America's #1 Online Cigar Auction
first, best, biggest!

Last post 1 day ago by Ram27. 1910 replies replies.
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NEWBIES INFO: PLEASE READ (v. 2.1.3
delta1 Offline
#1351 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
TrishS@CigarBid wrote:
The original post was 3/7/05, updated 10/19/09 and 4/14/11. The original author was long-time forum member sketcha. I haven't seen him around here for a while but want to give him props for doing all the leg-work. I'm making it a sticky at recommendation of several of you along the way.

Edit, added 12/27/16: To Receive the Special Benefits of PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP, click:

http://www.cigarsinterna...ur-platinum-membership/

Despite what you may read or hear, there are NO platinum memberships here.


***********************************************

I thought I'd start this thread to answer some of the standard suggestions for the newbies in order to save some time. You’re looking at a collection of thoughts here in no particular order. Hope it helps.

First off, do read the "Forum Rules and Conditions" before posting. It's not a novel and this could save you some heartache.

Use the search function before asking questions. Many of the old-timers are a little burnt on answering some of the standard newbie questions; and rightfully so. There are lots of newbs popping in here every day.

Contact Customer Serv. with any problems before you post them here, they are excellent!

Some bidding hints…

Bid Low, be patient and let some go. There WILL be more. Do your Brothers and SistersOTL a favor and DON’T get wrapped up in a bidding war! No one gives a crap if you throw your own money away, but when your auction closes at a higher than usual price, this can set a precedent for anyone watching, and it may take weeks or even months for prices to return to normal.

Don't worry about over-bidding, zealous morons. They're the ones who pay to keep this site up and running for you and I to steal the rest

Keep Cigar International's site open for price comparison. The beauty of this site is paying LESS than standard internet prices, not more.

Try adding cigars that you’re interested in to your watch list. Track them for a few weeks and see what they close at. Then use the list as a reference for your bidding.

If you don’t already have a large capacity humidor, build a Coolerdor or Tupperdor, you will fill it soon, believe me. Thanks to little self control over several years, I am finally down to just 1 Cooler and one Tupper plus 3 large desktops.

Do a search for...

Coolerdor

Coolador

Coolidor

Colemandor

Igloodor

Tupperdor

Sweaterdor etc.

PG

Propylene Glycol (there have been reports that this liquid humidifying agent may cause a "chemical" taste in cigars

50/50

Hygrometer

Humidity

Credo

Climmax (better than 50/50)

Season

Seasoning (Humidors)

Cello (cellophane) on or off is up to the individual. They may breathe a little better and age a little faster with 'em off. They are delicate and prone to damage if handled improperly though, so use your judgment. The links below expand on this. Also, if you like, do a search.

BOTL, SOTL = Brothers/Sisters of the Leaf .

Don't know what to buy???

Everyone has different tastes so it is extremely difficult to tell you what you are going to like. The best thing to do is to get some Ideas and begin sampling for yourself. Here's a recent excerpt of a response to a newbie by Slimboli...

***"The choices out there are so numerous (thousands of cigars and factories to choose from) ... it would be hard to narrow it down, without you first providing a few parameters.

1) Light, medium or full-bodied smokes ...

2) Lengths and ring guages you prefer ...

3) Particualr shapes your like, ie. Corona, Torpedo, Robusto, Perfecto, etc.

4) Wrappers that you prefer, ie. Sun-Grown (Shade Grown), Maduro, Cameroon, etc.

These are just a few ... and once you provide us with a few guidelines, it will be a lot easier to guide you in the direction of a cigar (or cigars) that would be more to your liking!"***

Do a search for...

favorite

favorites

daily

everyday

special

premium

super premium

etc. etc. etc.


A little secret...

Keep an eye on the "Cigars and Related" forum. Once in awhile, one of us will post a favorable review of a cigar that they might not normally let slip for fear of bidding competition. Often times the prices will go up for a few weeks after. Be patient and get some when the gettin's good.

When you have an idea what you want, buy 5-packs. Let them acclimate in your humi for 2 weeks or more if possible (especially boxes). Sample at least 2 before critiquing. Generally the cheaper the stick, the younger it will be. Some may need at least a few months and some, even more expensive cigars can benefit from 6 months rest to a year or more. It’s always fun to lay down at least one of most every type for 1, 2, 3 or 4 years just to see how they do.

