Is self-control possible? Should I buy another coolidor?

[Tstew75]

4 hours ago, Markspring1978 said:

I’ve done it all, except for a walk-in, which I am currently contemplating.

Desktops, cabinets, winador, tupperdor, coolidor.

Having done all this, I have to say that I feel most comfortable with the coolidors. Some one this thread have advocated for the Tupperware. They certainly work well for humidity management. However, unless you live in an area, or are able to store your collection in an area that is VERY temperature stable, I think the coolers are a better option. One of the biggest detriments to long-term aging is temp swings, and the coolers insulate against that a bit. Not perfectly, but much better than a piece of Tupperware. 

That's a good point, certainly not great for all climes. I'm in the NW so they work well for me b/c it's always, well, cooler here & a bit more stable than some places. If i had the room I'd certainly opt for 3-4 marine coolers, but my urban space won't allow it.

[jamesmozia90]

On 12/12/2020 at 10:10 AM, Bijan said:

It's really not a question of what is acceptable to her, but of psychology. I don't generally care how many clothes or other things my wife buys online, but seeing the packages come in on some weeks, just feels excessive about men's clothing shirt. I think she must feel the same way about the cigars. At least that applies to how many cigars I buy/own. How many cigars I smoke is an entirely different matter

 

i agree with you on this. I totally agree with your opinion. 

[Oscar300]

Buy 2-3 Boxes a month for a year or two, then a box a month from then on, you will have a nice constantly aging stock even if you smoke 1 a day. 

[mprach024]

My only caution before you go too overboard (too late with you I know!), is that’s it’s ok to not buy everything right now.  Your palate will change, your affection for the cigars will change as you try them more, and your desire to buy will hone down to your favorites.  Besides, do you really think you’re going to stop buying? Lol.  You’re sitting on 3 years of stock already, you can start getting picky with what you buy now (deals, high quality, etc).  There’s no need to rush things here.  Yeah they might be cheaper now, but that’s just BS logic we all use to justify purchasing.  We’re going to drop 5+ figures on cigars, would have been more financially sound to buy those cigars operationally a month at a time and invest that capital you spent, after a couple years you’d come out way ahead in that model.  So just don’t be impatient.  This is meant to be enjoyed as a relaxing hobby not a race.  

[Kaptain Karl]

2 hours ago, mprach024 said:

My only caution before you go too overboard (too late with you I know!), is that’s it’s ok to not buy everything right now.  Your palate will change, your affection for the cigars will change as you try them more, and your desire to buy will hone down to your favorites.  Besides, do you really think you’re going to stop buying? Lol.  You’re sitting on 3 years of stock already, you can start getting picky with what you buy now (deals, high quality, etc).  There’s no need to rush things here.  Yeah they might be cheaper now, but that’s just BS logic we all use to justify purchasing.  We’re going to drop 5+ figures on cigars, would have been more financially sound to buy those cigars operationally a month at a time and invest that capital you spent, after a couple years you’d come out way ahead in that model.  So just don’t be impatient.  This is meant to be enjoyed as a relaxing hobby not a race.  

I really needed to read this ??? 

I’m almost in the same boat as @Bijan, I went on a ridiculous buying spree the last few months. I’m glad I did, but now it’s definitely time to calm down and go with the slow and steady. 

[zigarrenziggy]

1 hour ago, Kaptain Karl said:

I really needed to read this ??? 

I’m almost in the same boat as @Bijan, I went on a ridiculous buying spree the last few months. I’m glad I did, but now it’s definitely time to calm down and go with the slow and steady. 

I relate to this as well. Have a good amount of stock, and I'm glad that I do, but it's time to actually start smoking some of it lol

[mprach024]

1 hour ago, Kaptain Karl said:

I really needed to read this ??? 

I’m almost in the same boat as @Bijan, I went on a ridiculous buying spree the last few months. I’m glad I did, but now it’s definitely time to calm down and go with the slow and steady. 

Lol it’s so easy to get caught up in it right?  Here’s my process:   My suggestion is to stop buying and just focus on smoking through what you got for 6-8 months, find a nice notepad or notes app that you can write up notes for yourself as you smoke, you can start to see what you keep reaching for and why/what flavors you’re chasing and ultimately finding that satisfaction with. Then start making a list of boxes you’d like to add/try/buy, and prioritize them.  I keep 2 lists of sticks I’m looking to add with no timeline.  The first are those that I like but will only buy on sale/special and I put values on those on where to me it’s worth the purchase (HDM RS - $340 for example).  If something comes up on special or clearance and meets my price I’ll buy, if not I’ll wait, there’s no hurry.  Then I keep a separate list for those I’m less concerned on the actual cost, and more concerned on finding quality, ones I’m looking to put some age on or are my treat/premium sticks (Sir Winstons, Lusi’s, Cohibas/Trini, etc etc).  New sticks, restocks, get categorized into one of these lists.  That way you’re buying with a plan, if you just buy off impulse 24:24 will bankrupt you.  

