Newcomer (Newbie) Q&A

[JohnS]

5 hours ago, therealrsr said:

What does the "mostly" designation in the PCC mean?

You mean in a 24:24 listing? That would most likely mean that the boxes have been sourced from the Asia-Pacific Habanos cigar distributor, Pacific Cigar Company (i.e. PCC), out of Hong Kong.

 'Mostly' refers to the box code, as in most of the box code would be the one quoted in the listing but some may be different.

[FutureSpa]

I received a box of RyJ Churchills. Its missing the Habanos DOP seal on the box. It doesnt have any residue or anything either. Do they fall off? Is it Cubans being Cubans?

[Bijan]

5 hours ago, FutureSpa said:

I received a box of RyJ Churchills. Its missing the Habanos DOP seal on the box. It doesnt have any residue or anything either. Do they fall off? Is it Cubans being Cubans?

Feel free to post some pics here if you want opinions:

https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/forum/3-suspect-cigar-forum/

[FutureSpa]

2 hours ago, Bijan said:

Feel free to post some pics here if you want opinions:

https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/forum/3-suspect-cigar-forum/

They came from a trusted vendor, I just really wanna know what happened to the sticker.

[Bijan]

2 minutes ago, FutureSpa said:

They came from a trusted vendor, I just really wanna know what happened to the sticker.

Are you talking about the green sticker with the serial number and barcode plus hologram?

Edit: You mean the habanos sticker on the right hand corner put on diagonally? That one probably fell off. No one would care...

[Fuzz]

8 hours ago, FutureSpa said:

I received a box of RyJ Churchills. Its missing the Habanos DOP seal on the box. It doesnt have any residue or anything either. Do they fall off? Is it Cubans being Cubans?

Welcome to the Forum.

It is customary to introduce oneself here, before requesting assistance from the Forum.

[FutureSpa]

56 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Welcome to the Forum.

It is customary to introduce oneself here, before requesting assistance from the Forum.

Sorry, didn't get that memo. Just want to know about the sticker. 

[richardw]

2018 Monte 2. Looks like a good sign and quick internet search stated smoking cigars with bloom are great because they are in an “optimal state.” Question is: smoke them now? I have a solid inventory and was looking to add another year or two before digging into this box. Any downside in waiting? 

[Fuzz]

37 minutes ago, richardw said:

2018 Monte 2. Looks like a good sign and quick internet search stated smoking cigars with bloom are great because they are in an “optimal state.” Question is: smoke them now? I have a solid inventory and was looking to add another year or two before digging into this box. Any downside in waiting? 

Just wipe off the mold and enjoy. Or age for a few years longer. Nothing wrong with either choice. But wipe them off whatever you do.

[Brewhoser44]

I’ve looked far and wide on this site, but I can’t find any details on the location of all these Cubans. Where are they stored and shipped from? Please don’t say China...

[Cairo]

2 hours ago, Brewhoser44 said:

location

Rumors were that FOH was located in Antarctica, so I was kinda relieved when my first order arrived from Australia.

😀

[Brewhoser44]

Thanks Cairo!  I was hoping to hear it was Australia, and glad they're not Antarctic stogies.

[LOMTL]

Hello everyone,

First of, thank you for all that wealth of information, knowledge, feedback and sarcastic humor. Been tasting Habanos for the past 20 years and just discovered about FOH, never too late...

Quick question directed to Canadian members about 24:24: could you PM me please re: feedback about getting your stuff from 24:24 in Canada. Duties, taxes and other delights of the like worry me and keep me from pulling the trigger on some good stock.

Thanks in advance and cheers to all!

L

[swampfoxer]

Noob question here-- are auctions listed in USD or AUD?

[Fuzz]

All prices are in USD, unless stated otherwise.

[NapaNolan]

Hey all!

 

Haven’t logged in for a few years, I’m not seeing anything in the store aside from the Desnudos, am I missing something?

[JohnS]

On 1/5/2022 at 1:24 PM, NapaNolan said:

Hey all!

