I can't honestly say that I've bought any fake cigars, tho I've smoked a couple of fake Cubans carried over the border from Mexico by friends and family. There have been instances when I've bought cigars that were sold as authentic, which were clearly sub-par...AVO and Graycliff are two name brands that have sold licensing agreements to various distribution companies to sell who knows what under their named labels...

Both are correct. For the most part, online retailers are on the level but they are definitely also passing alone sticks made from floor sweepings. No self-respecting beetle would infest some of the stuff that is sold. You get what you pay for generally.

Not much chance that non-Cuban cigars are faked until you get into the higher priced offerings.

I know everyone wants to know if you like waffles or pancakes better.

Do you like campling?

Long walks on the beach?

Be sure to search The Thonginator...you shouldn't post anymore until you do.

Words of wisdom: If you don't have thick skin, grow some.

Generally speaking, if the tobacco isn't grown and rolled in Cuba, it ain't Cuban.

Habanos employed rollers traveling to LCdHs are considered Cuban cigars, even through the cigar could be rolled in another country.

"Cuban-seed" is just a marketing term to mean that the strain of tobacco being grown originated in Cuba.

Well, if you must pry....in order

1) French toast

2) no

3) no

4) huh??

5) growing as we speak

Trust me...go up to the Search link and look for the original Thonginator thread.

Cigar preferences?

Number of years smoking cigars?

You didn't really introduce yourself, so trying to pry some info out.

And these are also required reading.

http://www.cigarbid.com/Forum/c/posts/612357/NEWBIES-INFO-PLEASE-READ-v-2-1-3 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Forum/c/posts/617445/Commonly-Used-Acronyms-and-Abbrevs-Rev-1217 

You're welcome.

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I'm talking about licensing agreements that some cigar making companies have with large on-line retailers. The two companies that came to mind are AVO and Graycliff, who do make their own line of products, some of which I've bought and liked. But I did notice a difference between some cigars purchased from an on-line source, made by that source under a licensing agreement with AVO and Graycliff. Those cigars were inferior to others made by the actual producers with identical labels , but in slightly different sizes. Two cigars come to mind: AVO XO and Graycliff Crystal. The authentic factory made ones were superior, but also more expensive. Graycliff products sold on-line were among the worst cigars I've ever smoked. The deep discounts on these cigars can be a clue, as is true for Gurkhas.

On-line retailers that have been in business for some time are legitimate places to buy cigars. Like TG said, they do stock cigars at many price points, including machine made ones that may contain floor sweepings and other stuff. It would be pointless for retailers in the US to hire workers to make fake cigars from inferior tobaccos. Much cheaper to buy actual cigars made in places like Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and resell them here.

I've never personally suffered a beetle infestation from non-cuban cigars purchased on-line, but did have some beetles appear in some Cuban cigars bought on the internet. They appeared about a year after I bought the cigars. Most makers try to eradicate beetles by freezing their products before shipping them.

And these are also required reading.

http://www.cigarbid.com/Forum/c/posts/612357/NEWBIES-INFO-PLEASE-READ-v-2-1-3 

http://www.cigarbid.com/Forum/c/posts/617445/Commonly-Used-Acronyms-and-Abbrevs-Rev-1217 

You're welcome.

.