The flipside of this becomes apparent with certain, quality smokes. Some, like the PAM (Padron Anniversario Maduro,) for example, are pretty well ready to go and may actually lose some of their character with too much humi time.

Keep a journal

Most of us here have been, and will continue to buy 5-packs forever... even if we have already established our favorites. You'll often hear a pro use the phrase, "my rotation," for example. But there's nothing like always having new cigars to sample!

A contribution from Smelly4tay...

A little info on cigar aging....copy & paste.

.... the cigars go to the aging room, where the media-ruidas are placed in cedar cabinets called escaparates. Each factory ages their cigars for a certain amount of time. The Fuentes typically age their cigars for at least a year, with the Don Carlos and Hemmingway lines undergoing a eighteen month period of aging, and the Opus X, Anejo, Diamond Crown, and Ashton VSG lines undergoing an aging period of two years. Most cigars made by Altadis undergo an aging period at the factory of six months, and end up undergoing about a year's aging by the time they hit the shelves, as they are first transported by ship from the Dominican Republic, and then transported to the stores by ground. Carribe's cigars undergo an aging period of six weeks, which is sufficient to dry out the cigars, as the cigars straight off the bench are somewhat wet, and will burn and taste differently. Carribe’s cigars also get a good deal of aging in during transport by ship from Honduras to Florida... Furthermore, cigars need to age at least a year. Cigars are best smoked during the first three months after they are rolled, or a year after they are rolled. During that nine-month period, known to aficionados as "the sick period," cigars are relatively tasteless compared to the brash young cigars, and the much more refined cigars that have been aged a year or more. From the one-year mark on, cigars will get more refined as time goes by. Typically the flavor peaks after about five years for cigars from the Dominican Republic and Mexico, and peaks at fifteen years for cigars from anywhere other than the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Practically every single cigar available on the shelves of tobacconists in the US has been properly aged, and "the sick period" is something that only people who smoke Cuban cigars should worry about.

Seasoning Humidors...

Any new Cedar lined Humidor will require "Seasoning" before you can place your precious babies inside. This is the process of slowly bringing the humidity inside up to the desired humidity of 65 to 73% (I prefer 68. Most wouldn't go over 70).

Here's an excerpt from the...

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/

***I can't get the humidity in my humidor high enough!***

Be patient! A new wooden humidor will take up to 3 weeks to stabilize. Misting the interior lightly with distilled water can hasten the process in a new box, but only patience will stabilize it. Don't try to rush a new humidor....

Also, is your hygrometer calibrated correctly? 70% is the "correct" storage level, but since many new analog (dial-type) hygrometers are as much as 20% out of calibration when received, you should verify its accuracy before trusting it.

Check the lid. Is it a tight seal? Looking along the "crack", can you see daylight through it? In dry weather, this small crack can result in enough moisture loss to limit the humidity...

If you've checked the cal and the lid, the problem's almost gotta’ be in the way the exterior wood is finished and sealed. You see, the moisture must be going somewhere.... Moisture will readily seep right through the wood of a poorly sealed humidor - especially in the dry season. Be sure the bottom is properly finished (and sealed)!!! This is a common oversight of home-finished boxes. You can check if poorly sealed wood is your problem, simply enough. Put the whole system into a tightly sealed plastic bag (with wet credo and hygrometer inside), and let it sit for 3 days. Did the humidity come up? If so, you'll have to seal the exterior of your box better. (See section on humidor finishing)

Trading...

If you're looking to make some trades, or perhaps just looking to broaden your horizons, there are several, newbie trade threads on the "TRADES" board. At press time they’re up to 24 now. May not answer all you questions, but should get you started. There are some real cool BOTLs and SOTLs over there that get a kick out of spreading the love to worthy brothers and sisters.

(A helpful hint from Leoscat)

“Don’t jump into a thread and get all offended by the banter of the ol’ timers. Keep in mind that what may seem mean spirited to you may just be playful banter between old friends.”

(I deleted the links because several of you said they didn't work. If you would like to find the 'working' links and post them, please feel free)

Watch out for E-Chick! She's a bad, bad girl!

{ =^ )

(“Esplendido Chick”/Marla hasn’t been around in awhile, but I’m leaving this here as something of an homage. She was a real credit to these boards!)

Remember to post an introduction after you've read the above. And above all, just have fun!

Thanks



1. "Read more, post less.

