they are definitely fakes if....

• you bought them on the beach
  
• you bought them on the street
  
• you bought them for really cheap
  
• you bought them from the singer at the resort
  
• you bought them from the bartender at the resort
  
• you bought them from the maids of the resort
  
• you bought them from the brother of the guy who works at the factory
  
• you bought them from the mother of the guy who works at the factory
  
• you bought them from the neighbour of the truck driver who delivers the cigars from the factory
  
• you bought them and they came in a glass-top box
  
• you bought them from a B&M in the states
  

I'll add to this list as I see appropriate.......

they are most likely real if....

• you bought them from an LCDH
  
• you bought them from a very trusted source
  
• you bought them from a B&M (only if you live in a developped country (other than the US))
  

that's pretty much it.... in this case, there is nothing to add to this list..

The market for custom rolled cigars (no label or band) is huge because not everyone can afford LCDH prices. Are these fakes?

quote:

The market for custom rolled cigars (no label or band) is huge because not everyone can afford LCDH prices. Are these fakes?

I guess it is safe to say they are not fakes.
But they are not Habanos either.

quote:

Originally posted by poupon:
The market for custom rolled cigars (no label or band) is huge because not everyone can afford LCDH prices. Are these fakes?

depends who you buy them from I guess....
although as Sheep said, since they're not official Habanos, then they can't be fakes, but I guess if you have custom rolls rolled by the likes of Reinaldo (sorry for massacring his name), La china, etc... then they are to be considered real custom rolls.. i know this doesn't make much sense, but I'm just trying to differenciate between a reinaldo salomones and a salomones from the dude at your hotel (not saying the dude won't roll good salomones, but just that reinalodo is more known)

so to answer you rquestion.. YES and NO

It's NOT THAT SIMPLE! For example, many people have their "trusted sources" and there's absolutely NO reason to trust them. Just because they tell you they're trustworthy, and you think they're trustworthy, does not make it so. The equation is much more complicated.

Here's a rule of thumb. If you are in the US and are not buying from a handful of what really are trusted sources, it's fake. Start with that assumption, and look for something objective to prove to the contrary.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of us don't have enough exposure to seeing real and counterfeit cigars side by side, or just real ones, to be able to discern good from bad, real from fake, so we are at the mercy of the vendors most of the time...and it happens repeatedly that people are absolutely CERTAIN that the cigars they get are legit...and even talk about the subtleties and different nuances between the cigars. In reality, they all taste, look, smell the same...from the same counterfeit source...and the subtleties are mostly imagined (especially by someone with a palatte that is not terribly sophisticated).

And the custom stuff? These private rollers cannot possibly have rolled all these cigars that people say they're getting in such supplies. Some of them are absolutely from the "horse's mouth" so to speak; but many, many, many of these custom cigars are made by whomever. Are they still good? Most of the time. But just because someone says that "x" roller made a particular bundle of cigars does not make it true, either!

Caveat emptor.

Hi Salibas
Don’t forget…They’re “most likely real if”…you buy them in an overseas airport duty-free shop. Because they’re void of taxes, the governments keep a good check.
And
They’re most likely fakes…if you buy online without checking the cigars for authenticity.
One way to check for authenticity is to buy a box from an LCDH or airport duty-free shop, THEN buy the same box of cigars online, then compare and contrast.

For example: I bought a box of Cohiba Siglo IV’s in a European airport duty-free shop. An aquaintance of mine bought a box of Siglo IV’s from an online site in Europe. He brought them over and we compared; labels, number of plies in the wooden box, the notch in the sliding wooden top, the smell, the cigar rings, then the taste, then disected one of his cigars open because of the indications they were fakes. The results were interesting:
The labels looked authentic.
The notch in his sliding top looked like it was dug out with a pen knife. YELLOW FLAG.
I had 4 plies of wood in the construction of my box, his box had 2 or 3 plies. YELLOW FLAG.
The rings on his cigars had gold in the spaces of the “A” and “B” in the word Cohiba, where there should have been white surrounded by gold. RED FLAG
The taste of his was bland at best. RED FLAG.
Then we dissected the one he lit and found enough sticks to keep my fireplace supplied with firewood last Winter. RED FLAG.
If they're not Habanos, S.A., then send back.
If they are genuine, then you have your online source.

My advice for new CC smokers is, IF anyone buys online, have something that you KNOW is genuine to compare, i.e. from an LCDH or airport duty-free shop. Don’t leave it to chance, “most likely” or even recommendations. Do your homework yourself.
One more thing is if someone says (or if you read) they're genuine "Cuban" cigars, they can be fakes made in Cuba, of which there are a LOT. Even if they're genuine made in Cuba, unless they're authentic Habanos, S.A. then you're screwed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CosaNostra,

quote:

It's NOT THAT SIMPLE! For example, many people have their "trusted sources" and there's absolutely NO reason to trust them. Just because they tell you they're trustworthy, and you think they're trustworthy, does not make it so. The equation is much more complicated.

