Whiskey is for drinking.

[dicko]

I don't really have a strong opinion either way but Phillip Hills in his book "Appreciating whiskey" does...

"Whiskey is for drinking. It is the sole raison d'etre. You can do a lot of things with it other than drinking but none of these things takes any cognizance of its reality as whiskey. Collecting is a sort of idiocy, the collector seeking simply aggregate a holding of whatever takes their fancy."

He goes on to differentiate between 'collector' and 'cellar' - the cellar being someone who holds a temporary collection of drinks with the intent of drinking them at some stage. He also argues that collector take spirits out of circulation for the rest to enjoy.

The book is awesome, technical but accessible to a beginner such as myself.

So what are your thoughts on this? What do you think about this argument in terms of the cigar world?

Personally, even if I had the resources I couldn't see myself as collecting for its own sake or to make a profit. Even if I had something very rare I would probably still smoke it lol

Would love to hear your views...

Dicko

[Ken Gargett]

I don't really have a strong opinion either way but Phillip Hills in his book "Appreciating whiskey" does...

"Whiskey is for drinking. It is the sole raison d'etre. You can do a lot of things with it other than drinking but none of these things takes any cognizance of its reality as whiskey. Collecting is a sort of idiocy, the collector seeking simply aggregate a holding of whatever takes their fancy."

He goes on to differentiate between 'collector' and 'cellar' - the cellar being someone who holds a temporary collection of drinks with the intent of drinking them at some stage. He also argues that collector take spirits out of circulation for the rest to enjoy.

The book is awesome, technical but accessible to a beginner such as myself.

So what are your thoughts on this? What do you think about this argument in terms of the cigar world?

Personally, even if I had the resources I couldn't see myself as collecting for its own sake or to make a profit. Even if I had something very rare I would probably still smoke it lol

Would love to hear your views...

Dicko

it seems to me that the secondary market for cigars is much smaller and more difficult to access than for say wines. the same arguments re collecting/cellaring/drinking etc are put forward for wines.

i never buy a wine with the intention of re-selling (though i have sometimes justified the purchase by suggesting it is a great investment). but i have sold a lot of wine. reasons are simple.

tastes change. stuff you thought was the proverbial dog's bollocks at one stage become a dog of a purchase later. happens to everyone (if you doubt it, go back through your wardrobe or your music collection).

a sale of something that has considerably appreciated may provide the opportunity of buying more wines or wines you'd prefer to drink (in days gone by, it was traditional for english knobs to start their sons' cellars with a couple of pipes of vintage port. the idea was that by the time they were of age, they could sell one and keep one for drinking. the one they sold would fund the next vintage they wanted etc (mind you, i think one pipe of port equates to around 170 cases so nice going, dad!). so you might have bought some 1982 firsts but now prefer burgundy or even would prefer 5 cases of more recent second growth than one of the 1982 firsts.

you simply have more than you need. "collections" do get out of hand. do i really need 10 cases of mixed 02 clare riesling? yes, but i'm never going to drink them all and they take up space etc etc. so sell a few.

some of that relates to cigars, other parts less so.

[Guest rob]

I've collected all sorts of things in my life - comics, cards, wines, cigars, artwork... the list is huge. Having said that, I have enjoyed and shared all of it. None of my collectabiles goes unused, unread or unappreciated...

[dicko]

it seems to me that the secondary market for cigars is much smaller and more difficult to access than for say wines. the same arguments re collecting/cellaring/drinking etc are put forward for wines.

i never buy a wine with the intention of re-selling (though i have sometimes justified the purchase by suggesting it is a great investment). but i have sold a lot of wine. reasons are simple.

tastes change. stuff you thought was the proverbial dog's bollocks at one stage become a dog of a purchase later. happens to everyone (if you doubt it, go back through your wardrobe or your music collection).

a sale of something that has considerably appreciated may provide the opportunity of buying more wines or wines you'd prefer to drink (in days gone by, it was traditional for english knobs to start their sons' cellars with a couple of pipes of vintage port. the idea was that by the time they were of age, they could sell one and keep one for drinking. the one they sold would fund the next vintage they wanted etc (mind you, i think one pipe of port equates to around 170 cases so nice going, dad!). so you might have bought some 1982 firsts but now prefer burgundy or even would prefer 5 cases of more recent second growth than one of the 1982 firsts.

you simply have more than you need. "collections" do get out of hand. do i really need 10 cases of mixed 02 clare riesling? yes, but i'm never going to drink them all and they take up space etc etc. so sell a few.

some of that relates to cigars, other parts less so.

Thanks Ken. This is interesting. Especially about changing tastes. I guess selling on would be ok with the author because you are 'sharing the love' to someone else and if you buy something you like then it will all ultimately get consumed/enjoyed.

Thanks. cigar-wise I am stuck at a desktop and my wine 'cellar' is a a few wooden boxes, so it all gets smoked/drunk relatively short term!

[dicko]

I've collected all sorts of things in my life - comics, cards, wines, cigars, artwork... the list is huge. Having said that, I have enjoyed and shared all of it. None of my collectabiles goes unused, unread or unappreciated...

Cheers Rob. Point taken. I guess a collector could argue that if appreciated (even if unused) the items are still beneficial to them and 'used' in a way. The sharing aspect is huge too. Showing them to others instead of just hoarding in a dark room means more enjoyment is got out of them.

I think this bloke was getting at big time collectors who buy just to have more than other collectors. He gave an example of someone who bought the entire release of some whiskey. lol thats just selfish.

[reg]

I see collecting as a hobby, and I don't see anything wrong with that. Cigars are wonderful, but the hobby aspect is what makes them GREAT, and for me, collecting is part of that. As a beginner I don't have much, but the first box I bought from czar has some meaning to me, and I plan on stashing it for a while. Who knows what I'll be doing in years to come, will I smoke them or have to sell them? Until then, its part of a collection. I used to collect baseball cards and still have a sizeable collection of Jordans(sneakers). Collecting is a fun hobby, whether you use up what you have or just keep it. It gives you a knowledge of something interesting. Some things that people collect might seem odd, but our vices probably seem odd to some as well. No need to judge

[El Presidente]

It is a much simpler life if you just don't care what other people do .....as long as it doesn't hurt anyone

Collectors tend to appreciate what they are collecting. Hoarders tend to get bored and release it to the market sooner or later. In the main they do a good job of storage.

[thechenman]

Like rob, I collect several things as well: comics, vintage baseball cards and Yquem (though I do tap into a bottle here and there). Cigars I collect, but only to age as I fully intend to consume them, same as my wine (outside of the Yquem of course). I derive a lot of enjoyment out of the items I collect, and while it may deprive someone else out there from being able to enjoy it, I find that as long as I get some utility out of it, it is not a waste. However, as I won't be living forever, I'm sure that whatever possessions my children and family don't care for will one day find its way back onto the open market for others to enjoy when I no longer can.