For me right now I’ve got 2 sticks I’m chasing, I’ve seen them both twice but not at a price I feel they are worth it (meaning at that price there’s other sticks I’d rather have), and I’m planning for in February/March to do some bulk purchases to replenish my Petit Corona sizes.  I tend to burn through those fast so to be honest I’m less concerned with paying premiums for quality on those when I can take my chances with big savings and solve it with quantity.  Quality has been so high on my preferred PCs, Monte 4, BPC, Party Short, PLPC that I don’t care about paying extra for age either, 2020s are fine by me.  

Again this is my approach that’s helped me be smarter about my purchases, keeps me from maxing my credit cards, and ultimately enjoy the hobby more.  I suggest you find a system that works for you, and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy more.

[Jimmy_jack]

Buying is addictive and easy. Be careful. 

[Texwrangler]

Try doing a search for ‘Camp Winnepesaukee’. it’ll give you a laugh and let you know you’re not the first or alone ?

[BlueRidgeFly]

On 12/12/2020 at 10:33 AM, Markspring1978 said:

Having done all this, I have to say that I feel most comfortable with the coolidors.

That's where I am right now. The ambient temp in our basement closet ranges from 63F to 71F on the absolute coldest and hottest days of the year, mid- to upper-60s typically. So some coolers holding cigars in containers/baggies with Boveda packs has been working very well -- cheap to operate and stable.

I've considered something better, but temperature seems to be the main thing these electric humidors control. I suppose keeping everything at a rock solid 70-degrees or something like that might be a little improvement, but I'm not convinced it's worth it here, and I'll bet they fluctuate a few degrees anyway just like a fridge. And the way most of these things do humidification doesn't seem like it's any better than what I'm doing.

[Bijan]

3 minutes ago, BlueRidgeFly said:

That's where I am right now. The ambient temp in our basement closet ranges from 63F to 71F on the absolute coldest and hottest days of the year, mid- to upper-60s typically. So some coolers holding cigars in containers/baggies with Boveda packs has been working very well -- cheap to operate and stable.

I've considered something better, but temperature seems to be the main thing these electric humidors control. I suppose keeping everything at a rock solid 70-degrees or something like that might be a little improvement, but I'm not convinced it's worth it here, and I'll bet they fluctuate a few degrees anyway just like a fridge. And the way most of these things do humidification doesn't seem like it's any better than what I'm doing.

Coolers really help with daily swings. They don't really help with seasonal swings. If your house is 63F at night and 71F in the morning then the coolers are probably helping (temperature probably would only fluctuate 1-2F per day in the cooler). On the other hand if your house is 63F in the winter and 71F in the summer, sooner or later the coolers are going to hit those temps if it stays there for a couple of weeks.

[BlueRidgeFly]

2 minutes ago, Bijan said:

Coolers really help with daily swings. They don't really help with seasonal swings. If your house is 63F at night and 71F in the morning then the coolers are probably helping (temperature probably would only fluctuate 1-2F per day in the cooler). On the other hand if your house is 63F in the winter and 71F in the summer, sooner or later the coolers are going to hit those temps if it stays there for a couple of weeks.

Good point. Outside of those extremes, though, a few degrees in the mid-60s is the typical range. Maybe I'm not as concerned as I should be about slowly cooling/heating to the edges of that eight degree range occasionally, but it doesn't seem like the cigars are suffering, even the ones that have been here longer term.

[Bijan]

I wouldn't worry about that amount of swing especially if it's slow. (though I am sure there are those who think cigars are better left at exactly the same temperature all the time) I have a bigger difference between summer and winter.; The main benefit of coolers for me is in the summer when the sunlight and my AC schedule cause a daily swing. Otherwise even though there's a bigger swing between the seasons it's very gradual in general.

[Kaptain Karl]

23 hours ago, mprach024 said:

Lol it’s so easy to get caught up in it right?  Here’s my process:   My suggestion is to stop buying and just focus on smoking through what you got for 6-8 months, find a nice notepad or notes app that you can write up notes for yourself as you smoke, you can start to see what you keep reaching for and why/what flavors you’re chasing and ultimately finding that satisfaction with. Then start making a list of boxes you’d like to add/try/buy, and prioritize them.  I keep 2 lists of sticks I’m looking to add with no timeline.  The first are those that I like but will only buy on sale/special and I put values on those on where to me it’s worth the purchase (HDM RS - $340 for example).  If something comes up on special or clearance and meets my price I’ll buy, if not I’ll wait, there’s no hurry.  Then I keep a separate list for those I’m less concerned on the actual cost, and more concerned on finding quality, ones I’m looking to put some age on or are my treat/premium sticks (Sir Winstons, Lusi’s, Cohibas/Trini, etc etc).  New sticks, restocks, get categorized into one of these lists.  That way you’re buying with a plan, if you just buy off impulse 24:24 will bankrupt you.  

