At what point did you know you were hooked?

[Stogie]

I remember years back when smoking cigars was a rare thing for me. Only on weddings, births, birthdays, raise$, or a great night out with the boys. At one point that all changed for me and that was when I started to visit the Brick and Mortar shops. They are the way I got hooked. I know for a fact that I was not hooked initially by the taste of tobacco but instead I was hooked by the people. The people such as regulars that seem to always be there just hanging around or the people behind the counter that would welcome you in like an old friend. As time went on I found myself finding any excuse I could to stop by the shops. I was hooked!

At what point did you know you were hooked?

[Sin-cl]

Originally Posted by Stogie

I remember years back when smoking cigars was a rare thing for me. Only on weddings, births, birthdays, raise$, or a great night out with the boys. At one point that all changed for me and that was when I started to visit the Brick and Mortar shops. They are the way I got hooked. I know for a fact that I was not hooked initially by the taste of tobacco but instead I was hooked by the people. The people such as regulars that seem to always be there just hanging around or the people behind the counter that would welcome you in like an old friend. As time went on I found myself finding any excuse I could to stop by the shops. I was hooked!

At what point did you know you were hooked?

Well said. I knew I was hooked while I was down to the Dominican Republic to do volunteer work. As part of program, we took courses on the culture and traditions of the people. We took a trip to the museum/factory Centro Leon. There we saw how the Preferidos were rolled. Seeing how the workers paid careful attention to each cigar really caught my eye. By the time we left the place...I was fully hooked.

[mdj65]

3 years ago my best buddy (who is my golfing partner) was living in Vegas and I was visiting him and we were in the Paris Hotel at the Craps table and had my first cigar, a Curly Head. I ended the night $600 up, went to the Callaway shop the next morning and had my wife custom fitted for a FT-3 driver and bought myself some wedges and other stuff. No way I was putting that money back in the casino. I have been smoking cigars ever since, started on the golf course only then when I discovered that not all cigars are created equal I started making some time for the better cigars. That's my story, Curly Heads and Craps...

[pv1191-cl]

I walked into a B&M in 1991 or 1992 to buy a couple cigars for a friend who just had a kid. I walked out with a new humi and about 20 smokes. Over the years I've been off and on, but, I always had a small selection around. Sometimes it's been three or four sticks a year and others it's been 1 to 2 a day. My real collection started nearly two years ago and really got going when I found CL. I currently have 400 to 450 sticks. At one point it was well over 600 but I've slowed my buying over the last couple months.

[JoeyBear]

After I'd smoked occassionally with my dad, I grew very fond of cigars and loved the time we'd spend together on the porch shooting the shit and having some great talks. When he passed away, I quit cigars because those days were gone and too hard to think about. A couple years later, when my mom died, I found my dad's old 50 count humidor that my mom had kept going since Pops died and remembered all the great times. Now, I have two of his cigars left and will smoke one when my son graduates from college and the other the day he gets married. On those days, I'll probably enjoy the cigar alone and think back to the days I sat with the old man. Finding Pop's humidor, after he'd been gone for 2 years, re-started my love of cigars.

Great question, Daniel. Damn near in tears thinking about my old man.

[Sin-cl]

Originally Posted by JoeyBear

After I'd smoked occassionally with my dad, I grew very fond of cigars and loved the time we'd spend together on the porch shooting the shit and having some great talks. When he passed away, I quit cigars because those days were gone and too hard to think about. A couple years later, when my mom died, I found my dad's old 50 count humidor that my mom had kept going since Pops died and remembered all the great times. Now, I have two of his cigars left and will smoke one when my son graduates from college and the other the day he gets married. On those days, I'll probably enjoy the cigar alone and think back to the days I sat with the old man. Finding Pop's humidor, after he'd been gone for 2 years, re-started my love of cigars.

Great question, Daniel. Damn near in tears thinking about my old man.

Damn Joey, thanks for sharing man. I'll be sure to have a cigar tomorrow in honor of you and your dad.

[tx_tuff]

I knew I was hooked when my Ex told me I couldn't smoke them! No really I tried because some friends at work where really into them. Well it got to the point pretty fast that I smoked more and knew more about cigars then they did. That's when I knew I was hooked. Then I found this place and the rest is history!

