How to avoid the slope: perspective from a newb that didn't.

[garyatmaui]

Eight years ago I purchased a houseboat. After having acquired it some very well meaning houseboaters asked me if I knew what I really bought. Being a newbie and not wanting to be rude, I opened my ears and closed my mouth. I was then told that a houseboat is nothing more than an aluminum hole in the water in which you continually throw money! My first slippery slope.........

Now, while I have been smoking cigars for about 5 years, I had managed to be satisfied with my 100 ct humi, and my "relatively" inexpensive cigars, with the rare exception of Fuentes and an Onyx here and there. Then I joined this excellent group. I am not building a deskside humi and buying boxes....as well as samplers.

And now, another well meaning BOTL has shared with this newbie that I am once again on another slippery slope..............ugh.

But, I must say, the boat and a cigar sure make me feel awfully good, plus a bit of Jimmy Beam.
Enjoy the slope my brothers.

[buzzman600]

Great Post !

i have been a member just over 2 month and i have 100 humi and a cooler(70Qt) .
I think all newbees should get into all the newbee trades.
peace

[dantzig]

Great post and advice.

When I joined C/S I had a 20 count humidor. Shortly after joining, I bought a 125 count from a local B&M and then another one from the FS forum. Next, I converted my cooler into a humidor. Finally, I bought a Vinotemp. All of this since October! Oh, and all of them are nearly full thanks to the deals posted here, gorilla math, and the generosity of others. Did I hit the slope a little harder than I should have? Yeah, probably. I would be perfectly fine with a modest 125 count desktop humidor full of cigars. Did I have fun and learn a lot along the way? Definitely!

I will share a few of the lessons that I have learned through newbie mistakes.

• Be careful with cbid! It is very easy to spend a lot of money there. While you might get some good deals, you might also end up getting a lot of mediocre deals on cigars that you don't "need".
• Be careful buying large quantities of cigars in general! If you're new to smoking, there's always something better around the corner that you haven't experienced yet. If you stop a buy a box of everything you like along the way, you'll probably eventually end up with a lot of cigars that you don't care for so much which can be an issue if you have a limited budget.
• Don't get caught up in the hype. OpusX, Anejos, and all of the other expensive limited production cigars are great but a new smoker might not appreciate them on a level equal to their price tag. Don't believe everything you read or hear from vendors either. Most will sell you anything they can and will say anything to do it.
• Go to your local B&M and spend some time there getting to know people. Most B&Ms have knowledgeable staff and friendly and interesting customers. Introduce yourself, ask questions, listen, and learn. You'll frequently find a nice sampling of the "who's who" of your town or city at your local cigar store.
• Cigars are great but people are always more important. A cigar can be good when you're having some quiet time by yourself but a good cigar can be made great by the right company. Be generous and considerate of others. Some might disagree with me, but sometimes this might even mean not smoking a cigar when you would have to neglect more important things to do so or when smoking might alienate a non-smoker.
• Relax, take it easy, and have fun!

[kalvinchris]

What helped me avoid the slope for a while was removing my email address from all the online cigar store mailing lists. I recently started looking on cigarmonster and joe's daily deal again, but by removing myself from all the lists it helped me avoid spending so much money.

I haven't explored cbid enough to find great deals. The items I look at seem the same or close to the price they would be on cigars international anyway. I have got some really cheap accessories from there though. And I'm sure if I looked harder I would sell my soul to the devil

[Boomer]

I understand how you can quickly get in over your head with these many wonderfull choices but as you go along and be carefull of what you purchase, remember what Garth Brooks sang - "I'd have missed the pain, but I'd have missed the dance." Don't miss out on some great treats that await you but use good judgement and common sense.

[romwarrior]

Originally Posted by IslandRick

If those RP 1992's start getting in the way I'll be glad to help!

Rick

Funny. I just made this same offer to someone else showing their overstuffed humi with some RP 1992's right on top! They are absolutely number one in my (newbie) book. Although the CAO Brazilia is mighty nice too.

[Little General]

As a newb (smoked a cpl dz over the last year) I too have hit the slope running. I blame my wife for getting me my first humi for christmas (07). It's only a 100ct but she's almost full (64 sticks) with what I refer to the largest sampler on earth. I have one 5er and the rest are all singles. I just ordered my last purchase (for at least few months) from taboo. I had to try the sampler and I also had to add a couple Olivia's and the 1926 40th anv maduro (lets see if it's worth it). Who can blame me with a 30% off coupon. I can fit 5 more sticks and this baby will be full! (finally). The only thing I have left is a "small" 8 bt vino since the temp will be rising here soon.

I have to say this new found hobby (addiction) has entertained me for countless hours and adds to my friday/saturday evenings as I look forward to relaxing for a bit and trying a new smoke.

And to top it off, it's still cheaper than my other hobby-collecting classic electric guitars.


Just my

[Bax]

This is so true.

[rottenzombie]

Very good post.A lot of good Information to be found here.But alas it is far too late for me,I have not only traveled quickly down the slope , I have jumped off of it and gone into free fall.I do however hope this post can be helpful to others.