2nds aren't all there cracked up to be.

[tazziedevil]

I've usually had good experiences with 2nds. i think it depends on why the manufacturer has deemed them seconds. sometimes it will be because of something as trivial as a cosmetic smudge, but the El Creditos, if i remember, were all apprentice rolled so there were alot of less than stellar smokes in those bundles. Most of the seconds of any brand I've tried have been pretty good though.

[newcigarz]

Originally Posted by a2vr6

Don't they use the same tobacco for the 2nd's?

I guess the theory would be if the 1sts aren't any good then the 2nds would suck as well. Right?

[RapidTransit]

Originally Posted by HVACMAN

I received a bundle of Rocky Patel 2nd's churchill. Half the price of what they would be if pressed and labeled. Funny thing is the advertising describes that it's the same cigar, just with blemishes and characteristics not up to par as the regular cigar. Well after smoking one of these round, bandless, slightly thinner it seemed, and placed in an inexpensive cello wrapper, I realized the taste was ok, but the overall experience just wasn't up to snuff. Same thing happened to me with those La Gloria Cubana seconds, El Credito's I think there called. Anyone feel this way about 2nd's?

No such thing as "Seconds" They may use excess tobacco but its not the same cigar, and as for the Vintage Seconds, Edge off color Etc. They are Private Labels. Ive already talked to sales people at RP about this. Do you really think they are gonna put a crappy wrapper on a cigar? I don't classify anything as seconds.

[txmatt]

I used to buy seconds all of the time, but as many others have commented they just aren't worth all of the inconsistancy to me. I have found many inexpensive firsts and prefer those.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of firsts that get rumored to be seconds; they are indeed first quality. Tampa Sweetheats and Flor de Ybor city are both firsts, but you will find them on some seconds lists.

The Private Stock brand several of you mentioned is also NOT a second. These are first quality cigars. The tobacco used to roll them was judged to be not pretty enough to be rolled into a Davidoff. Private Stock is its own blend; they are not rolled into any Davidoff label blend.

-Matt-

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Ivory Tower

I haven't bought any seconds because I'm prejudiced against them. They just don't sound worth it to me. I don't smoke so many cigars that I need to buy them 1/2 price to make a big difference nor do I want to smoke second rate cigars when I do smoke (as far as I know without trying them ).

Good luck with the next batch of seconds.

Oh, spoiled, eh??

I feel the same way. I don't smoke that much. However, I do buy 2nds as my friends know that my smokes are usually expensive and are sometimes reluctant to take one, so, I got some RP 2nds. They are great IMO and everyone can enjoy them w/out the guilt of being a mooch. Sorry you had a bad experience. The ones I got each had a tiny fold in the wrapper and when I compared them to the real deal they were identical.

Accident

[Nerachnia]

Originally Posted by dstaccone

Private Stock is great and sometimes when the devil site has them you can get them for less than two dollars a cigar.

Just be carefull. The medium filler private stock ( the ones with the pink label and the PS on t hem) are not nearly as good as the red lable lon filler seconds which are very good . They are a little light for me now adays but i still really enjoy them.

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by RapidTransit

No such thing as "Seconds" They may use excess tobacco but its not the same cigar, and as for the Vintage Seconds, Edge off color Etc. They are Private Labels. Ive already talked to sales people at RP about this. Do you really think they are gonna put a crappy wrapper on a cigar? I don't classify anything as seconds.

I am extremely skeptical about this statement, probably because I read different on CI as well as got some bad info regarding RP from a B&M recently. I am wondering if profit may be driving some statements and would hate online deals like the seconds if I was selling the originals for 4 times the price in many cases.

Directly from CI:

"These Seconds are labeled as such because they have been rejected strictly for cosmetic reasons. The wrappers are a little splotchy here or have a slight discoloration there. The blend is the same, and I mean identical. You could smoke them blindfolded and detect no difference. The beauty is that the price is far, far less. Just keep in mind: this is not a regular production cigar."

