I can't help it.... that LOD outfit would look so good on me....

So... What's happening with these... I'm sitting on the edge of my seat !!!

Low

The original owner transacted with a non Cbid member.

The nerve !!

Worked out well for me I got a nice trade.

Go to www.cigaraficionado.com and look on the navigation bar on the left side for the Counterfeit Gallery (look for a little picture of a Cohiba band under a magnifying glass).

Compare the legitimate bands to the ones on your smokes and also check some of the known fakes for any matches. Also, was the Republica de Cuba tax stamp on the box, unbroken, before you bought it? If not, then it was most likely a counterfeit. Also, did your Cuban friend buy them from an actual shop, or just some guy on the street.

Use a search engine and check for some other sights that could help you see if the box is legit, and also some places to help you figure out if the tax stamp is real or not.

One more thing: If what you bought are Cohiba Esplendidos in a box with a clear glass top, they're fake. That's one of the biggest counterfeit tricks going on in the US and abroad with Cuban cigars right now.

In my experiences with "legit Havanas," I've found that anyone seriously into marketing fakes can get real bands, real seals and real boxes and put pieces of $hit tobacco around it all.

The only way to tell is to smoke it. Period. They can also be rolled with enough detail to look legit. Those guidelines you see on the other sites are just for appearance clarifications only, again, only your palate can tell.

I should clarify that there are legit sources out there, as many people on these boards well know.