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

Last post 1 day ago by Ram27. 1910 replies replies.
39 Pages«<252627282930313233>»
NEWBIES INFO: PLEASE READ (v. 2.1.3
delta1 Offline
#1401 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
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) Particular shapes you 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. " #1 - 3, 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
#1402 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
paired
delta1 Offline
#1403 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
ok
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1404 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Top too.
delta1 Offline
#1405 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
fog
Bur Offline
#1406 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Hiya guys, been off this devil site for a bit.
Phil222 Offline
#1407 Posted:
Joined: 10-01-2017
Posts: 1,911
Why no stickies? fog
delta1 Offline
#1408 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
d'oh!
Hank_The_Tank Offline
#1409 Posted:
Joined: 11-15-2016
Posts: 3,677
I don't think people read this enough.
delta1 Offline
#1410 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
fog
delta1 Offline
#1411 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Herfing
delta1 Offline
#1412 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Beer
delta1 Offline
#1413 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
fog
delta1 Offline
#1414 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Herfing
delta1 Offline
#1415 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Beer
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1416 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Top
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1417 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Top
jwb44 Offline
#1418 Posted:
Joined: 10-23-2012
Posts: 3
Great reading and always good info.....

Jim
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1419 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Top
SmokeMonkey Offline
#1420 Posted:
Joined: 04-05-2015
Posts: 5,688
TTT
SmokeMonkey Offline
#1421 Posted:
Joined: 04-05-2015
Posts: 5,688
Top
HaustheCC Offline
#1422 Posted:
Joined: 02-13-2018
Posts: 3
Thanks for the info. Glad to be apart of this community. I have smoked cigars a bit in the past but never really "got into" them. I'm in a better position in my life/career now. I would love to get to know as much as I can, try as many as I can and enjoy this community as so many of you do.
johnd651 Offline
#1423 Posted:
Joined: 02-17-2018
Posts: 1
New to the group and CB. I've enjoyed the occasional Romeo and Juliet, punch, artureo fuente, and Camacho during college but they always came from a smoke shop without much research. Got a 50 count setup up about a year ago with a 20 count variety pack and grabbed some Camacho Ecuador's, v660s, and man o war virtue from CB this week. Looking forward to finding my favorite.

Any recommendations on something creamy/citrus toned?
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1424 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Topitty top top top.
delta1 Offline
#1425 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
johnd651 wrote:
New to the group and CB. I've enjoyed the occasional Romeo and Juliet, punch, artureo fuente, and Camacho during college but they always came from a smoke shop without much research. Got a 50 count setup up about a year ago with a 20 count variety pack and grabbed some Camacho Ecuador's, v660s, and man o war virtue from CB this week. Looking forward to finding my favorite.

Any recommendations on something creamy/citrus toned?


try the Laranja...


fog
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1426 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Top.
delta1 Offline
#1427 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Herfing
Hank_The_Tank Offline
#1428 Posted:
Joined: 11-15-2016
Posts: 3,677
ttt
delta1 Offline
#1429 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Beer
Bur Offline
#1430 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Hiya everyone! Topping to synch the thread counts. (No I wasn't away getting my OCD fixed)
delta1 Offline
#1431 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Wow...Bur came back! Howzitgoin, Bro!
Bur Offline
#1432 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Good. Stoopid busy with standing up a new contract (but cool, and will get me up your way for a herf later this summer btw), growing my other business, family, riding....and occasionally enjoying the baccy leaf in a pipe or cee-gar!
delta1 Offline
#1433 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
It would be great to get together for a herf!
Bur Offline
#1434 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Look forward to it, and topping to keep paired
Deancrump07 Offline
#1435 Posted:
Joined: 04-20-2018
Posts: 1
Good day to all. Newbie to the site. Have read through the intro and I'll just read and try and learn a little for now. But, a hello to all.
RMAN4443 Offline
#1436 Posted:
Joined: 09-29-2016
Posts: 7,683
Deancrump07 wrote:
Good day to all. Newbie to the site. Have read through the intro and I'll just read and try and learn a little for now. But, a hello to all.

Welcome to the asylum......I'm Rick, and everybody else is someone else......fasten your seatbelt, hold on and enjoy the ride Beer
delta1 Offline
#1437 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
welcome Deancrump...the regulars rarely look here (except the eagle-eyed RMAN), so I suggest that you post an introductory new guy thread/new topic...for a proper CBid welcome!
Bur Offline
#1438 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
1430-NINE
Blaze1864 Offline
#1439 Posted:
Joined: 05-13-2018
Posts: 2
Hello all new to the forum
SmokeMonkey Offline
#1440 Posted:
Joined: 04-05-2015
Posts: 5,688
Welcome, Blaze. See post 1437 above.
NapalmMan67 Offline
#1441 Posted:
Joined: 05-22-2015
Posts: 2,514
Monkey screwin up Bur's ocd...




delta1 Offline
#1442 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
fog
delta1 Offline
#1443 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
Herfing
Bur Offline
#1444 Posted:
Joined: 07-31-2012
Posts: 5,638
Now they're synched so back to the top.
RRMFLY Offline
#1445 Posted:
Joined: 06-26-2018
Posts: 38
Thanks for all the information
RRMFLY Offline
#1446 Posted:
Joined: 06-26-2018
Posts: 38
Going to find the new guy ghread
delta1 Offline
#1447 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
click the "New Topic" button to post your intro, RRMFLY. Welcome to the madhouse...
bdrizzle Offline
#1448 Posted:
Joined: 01-27-2011
Posts: 2,511
My platinum membership is grandfathered in. They do exist?! (Scifi music in the background)
delta1 Offline
#1449 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,753
wow...look who popped in...my long gone vet! Hope you and your family are well, Bro!
RRMFLY Offline
#1450 Posted:
Joined: 06-26-2018
Posts: 38
Must be nice, I never knew my vet.
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