2. Learn to "return to forum without posting". Practice until you can do it reliably.

3. Proof read twice. Post once. " dstieger

4. "Platinum memberships do not exist here." La Princessa (aka: TrishS@CigarBid)

5. When you top this post, you must also top the "commonly used acronyms" post. ram27bat


6. Don't feed the trolls
delta1 Offline
#1352 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
d'oh! ...OK.... who's the wise guy???...I'm getting old, missed this on the previous page...good thing the mods have been busy, or I'd be gone.......

d'oh! d'oh! d'oh!
delta1 Offline
#1353 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
fog
delta1 Offline
#1354 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Herfing Beer
qmech Offline
#1355 Posted:
Joined: 06-17-2016
Posts: 970
Bump
Q
delta1 Offline
#1356 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
fog
delta1 Offline
#1357 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Herfing
delta1 Offline
#1358 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Beer
delta1 Offline
#1359 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
tryin to sync them up for grasshopper...
delta1 Offline
#1360 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
fog
Bur Offline
#1361 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Here's Johnny
delta1 Offline
#1362 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
#1362
Bur Offline
#1363 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Delta, Delta, Delta
Bur Offline
#1364 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
...dum
Bur Offline
#1365 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
And, no, that's not in reference to Delta1, he's a fine BOTL
Bur Offline
#1366 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Topping. First time in a week....
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1367 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Bur fallin down on the job...
Bur Offline
#1368 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Actually working at my job. But still sneaking peeks at the devil site.
Hank_The_Tank Offline
#1369 Posted:
Joined: 11-15-2016
Posts: 3,677
See...
delta1 Offline
#1370 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Herfing
Bur Offline
#1371 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Hiya Hank!
fenderbendertex Offline
#1372 Posted:
Joined: 08-17-2013
Posts: 1,139
top
Bur Offline
#1373 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Fenderbendertex either doesn't know of my OCD
Bur Offline
#1374 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Or does and is f'in with me besides ripping on Miller Lite and Jerry Jones
delta1 Offline
#1375 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Beer
fenderbendertex Offline
#1376 Posted:
Joined: 08-17-2013
Posts: 1,139
Bur wrote:
Fenderbendertex either doesn't know of my OCD

Hey Bur! Long time!

Didn't know you had ODC...
delta1 Offline
#1377 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
...he's got it bad, along with some other stuff...

Gotsa keep these two together, fellas...
fenderbendertex Offline
#1378 Posted:
Joined: 08-17-2013
Posts: 1,139
Bur's a great guy - one of the first to "buddy list" me on this forum-

But I'll always rip one off on Jerry Jones...
At least until he hires players that stay out of jail and on the field
delta1 Offline
#1379 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
OK, fenderbendertex, you're messing with Bur's OCD if you top this one without topping the other: The Newbies Info thread must be kept together with the Commonly Used Acronyms thread: CBid law from the burning bush...


Herfing
fenderbendertex Offline
#1380 Posted:
Joined: 08-17-2013
Posts: 1,139
top

Done delta. Got it now.
Bur Offline
#1381 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Hiya guys. Been off the forum for awhile. Pesky little thing called "work".
N808x Offline
#1382 Posted:
Joined: 08-20-2017
Posts: 37
Thank you this helped me out alot.
Bur Offline
#1383 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
And topping with its partner
Bur Offline
#1384 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
For the weekend....
Bur Offline
#1385 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Back at work, so back on the forums!
Bur Offline
#1386 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
About to drop off page 2
Bur Offline
#1387 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
1388....like the other thread.
Bur Offline
#1388 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
up to page one
Bur Offline
#1389 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Slacking off, back up it goes
Bur Offline
#1390 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Sorry boys and girls, slacking on my topping duties.
Bur Offline
#1391 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Back to the tippee tip top
Bur Offline
#1392 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Another no value added post or three to boost the count
SmokeMonkey Offline
#1393 Posted:
Joined: 04-05-2015
Posts: 5,688
TTT
Bur Offline
#1394 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Up up and away
Bur Offline
#1395 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Keeping these paired. Up to page one.
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1396 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Fur any nOObs lurking about.


.
delta1 Offline
#1397 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
Dudes...Bur, Napalm, Smoke and Fender...
delta1 Offline
#1398 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
fog
delta1 Offline
#1399 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
keeping
delta1 Offline
#1400 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,754
these
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