What would you have done?


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I was at the local American Legion hall yesterday and one of the guys was showing some cohibas he had bought on the beach on Mexico ( yeah, it’s going there.) they were the absolute worst fakes I have ever seen. I had just met him for the first time. I decided on discretion and told him they were pretty nice. Now I’m starting to second guess myself. Should I have educated him a little or just let him enjoy his score? What would you have done?

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Probably would have done the same, but I might try to slide in some cautionary advice by saying “be careful, I’ve read that Mexico and the Caribbean are hot spots for a pretty large counterfeit Cuban black market”. Or maybe not...ignorance is bliss. 

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I agree with the above, just let it go.  A good buddy of mine brought me some weird green/brown 'Cohiba Maduros' from the Dominican Republic. He also brought back a 5 pack of flavored Cohibas. I've never seen such bad fakes. I mean seriously, flavored Cohibas??? But I thanked him anyway for the gift, but mentioned there are a lot of fakes out there.  He said if they were fake, they were just Dominican Cohibas lol. 

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Silence or a general "enjoy them" is all I would offer.  I am not out to rain on someone's parade.  Not going to pump his tires either...  If they ask me as someone may know a thing or two on cigars; that's different.

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     * Playing it to be safe and non-embarrassing to the poor man...I would have taken him aside and quietly told him. You always run the risk of someone badly and defensively reacting...or being very grateful so as not to be potentially embarrassed among less than considerate or lecturing pompous folks who may tell him out in open and to his being made to look like a fool to the group. One must play it by ear... :teacher:

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No idea, depends on my mood of the day, sometimes I surprise myself with what I say.

Graciously read everyone’s comments though and appreciate the gentlemanly “let him enjoy the moment” approach. It aligns with my thought of the day, let trifles be even if you know they are different, what is better, to cause struggle over a trifle, or leave peace to surround it?

If he smokes them, and they are fake, and he dislikes them, and now dislikes Cohiba, was not telling him the thing to do? Now he misses the enjoyment in the future, because he won’t touch a Cohiba again. I don’t know.

Really wonder if he was stroking the moment and boasting? Maybe trying to show that he had something better than everyone else - when actually quite the opposite, quite ironic.

I feel like I would have laughed at the sight of the sticks and told him sounds fishy, I bet they are fakes!  But who knows without being there.

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I would have celebrated with him. If he asked advice I would have given it but not offered it. Wouldn’t want to rain on his parade. Caveat-if he smoked one and turned green or got sick I would have told him he was likely smoking dogshit in those stick and give him a few of the real thing. 

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8 hours ago, Shelby07 said:

I was at the local American Legion hall yesterday and one of the guys was showing some cohibas he had bought on the beach on Mexico ( yeah, it’s going there.) they were the absolute worst fakes I have ever seen. I had just met him for the first time. I decided on discretion and told him they were pretty nice. Now I’m starting to second guess myself. Should I have educated him a little or just let him enjoy his score? What would you have done?

I'm a shocker for buying fakes ...I will spend an hour with a fake merchant and happily pay the coin.

Isla mujeres/Nicaragua/Manaus...it doesn't matter. 

" I love cigars Arturo!!!!"

"Let me see"

"Tell me,,,,,,"

" You must be proud of your brother in Havana"

"your son is 14?, show me that photo again...he looks 21!"

" Do you have any others?"

"Can I buy a Sampler?"

"How about I buy 5 cigars, give you $10 more and you sit with me and share one...and I will buy you a beer!"

" What do I do?   .....I am a helicopter pilot at Seaworld" 

"how did you get into this game Arturo"

" I have a mexican friend called Sanchez. He looks part Asian"
 

It's all a little bit of fun. i have never got past the first half inch of a beach fake yet.  Havana street fakes are generally far far better. 

One bit of caution. I have cut up beach fakes many times and they vary from poor tobacco to down right dangerous filler of paper and palm leaf. 

 

Would I have told him?

No. 

 

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4 hours ago, DeskSmkr said:

 

Really wonder if he was stroking the moment and boasting? Maybe trying to show that he had something better than everyone else - when actually quite the opposite, quite ironic.

Didn’t get that impression at all. He seemed genuinely excited with what he had. Everybody was smoking nice cigars so I don’t think he felt he had anything superior. 

Im thinking when I see him again I’ll just gift him a mag 50 or something. I’m not a big cohiba fan so I don’t have any to give him. 

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