I've never bought a box
 

Here's a question to you more experienced guys:

How long were you smoking before you bought a complete box?

I've been smoking for about 15 months, and fallen pretty hard down the slope. I've bought humidors, all kinds of lighters, cutters and other toys.

I've bought plenty of fivers and samplers off of C-bid or other vendors when the price is right for me.

Part of it, for me, is the variety. I have yet to find a cigar that I said to myself, "I need 20 of these." I'm still inexperienced enough to not really know what I like yet.

So, those of you who have been down the path, how does one evolve to the point of buying boxes?

Re: I've never bought a box
 

My first box was for my my HS graduation party. LFD Flor de LaVonda. After that, I waited a long time. Then I bought my cabinet, and now I can store my boxes as long as I want.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Easy, just pull out your credit card and choose "Complete Order" :ss

Seriously though once you find something you consistently like, buy a few boxes. Part of the interest in this hobby for me is sampling a stick from the same box every few months or so and experiencing the changes the aging process brings. :D

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I'm sort of like you, I like the variety a bit much to pull the trigger on a box. I think I have bought may be 4 in a years time. It also kills a lot of the monthly budget at one shot, and I like buying cigars (maybe I need a shrink). Second consideration is the storage, I do quite will with the humi and a 72 qt cooler. Buying boxes would kill what room I have and limit teh variety.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

The first cigar I really enjoyed I ordered a box.

Pip

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I have been smoking only 3 months, also ordering samplers, mostly cc's, and liked 75% of them, and i own less than 20 cigars. I still am in the same boat as you - haven't felt the need to buy a box, the only temptation is that some of the cigars i have enjoyed - it costs around the same for a box as it did for a 12 pack sampler. So the savings is there.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

i was smoking for 3years till i bought my first box

Re: I've never bought a box
 

If you bought one box of everything you liked when you first started, then you'd have alot of WTS threads in a couple years.

This is an odd time. Usually I would say wait a while and buy a box of special smokes. Go high end and listen to other inmates advice. That way you're less likely outgrow your first box.

With all the talk of tax hikes though, I would have to say if you can afford it now buy a couple boxes of great smokes. Stay away from the cheaper stuff...5 Vegas, Perdomo, etc. in a year you'll wish you saved your money for something else.

I'd recomend a box of Anjeos, Ashton VSG's, Fuente Don Carlos, Pardon 64's, higher end Tat's

Odds are that soon you'll be getting into these anyway. It's like people say around here, once you start down the slope don't bother with Humidors, go ahead and buy a cooler. It'll save you time and money. :)

Re: I've never bought a box
 

took me about 2 years to finally buy a box. To date I have only purchased two boxes both being CCs.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I think there are 4 kinds of slopes.

1) The newb slope. Here you spend your paycheck's over and over again on Cigar Bid and CI samplers.
2) The box slops. Here is where things get ugly. Instead of buying 10 count samplers, you start really focusing on boxes of cigars you really enjoy. For sake of example, you get a Oliva Serie V Torpedo in a sampler or as a gift. Instead of buying a fiver, you just pick up a box. Repeat the process with all the cigars you like.
3) The cuban slope. This is the worst. At this point, you combine 1 and 2, but with CC's.
4) Finally, you have so many coolers, desktop's etc. that you get multiple cabinets, smoking rooms, smoking sheds, etc. That is if you still have a residence and your wife hasn't thrown you and your cigars out and taken the house. :)

The moral of this lesson, Tenor, your about to hit #2, and 3 and 4 aren't far behind it. :)

Re: I've never bought a box
 

When you say to yourself that you need 20 of something then it's time to buy a box - otherwise - carry on like you are.


Ron

Re: I've never bought a box
 

you bought two boxes of credit cards?

