Expert: James Yee - 12/2/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am relatively new to cigar smoking and find myself eenjoying many different brands and styles. My problem now is I am completely out of space in my small humidor and am looking to buy a new one, larger and more space. I have been looking at the larger end table sized humidors that have a drawer and a cupboard style lower unit with shelves. I like this design cause there is no glass front, and it allows me to buy boxes and simply put them into the humidors shelf and store them and be able to keep track of when i bought them and such for aging purposes which i am also learning about. But my question is IS it indeed more economical to have a larger humidor such as the 1200 count end table style that I am looking at getting? Or is it more economiocal to buy smaller ones? My main concern is money because I cant afford to spend a thousand dollars on a humidor I still need a large capacity humidor that I can store alot in. I am worried about quality as well as I dont know whats good and whats not with the large humidors. There are so many brands and makers out there, its hard to know who is quality and who isnt. I know from reading and research spanish cedar lined are needed for the humidity and their oils and stuff. But I just dont know what to do. Can you offer any advice or pointers on what to look for in a good large sized humidor? I guess that is my main question that I would like answered. Thanks and sorry if i rambled at all. -Steve

ANSWER: Hi Steve,

Whichever humidor you upgrade to really depends on your own personal preference.  I personally think it is more economical to invest in a cabinet-sized humidor (ie: end table unit) because you can store whole boxes (which you're considering) plus maintaining one humidor is much easier than maintaining 3 or 4 units.

If money is an issue, you should just stick with a larger desktop humidor for now and hopefully a larger desktop humidor plus your existing humidor should be enough to store your single cigars until you're ready to upgrade to a cabinet unit for aging whole boxes.

When shopping for a larger humidor, just remember that it's no different than buying a small desktop humidor.  Thoroughly inspect the humidor for cracks or gaps in the joints and choose a humidor that is easy to open and maintain.  Avoid overly-complicated humidors that have multiple compartments, hidden nooks and fixtures as this can usually affect humidity flow.  Avoid novelty humidors as they are usually more complicated to maintain than anything else.  When buying a larger desktop humidor, you need to calculate how many cigars you have now and how big you expect your collection to be.  Many cigar smokers prefer a 400-count humidor for collecting and aging single cigars.  Is 400-count too big or too small for you?  If it seems too small, you may want to consider upgrading to a cabinet humidor.

Visit your local cigar store and thoroughly examine the available humidors that they have in stock.  The humidor interior should definitely be made with Spanish cedar and larger humidors should have a large humidification device capable of humidifying the entire interior.  Many will have multiple humidification elements or an electronic unit that can circulate air and humidity throughout the humidor.  

If the humidors have really good quality, brand name won't be important.  Good construction and excellent quality is really all that matters.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

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QUESTION: Ok well that did help alot, my next question is, I do have a couple cigar stores in my state, but they arent "big" name stores so they dont sell the larger cabinet style humidors. And after gauging what I want and coming to the conclusion that when I find a cigar I like I usually buy a box, and I want box storage capabilities. So I need to find a good cabinet humidor. But as i mentioned no one near me or likely in this state carries the cabinet style, I must look to the online sites for choices. How can I tell if the humidor I am looking at or buying is quality and good? The two that I am looking at are the end table style cabinet, with one single upper drawer, and a large cabinet lower, the shelves are slotted for ventilation. It also has two AC power plugs inside for a humidification device, which i will purchase separately. I am thinking Moist-n-aire or Cigar Oasis. But again i digressed, What would your advice be in my hunt having to become an online hunt for the right humidor. I have found that the cabinet style I am looking at, having found a couple different styles and manufacturers range in price from 300-600 USD. I most likely can afford that but I am worried about quality and as you mentioned any cracks or gaps etc that will make a poor choice. Thanks again for your help and knowlege. -Steve

ANSWER: Hi Steve,

Buying a humidor cabinet is a major purchase and investment so you should try to visit a cigar store in a neighbouring state to inspect and purchase your humidor cabinet in person.  If you can't do this, your next best alternative is to thoroughly research the humidors - through message boards, magazine product reviews, cigar websites and even word-of-mouth - and purchase your cabinet directly from the vendor/manufacturer or from an authorized dealer.  If you can order directly from the vendor or an authorized dealer, you will have more buyer's protection than ordering from a regular retailer on the Internet.  If the unit is damaged or defective when you receive it, the vendor or authorized retailer will be quick to rectify the problem.  Smaller retailer companies usually can't afford or choose not to do this.  Vendors/authorized dealers will also be more thorough in securing your order for shipment.

Also, before you buy your humidor, don't be afraid to ask the retailer questions as to what they can do for you if you receive your humidor and it is defective or damaged during shipping.

Hope this answers your question.  As always, if you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much i appreciate your help and it will provide a great deal of information in my purchase of a humidor. My final question is non humidor related. It is in line with your expertise of cuban cigars. I have bought a couple of times from the "wholesaler" habanodirect.com and I have been happy with their cigars and their prices. However I have recently learned that several people have been saying they are not reputable, and they dont sell genuine cubans. I am curious if you have heard of this place and if they are truely reputable or not? I have taken some advice I read about in some of your previous responses, by checkin for credentials through habanos S.A. I havent yet received a response but was just curous as to your oppinion of them. -Steve

Answer
Hi Steve,

I've never dealt with them before so I can't say whether or not they're authentic.  Also, just to let you know, I no longer discuss Cuban cigar mailorder companies on here so what you should do is thoroughly research these companies through Internet cigar forums, message boards or even ask other cigar smokers in cigar lounges and stores for their opinion on specific mailorder companies.  If a majority of cigar smokers say a retailer is bad, it's most likely true so trust their feedback/reviews.

Regards,
James.