Castro Autographed Box of Fundadores

[40 Palms]

So a box of Trinidad Fundadores signed by Castro sold for $27,000 at auction.  Does one buy this as an investment for appreciation, or for enjoying some aged smokes from Fidel?

If it were me buying it, I would torch one with my best bud and then keep the rest for those very special occasions that come along every blue moon.  And proudly display it front and center in my humidor.

What would you do with them?

http://oncubamagazine.com/society/27000-dollars-for-box-of-fidel-castros-cigars/

 

[kuma]

Smoke "em"........

[bummy]

Sell them & buy plenty of great cigars for years to come

[Guest Nekhyludov]

If I recall correctly, the listing said they had not been properly stored and were not suitable for smoking. 

If that's true, someone just bought a very expensive paper weight. 

[Buck14]

You can give yourself one hell of a wide all 27 HSA MARCA base thats medium deep for $27K

[BrightonCorgi]

What you do with them depends on how deep 27K went into your pockets.

[40 Palms]

2 hours ago, Nekhyludov said:

If I recall correctly, the listing said they had not been properly stored and were not suitable for smoking. 

If that's true, someone just bought a very expensive paper weight. 

Wasn't aware of that and quite a shame, if true.  But understandable if the lady he gave them too wasn't a cigar smoker.

1 hour ago, BrightonCorgi said:

What you do with them depends on how deep 27K went into your pockets.

To a point, perhaps.  Whether it's speculating on them or smoking them, if you've got 27k to drop on a box of cigars, then your pockets are pretty deep.

[NSXCIGAR]

Interesting the auction was held in the US as it is illegal to sell any Cuban products there. Personal use only or trade or gift I suppose.

Hope the OFAC doesn't see this one...

[Fugu]

11 hours ago, 40 Palms said:

Does one buy this as an investment for appreciation, or for enjoying some aged smokes from Fidel?

Those Trinis are not any bit better just because they have been signed (off...) by Fidel. Buying those with the idea of smoking in mind is like burning a bundle of 27 grands.

[cmbarton]

I think I read somewhere that the box was still sealed, so who knows what the quality is within it?

That actually works both ways ... could be better than you think, or could be worse than you think. That’s a genius move I need to remember the next time I run into Raúl and happen to have a box of Talismans on me during one of my jaunts to Havana with my mate, Bill Murray, who flew with me on our matching pair of hybrid Pegasus-unicorns (Pegacorns).

[shaffer22]

I would keep them and sell later (hopefully) at a premium. 

[Elvis]

I think Fidel's autograph is pretty common. What makes the Trini's special is that they were also a gift from Fidel and the provenance is documented. Would I smoke them? Nope. I could buy a lot of other cigars for $27k.

This is a gift from a good friend who had it signed by Fidel. My buddy went Cuba as part of an academic exchange and was told that there was a possibility that Fidel might meet with the group. My buddy, brought 5 or 6 baseballs with him and bought a few boxes of cigars when he landed in Cuba. Never let it be said that he was not prepared.

On the last day of the trip, El Presidente did meet with the group and while every one was looking for something that might be autographed, my buddy was pulling out one baseball after another to be autographed as well as several boxes of cigars. The pic is one of the boxes that he then gave to me.

Will I smoke these? Absolutely. My buddy passed away in '06. In about 10 years or so, several of his closest friends will burn these in his memory.

[mk05]

Truly, only an idiot would buy that for 27k. I mean, what a joke!

[El Presidente]

On 1/26/2018 at 12:50 PM, BrightonCorgi said:

What you do with them depends on how deep 27K went into your pockets.

I was at a divan in singapore and watched two Indonesian businessmen buy a bottle of french Red for $12k and a bottle of Whiskey for 24K. They enjoyed them with a cheese platter and some excellent cigars. 

I have been with a chinese friend in London who dropped 80,000 pounds in one afternoon at two divans. 

To some, 27k is peanuts. 

[prodigy]

I was at a divan in singapore and watched two Indonesian businessmen buy a bottle of french Red for $12k and a bottle of Whiskey for 24K. They enjoyed them with a cheese platter and some excellent cigars. 
I have been with a chinese friend in London who dropped 80,000 pounds in one afternoon at two divans. 
To some, 27k is peanuts. 

Long story, but when I met my now wife in San Diego, she was living with a friend of hers that married into money. The said groom's father was a billionaire. His niece started dating my friend at the same time. My friend spent a lot more time at the main billionaires house than me, as his girlfriend lived in the pool house. Turns out this guy was making 50k every hour. Some people could buy anything and everything they want in life and still be bored.

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[LLC]

Everything is relative. I’m sure there are lots of people that think what we spend on cigars is crazy.


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[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, LLC said:

Everything is relative. I’m sure there are lots of people that think what we spend on cigars is crazy.


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Absolutely.....and well said 

[BrightonCorgi]

15 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I was at a divan in singapore and watched two Indonesian businessmen buy a bottle of french Red for $12k and a bottle of Whiskey for 24K. They enjoyed them with a cheese platter and some excellent cigars. 

