Expert: James Yee - 8/18/2007

Question
I have some genuine Davidoff Cuban cigars which were part of my late father's collection. They date back to 1970's, I believe and are still in their original boxes (2 boxes are unopened and have paper wrappers around them). 2 x 25 box of No 2, 1 x 25 box of Chateau Latour and 1 x 50 box Ambassadrice. Please can you advise if there is likely to be a current market for them, where the best place to sell them would be ie auction or sell to a merchant and what kind of price am I likely to obtain. Thank you in advance for your help. Regards Ian

Answer
Hi Ian,

There are always collectors interested in vintage Cuban cigars; especially Cuban Davidoffs.  What I suggest is that you speak with an antique dealer dealing in “tobbaciana” or a tobacconist that specializes in rare vintage cigars and ask for an appraisal value.  I’m not sure how much your boxes are worth but I’ve seen whole boxes of Cuban Davidoffs sell in the range of $800 to $2200 USD; depending on the quality of the cigars, the size of the cigars (larger cigars are worth more) and the condition of the packaging (box, cigar bands, etc.)

If your cigars are in excellent condition and properly humidified, you may be able to sell your cigars in that price range as well.  I can’t guarantee exactly how much your cigars are worth so you will need to speak with an antique/tobacciana dealer.  Once you have an idea of how much your cigars are worth, you can either try to sell the cigars yourself or with the help of an auction house.  You should avoid online auction websites (too much buyer fraud) and instead contact an auction house such as Christie's or Sotheby’s.

If you prefer to sell the cigars yourself, you can list the cigars on various classifieds websites, newspapers or even just visit reputable cigar lounges and speak with a few cigar smokers.  Again, there is always a demand for vintage Cuban Davidoffs so you should be able to find buyer(s) pretty quickly.  

Hope this answers your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
James