What's the chances Columbo?

[El Presidente]

I loved the Upmann Number 1. 

This Lonsdale (discontinued 2002) was on the ropes in terms of sales late 90's but was absolutely destroyed by a plague of construction problems over the decade. I literally watched customer after customer move to Robusto's in the lat 90's early 00's as the thinner ring gauges were perceived as being simply too risky. 

So I was intrigued to find this sealed box for sale on line. 

 

 

Now the box is "sealed" but that ccertainly doesn't guarantee authenticity. There are a few warning signs.  Let's not even consider provenance/storage. 

"You buy the seller" is one of the great truisms in the auction/secondary market game.  Keeping that in mind I went and looked at some of the other boxes this seller was peddling. 

 

 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

What do you know--Cuba was making cigars in 13 AD. I must say, they look rough, but considering they're 2,000 years old they're amazing. I guess we really are going to find out if Cohibas can expire. 

As far as the HUs those strike me as genuine at first glance. Doesn't mean they are, and the fact that the same seller is hawking those fauxhibas would have me question at least storage conditions on the HUs let alone everything else. The HU box just has enough going for it that I would say probably genuine box. Cigars, no idea. 

It always kills me that these fakers just don't use genuine boxes. I would say that 95% of fakes have obvious problems with the box. Using an old genuine box would make it much harder to detect fakes, yet they keep trying to force it with these weird and odd boxes and loose stickers and labels. I just don't get it.

 

[Nino]

Plenty of warning signs.

Most obvious that non-existent/fantasy code TOR L 013 on the box and the sticker plus some more signs on the HU box.

Absolute sorry joke.

.

[99call]

Upmann legit, 

23 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Now the box is "sealed" but that ccertainly doesn't guarantee authenticity. There are a few warning signs.  Let's not even consider provenance/storage. 

"You buy the seller" is one of the great truisms in the auction/secondary market game.  Keeping that in mind I went and looked at some of the other boxes this seller was peddling. 

I think the Upmanns are 100% legit, regardless they looked like they've been sat on a radiator for the last 70years.  Stuff on Todos, you see people trying to buy trust with genuine stuff like old Cano's & Quinteros, and mix in high value whales to try set the hook. 

I wonder what the world wide carbon emissions are for bullshit Cohiba boxes.  It's would be tragic to see the acreage of chopped down trees. 

[NSXCIGAR]

1 hour ago, Nino said:

plus some more signs on the HU box.

What red flags are you seeing on the HU box?

[Nino]

10 hours ago, 99call said:

I wonder what the world wide carbon emissions are for bullshit Cohiba boxes. 

 

Huge .....