Re: I've never bought a box
 

The first couple of boxes I bought I wish I hadn't, there were like blow out sales and priced that way for a reason.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

If you are not sure of a cigar that you really like ,keep buying 5ver's untill you find one that you know you really like. I bought my first box about 6 months in to my hobby. If I were you I would put back $20.00 here and there when you have about $150.00 or so saved up buy a box of high end cigars.With a nice box of Monte's or Tats among others out there you won't go wrong.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

go to the dark side ;)

Re: I've never bought a box
 

my very first purchases were boxes. 2 from the Dominican. :)

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Buy lots of samplers.....You will find cigars that will stand out and that you really enjoy. For me, my first box was a Oliva g maduro. It was one that i really enjoyed to smoke and was always consitant for me.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I bout boxes after I had only been smoking a few months. I didn't regret any of my first purchases, because I stuck with quality smokes (Padron64, Ashton Maduros) but if you are thinking about buying bargain smokes, you will probably regret it in the next few years.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

:tpd:

You'll still end up with stuff in your humidor that leaves you scratching your head a year from now. First box I bought wasn't even a box, some nic bundles about 10 or so years ago, stored them in tupperware containers.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I've been sampling different brands and sizes for about 6 months, and although I'm going to buy a box of RyJ PC's in the new year once I have some money, I think I'll always keep trying others out...the grass is always greeners on the other side!

Re: I've never bought a box
 

yea something like that

Re: I've never bought a box
 

As soon as I knew I liked the cigar I bought a box of them and still do this 40 years later.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Been smoking...3 years now? Never bought a box either. I buy singles and stuff, but never a box. The closest I've gotten to a box was a bundle of house brand sticks from local BM. Not the best. Not awful, but not good. You know how it goes.

You see, I suppose my problem (or blessing :ss ) is that I don't have a credit card. Just a debit card. So I can't really spend more than I actually have, and I'm pretty good about sticking to a budget.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

The things people buy

Re: I've never bought a box
 

No hurry. I think I must have smoked cigars off and on for twenty five years before I even bought a humidor. :D

Then it must have been another five years before I actually bought a full box - didn't want to fill that first humi up with just one brand. What fun would that be?

Tragically, a few years later things really started to go downhill...........


When the time is right, you'll know it. ;)

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I probably didn't buy my first box of NC's till about a year after I started to smoke. It just worked out that way to tell you the truth. After finding a cigar I liked I bought a box.

I didn't buy a CC box till probably almost two years after I started to smoke. I wanted to wait a while to smoke a CC because I really wanted to be able to appreciate a CC.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

:tpd: Who is this man and how do he know me so well

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Keep on smoking until you have your WoW moment , and then I think you'll know what to do . :ss

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I smoked for a number of years before I bought a box of cigars or a humidor. That was before I found the internet boards. After that, I was cooked. :ss

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I started down the box slope hard. Everything I really liked, I'd buy a box of because it was cheaper per stick, and I like them. I'd smoke a few, maybe half the box, and get bored and move on to something new I tried and like. I've got well over 50+ partial boxes and a few dozen full boxes at this point, and I still go on the occasional rampage when the prices are good.

The only benefit I say to this is that I have random sticks and boxes with several years age on them, because I'd push something to the back/bottom of my storage and forget about it in favor of the new stuff. Eventually I run across real gems in my collection, like HdM Excalibur No. 2's that are 5 years old and are in nearly brown cello. Sometimes I run into things like Oliva G Maduros that I just don't smoke much of anymore, and end up trading or giving those away.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I have been smoking cigars consistantly for over 3 years and have yet to buy a full box for myself. For my bday last week I bought some of those CC specials, split with some friends, and a box of BOLI RC's for myself... but alas my wife suggested I split it up too....:lv

I did and will probably just buy a variety of other smokes.;)

I just love the variety, even though it costs more. Buying a box is an investment for me, and I love about 5-10 smokes sooo much, plus new things I want to try, I cannot get around to investing in one box of one smoke.

I usually do box splits almost once a month on CC's, Tats, DPG or Padrons, 3-4 ways on a few boxes, helps keep the cost down and variety high.:D

So alas I have never bought a box for my personal stash...