[GreySmoke]

Originally Posted by JoeyBear

After I'd smoked occassionally with my dad, I grew very fond of cigars and loved the time we'd spend together on the porch shooting the shit and having some great talks. When he passed away, I quit cigars because those days were gone and too hard to think about. A couple years later, when my mom died, I found my dad's old 50 count humidor that my mom had kept going since Pops died and remembered all the great times. Now, I have two of his cigars left and will smoke one when my son graduates from college and the other the day he gets married. On those days, I'll probably enjoy the cigar alone and think back to the days I sat with the old man. Finding Pop's humidor, after he'd been gone for 2 years, re-started my love of cigars.

Great question, Daniel. Damn near in tears thinking about my old man.

Damm Joey you did bring tears to my eyes.
You owe me a hug for that bro... at Kenny's.

[Stogie]

Originally Posted by JoeyBear

After I'd smoked occassionally with my dad, I grew very fond of cigars and loved the time we'd spend together on the porch shooting the shit and having some great talks. When he passed away, I quit cigars because those days were gone and too hard to think about. A couple years later, when my mom died, I found my dad's old 50 count humidor that my mom had kept going since Pops died and remembered all the great times. Now, I have two of his cigars left and will smoke one when my son graduates from college and the other the day he gets married. On those days, I'll probably enjoy the cigar alone and think back to the days I sat with the old man. Finding Pop's humidor, after he'd been gone for 2 years, re-started my love of cigars.

Great question, Daniel. Damn near in tears thinking about my old man.

Damn Joey that is deep. Thanks for this great post bro. I am going to call my Dad today just to shoot the $hit.

[WillieDiesel-cl]

I thought that guys who smoked cigars were cool, they looked powerful, they appeared to have an important place in this world. As a teenager and even into high school I never smoked cigarettes or black & milds or the swisher sweets. I'm 33 now and picked up the hobby out of curiosity.

I bought my 1st cigar @ a kiosk @ Downtown Disney in april of this year. It was a vanilla flavored cigar(I dont remember the brand). Then I bought my first "real" cigar at the Paris Hotel in Vegas. It was a Quintero box pressed robusto.

Anyway I knew I was hooked when I wasnt smoking with the boys on the weekends. I started to smoke during my lunch break and then another that same night after dinner. I find it very relaxing to smoke by myself as It allows me time to reflect.

[joncaputo]

Wow some prolific answers here for sure. For me - I had smoked cigars in the past at special occasions and such but I remember one day in particular. I hadnt had a cigar in a month or so and I came home from one of the most stressful work days of my life. My brain was racing 90mph and I couldnt get it to slow down. For whatever reason I remembered I had a extra few cigars in my humi and I decided to have one on the patio. Just me - alone with a padron. The strangest thing happened. My brain slowed down. A calmness overtook me. And for the first time in a LONG time - my brain just came to a halt and everything seemed..well..manageable.

And to this day I have a cigar nightly to help me unwind from the days events.

[Doogie]

I smoke mostly cheap bundles for 10 years and then I went to my first Cigar International Cigar Fest in 2005. I finally smoked some really good cigars and met some great people. Been hooked ever since

[ctiicda]

I started about 4 years ago smoking some vanilla/rum flavored thompson cigars at poker night a friend would give to me. About 6 months later when i moved to South Carolina I walked into the B&M i now work and it was then i got hooked. The lady who worked there(Kim) helped me realize the diffrence between the Thompson cigars and some of the finer sticks...padron, fuente, ashton. Once i figured out what I like to smoke I would go in there just to see and talk and hang out with the guys! Beenm doing it ever since and now make a little paycheck outta it

[goyankees]

For me it was when I walked into a cigar shop in Brooklyn NY in 1998. My friend invited me in to watch the Yankees since he worked there. I was always told to be respectful so I purchased a cigar. A Macanudo. Well I watched the game, got into conversation and left.

The next night I went back to drop something off to my friend, and I bought another cigar. The owner said to someone what is person X batting, and I spewed out his avg, runs scored, home runs and rbi's. I lit my cigar and went to leave when the owner said "whoa whats the rush.. sit down have a cup of espresso".

So I sat down and my love of cigars grew... That is how I knew I was hooked...

[iloveclmore]

Well I've only been into it for a couple years, which is nothing compared to some of you. I first started smoking cigars though when I was a teenager, but it was nothing beyond what you could buy at a gas station. Flash forward to my junior year of college. I began dating my current fiancee back then. Her father is really into cigars and has quite a huge collection of both CCs and NCs. Every time we would go to visit him, he would give me a couple cigars to try out. I would come back a few weeks later and tell him what I thought. From there my fiancee bought me a small 50 ct. humidor filled with cigars from her dad for my birthday. A year or so later I joined up here, and the rest is downhill.