With the cellophane wrapper on the box 8 13.33%

With the cellophane wrapper off the box 44 73.33%

Out of the box right away to trays 8 13.33%

I'm usually so excited to get a new box of cigars I tear into the thing like a kid opening a present on Christmas morning :-)
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To the OP and EJ, I am the same way, some cigars I feel age better with the cello off, some I keep on for no reason at all... I like to think I take the cellos off of cigars that are sooner up on my rotation then others, but I cannot claim there is a reason to my rhyme.


Outlaw, you don't know me, but I see a bit of myself in you already. When I first came to the forum I was all about polls, I wanted to survey what others thought as to begin to shape my own opinion and learn where to explore further.

As innocent as the intent starts out, I found out, as you are beginning to experience, the members here are more than happy to let you in on their thoughts, however polls seem to draw negative attention from people for some reason, perhaps threads with just your questions would be better accepted...

Scott here is a good guy, and what he says is true, with time you see a lot of stuff here on the forum, a lot of different personalities, and there are certainly a myriad of "inside" jokes between members and groups here on CA.

[ /Dr. Phil ]

Hope that makes everyone a little more at ease. CA is a special place I am proud to call home. :-)
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I also would like to add apologies if any feelings were hurt, there is a ton of great information here but some real characters too, I don't think anything is every said in anger and there is a lot of good natured ribbing.

Before I went to my first herf I probably would have though there are a bunch of asses here, but after herfing and just hanging out, you can see how that carries over from there to here on the net, just good people having a good time not meaning to upset anyone, the S.H.I.T. herf crew can be brutal, trust me on that one, but I know that it's all in good fun, just like here, it's all in good fun.
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I feel a hug moment coming.:-)

:-)

:-)
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LoL Gramps.... :-)
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I'm new but thought the comment was aimed towards me for mentioning a wine "refrigerator" opposed to wineador? Apologies.
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(FOG - friggin old guy - mode on)

Way back in the dawn of time, 8+ years ago on another forum, there was essentially only one thread that was all about banter, whatever it may be. Anything you might say or ask in person was fair to dive in to. This was the original Banter with Icehog3 thread at an old site. It was a place were anyone could wander in, ask questions, share a story, etc etc.

It was a fairly safe place for people to ask questions as was, and still is, the new member forum.

The problem for many FOGs (pretty much everywhere) is the tendency to see "here comes another one with the same old questions" in many posts from people new to cigars as a hobby. Polls get lots of attention because, well, they are polls and the choice of poll options tells you a lot about the person creating the poll. It also severely limits the responses if people harken to just the poll options, hence some disdain for polls from people who really are new and can't possibly know what the options really should be.

Be that as it may, when people sign up, they are informed about the search function and encouraged to explore the site for answers before they post a new thread. It takes some work since no two people will phrase the same question the same way, but if you put in the time, search will help a lot.

The other trait that new people seem prone to is the "how many threads can I create in the least amount of time" syndrome (we've all been there). This tends to indicate to a lot of people that the person is doing an awful lot of writing and not very much thinking. It may not be the case, but that is the general vibe many here will agree it sends out.

Like attending your first cocktail party with a totally new group of people, listening (or reading) will do more good than trying to drive the conversation. Over a relatively short period of time, you should be able to pick one or two people whom you think can point you in the right direction for starting your journey of discovery that is cigars (most often reply: study the stickies, they are in each forum at the top).

The old guys tend to come across as not very sympathetic, but the truth is that they want to see some real effort on the part of the new person before they will begin to take him/her seriously.

(FOG off)
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well said Mark, As one that used to be on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'll say everything he said is true... I had not got the pre-CA history info tho, and that only adds to my understanding now.

and if you are looking for a few people to bounce questions off off, consider joining the Zombies, they took me under their wing and learnt me a lot... :-)
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Why should they have to join?
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Fortunate that my last couple dozen boxes come sealed in vacuum-sealed bags, which I do open immediately to inspect the contents. I would never store a box sealed in anything before I got a peak inside.
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This made my day! Back to the point you nut jobs!
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That's a great point, Jamie. I know better than to store boxes without inspecting them, but sometimes I still do.
Fortunately it hasn't bit me in the ass. Yet. :-)
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Well he doesn't really, just thought I'd try to infect my first noob... :-)

MMM, BRAINS!!!!
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How many people do you have to infect to get a free hot dog toaster?
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:-)
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Mark,
Awesome post.
After some thought, I would like to add something I think is important for both Newbs and long termers on this board, and anywhere.

In my 25 years or so of being involved with cigars, being Cuban, having a Cuban dad who has smoked cigars for over 60 years, having had a mother in law who was a roller in Cuba, heck if I feel I know anymore than a bit of what life has to teach about cigars. We all have experiences that differ due in part to culture and income. No one person's opinion based on those experiences is superior as compared to the others'. No one person knows it all.

All that said is a preface to the point I wish to add to your post. While not an attorney, I bet Law school 101 teaches never ask an open ended question. If you come here seeking an answer or an opinion, don't begrudge the responses you receive if not in line with what you expected to hear. Don't exacerbate things by being argumentative because you didn't like the response and then by resorting to insults. If you do that, don't expect things to go smooth for a while until you redeem yourself.

We are a forgiving bunch as we have all put our foot in our mouths at one time or another by writing something that irked someone, God knows I stand guilty. We just don't like to be insulted if you seek our advice or opinion.
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Mark and Carlos -- very well said.

Thanks for taking the time to articulate this.
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:-)
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I take the plastic off the box and open it up for inspection.


I leave the cello on the sticks though. Or is that a whole nother thread?
:-)
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