For me right now I’ve got 2 sticks I’m chasing, I’ve seen them both twice but not at a price I feel they are worth it (meaning at that price there’s other sticks I’d rather have), and I’m planning for in February/March to do some bulk purchases to replenish my Petit Corona sizes.  I tend to burn through those fast so to be honest I’m less concerned with paying premiums for quality on those when I can take my chances with big savings and solve it with quantity.  Quality has been so high on my preferred PCs, Monte 4, BPC, Party Short, PLPC that I don’t care about paying extra for age either, 2020s are fine by me.  

Again this is my approach that’s helped me be smarter about my purchases, keeps me from maxing my credit cards, and ultimately enjoy the hobby more.  I suggest you find a system that works for you, and you’ll be able to relax and enjoy more.

I like it!

My stock got real low this year due to accelerated smoking rates due to the lockdown and my financial situation changed dramatically mid year hence why I stocked up. Luckily, everything I bought this year was something that I wanted and/or smoke a lot of. I wanted to get a 3 year stock up so I wouldnt run into the same situation that I did earlier this year. Now I can fall into that routine like you're saying where I can have much more patience with what I buy. I'm typically very disciplined with my spending, so while it was fun to buy 30 boxes this year, I'll be coming back to earth. Next year should be mostly regular rotation like the PC's you mentioned and BBF, mag 46, coloniales, QdO CC, and then like 3 premium boxes of either Siglo III/CE, Sir Winnies, HdM DC, PDC or Lusi. 

 

[mprach024]

34 minutes ago, Kaptain Karl said:

I like it!

My stock got real low this year due to accelerated smoking rates due to the lockdown and my financial situation changed dramatically mid year hence why I stocked up. Luckily, everything I bought this year was something that I wanted and/or smoke a lot of. I wanted to get a 3 year stock up so I wouldnt run into the same situation that I did earlier this year. Now I can fall into that routine like you're saying where I can have much more patience with what I buy. I'm typically very disciplined with my spending, so while it was fun to buy 30 boxes this year, I'll be coming back to earth. Next year should be mostly regular rotation like the PC's you mentioned and BBF, mag 46, coloniales, QdO CC, and then like 3 premium boxes of either Siglo III/CE, Sir Winnies, HdM DC, PDC or Lusi. 

 

Wow, sounds like you and share very similar faves.  Spot on

[Kaptain Karl]

3 hours ago, mprach024 said:

Wow, sounds like you and share very similar faves.  Spot on

I noticed that from your other post haha. I smoke a ton cigars between the PC to Corona Gorda vitolas. Don’t smoke any robustos but some hermosa no 4’s. 

[burgosdacosta]

On 12/11/2020 at 6:58 PM, Bijan said:

Current state of the two coolidors.

First one cheap and cheerful.

Second one the more premium boxes.

Do you keep only one 320g boveda packs in each coolidor or are you using more?

(Disregarding the small 8g packs)

 

[Bijan]

2 minutes ago, burgosdacosta said:

Do you keep only one 320g boveda packs in each coolidor or are you using more?

(Disregarding the small 8g packs)

 

Two 320g per cooler. First cooler is stable for about 6 months now with the original bovedas. The small bovedas I just keep from packages I receive to use for trades.

[Tstew75]

45 minutes ago, burgosdacosta said:

Do you keep only one 320g boveda packs in each coolidor or are you using more?

(Disregarding the small 8g packs)

 

It really doesn't matter how many you use (impossible to use too many).  I have tons of 8gr from overseas purchases & use a big handful in each container i have. I check all containers every couple of months & typically recharge all packs at once when needed. Works like a charm.

[Bijan]

1 minute ago, Tstew75 said:

It really doesn't matter how many you use (impossible to use too many). 

Well it should be possible to use too few. I don't know how many that is... Probably pretty small amount if temperature is stable and seal is airtight.

I open mine pretty often and temperature varies a lot seasonally (but little daily) so I went with a larger amount.

[Tstew75]

2 minutes ago, Bijan said:

Well it should be possible to use too few. I don't know how many that is... Probably pretty small amount if temperature is stable and seal is airtight.

I open mine pretty often and temperature varies a lot seasonally (but little daily) so I went with a larger amount.

Well of course, my wording was wrong.

No one should ever gamble that way...Bovedas are free, don't skimp ?

[burgosdacosta]

Sure, I was just trying to get the feel of the absolute minimum. As the manufacturer recommends 1 x 320g for every cubic feet (or 30 qt) and we can agree that that seems a bit of a exaggeration from them.

[Bijan]

6 minutes ago, burgosdacosta said:

Sure, I was just trying to get the feel of the absolute minimum. As the manufacturer recommends 1 x 320g for every cubic feet (or 30 qt) and we can agree that that seems a bit of a exaggeration from them.

Yes I think that's not required for an airtight container. However I have one 320g in a medium glass top desktop humidor and it's barely enough. I have 2 60g ones in a smaller one and again barely enough. I use 2 60g in Tupperwares of about the same size and it's way overkill.

[burgosdacosta]

Yes, I guess airtightness or lack of is key in these calculations.

[Tstew75]

1 minute ago, burgosdacosta said:

Yes, I guess airtightness or lack of is key in these calculations.

For sure.  That's why u shouldn't bother calculating & use more than you think. Prob solved