting read full of good information and insights. I would like to make a comment about the snipes that some of you have heard a hundred times in that some hide by the light of day during the bidding process only to crawl out from behind the foot boards when the lights go out with less than a minute left before close. I have to think of them at times as useful critters (not intended disparagingly to any individual) in that if I had not had my legs chopped out under me below the knees many times, I would be in trouble with the wife about storage. It all makes me want to get off here for a corona and follow it up tonight with a churchill or toro with a double shot of gentleman jack. But then, why wait, I'm retired.
Bur Offline
#1248 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Welcome NooB, recommend a "Hi everybody look at me" intro OP as many of the vets don't check this thread. Then head over to the N00B trade threads and join in the fun.

And thank you for serving through some tough years for the services, especially the Army.
Bur Offline
#1249 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Next post, copy and paste
delta1 Offline
#1250 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
fog
Users browsing this topic
Guest (4)
39 Pages«<212223242526272829>»