Someone has the story wrong, I think!??

In any event, it might be true, but I am enjoying the hell out of my seconds.

[Siamang]

Originally Posted by Nerachnia

Just be carefull. The medium filler private stock ( the ones with the pink label and the PS on t hem) are not nearly as good as the red lable lon filler seconds which are very good . They are a little light for me now adays but i still really enjoy them.

Argh, I had this exact problem when I ordered a 5-pack from cigarbid. I had tried the red-label PS from my local B&M, and when the package arrived from cbid they were the pink-label and didn't taste nearly as good. I always get the feeling that if there's a lowest-end version of a product, that's going to be the one that CI/cbid sends to me.

[ttours]

I have relatively good luck with 2nds and "over runs". Gives me a chance to try a number of them and if I like them I can use this knowledge to step up and try the "1st". Also friends are tentative to pull an expensive stick out of the humidor, but enjoy the seconds. To me labels and blemishes dont drive the taste and since I am still learning what is what it makes the education a little more cost effective. I wouldn't let one or two bad 2nds kill the deal on future 2nd purchases

TT

[craigchilds]

I haven't had a lot of successes with 2nd's either. The El Creditos I bought last year were very pale comparisons to the LGC Series 'R', and the one bundle of Consuegras I tried tended to be bland (although with a few really good sticks mixed in).

My question has always been: Why buy 2nd's when you can get such good internet deals on 1sts?

Example - right now I'm working my way through these very good sticks in the humi:

1) Padron 2000 ($3 ea-TNT Cigars)
2) CAO Brazilia Piranha ($2.50 ea-JR Cigars)
3) 5 Vegas Series "A" ($1.80 ea-CigarBid)
4) Fire by Rock Patel ($1 ea-CigarBid)
5) Excalibur I ($2 ea-CigarBid)
6) 5 Vegas Gold ($2 ea-CigarBid)
7) JR Ultimate Alternatives ($1.50 ea-JR Cigars)

[KASR]

I was gifted a box of RP SG seconds and they were great.

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by craigchilds

I haven't had a lot of successes with 2nd's either. The El Creditos I bought last year were very pale comparisons to the LGC Series 'R', and the one bundle of Consuegras I tried tended to be bland (although with a few really good sticks mixed in).

My question has always been: Why buy 2nd's when you can get such good internet deals on 1sts?

Example - right now I'm working my way through these very good sticks in the humi:

1) Padron 2000 ($3 ea-TNT Cigars)
2) CAO Brazilia Piranha ($2.50 ea-JR Cigars)
3) 5 Vegas Series "A" ($1.80 ea-CigarBid)
4) Fire by Rock Patel ($1 ea-CigarBid)
5) Excalibur I ($2 ea-CigarBid)
6) 5 Vegas Gold ($2 ea-CigarBid)
7) JR Ultimate Alternatives ($1.50 ea-JR Cigars)

I can only answer for myself in saying that I have tried the first three and would pick a RP second for 2 bucks over all three on that list for free, although the Padron2000 is somewhat decent. Got 3 and 6 for free with the CI humi for 15 bucks and didn't like them at all.

[craigchilds]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I can only answer for myself in saying that I have tried the first three and would pick a RP second for 2 bucks over all three on that list for free, although the Padron2000 is somewhat decent. Got 3 and 6 for free with the CI humi for 15 bucks and didn't like them at all.

To each his own, obviously. I've only had the RP Vintage 1998 Euro blend that CI sells, and it was ok but not something I'd seek after again.

[carni]

2nds are a great deal, occasionally a good smoke, but unfortunatley they are still 2nds. I would use them for pass-er-outers when friends come over who don't know the difference between corillo and corojo...idiots

[Dgar]

I dont buy a lot of seconds but a year ago I picked up a few "3 X 3 in aluminum tubes", threw them in the humi for a year, smoked one the other day watching a little March Madness, and it was good... have no Idea who makes them.... I call em' 9's...