What a waste!

[Colt45]

Mel, I believe these are made by Perdomo for a large U.S. retailer. They never really

claimed to be Cuban, but I can see how it might be a bit confusing.

Sorry you fouled your palate.......

» Questions that come to me are why was it made in Nicaragua when it had a

» Habano band and why was the band stamped "Counterfeit"?

Basically, a marketing gimmick.

[El Presidente]

Mate.....in the cigar game believe nothing of what you hear and only about 10% of what you read......FOH excluded of course

[Mel39]

» Mate.....in the cigar game believe nothing of what you hear and only about

» 10% of what you read......FOH excluded of course

But of course Prez. That goes without saying.

So some poor sucker on another site (no mention of course) has bid up to $86 for a dud (that page is current). Plus my man who gave it to me has also been stung, he had a humi full. Mustn't say too much cos I've told him about CigarCzar and gave him the link.;-)

Cheers guys,

Mel39

[anacostiakat]

Indeed a waste Mel. Chaulk it up to your education and move on!

[Jimmy2]

These are very popular cigars here in the states and for the money they are not bad. Pretty good for an every day cigar not to hurt you in the pocket $$$.

Info below .

J&R cigars makes them they are a very big company here in the states and are a big player in the cigar industry

GENUINE PRE-EMBARGO C. C. EDICION LIMITADA CIGARS

Handmade NIC

Wrapper: NIC Binder: ECSU Filler: HON/NIC

Medium-Full Bodied

Habanos S. A., the retail arm of the Cuban cigar industry, has been launching a series of dark-wrapped Edición Limitada cigars that are so limited that the prices reach astronomical proportions, and most of these cigars are pre-sold. We've worked night and day to come up with our Genuine Counterfeit Edición Limitada line. They are the same weight, made the same way - by hand, and we even gave them the same names as the Cuban stuff! These handsome handmades are packed 50 cigars in a sliding-lid box and are available in dark Colorado Maduro only.

Hope this helps ..Jimmy

[smokum]

»

» So some poor sucker on another site (no mention of course) has bid up to

» $86 for a dud (that page is current).

Lemme guess...could he be Paul Brucker ??:-D

[havanaclub7]

» These are very popular cigars here in the states and for the money they are

» not bad. Pretty good for an every day cigar not to hurt you in the pocket

» $$$.

»

» Info below .

»

» J&R cigars makes them they are a very big company here in the states and

» are a big player in the cigar industry

»

»

» GENUINE PRE-EMBARGO C. C. EDICION LIMITADA CIGARS

» Handmade NIC

» Wrapper: NIC Binder: ECSU Filler: HON/NIC

» Medium-Full Bodied

»

» Habanos S. A., the retail arm of the Cuban cigar industry, has been

» launching a series of dark-wrapped Edición Limitada cigars that are so

» limited that the prices reach astronomical proportions, and most of these

» cigars are pre-sold. We've worked night and day to come up with our

» Genuine Counterfeit Edición Limitada line. They are the same weight, made

» the same way - by hand, and we even gave them the same names as the Cuban

» stuff! These handsome handmades are packed 50 cigars in a sliding-lid box

» and are available in dark Colorado Maduro only.

»

»

» Hope this helps ..Jimmy

Jimmy is correct. JR Cigars, a huge mail order cigar company, sells them in the U.S. They retail for $2-$3 a stick. I know there is a prohibition from mentioning other companies, but JR does not sell Cubans at all. They do not sell for $80 a stick.

[El Presidente]

» »» from mentioning other companies, but JR does not sell Cubans at all. They

» do not sell for $80 a stick.

The prohibition exists only to protect ourselves from defamation. i.e a member says " I bought XXXX from XXXX and they were fake".

No problems discussing sources of accessories and NC cigars.

[PartagasIV]

Unfortunately, I had the good luck of beetles in a 3-pack I bought of these a couple years ago...yeck

[Mel39]

» Hope this helps ..Jimmy

Does indeed answer my questions Jimmy and I am obliged.

The screenshot is of an auction site in the States where someone is currently bidding $86+ for a stick. You probably know the site.

(I cropped out details to comply with FOH's policy).

Someone is on to a good thing.

I was given mine by a local tailor in London, who as I said had a humi full so he obviously likes them. I hope he didn't get stung as he runs an exclusive designer label for men, who did me a special deal on a blazer (jacket not lighter:-D ) because I work round the block from his store.

Yes, indeed it was a very dark wrapper and not really my cup of tea (or coffee)

Thanks again for the heads up Jimmy.

Regards,

Mel39

[Miami101]

If the light of a fire can light your mind, and break all the windows of a house built in 1959......would you buy it.

Yes it is vry hard these days....that is way I sick to one vendor for my needs. (CZAR)

Good luck next time, and may the force be with you.

Carlos Miami

[Miami101]

FYI

That cigar is a band found here in the shops. That cigar goes for around $7.00.......

[Mel39]

» FYI

» That cigar is a band found here in the shops. That cigar goes for around

» $7.00.......

Yep, thicko Limey. It's for a 50 count. DOH!

Mel39

[havanaclub7]

» » Hope this helps ..Jimmy

»

» Does indeed answer my questions Jimmy and I am obliged.

» The screenshot is of an auction site in the States where someone is

» currently bidding $86+ for a stick. You probably know the site.

» (I cropped out details to comply with FOH's policy).

» Someone is on to a good thing.

»

» I was given mine by a local tailor in London, who as I said had a humi

» full so he obviously likes them. I hope he didn't get stung as he runs an

» exclusive designer label for men, who did me a special deal on a blazer

» (jacket not lighter:-D ) because I work round the block from his store.

