Expert: M J Robbins - 3/13/2010

Question
M J Robbins,

I'm looking at purchasing a nice humidor.  I bought a cheap humidor a few years ago and it was never good at maintaining consistent levels.  I have been looking around online and it seems that the better humidors are very expensive.  What do you think is a good price point to start at and could you suggest any specific humidors?  I was looking at Siglo Humidors but again, they are quite expensive.  

Thanks

Andrew

Answer
Daniel Marshall makes nice boxes and was top rated in cigar Aficionado. They are still $500 to $1,000 for a nice size one.
Vigilant end table humidor starts at $1,000 and is the best in the world, check out their custom ordered humidors that had a deposit placed and never delivered and they are even cheaper - you just can't pick the finish.

Any box you buy other than Vigilant with electric humidity - use Boveda pillows to keep humidity perfect no matter what they say or what humidity device they come with. Put a few Boveda on top of the cigars to get perfection, all my customers swear by them. You might try buying them and putting them on the cigars in your cheap box as everyone uses them in the cheap boxes to make everything perfect. Get 2 Boveda 72% and put them right on top of the cigars ALONG WITH THE STANDARD HANGING HUMIDITY DEVICE.
Always get a humidor with top humidification because moisture falls. With shelves you need Boveda pillows for each shelve besides top humidification.

Buying a nice humidor is like good furniture - get a nice Vigilant or Daniel Marshall and on the Antique road show in 2310 they will exclaim the virtues and claim an exorbitant value even 200 years from now.
A top quality humidor will go up in value. I do not sell these humidors today as my customers seem to have cheaped out, but, years ago I sold them up to thousands of dollars. Customers still come in and rave about their love for the custom made Michael Dixon, hand selected, 5/8" thick  Curly Maple box with black ebony trim and Koa wood marquetry, that they bought from me 20 years ago.
Or how bout the Beeman and Ford solid hand selected 3/4" solid Mahogany box with double locking mitre construction, black ebony trim, cigar inlayed marquetry, with 30 coats of hand rubbed lacquer finish that took 30 days to complete from beginning to end. I sold those for $500 in 1995 and had a waiting list months long. Michael Dixon makes guitars now last time I talked to him, Beeman and Ford had a split in 1998 and I never heard from them again.

So make the move if you have the money and you will be pleased as pie till the day you pass it on to your son (or other close family member).

Remember the Boveda humidity packets in any box except Vigilant with the electric system.

Mike