Humidor Vault Blog

Here is a quick list of some important things to consider when purchasing a cigar humidor:

1. Seal: The most important aspect of a humidor is its ability to hold humidity. The seal will do that. When looking at cigar humidors, check to see how it closes when the lid is dropped from 2-3 inches. If it lands on a cushion of air, the seal is fine. If it “clangs” when the lid is dropped, walk away because that isn’t a quality humidor….in fact, “it’s just a box”. Look to see what hinges are used to close the lid. The best cigar humidors use hidden quadrant hinges and/or piano hinges, as they supply the best seal possible.
2. Exterior Construction: The sidewalls and bottom of the humidor should be at a minimum, ½” thick. The thicker the sidewalls the more resistant the interior will be to external temperature and humidity changes. Large temperature and humidity fluctuations will ruin your cigars. Check to see if the outside bottom of the humidor is lined with felt to prevent scratching of the furniture that you place your humidor on. Continued

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A couple of posts ago, we reported on how California is considering a tax on beer. Of course California last year levied a 45% tax on cigar sales made from California retailers to California residents and we were joking around as to what would be next? Big Mac tax, etc? We were not very far off on this one!

New Jersey seems to not wanting to be left out of the fun of taxing individual items that their residents consume, so they are now considering a tax on fast food! Go here to read the full text of the article. And beware…..

Our take: This is just the beginning of how various governments will try to induce our behaviors through the tax code.

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Maybe yes or no….or maybe in part for a good reason? Drew Carey put together a amusing look at this that I found at the Wall Street Journal website.

Take a look and let us know what you think!

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Is the other shoe now dropping? Well, maybe in the tax happy state of California it is. Assemblyman Jim Beall, a Democrat hailing from San Jose, is proposing a massive 1500% increase on your six pack of beer!

And with Congress ready to reconsider the SCHIP program next year along with the massive taxes it would impose on cigars, what is next? Wine tax of 1500%? Big Mac Tax of 1500%.

Kind of scary eh? Kind of crazy eh?

Our take: Politicians continue to flaunt their ignorance!

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Who would have thought….but a recent study at the University of Wisconsin, indicates that in communities with smoking bans there has been a nearly 12 percent rise in the number of drinking-related accidents.  

University of Wisconsin researchers say that instead of heading to their local bar for a drink and a smoke, smokers are venturing farther away from home in search of a place where they can light up.

Our take:  There will now be drinking bans!  Prohibition here we come!

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Seems the art world has determined that the next big art hub will be Cuba. Why…we don’t know, but it seems the art crowd has found an exception to the Cuban Embargo as it applies to American art collectors. Why the disparity? The U.S government considers Cuban art as “Cultural Assets” and Cuban Cigars as “Commerical Products”, which of course makes them illegal. But travel is restricted or outright banned for Americans to Cuba right? Well maybe….here is how they are doing it. Some are setting up “humanitarian, scholarly or religious” missions and then while they are down there, they buy art and bring it back. Others buy it online and have it shipped to their U.S. address, which bringing it into the U.S. is not illegal, but getting into Cuba can be.

To read the full article at the Wall Street Journal…click here

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Eliot Spitzer, the former Attorney General and now former Governor of New York, has resigned from his office today which will be effective next Monday. So why are we writing about this on our cigar related blog? Hmmm….let me see!

Oh yes, now I remember. See a long time ago when we were just starting out, we were able to sell cigars on our internet site. Then Mr. Spitzer got together with the good people at Visa and Mastercard and scared the crap out of them. The long and short of it all, was through Mr. Spitzers intervention, we were forced by our credit card processors to delete cigars from our website. The idea was that were were selling our cigars to minors! Now really, when was the last time you saw a bunch of teenagers hanging around a Dairy Queen smoking a fine Rocky Patel or Gurhka cigar? Hmmm? I thought so! It wasn’t just us, but a whole bunch of businesses that were forced by their credit card processors to get out of the online cigar business. In fact, in speaking with my current credit card processor just last month, we can sell firearms on the internet using their services but I cannot sell cigars….go figure! We carried on with humidors and accessories and have built a fine company in spite of Mr. Spitzer’s intrusive behavior. Because of Mr. Spitzer’s actions any new business who wishes to offer cigars on the internet will not be able to do so. The law in question is the Jenkins Act and we just happen to have in our possession an email from the Associate General Counsel of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Department (ATF) who specifically states that the Jenkins Act does not pertain to the online sale of cigars, just cigarettes. But because of Mr. Spitzer’s bullying tactics as Attorney General of New York, he has succesfully intimidated companies and individuals regardless what the law says. Visa/MasterCard and credit card processors…are you listening? Please don’t just take our work for it, click here for a fine compilation from the good folks at the Wall Street Journal.

So goodbye Mr. Spitzer, we can’t say we feel sorry for you, but we do feel bad for your lovely wife and three children. They now must face an incredible amount of public humiliation because of your actions…..they deserved better.

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With the Presidential race down to 3 candidates….John McCain for the Republicans, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats, the question really isn’t “who’s going to win”, but who will be best for the cigar industry?

Over the last 12 months or so, there has been an ever increasing drum beat to tax the cigar industry out of business.  We have seen that on the national level with the SCHIP program, and we are seeing that on a more local level in New Hampshire and Kansas, which we have mentioned here in our blog.

But of the chosen three, who would be the best candidate for the cigar industry and for cigar smokers in general?  We don’t know…yet.  We don’t think any one of them smokes cigars….Hillary probably is the closest via her husband Bill, but then again….well you remember that episode don’t you?  We doubt John McCain lights up very often, or at all for that matter.  Perhaps McCain will ask cigar smoker Fred Thompson to be his running mate?  That would make it easier for us to decide.  Or does it come down to the party level, Republicans or Democrats?

Stay tuned…..

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Well, they are at it again, this time in New Hampshire, where the states motto is “Live Free or Die”.

There is a bill pending that would increase the tax on cigars in the state based on a stores inventory level. The Legislature is proposing a 60% tax on the wholesale cost of cigars and retailers would have to pay the tax based on their inventory, not at the time they sell a cigar to a customer. So if a cigar store has $100,000 in wholesale cost of cigar inventory, they would have to cough up $60,000 just to stay in business. One of the largest stores in New Hampshire, “Two Guys Smoke Shop” have come out and have made it clear they will close the doors if this law is enacted as they won’t be able to pay the tax.

Our Take: This is just another example of lawmakers using the tax code to run businesses that they don’t care for out of business…more of a social statement by them than a revenue issue for the state. You would think that businesses that create jobs in a state would be something that the state would want to support since they would be deriving numerous taxes from a single businesss….property tax, sales tax, state income tax, etc. But not in New Hampshire, they would rather kill an entire industry rather than support hard working people who create jobs and businesses. Someone once said a long time ago….”The power to tax is the power to destroy“. Seems that is the only plan the lawmakers have on their mind right now.

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