Keeping alive a 60-year tradition:
Victor Migenes opened the La Plata Cigar Co. in Los Angeles sixty years ago, in 1947. Although the business has changed radically, his son, Victor Migenes, Jr. is still rolling along.

Cigars are no longer rolled in the old factory space on Grand Avenue, a victim of redevelopment, La Plata is now in a smaller space that uniquely combines a walk-in humidor and a full selection of accessories with an up-and-coming art gallery on 2nd Street in downtown Los Angeles, a few steps away from the landmark headquarters of the Los Angeles Times.

There, a large humidor showcases dozens of well-known brands, but also the venerable La Plata lines, currently made in Nicaragua: the La Plata Nicaraguan Selection and the La Plata Vintage Fuerte. But changes are coming to those, too.

Made by Felipe Gregorio, the Nicaraguan Selection will likely be moving to the Dominican Republic as the manufacturer has left Nicaragua and moved operations to the Dominican. “Philip [Wynne, owner of Felipe Gregorio] wants us to move with him and we probably will,” said Migenes. “He’s proposing a new wrapper and we want to see how it turns out.”

Migenes indicated that Wynne has the idea to wrap the new La Plata blend with a Costa Rican-grown wrapper from Tabacos de la Cordillera, using tobacco grown from pre-embargo Cuban seeds. Wynne has already used such wrappers with success on his Pelo de Oro blend and is looking to try more of the dozens of varieties being offered by John Vogel’s experimental farming project in Costa Rica.

In the meantime, Migenes says that business in the new location is growing as more and more of his old customers find him once again and new customers come in to look at the gallery and walk out with cigars!

Hammer time:
In the ranks of the unusual items now on auction at Famous Smoke Shop’s CigarAuctioneer.com site is a Hyundai Perfect Air Tower air purifier!

But there it is: a quiet, three-speed air purifier with an advanced filtration system and a remote control so you can up the action when your living room or basement get smoky. Perfect for while you’re watching football on January 1!

There are 30 available, with a suggested retail price of $99.95. Bidding started at $1 and while that price is long gone, it’s still a bargain . . . so far. The auction ends at 9:59 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, December 17.
~ Rich Perelman

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