Haven’t logged in for a few years, I’m not seeing anything in the store aside from the Desnudos, am I missing something?

A lot has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its related supply issues for distributors out of Cuba.

Have a read of the following and you'll be 'up to speed' in no time!

[NapaNolan]

49 minutes ago, JohnS said:

A lot has changed due to the Covi-19 pandemic and its related supply issues for distributors out of Cuba.

Have a read of the following and you'll be 'up to speed' in no time!

Thanks for the link. Just to clarify, the only way to buy from FoH now is the twice weekly 24:24? There’s no general stock any more?

[JohnS]

7 minutes ago, NapaNolan said:

Thanks for the link. Just to clarify, the only way to buy from FoH now is the twice weekly 24:24? There’s no general stock any more?

There's no purchases via the INTERNATIONAL store for the time being. Currently, 24:24 is conducted Tuesday to Thursday at the normal time and on Fridays two hours earlier. There's no more 24:24 on Mondays at the moment until things change.

[NapaNolan]

26 minutes ago, JohnS said:

There's no purchases via the INTERNATIONAL store for the time being. Currently, 24:24 is conducted Tuesday to Thursday at the normal time and on Fridays two hours earlier. There's no more 24:24 on Mondays at the moment until things change.

Thank you for the clarification!

[bayala]

1 hour ago, DoubleSh0t said:

I’m having a hell of a time convincing my dad to join me in my ventures on this website. For reference he has thousands and thousands of cigars, New World, and probably upwards of 100-200 Cubans. He acquired them maybe 25 years ago It has been aging them and humidors ever since.

Cigar aficionado has the Montecristo number two at $32 a stick, for $327 for a box of 25 that comes out to around $13.20 per cigar if you’re lucky enough to get one on FOH.  He saying based on price alone it just makes him super suspicious, not only that but it’s online. Now I’ve done a ton of research on Reddit, as well as many other websites, spoken to many people have smoked Cubans  for over 30 years and can validate the cigars are in fact authentic without question. How do you guys go about convincing other people that are suspicious about all the fake, and counterfeit Cuban cigars out there? Especially the old-timers, he’s 65 years old not 35, he doesn’t do the same kind of research that I do. I’m excited because I definitely want to pick up a box or two for him to enjoy, but I don’t want his experience to be soured by suspicion.

Any information, or anyone who has been through a similar situation, I would love some input. For the record I have absolutely zero doubt that I found the right place. Finally a home where I can find exactly what I’m looking for and all the trust in the world along the way. I just am struggling to sell that message to my pops!
 

 

 

 

 

https://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/ - is a great resource for learning about the packaging, warranty seals and other ways to identify genuine cuban cigars. 

http://yulcigars.blogspot.com/ - shows the price of boxes when purchased from official stores in Cuba which is as close to a universal base price that you can find. $32 a stick for a Monte 2 sold as a single in a B&M is very different to an online retailer selling a full box who will have less overheads and/or operate in a duty-free environment. 

[GoodStix]

Great thread / explainer.  Thanks.

[MattxG]

For 24:24 - What credit cards are accepted?  Is the payment system secure?

[Fuzz]

2 hours ago, MattxG said:

For 24:24 - What credit cards are accepted?  Is the payment system secure?

It is secure. Visa/Mastercard/Amex all work as far as I'm aware. But don't try Diners Club, Discover or Bankcard. Di might laugh too hard.

[DixeyJ]

This is a super helpful thread! Thanks' to all so far - found my Amex Q that I had already answered above. I have seen this discussed elsewhere but just to be sure - for the 24:24 pricing the prices are given in USD and AUD (which dont align in conversion). Is this because the AUD rates include taxes etc? So if we purchase internationally we should use the USD rate as our reference? 

2 other final quick questions: 

• Do some of out more learned members have any suggestions where newbies can best hang out and listen in to get to know members and soak things up? My guess would be the watering hole but all suggestions welcome
• Lastly how do the majority of members feel about the chatbox? As a younger member I love a good IM but don't want to spam the feed with discussion if that might tick off some