I realize the premise of this question requires a bit of information, but I searched and I can't find a thread that matches this. I am a bit of a wine geek and there are formulas that can help decide how many bottles of wine you need for a party, how many bottles to buy a year for aging, etc... So, given that as a concept, is there a calculator for how many cigars I should own? For example, if I were to smoke 1 cigar a week and wanted to age them for 8 years, I'd need around 400 cigars. In wine, the newbie mistake is to fill your wine cellar up the first year. Then suddenly, you have all this wine that must be consumed or go bad. It also means you can't add new wine. I realize with the Coolerdor, you can add cigars as space allows, but I'm trying to be slightly more scientific since I've already outgrown my humidor less than two weeks into the slope. Thoughts?
How many cigars do you need?
- Thread starter Munkey
- Start date
To a certain extent, and I can understand some limitations and such- but the appeal of cigar smoking, to me at least, is the fun in picking out whatever looks good 'that day' and if I'm feeling good, smoking a couple or three. Then theres the whole issue of gifting and bombing.
The whole concept of making a scientific method to buying, aging, and smoking seems to go against the impulsive nature and principle of it all.
The whole concept of making a scientific method to buying, aging, and smoking seems to go against the impulsive nature and principle of it all.
smokeyscotch
Illusione Pimp Ho
I totally understand your thinking behind this question. I have even been tempted to contact some of the FOGs that have nice collections for advise on how they obtain cigars while smoking, sharing, bombing, etc. I know they have been at it for many years. I want to learn how to patiently add to my collection, hoping it seem more like a passion and not an obsession to my wife and others. Thanks for asking this. It also sounds like you, like me, are wanting to make your purchases more meaningful. Instead of buying space filler, buy something that matters now and will really matter in years to come. If you find that calculator let me know. In the mean time, help us out FOGs, and fellow gorillas.
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Exactly what I am hoping for. I'm not looking for a specific number to go buy. And if anyone reads my intro post on the newbie thread, they can clearly see I'm into impulse shopping. lol
VirtualSmitty
Fear the walrus
The answer is infinity. No matter what I find, and what I buy, and what I try, there's always something else. Something older, something rarer, something newer, it's a never ending cycle of destruction on my CC cards. Variety is too important for me to assign specific figures to cigars and my consumption varies too much based upon season, cost, and availability.
So there, I managed to ramble on and not really answer your question at all :r
So there, I managed to ramble on and not really answer your question at all :r
You only need as many as you can smoke. You will have as many as you are comfortable storing, plus a few more for good measure.
I enjoy collecting the varieties as much as I enjoy smoking the cigars. To me there is something more fun about buying a whole box rather than a few sticks. So generally when I find something I like I buy a box, or two, or more. As a result I probably own more than I will EVER smoke, let alone what I would smoke in a year.
So I guess that was the long winded version of "I have no formula."
I enjoy collecting the varieties as much as I enjoy smoking the cigars. To me there is something more fun about buying a whole box rather than a few sticks. So generally when I find something I like I buy a box, or two, or more. As a result I probably own more than I will EVER smoke, let alone what I would smoke in a year.
So I guess that was the long winded version of "I have no formula."
I guess it all depends on your motives as some people are not looking to become cigar collectors and only buy what they plan to smoke in the near future. I on the other hand consider myself a smoker/collector so I am always looking for cigars to smoke soon and cigars to lay down for many years. The way I have gone about this is looking for certain cigars I want, buying a box to smoke, and a box to lay down and age. If I don't have the funds for two boxes then I just buy one to lay down and assorted singles or fivers to smoke now. I always have more than enough singles and partial boxes to support my daily smoking habit and I also have many sealed boxes sleeping peacefully for far later enjoyment. I say just buy according to your plans and habits and also according to what your budget can afford. :tu
:tu
And from a different perspective ... as many as you possibly can cram into whatever storage you have for them plus 1. The plus one setting the stage for buying additional storage and the cycle repeats from there.
It's like nature and animals only replace the food supply with discretionary spending capability. The population will expand proportionate to the ability of the environment to support it.
:tpd: You'll probably hear a lot of this
Unlike different wines, cigars age pretty well. You won't suddenly have to smoke them all or they'll go bad.
Cigar storage is easy and relatively inexpensive depending on your method. The same is true for storage upgrades - Just go grab a large cooler and you've got a lot more space than you did 20 minutes ago.