Re: I've never bought a box
 

My path was not as typical as most as once I got hooked I didnt go crazy buying every cigar I could find in an effort to try it. I went from smoking cheap crap to quality NCs to cubans relatively quick. I looked for quality NC's, buy a few singles at a time, never off CI or Cbid. About a month after I started cigars my dad was on business overseas and stopped into a LCDH and got me a Siglo II and a Coronas Major. After having tried a fairly wide range of NC's I have focused my efforts on Cubans as I like the flavor profiles more. I had a small humi from thompsons that lasted for a few years, moved on to a small cooler, as I still only had singles and then on to a 100 count humi and finally to a vino where I currently have two boxes, the rest being singles.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

2+ years before I bought my first box....then I got 4

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I was smoking cigars for several years before buying my first box. It's a slippery slope :ss

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I have bought a box once. Like many here, I like a lot of variety. I glady give up a little cost to have this variety. Of course if space/cost was no issue, I would have variety and boxes.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Although I have been smoking for a few years on an off. I never bought a box and didnt even have a humi. Soon after I started back regularly about 18 months ago I found CS. Bought my first box of NC's within weeks(Punch Rare Corojos). Within 6 months I had my first Vinotemp, then I discovered the Dark Side. The rest is history. :r:r:r:dance::dance:

Re: I've never bought a box
 

2 weeks :) I started to smoke in Indonesia, some Cohiba SigloII, MC#4 and some RyJ #2 tubos. Back in Singapore for a flight transfer I bought more singles and a dressbox of MC#4.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I've found a few that I enjoy on a routine basis and that I am not ashamed to share. I will buy a box of these once a year and some go in my humidor and the remaining ones and the box go in a coolerador. The premium, special occasion, cigars (Illusione 888 for example) I buy three to five at a time and put one or two in the humidor and the rest in the cooler.

It works for me.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Jacob - It was just about 2 years before I bought my first box of cigars. And I bought them at the Ybor Cigar Festival. Yep, right there at the 2008 EYH!!! It was a box of RP Sun Growns Toro.


-

Re: I've never bought a box
 

when I saw how nice my favorite cigars looked all lined up in a row,like little soldiers, , I knew I was a box buyer.:ss

Also, the empty boxes come in very handy for storing nuts and bolts and fishing stuff.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I only had a few cigars before I was gifted an entire box of Punch's. I cant remember which one, I have two left somewhere in the cooler. I remember stocking my little humidor with the entire box and thought I was set for the year. Now I have 4 desktops, a stocked Vino and a stocked cooler. I blame that first box for all of this. :D

Re: I've never bought a box
 

christian..i bought my first box after smoking consistenly for 1 month...now it is mostly CC box splits..that way i get the variety like you.
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Re: I've never bought a box
 

started buying a cc here and there and then a month into it, my first box. now, 2 months later, i am on my second coolidor....

the slope is definately slippery and i am sliding as fast as i can

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I bought my first box about a year into the hobby. I got a job at a cigar shop and about a year after I started, we had a Perdomo event with Nick Perdomo himself there. I really liked the new (at that point) Lot 23's so I bought a box and had Nick Perdomo sign it. It was pretty cool.

As far as when should you buy a box? I have to agree with the answer: When there is a cigar you want 20 of.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

A few months into the hobby I started buying boxes (my first was a box of 8-5-8's) and now 14 years later I still buy more boxes than I do singles. I buy singles when I'm at a B&M and boxes or season samplers over the net. If I don't care for the box or get tired of the blend half way through I pay it forward and give gift bags to friends. No set rules in this hobby. Enjoy it the way you like!

Re: I've never bought a box
 

I've been smoking for about 6 months. I'm still in the figuring out what I like stage. The only box I've considered buying so far is Punch Champions. I've smoked several of them been happy with them each time. A nice, inexpensive but yummy smoke.
The price is right, you can find find a box of 25 for about $60, so the per stick price is really cheap. But I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Re: I've never bought a box
 

you'll just know, it's like finding the right girl but the box won't talk back :ss

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Brilliantly put!

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Christian,
You've answered you own question. If you haven't found a cigar yet that tells you "you need 20 of these" then there is no need to even think about it. When you find "that" cigar, you will know. Variety is the spice of life brother, especially before you know what you want. Your wife isn't the only girl you ever dated before you married her is she?

Re: I've never bought a box
 

Just wait until the day that you can say...

""I remember when I hadn't bought one box....now I buy three or four boxes at a time""

:D