I gave up buying boxes of cigars for 2017


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not really doing 'that'....but have built up my inventory over the last 6 months to the point I'm buying wayyyyyyy less nowadays, and enjoying what I've bought.   Unlike buying just singles nowadays, I try to buy nothing but aged stock.   so far it seems to be working....

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2009-2013 I went hard with 2-3 boxes a month. Then I slowed down. I like the Christmas samplers and if there are any exotic samplers like LE or RE releases I get some.

just down to samplers or single sticks now. Don't have much experience yet with sancho,cuaba or fonseca. So I try and chase the ones I haven't really had yet. 

Getting some of my friends into the cigar world, and they are starting to dive in . So it's always nice doing box splits too.

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21 minutes ago, Professor Twain said:

I'm finding that it's a joy to explore what I have instead of constantly buying more.

I made quite a few purchases in 2016 so I'm dialing it way back in 2017.  Between the stock I have at home and the stock that's aging in my online locker I feel comfortable exploring (and enjoying) what I have without any fear of depleting supply.      

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Dialed it back this year and for the rest of my life most likely.  Expected and budgeted out 5-8 years factoring in my consumption and aging preferences.

Smoking 156 cigars a year, utilizing home and FOH storage, I'll hit my numbers in 2019/2020 buying my 4-8 boxes a year + singles.  

Chump change compared to the big dawgs!

Best of luck sticking to your plan broski!

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I am also dialing it back, one: since I am no longer at the cigar shop I have lost my monetary freedom, and two: I have no room. Just got a wineador added to the coolidor and the cabinet. I have plenty of smokes to last me now. I knew it was coming, so I stocked up big time!

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I took a 3 month hiatus beginning of year though started picking up a few things lately. Having maxed out the locker reduces the temptation to buy for squirreling away.

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I've scaled back a bunch, only buying a few whales and sentimental favourites. I think there is a definite transition that comes as an avid cigar hoarder/smoker. 

Current ELs and most of the special releases don't interest me these days. I buy what I'm happy to smoke and don't justify the price. 

 

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Ok no more boxes for the rest of the year..singles/samplers only.

I agree with some of the comments 13-15 stock is better than the (admittedly low amount ive tried) 2016 stock. Bit of underfilling and average wrappers.

Bring on mid 2018 if all goes to plan!

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Thanks Ben as you said underfilling seems to be a bit of an issue ATM 

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I'm on a 6 month hiatus at the moment. Only blind tasting and 2016 LE singles allowed. July is cutoff. Then one box a month from then on. As you say, enjoying smoking what I have. I have about 4 years' worth of stick. Lots of 13 and 14 box codes are smoking a treat now. 

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all the time except for my crazy upmann PC's buying frenzy (bought 20 boxes I know crazy* frenzy) I really haven't bought any boxes since 2012 I think? something around that time  I am so stocked up right now but maybe if the crops are good towards the fall of '17 into '18 I might get tempted to stock some '17 boxes for the future just to taste the difference since the youngest boxes I own are from 2014  I would be curious to see if any changes would come in the 17 stock

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I think some of y'all have hit on a process you don't find with NC cigars. Following crops and conditions.

I feel confident saying no one, nada, zero people pay attention to DR/Nica/Hond crop reports and conditions. Perhaps hard core Opus fans...but doubtful.

CC smokers do though. I didn't take any of that into consideration when I started buying. However seeing that this years crop is supposed to be very nice I'm very much looking forward to buying in the year or two that it's rolled.

Just a thought


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Recently I've gone in the opposite direction, I used to smoke cigars very occasionally and mostly for very special days, with friends, to enjoy an evening in the sun etc but for the last 8 months I've been smoking almost daily. The cause?

Possibly finally buying marevas and similar sized cigars that are very enjoyable. However, I intend to cut back down to 1-4/month and I've got more than enough to last me 15 years at that rate.

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I am also mostly stocked full, and am taking it easy.  Have purchased 2 boxes this year, may purchase another 2 or 3 at most.  Most of my future cigar buying will be singles, small trades for stuff I haven't tried, and the occasional discontinued/hard to find/locker sale item in formats I enjoy.  And I'm sure a jar here and there.

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Still buy too much .... but recently encounterd too many draw problems - how can you ask 200-300 euros for a box of 25 when you can expect to throw away 5-10 sticks ? No other luxury product has that problem... so I smoke a lot more NC's nowadays... alas : cuban tabacco remains superior...


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The biggest problem that I have noticed with going on a buying hiatus is that it messes up your consumption pattern. I am now in a situation where I have 40+ boxes with 7 years plus age and then 10 boxes from this year when I started buying again. So I'm going to have a really big gap when I will have a ton of cigars potentially not in their "sweet spot" in a few years.

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2 hours ago, ErikB said:

Still buy too much .... but recently encounterd too many draw problems - how can you ask 200-300 euros for a box of 25 when you can expect to throw away 5-10 sticks ? No other luxury product has that problem... so I smoke a lot more NC's nowadays... alas : cuban tabacco remains superior...


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Sorry to hear this. Which Marca? Honestly i have yet to have this issue. Majority of my stock is 14-16

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I wish I could still buy like I used too
The pressures of being a grown up have meant my cigar budget shrank from almost $1000 a month down to less than $100 a month

With the tax rate here in Aus makes that problem even worse as even if I can afford to make a purchase, its only 5 sticks at a time.
The shrinking buying habit has also reduced my smoking habits, as it seems I subconsciously try to maintain a ratio of stock in vs stock out
Part of me misses the excitement of discovering a new blend and waiting in anticipation for it to arrive at my door. But another part of me really enjoys the anticipation of deciding to smoke a cigar randomly one afternoon before I leave work.

A good example was this previous weekend. I'd been smoking my pipe all day with some of my friends. I put a big BBQ on for dinner that night and then afterwards as we all sat there, bellys full and partially drunk I said "cigar?" and cracked an old box of NC Petit Lanceros to hand around.
They were an old favourite that were maybe a little on the over aged side but sitting at that table, with those people, it was perfect

I'd rather have a handful of experiences like that instead of habitual cigar smoking 

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Yeah I paused when I filled my desktop, then I paused when I filled my wineador, then I paused when I filled my other wineador, next pause will be when I fill my locker in the OLH, whats the box limit again???;)

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