»

» Yes, indeed it was a very dark wrapper and not really my cup of tea (or

» coffee)

»

» Thanks again for the heads up Jimmy.

» Regards,

»

» Mel39

Mel,

The auctions are fake - just an advertising ploy for JR cigars, which sells them for less than $3 a stick. There is no way anyone has ever bought one of those for $86 a cigar -- maybe $80 a box.

[tigger]

A little background on all of this for those not familiar with US cigar retailing:

Lew Rothman, who currently runs JR Cigars is, IMO, a marketing genius.

I say currently runs, because he has owned, and sold, the company twice. He took it public once during the '90s cigar boom here, then took it back private for cheap. He then sold a controlling interest to Altadis a few years ago.

JR is very likely the largest cigar retailer on earth. There are several big physical stores, and a huge catalog and internet presence. They sell some decent stuff reasonable prices, and some junk at rock-bottom prices.

The catalog Lew writes is usually fun to read...the schtick for the "Genuine Counterfeit Cubans" runs something like, "if you buy Cubans in the US, they're almost certainly fake and very expensive, so why not buy our guaranteed fake ones for a low price."

He often includes interesting anecdotes about his history as a cigar man as well.

Somewhere in the last 5-8 years, he got people (I don't know how many, but some) to fork over dough (I think it was $200) to reserve boxes of Habanos to be shipped whenever the embargo is lifted. The $200 will go toward the price of the cigars when they're available, and he's collecting interest in the mean time. Talk about making money off of the float!

I don't agree with everything he does, but he does it very, very well.

[Mel39]

I find it peculiar that well known Habanos names allow their marques and vitolas to be used for manufacture outside Cuba using probably inferior filler and/or wrapper.

Thanks for the info Tigger.

Mel39

[tigger]

Mel-

Cuba has had little, if any luck at retaining trademark rights in the US.

In some cases it's probably fair, as the families that owned the brand names in the 50's claim they took them with them when the industry was nationalized.

In others, such as the Cohiba marque, it seems ridiculous to me that the government allows non-Cuban entities (General Cigar in the case of Cohiba) to market cigars under names that no one owned prior to the revolution that Cuba then trademarked.

As far as the cigars referenced above in this thread that JR is selling, they're not using Cuban trademarks.

[TexaSmoke]

Try not to get too pissed about it. You live and learn. I've been suckered into a couple of gimmicks before.

[Mel]

» Try not to get too pissed about it. You live and learn. I've been suckered

» into a couple of gimmicks before.

Who here hasn't bought something that sucked or paid to much?? Gimmicks are out there because they do work some of the time. Put those down to age for thirty years and they could really be something special.;-)

[Mel39]

» Mel-

»

» Cuba has had little, if any luck at retaining trademark rights in the US.

»

» In some cases it's probably fair, as the families that owned the brand

» names in the 50's claim they took them with them when the industry was

» nationalized.

»

» In others, such as the Cohiba marque, it seems ridiculous to me that the

» government allows non-Cuban entities (General Cigar in the case of Cohiba)

» to market cigars under names that no one owned prior to the revolution

» that Cuba then trademarked.

»

» As far as the cigars referenced above in this thread that JR is selling,

» they're not using Cuban trademarks.

Thanks Tigger,

I now understand perfectly what has been, and still is going on regarding current Cuba marques.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the embargo is eventually lifted as I'm sure it will one day under a different Presidentcy.

I would hope that the genuine Habanos will force the growers of inferior Nicaraguan, Dominican and other leaves using their marques, to rename their products. One day eh?

Regards,

Mel39

[Colt45]

» I would hope that the genuine Habanos will force the growers of inferior

» Nicaraguan, Dominican and other leaves using their marques, to rename

» their products. One day eh?

»

Remember, Altadis, who for the moment, has a large stake in Habanos S.A, also owns

many of the NC versions of these cigars.

As for inferiority, while I agree that Cuban cigars stand on their own flavor-wise, in

my opinion, many NC cigars easily equal, and often surpass Havanas quality-wise.

[Mel39]

» Remember, Altadis, who for the moment, has a large stake in Habanos S.A,

» also owns

» many of the NC versions of these cigars.

» As for inferiority, while I agree that Cuban cigars stand on their own

» flavor-wise, in

» my opinion, many NC cigars easily equal, and often surpass Havanas

» quality-wise.

I see.

Maybe when Rob isn't looking you can slip me the names of a couple of NCs that you would recommend to a newbie who prefers a light to medium smoke.;-)

Mind you, a lot of the American companies I have looked at won't ship outside the US.

I've seen some praise Padrons, would you concur Colt?

Mel39

[Colt45]

» I see.

» Maybe when Rob isn't looking you can slip me the names of a couple of NCs

» that you would recommend to a newbie who prefers a light to medium

» smoke.;-)

» Mind you, a lot of the American companies I have looked at won't ship

» outside the US.

» I've seen some praise Padrons, would you concur Colt?

»

» Mel39

Don't get me wrong - on more than one occasion here, I've belittled NCs. Truth be

told, overall, I prefer the depth of flavor I normally find in most Havanas - and often

find lacking in NCs.

What I was driving at is that in my opinion, the quality of many NC cigars - that is, the

care taken in the whole process, from how they handle the tobacco to the quality of

construction of the finished product, rivals or surpasses the Cuban counterparts.

It would be difficult for me to recommend an NC for someone who smokes Havanas -

I don't smoke many myself these days, and I'd hate to recommend something that

you would not find enjoyable.

[Mel39]

Much obliged Colt for your views and integrity.

Mel39

[Colt45]

» Much obliged Colt for your views and integrity.

»

» Mel39

Why thank you, Mel - you are a gentleman and a scholar, and obviously a supreme

judge of character.....