To open or not to open

[donpepe]

My wife came back from Cuba a week ago and brought me back a nice selection of cigars. Boxes of Diplomaticos no 2, Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No 1 (from 2000!), Cuaba Torpedos LE 2008, Montecristo Sublimes LE 2008. While I enjoy smoking I consider myself a collector/investor first, the woman in the cigar store opened the Diplomaticos and the Partagas so that my wife could inspect them. I was wondering peoples thoughts what is better with regards to an investment, a sealed box or a cracked box or does it matter?

[Guest rob]

Open them up.

No one is going to buy them off you in the future.... at any price.... without inspecting them first.

[Miami101]

Collector: Hum!

That word what does it mean? I have a collections of items in my house fishing lures, Rods, boats/Kayak's, Cigars (800 & counting) , Voka (100 plus bottles), Rum,Wines (500 plus), Coffe's, Oil's, IT Certs, Books, and over 3500 records, 4000 CD.....Yea I have issues so my wife has told me.

My thoughts are what is the point....I'm getting rid of almost everything...it is all going to Ebay, CriagList etc.....We only live once...so smoke it up......... FYI keeping my Cigars/Wines some amounts of things.

Don't be like that old man who later turns 70, and the doctor states hey you can no longer smoke cigars.........so out of love you hold on to these cigars keeping them just right to one day sale them for almost nothing.... true story by the way..

Smoke it up, and viva the revolution.....the new revolution, NWO, etc, etc...................

[Miami101]

In Miami life is fast, and only slows down fo a good cigar...........................................................................

................................................................................

.

..................................................................>}}}}}=>

[Jimmy2]

Cigars are ment to be smoked ...

[trumpetchris]

Send them to me, I'll inspect them for you!

[Colt45]

While I enjoy smoking I consider myself a collector/investor first

how unfortunate.

[Guest rob]

I'm a collector. I have been since as far back as I can remember.

Golden and Silver age comics, sports cards, original art, wine, cigars, golf memorabilia.... the list of stuff I collect is massive.

The one thing I have learnt over time is to use (or consume) and enjoy all that you collect.

You will be happier if you do.

[donpepe]

I certainly respect everyones opinion who say "cigars are meant to be smoked", I hope that in 20 years I will have enough money that I don't need to sell them and can smoke them myself. However if that isn't the case and I will have to sell them I need to do everything possible to keep the value high. If at that time someone who is seriously interested in them wants to inspect them they have the right.

I'll put my question another way. If you found a vintage box would you give it a higher value if it were sealed? My logic is that if it's sealed it will be worth more because no one could have substituted younger cigars into the older box.

[Guest rob]

I buy vintage cigars every month.

I insist on inspection every single time.

Also, I used to buy cigars for investment purposes. I thought it was a good idea at the time.

A person in the business, who I really respect, put it into perspective when he said:

"Rob, do you really want to be putting your investment money into fermented and rolled vegetable matter?"

With the pedantic storage and the inherit risks associated with cigars... I have since been convinced I was misguided. A lot of expensive, rare and delicious cigars have perished since that day.

[patrick]

Eventually the person buying them will want to look so I say crack them open and check them out. Also, if you leave them sealed, how do you know if there isn't a beattle eating it's way through your investment.

[Colt45]

I'll put my question another way. If you found a vintage box would you give it a higher value if it were sealed? My logic is that if it's sealed it will be worth more because no one could have substituted younger cigars into the older box.

Personally, you'd have to be able to prove incontrovertible provenence. And even then, I'd have to break the box to inspect them.

Then you would no longer have a sealed box. A savings account would probably be a better investment.

[asmith]

Crack them, smoke them, buy some more. Done any more questions?

[Guest rob]

Done any more questions?

What is the meaning of life?

Why are we here?

If a tree falls in the forest... and no one is there to hear it ... does it make any noise?

[Fuzz AI]

Done any more questions?

Does a fart truly enhance the Partagas Serie D No.5 LE 2008?

[Ken Gargett]

Does a fart truly enhance the Partagas Serie D No.5 LE 2008?

no but it gets rid of smithy.

[shrink]

I'm not a collector, but I would think that the problem with an opened box is that you can't prove that they are the original cigars. I've heard of empty old boxes being stuffed with younger smokes.

[anacostiakat]

Well my opinion is a little different.

I don't think it matters as much as some might think. When you sell or trade a box of cigars part of the transaction is your integrity. Some folks will want intact boxes for the obvious reason. Some will insist on inspecting the box.

I have bought both. Most of my boxes have been opened. The majority actually. However I have some that have not.

As for collecting, that is another issue. I do not collect in the sense of buying to hold and sell later. I buy to smoke and hold to age only to enjoy later.

I am all about maximizing my enjoyment. . .

[Tampa1257]

Everybody has their own opinion about aging cigars now for future gain with additional "Preceived" value due to age. If you are using any Respectable and Responsible Vendor to make your Initial purchase from, then the box will have been opened for quality inspection.

[audio1der]

I would never purchase vintage cigars from someone whom I didn't know well, without a thorough inspection.

An opned box means nothing IMO.

[bassman]

I collect rare coins, old railroad stock certificates & timetables. I HAVE a lot of Cuban cigars & Bordeaux wine, but that stuff is for smoking & drinking. If I ever bought an old and/pr rare box of cigars I would definitely want to inspect it. Lots of old cigars floating around with questionable storage ranging from dried out to very musty. Yuck!

[sje]

this has evolved into a brilliant topic.

firstly to answer the original posters question, Open all boxes, choose (unless your wife is buying and your not present as it seemed in this case) find the best ones and take them home, you don’t want to open a particular box in 5 or 10 years and find a large fat weevil. also some boxes don’t get shipped all that well and have a high percentage of split feet etc. Open and inspect everything, (i would assume there would be very few exceptions to this rule)

Cigars as investments etc, these are harder to predict, without doubt some cigars become very sought after and subsequently people are willing to pay more or trade more for them.

Myself i am a collector and an investor (but a very bad one) , i have made up to 100% on cigars very quickly (but also fail as i become attached to cigars)

my philosophy is Simple (idiotic but simple) buy at least 2 boxes of everything, smoke and enjoy the first box and if the second box because valuable then sell it, if not then enjoy smoking it. (WIN WIN)

Spiro

[El Presidente]

Good topic

I am a retailer and I would never purchase a box of cigars for myself without opening them first.

I don't know how many boxes I have opened over the years.....20 a day over 10 years at 250 days I am here a year. 50,000 boxes approx. It has taught me to inspect.

[Stalebread]

I collect rare coins, old railroad stock certificates & timetables. I HAVE a lot of Cuban cigars & Bordeaux wine, but that stuff is for smoking & drinking. . . . Yuck!

collect vs have.

That's a good distinction to make.

[aavkk]

250 days I am here a year

Im not so sure about this figure. We better check with Lisa to be sure.