$10M ashtray comes to Escondido, California (in San Diego County)

[JohnS]

$10M ashtray comes to Esco

By Times-Advocate on October 31, 2024 By JOSH BOARD

Escondido Cigar’s Andy (left) with Zaya Younan, and $15 million smoking accessories.

I was at a cigar lounge years ago when someone pulled out a lighter they got at an estate sale. They were excited they “only” paid $50 for it. I scoffed, as I held out the lighter I got at 7-11 for two bucks.

I was then told it was a Dupont lighter that sells brand new for over $1,000. Now, if I’m paying that much for a lighter, it better also be able to turn into a lightsaber to fight Darth Vader, or a flame thrower I could use during a zombie apocalypse.

My wife once bought me a snazzy Zippo with my name engraved on it. It lasted about eight months before a spring in it broke, so…maybe spending 4-figures on a lighter is something serious cigar smokers should do.

I almost had a heart attack when I heard about the lighter that would be making an appearance at Escondido Cigars on Center City Parkway. The lighter is worth $4.5 million. Probably a bit too much for me to ask my wife to replace that broken Zippo.

The man who brought it to town was Zaya Younan. He’s a billionaire engineer turned real estate mogul, who started El Septimo cigars – a company that has a lot of unique blends and aged tobaccos.

The name is Latin for “the seventh” which refers to the day God rested after creating the earth in six days. In that spirit, I relaxed with one of his King Sargon Maduro Robusto sticks, and watched as people held the lighter in their hands. When I picked it up, it felt to be about two pounds, and was bigger than a flask. It was gold, and looked like something Donald Trump would use to light up. I heard someone ask Younan, “Is it made of gold?

Younan replied that gold isn’t what makes it so valuable, it’s all the diamonds, emeralds, and rubies that surround it. “They’re 470 karats,” he said.

This is a close-up of the cigar lighter and $10 million ashtray. The gold is the least of what makes it so valuable.

I regretted not lighting my cigar with it, but using my 7-11 lighter, which wasn’t gold, but off-white. Both had a “7” on them, but I digress.

I had a great conversation about movies with Younan’s beautiful wife. Escondido Cigar owner Andy’s beautiful wife was there, too. One time in his shop, she had provided baklava that was delicious. There was also a nice spread of food at this event.

Younan has a very exuberant personality, and had the crowd in stitches. At one point when he said something about the lighter, he saw me taking notes and pointed at me, yelling “You can print that sh** !”

One fan was saying something to Younan about cigars being “good for the skin” he laughed and said they were, to which another woman said, “Well I want my skin to be tan.” He looked at her, and yelled “Then go lay out in the sun!”

As he quickly walked over to another customer, we all burst out laughing. An attractive African-American woman walked in and talked briefly to him, before grabbing a cigar. She said to the white, bearded guy next to her, “Don’t be a redneck, be bougie. Smoke one of these Empress Sheba cigars.”

I apparently wasn’t bougie enough, as I thought it was Frida Kahlo on the pink cigar box.

Just as things were settling down, Younan surprised us by saying he also brought an ashtray. It was worth $10 million.

The ash on my cigar was getting big, and I thought it would be funny to go over and put it out in the ashtray. I wondered if he brought it into the shop in a briefcase handcuffed to his arm.

I instead yelled out, “Will you be selling those here today?”

That got a few laughs.

Josh Board is an Escondido resident, who is an avid cigar smoker. He can be heard on KOGO 600 AM on Friday mornings, and on the Dave Rickards podcast.

Source: https://www.times-advocate.com/articles/10m-ashtray-comes-to-esco/

[Jack]

My gosh! People like this are going to turn our respectable hobby into a circus!

[99call]

What a piece of absolute trash.

[fly_or_die_]

4 hours ago, Jack said:

My gosh! People like this are going to turn our respectable hobby into a circus!

I'd say we are half way there. 

[MrBirdman]

$10M…according to whom? The schmuck who paid for it? Because even if it’s made of solid gold with real jewels I’d wager it cost no more than $4M to make. 

I guess if you’re a billionaire you can afford to get ripped off, but imagine being so desperate for attention you drag a $10M ashtray around with you. 

[BrightonCorgi]

I would pay no more than 3 million.