At Jimmy's?  

Exactly...  Some have money where 27K is just a fun afternoon.

[Fugu]

Collecting is a different thing for sure (if you are one going for personality cult), but dropping such coin on said box with the intention of smoking still remains idiocy. Not a question of wealth, it's a matter of brains.

I'd challenge the statement made on "relativism" here. There is an absolute valuation one can put to these: Their value for smoking doesn't differ much from any other box of aged or even young Fundis out there (many to be had of better provenance) - poor or rich, paying more is dumb. Their fetish-value to the avid devotionalia collector is very much a purely personal valuation and can be infinite indeed.

[HarveyBoulevard]

51 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Collecting is a different thing for sure (if you are one going for personality cult), but dropping such coin on said box with the intention of smoking still remains idiocy. Not a question of wealth, it's a matter of brains.

I'd challenge the statement made on "relativism" here. There is an absolute valuation one can put to these: Their value for smoking doesn't differ much from any other box of aged or even young Fundis out there (many to be had of better provenance) - poor or rich, paying more is dumb. Their fetish-value to the avid devotionalia collector is very much a purely personal valuation and can be infinite indeed.

There are people in this world with money beyond comprehension. For them, spending $27,000 on something to smoke is like you and I buying a pack of cigarettes.

I believe relativism is the most appropriate word to describe the situation we are seeing here.

Spending $27,000 on a box of cigars relative to my income is idiocy. Spending $27,000 on cigars when you're worth 5 billion dollars... It's all relative.

[Fugu]

4 hours ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

I believe relativism is the most appropriate word to describe the situation we are seeing here.

Spending $27,000 on a box of cigars relative to my income is idiocy. Spending $27,000 on cigars when you're worth 5 billion dollars... It's all relative.

With all due respect, you are missing the point I am making, HB. That's exactly what I am disputing here: Irrespective of how much moola one is worth - it remains plain idiotic if you bought these for smoking (mind you - I am talking about consuming them, not collecting). Let's just suppose for a brief moment I were in the chips - I have no problem shelling out big, big coin for special, perhaps legendary boxes of sticks, like think of original Boli Especiales, PL Magnums, OR Trinis. ERDM Aniv. humi, etc. for my enjoyment. No issue with that, and be sure I would indulge in them - why? Because it's peanuts for me and they are special cigars, special in smoking, unique opportunities! But wasting excessive money on a generic, aged box for smoking? Just because of a felt-pen signature?!? - And if it were Lord almighty who signed it - outright daft! The signature doesn't add any extra value to the smoker over a standard aged box. By smoking them, I'd only prove to the world how mentally lacking I am. Not relative, that's in absolute terms.

And that is - the original point I wanted to make - why I think, these cigars will be collected rather than going to be smoked.
But you are right - they might still be smoked anyway.... and I may still call that idiotic. 

[HarveyBoulevard]

4 minutes ago, Fugu said:

With all due respect, you are missing the point I am making, HB. That's exactly what I am disputing here: Irrespective of how much moola one is worth - it remains plain idiotic if you bought these for smoking (mind you - I am talking about consuming them, not collecting). Let's just suppose for a brief moment I were in the chips - I have no problem shelling out big, big coin for special, perhaps legendary boxes of sticks, like think of original Boli Especiales, PL Magnums, OR Trinis. ERDM Aniv. humi, etc. for my enjoyment. No issue with that, and be sure I would indulge in them - why? Because it's peanuts for me and they are special cigars, special in smoking, unique opportunities! But wasting excessive money on a generic, aged box for smoking? Just because of a felt-pen signature?!? - And if it were Lord almighty who signed it - outright daft! The signature doesn't add any extra value to the smoker over a standard aged box. By smoking them, I'd only prove to the world how mentally lacking I am. Not relative, that's in absolute terms.

And that is - the original point I wanted to make - why I think, these cigars will be collected rather than going to be smoked.
But you are right - they might still be smoked anyway.... and I may still call that idiotic. 

Fair enough and I do see your point. However, if I had a billion dollars in the bank I'd buy that box and I'd smoke it and I put the Box on the mantle to look at. I'm perfectly okay with you calling me daft :-)

[Fugu]

5 minutes ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

Fair enough and I do see your point. However, if I had a billion dollars in the bank I'd buy that box and I'd smoke it and I put the Box on the mantle to look at. I'm perfectly okay with you calling me daft :-)

Idiot I'd say - and wished you happy smoking...haha! 

[BrightonCorgi]

There is a sense of occasion to smoking Fidel's signed box that is not there on smoking a regular box.  Whether that is worth the price of admission is another story.

[El Presidente]

6 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

There is a sense of occasion to smoking Fidel's signed box that is not there on smoking a regular box.  Whether that is worth the price of admission is another story.

well put. 

 

Now for me that sense of occassion means naught. For another it may be the ultimate way to celebrate lifes events.