Here's a rule of thumb. If you are in the US and are not buying from a handful of what really are trusted sources, it's fake. Start with that assumption, and look for something objective to prove to the contrary.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of us don't have enough exposure to seeing real and counterfeit cigars side by side, or just real ones, to be able to discern good from bad, real from fake, so we are at the mercy of the vendors most of the time...and it happens repeatedly that people are absolutely CERTAIN that the cigars they get are legit...and even talk about the subtleties and different nuances between the cigars. In reality, they all taste, look, smell the same...from the same counterfeit source...and the subtleties are mostly imagined (especially by someone with a palatte that is not terribly sophisticated).

And the custom stuff? These private rollers cannot possibly have rolled all these cigars that people say they're getting in such supplies. Some of them are absolutely from the "horse's mouth" so to speak; but many, many, many of these custom cigars are made by whomever. Are they still good? Most of the time. But just because someone says that "x" roller made a particular bundle of cigars does not make it true, either!

Great post that is absolutely right.
I could not have said it better myself BRAVO!.
You touched on all the bases to bad no body listens.

Too bad even those of us who live relativly close to an LCDH can't go there. I live near the US/Canada border, but I can't go up to LCDH Toronto and pay $30 or $40 for a robusto. Look at Sal's thread where someone from Canada says the average price of a box of regular production cigars in $1,000. $1,000 for a box that you can get for $200? Canadian RE's are a "steal" at $1,000? Haha, what a joke. That's robbery right there. Socialism at its best!

That was for a cabinet of 50 cigars. Still a bit pricey. I believe charging outrageous prices is the first principle of Capitalism.

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
Too bad even those of us who live relativly close to an LCDH can't go there. I live near the US/Canada border, but I can't go up to LCDH Toronto and pay $30 or $40 for a robusto. Look at Sal's thread where someone from Canada says the average price of a box of regular production cigars in $1,000. $1,000 for a box that you can get for $200? Canadian RE's are a "steal" at $1,000? Haha, what a joke. That's robbery right there. Socialism at its best!

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Cohen:
That was for a cabinet of 50 cigars. Still a bit pricey. I believe charging outrageous prices is the first principle of Capitalism.

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:
Too bad even those of us who live relativly close to an LCDH can't go there. I live near the US/Canada border, but I can't go up to LCDH Toronto and pay $30 or $40 for a robusto. Look at Sal's thread where someone from Canada says the average price of a box of regular production cigars in $1,000. $1,000 for a box that you can get for $200? Canadian RE's are a "steal" at $1,000? Haha, what a joke. That's robbery right there. Socialism at its best!

Yeah, but sin taxes for the "general good" aren't part of the capitalist game plan. Or, at least they shouldn't be. I've gone up to bars in Canada. What's this $6 for a beer? I can't believe Candians of all people put up with that. That's like taxing the hell out of vodka in Russia or Guiness in Ireland(and they very well might). You guys better watch out, donuts are bad for you, pretty soon they're going to slap a 300% taxes of those and then 95% of Canada won't have anything to do Sunday morning.

What's this $6 for a beer? I can't believe Candians of all people put up with that. That's like taxing the hell out of vodka in Russia or Guiness in Ireland(and they very well might). You guys better watch out, donuts are bad for you, pretty soon they're going to slap a 300% taxes of those and then 95% of Canada won't have anything to do Sunday morning.

Those things must be taxed to death someone has got to pay for there health care system.You know the one that is free for all citizens.Well not really free most Canadians have a separate policy to pay for the things the goverment won't pay for.And then there is the long waiting list for many procedures i read somewhere many die waiting for surgery.Even something as simple as an MRI can have a 6 week wait.

quote:

Originally posted by SHEEPSHEAD BAY:
What's this $6 for a beer? I can't believe Candians of all people put up with that. That's like taxing the hell out of vodka in Russia or Guiness in Ireland(and they very well might). You guys better watch out, donuts are bad for you, pretty soon they're going to slap a 300% taxes of those and then 95% of Canada won't have anything to do Sunday morning.

Those things must be taxed to death someone has got to pay for there health care system.You know the one that is free for all citizens.Well not really free most Canadians have a separate policy to pay for the things the goverment won't pay for.And then there is the long waiting list for many procedures i read somewhere many die waiting for surgery.Even something as simple as an MRI can have a 6 week wait.

Nothing like paying high taxes and then getting lackluster health care.

quote:

Nothing like paying high taxes and then getting lackluster health care.

Isn't that why it is called Socialism?
Everyone gets the same thing.
From what i have been made to understand.

quote:

Originally posted by SHEEPSHEAD BAY:

Those things must be taxed to death someone has got to pay for there health care system.You know the one that is free for all citizens..

I thought the 50% income tax and the 14% sales tax we pay are the ones paying for our "free" healthcare...

notice the "" around free.. as it isn't really free.. just basic services, with a long, long, looooooooooong waiting list...

if you want it to ge faster, you go private, and you pay again.,... now this is capitalism at it's best...

and I do beleive 1000$ for a box of cigars is like getting a$$-raped....

even for a 50ct RE.. com'on man....

and BTW, 1000$ is not the LCDH price... LCDH sells them 28$ a pop... so 28*50= 1400$