Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars

CIGARS FROM THE JAZZ AGE

Vintage cigars from Cuba and flappers across the USA

Los Angeles, September 23 – Remembering Tom Hanks’s immortal line as Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates . . . you never know what you’re going to get.”

Same for eBay.

We track the cigar side of this crazy mega-marketplace, but yesterday’s auction transported us back to the Jazz Age of Herbert Hoover, Al Capone, Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson and Babe Ruth.

A 1929 box of 50 Partagas Rama Selecta No. 4s, with 47 cigars still remaining in boite nature packaging. The cigars were imported by the English firm of Fribourg & Treyer. The cigars are unbanded in the boite nature style, which is uniquely explained on an original cedar insert which still covers the cigars:

“The attention of consumers of the Highest Class Havana Cigars is respectfully directed to this special form of box construction in which the use of paste or any other substances of a similar nature has been completely avoided.

“Further, by the suppression of all labels, bands and papers, the Cigars are kept entirely immune from deleterious contact with colored and printed matter.

“They are thus allowed to mature and develop under the most favorable conditions possible – in their most suitable and native environment - Natural Cuban Cedar.

“Partagas y Ca.”

Wow!

Offered by the Florida-based Gotham Cigar Museum, the box drew 19 bids topping out at $515.00 (only $10.96 a stick), but this was short of the reserve price, so there was no sale. Look for them to be offered again.

Make Mine Platinum:
Altadis USA is flexing its promotional muscle behind three of its brands this fall, especially the Platinum line of its celebrated Montecristo brand.

• The powerful Platinum series is being promoted through a series of personal appearances by the “Montecristo Platinum Girl” (pictured above) at tobacco stores and events around the country. This week, the tour rolls through New England with two Friday stops at Boston cigar destinations Gloucester Street Cigar and L.J. Peretti. Attendees can get their picture taken with the “Girl” and check out the peppery flavor of the Montecristo Platinum line, which is available in near a dozen sizes.

The Platinum Tour will continue in October in the New York and New Jersey area and then head to Las Vegas for two stops in November.

Altadis has also signed on with Montecristo as the cigar-of-choice for distribution at two receptions/media opportunities to promote the second season of the Donald Trump reality show “The Apprentice” (NBC, Thursdays) on September 23 (New York) and October 23 (Atlantic City). The events will also help launch Trump World magazine, which interestingly is published by Michael Jacobsen, who formerly managed advertising sales for Smoke magazine. Altadis will take a full-page ad for the Montecristo Platinum Tour, for which Jacobsen is no doubt grateful.

• Not far behind on the promo tour is Altadis’s Playboy by Don Diego Tour, which offers attendees a chance to sample a Playboy cigar and meet a Playboy Playmate. The next stops are in October in Tacoma, Washington on October 2 and at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey at J-R Cigars’ “Meadowlands Madness” on October 20.

• Think Altadis’s promotional effort for the new Juan Lopez blend doesn’t feature women? Guess again. This time it’s master torcedor Teresa Perez who will demonstrate the proper technique for . . . ahem . . . rolling . . . er . . . cigars, and attendees can get a free Juan Lopez after buying two. Rolling demos are scheduled for the J-R Cigars store at 562 Fifth Avenue in New York on October 7 and 8.

The Altadis web site is a worthwhile visit for some fun features like postcards of your favorite Altadis brand (36 to choose from!) including Don Diego(2 types), H. Upmann (5), Montecristo (7), Romeo y Julieta (1), Trinidad (1) and many others, screensavers and wallpapers of their top brands.

To paraphrase one of their older ads, it’s another way to give their brands a little “one-Upmann-ship.”

Stop groaning.
~ Rich Perelman

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