unsealed boxes

[dazzer]

What is the reason for unsealed whole boxes?

Am I being too cynical to think that an unscrupulous dealer could be throwing any old singles into the box and flogging as an original and complete whole thus rendering the date code on the box completely pointless/useless?

or, do they have to be broken into to insert the H&F leaflet gumpf?

[Sligub]

All EMS boxes are opened and inspected by H&F before reaching the shops, what benefit would the retailer get for selling mixed boxes?

[dazzer]

ah cool.

the retailer would benefit if they had a few boxes of singles on the go and no full boxes left.

[PeeJay]

It does take away the pleasure of opening the box yourself. A friend brought me back a sealed box of RyJ number 2 tubos from Majorca and it felt like Christmas come early.

[dazzer]

lol exactly, I had not decided wether I was going to keep a box pristine and sealed or wether I would go through the whole process of carefully slicing through the stickers to open etc which i had built up in my mind in anticipation had i chosen to do so. Was a big occasion for me my first box and I didn't realise and expect it to be already opened

Main thing is i know thats par for the course now so I feel better about it lol

[Sean]

I myself prefer for the tobacconist to check the box for any dodgy cigars then at least you know your getting the best off them and they know it

[dazzer]

Good idea, I have yet to actually visit a proper tobacconist though, and to be clear, I am extremely happy with the online retailers I have used in all ways possible.

As a more general aside:

After a decade of amazon and ebay et al purchases, it makes a refreshing change to deal with companies who by and large still value the personal touch as I have experienced from the cigar retailers I have used.

For clarity, I did just proffer the possibility that having open boxes could lead to abuse by the more unscrupulous retailers, not that it was endemic in the industry.

[Simon Bolivar]

So let's reverse the question, would you buy a sealed box? What's inside it? What state are they in? Are they riddled with beetles (try tapping the box on it's side, if fine dust comes out them maybe...), have they dried out completely due to not being stored correctly?
Then make this more interesting, would you buy an aged box or even a vintage box sealed? Any boxes brought in this country sealed, have been sold abroad & therefore you have no real idea about the state of them.

If I am buying abroad eg Belgium, I say to Mr Frank, OK I'll buy these on the understanding you'll exchange them if there not 100% fine, when I open them in fornt of you. Decent tobacconists should agree to that. Funnily enough the most resistance to this came in Cuba, where they really weren't into letting me in the walk in humi (ask me want you want & I'll go & get it), checking all the boxes on the shelf for dates (almost nothing was more than 2 yrs old) & opening the box. Luckily the ones I brought & opened were fine but I would have played up merry hell if they weren't & that was a Habanos shop in Valderao.

Here's some pics of the only sealed box I have brought at auction, these were from the '70's.ERDM.PL.2011.07.053.jpg I couldnt get to view but then there wasn't much to see. ERDM.PL.2011.07.055.jpgWhat I did do was ask Mitch if he knew anyhting about them ie the provenance. ERDM.PL.2011.07.056.jpgHe told me he had sold several boxes from this collecter before & they were all fine quality cigars. So I took a gamble (me & my partners), turned out tickety boo. ERDM.PL.2011.07.058.jpgSome collecters like to buy sealed boxes, others, more cautious, are wary & won't bid.ERDM.PL.2011.08.25.IMG_1605.jpg It's the ultimate in caveat emptour.ERDM.PL.2011.08.25.IMG_1606.jpg

[Deano]

Top bloody post Simon.

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

[bubbajvegas]

^ agreed

When simon talks about cigars it's along the lines of Fred Dibnah talking about engineering...so damned interesting in an engaging way...that's the passion rising to the surface :-)

[dazzer]

Simon,

You make some good points and ones which I had not entertained, certainly in respects to the tactile sensual nature of cigars and the enjoyment and gratification of their consumption, rather, I was thinking of them, at least in relation to one interest I had with regards the pursuit of the hobby, in the following way.

I did have the thought (in my newbish exuberance) that some of the boxes I wanted would have remained sealed, that has been taken away from me with what I now know... at least within the U.K. market. The idea of original and pristine in terms of collecting/collections appeals greatly to my sense of propriety, but I accept in some ways I can border on the OCD end of the scale.

From what I have thus far gathered, after a certain period, at least to some degree and in some respects, some cigars, once they reach a certain age, are or can be unsmokeable, at least in terms of the amount of smoking pleasure derived from a result of a lack of complexity or depth?

If the above has some merit, then in these instances, the actual cigar itself in terms of being a consumable product would be less important than the history and worth imbued into the cigar by virtue of the fact of its age and that it is essentially pristine and entirely original from the day it left the factory (warts and all, but that is the magic of not knowing).

The notion of the internal atmosphere too, however many times it would have circulated out of and into the box in actuality, is instilled with the romance of it being the original cuban atmosphere from the very day it left the factory. An unmolested time capsule if you will.

Like I say though, I can perhaps be on the extreme end with regards my thoughts on some things I get obsessed with lol

That's not to say it was ever my intention to have that as my focus in this hobby, but definitely appeals to me as a side shoot if you will.

[fordi]

Great thread.

[Simon Bolivar]

Cheers for the kind words guys. Dazzer, it's getting late & I was up very ealy so I am not sure if i get your whole point but I think your saying you like the asthetic ideal of having a sealed box, keeping it for yrs & holding the magic of what might lie inside in your heart, until one day you finally open them & ...Nothing worng in that for a man with patience & soul. Personally I get alot of pleasure from occasionally going through all my boxes & checking them out, having a good smell (as mentioned on another thread) & checking for an mould, dryness or over humification. When you have several humi's & a large cave & are only at home half the time; I think these checks although a pleasure, are a necessity for peace of mind. Even with beads & auto humi systems certian temps & external humidity can throw a curve ball in the works. If your confident of your supplier & aren't going to be totally shattered after waiting 5-10yrs to open your box & perhaps finding there not in perfect condition, then hopefully you will reap the rewards of your asthetic time capsule. The box photographed could have been through several owners hands & he or them resisted the temptaton but others would have kept this box another 5-10ys & re-sold it for a little profit. But me, I like to buy aged cigars & smoke em, only got 9 left now.

[dazzer]

My point is that I would have liked, in certain circumstances to have an example of what I had smoked, but intact, knowing I had a sealed pristine box, rather than what I would call a sullied one that in my eyes has lost much of its appeal once the seal has been broken (strictly in terms of building a collection, and not building a smoking stash). I would have also appreciated the privilege of "breaking the seal" myself, and I was particularly looking forward to doing so on my first box.

I am unable to do that using cigars sourced on the U.K. market. I am disappointed but know the score with regards H&F now. Of course I will still store and age and now I know they aren't sealed, I will be able to fondle and sniff and check etc, but that is something I could have done with my "smokers" anyway.

I think whatever people want to do with regards their collections and objectives and how and where they source their enjoyment outside of purely smoking the cigars, is fine.

Storage also plays a part like you say if you have a large collection stored together, then of course sensible precautions should be taken, and that is something each person can decide for themselves in the personal circumstances they find themselves in.

[monkey66]

I recently received two boxes and for the first time in many years one was sealed. I was taken back and wondered what was wrong.

Got out my knife, cut along the seals and slid the lid open. I was happy to see all was good.

Having recently experenced this i still have no desire to receive sealed boxes.