I see a lot of people that label their sticks with a white band (great idea). Since I sometimes forget to update my excel spreadsheet, I don't recall when I made the purchase or the age on my sticks. I checked Staples and couldn't find anything small or partical. Can someone point me in the right direction as to where to find these.

Thanks in advance.
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http://www.onlinelabels.com/cigars/cigar-labels.htm

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/p...sp?prod=CB_500

Google rocks! :-)
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http://www.onlinelabels.com/cigars/cigar-labels.htm
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Sweet....thanks fellas.

The heartfelt site are the ones I was looking for.
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This is probably a dumb question, but why do some folks label their cigars with a date on them? I have seen humis full of labeled sticks and ones without.

I will be buying cigars as funds permit and intend to let them season awhile, but will dating them make a huge difference? I mean, when I want to smoke something, I'm going to grab it and light it up (I think).

And I have seen mention of an excel spreadsheet to track inventory. I am going for about 500 sticks or so on hand, will I need something like that? Where would I find that sheet?

Thanks.
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Scott, my memory sucks. Point Blank. I have a lot of sticks and get a lot of sticks from all over. Knowing the date of purchase or manufacture plays a huge roll when resting or aging cigars.

A 2010 Boli PC does not exactly taste like a '08 or better yet an '05. Things change. Some cigars go thru what people call a "sick" period, where the stick is too young to really be smoked at it's full potential.

As for inventory. Some do, some don't. I like to know what I have and I try to be organized but others just dig thru their coolers and say, "I could have sworn I bought a fiver back in the day, hmm. I must have PIFed!"
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I keep an excel spreadsheet so I know how many I have and how much age are on them. It also helps when you trade with others because they know how long you have been aging them for.

More recently I have been forgetting to update my spreadsheet, but with bands I will be labeling them prior to putting them in the humi so there is no excuse...so I hope. I just like to keep track of things.
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Ok, I now have a somewhat better understanding. Now, another question. How do you know what cigars need to be aged and for how long prior to smoking? What is the "sick period" and does it vary from stick to stick?

Damn, this cigar smoking thing is getting complicated? I liked better when I was ignorant ! (just kidding).

I think I will get some bands, but I just have an Edgestar 28, so I don't think I'll keep a tally sheet. And Chingas, my memory sucks too !!
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A spreadsheet or database is probably the most detailed way to keep track of the sticks, but I find that labels are easier to manage. I like to put the year, place purchased, and price per stick (if bought in a box, sampler, 5pack, etc). It helps me know where and for what price I should buy more of my favorite sticks.
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A sick period is the time a cigar takes to settle down and allow the flavor to mature. During this period, cigars are characteristically dull. For the most part sick periods only apply to Cuban cigars, because the leaves aren't usually aged at all before being used to roll. This is due to the high demand of Cuban cigars in general but can also apply to cigars that are green (read:fresh) coming off the table.

Likewise, it is more of a trial and error process, and listening to the opinions of others that help determine what a sick period would be. If you browse the island (that one) reviews, you'll see that people also tend to put the date or box codes of their cigars in the reviews for that purpose.

As for non-Cuban cigars, most of the leaves are aged a couple of years before being rolled and shipped. As a result, these cigars don't really experience a sick period, and are usually good to smoke right off the shelf. At the same time, you can still age non-cubans, and there are some that will continue to improve. But like I said earlier, it's all trial and error.
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I don't know I you know about the apps available for some phones out there. I have an iPhone and use 4 apps for cigars. One of which has a pretty good inventory type option. Just as easy to manage as a spreadsheet. It's called Mobile Stogie.

If you have the means, I'd look into it.

As for your other question...

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Chingas, that book is nigh impossible to find today for a good price.
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Unfortunetly you are correct.
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Sweet book Chingas, very nice.
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