Also unlike wine, cigars send in the mail very well (read: Cheap and less hassle). The advice you'll hear is try anything and everything, and if you end up holding something you don't necessarily like, there's probably someone who does and will buy it or trade for it. Or there's someone who just needs to be bombed.
Smoke what you like! Store what you are comfortable with. I think you'll find your own groove soon enough
Unlike different wines, cigars age pretty well. You won't suddenly have to smoke them all or they'll go bad.
Cigar storage is easy and relatively inexpensive depending on your method. The same is true for storage upgrades - Just go grab a large cooler and you've got a lot more space than you did 20 minutes ago.
Also unlike wine, cigars send in the mail very well (read: Cheap and less hassle). The advice you'll hear is try anything and everything, and if you end up holding something you don't necessarily like, there's probably someone who does and will buy it or trade for it. Or there's someone who just needs to be bombed.
Smoke what you like! Store what you are comfortable with. I think you'll find your own groove soon enough
Short answer: No.
Long Answer: You actually need to add 13,479 cigars per year. These need to be divided up into 5 different stockpiles located at various points around the state you live in - each stockpile to be separated by at least 50 miles but no further that 138 miles.
You have to consider first off - natural disasters that could destroy your stock such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Keeping your stock in various points ensures that you will survive such a trial. Then there are beetle infestations which can be devastating. Again, different stockpile locations will give you the best chances of escape from this devastating demise.
Let's not forget theft, fire and spousal disapproval. These can quickly reduce your totals preventing your long term enjoyment of fine tobacco. We also need to toss into the equation the occasional gifting, bombing, filching and oh my god - cigars that are either rolled too tight, too loose, too humid, too dry and/or develop mold. Yikes!
As you can see - cigars are not as simple as something like keeping a few bottles of grape juice around the house. I applaud you on taking the time to examine your needs for the upcoming future. If you need any other help or questions answered - don't hesitate to ask, I'm home all day and have nothing other to do but dream this stuff up.
Good luck with it all!
:ss
Ron
P.S. I see that your located somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region - and there are a lot of us here also. You may want to join up with us at a herf sometime. Great way to meet other BOTL's, gain some knowledge and all. This would require approximately 16.3 cigars per meeting.
Formula:
Step 1. Find cigar you enjoyed several times over a period of time such as to avoid the initial buying which will result in a inevitable palllete change.
Step 2. Buy three boxes, one to smoke two to age
Step 3. Repeat until additional cooler is deemed "aging" cooler
In all honesty, I buy boxes when I find something I really enjoy and would like to see how it will be down the road. Although because I can only usually swing a box or so at a time of a certain cigar I have a hard time aging anything longer than probably a year :2
Step 1. Find cigar you enjoyed several times over a period of time such as to avoid the initial buying which will result in a inevitable palllete change.
Step 2. Buy three boxes, one to smoke two to age
Step 3. Repeat until additional cooler is deemed "aging" cooler
In all honesty, I buy boxes when I find something I really enjoy and would like to see how it will be down the road. Although because I can only usually swing a box or so at a time of a certain cigar I have a hard time aging anything longer than probably a year :2
My personal opinion is whatever you're comfortable to carrying around with you. There are folks that'll live outta a 200 stick humi and then there's people that having a walk-in humi *AND* Aristocrats aren't enough. Some people are content with a smaller range of smokes they know they'll enjoy and other people want a large breadth of cigars to have with each and every occasion.
My humi size has cycled wildly throughout the past year-half as I try to figure out how many I want to keep on hand. Do I want to age cigars? Enjoy them immediately? How many different types or variations do I want? Particular nuances that I'd want to keep?
Recently I downsized it all as I'm going for a smaller collection of cigars I know I enjoy and will enjoy for the forseable future. But that's a personal decision and one that only you and your tendencies and habits can only determine what's right.
However, welcome to the slope. It gets crazy once you start posting here. :tu
My humi size has cycled wildly throughout the past year-half as I try to figure out how many I want to keep on hand. Do I want to age cigars? Enjoy them immediately? How many different types or variations do I want? Particular nuances that I'd want to keep?
Recently I downsized it all as I'm going for a smaller collection of cigars I know I enjoy and will enjoy for the forseable future. But that's a personal decision and one that only you and your tendencies and habits can only determine what's right.
However, welcome to the slope. It gets crazy once you start posting here. :tu