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Cellophane storage: Pro/Con

Hi all. I'm very, VERY new to this hobby. I'm eager to learn must as a start-off question. I bought a sampler pack that came with a humidor from this site. I've followed guides here and elsewhere for starting a new humidor and am happy with my results, thus far. The only issue I haven't really seen addressed is whether or not to store my cigars in my humidor with the cellophane wrappers that come with them. With my limited knowledge I can see both pros and cons but I'd welcome most seasoned advice.

Comments

  • KingoftheCoveKingoftheCove Posts: 937 ✭✭✭
    I leave the cello on, too many benefits gained by leaving it on, versus the only benefit I have heard for taking it off........humidor aroma upon opening............not too important to me.
    Stick protection is much more important.

  • KingoftheCoveKingoftheCove Posts: 937 ✭✭✭
    You can search this Forum for many responses on this topic, but I'll note a few more, as I noticed I didn't really answer your question in detail.
    Advantages to cello off
    1) When you open your humi, it smells good for a few seconds
    2) You don't have to remove the cello when grabbing a stick to smoke - saves you at least 5 seconds.

    Advantages to cello on
    1) Even though I pretty much know where all my sticks are (due to my excel tracking system), I still on occasion have to "dig" into a humi, moving 15 or 20 sticks, to get the one I want. I feel much better about "rummaging" around sticks when they have the cello on
    2) I like to put a date sticker on my cigars - tough to do without cello, unless you want to put it on the band, which is quite lame
    3) Sometimes I send sticks out for trade and such. Mailing sticks is always better when they have the extra protection of cello
    4) A few times now, I have had to do a wholesale shuffling and relocation of 100+ sticks. That would be a pain with un-protected cigars, as you would have to be very careful about where you put them down, picking them up, etc.. Some cigars have delicate wrappers, and it doesn't take much for them to start fraying and getting beat up.
    5) God forbid I should ever have a beetle problem, but I'd feel better having cello on my sticks if there were beetles, then not having cello. Despite the fact that they say the cello won't help much with beetles, I view it as an extra layer of protection, which might save a few sticks in the event of an outbreak.

    Just my 2 cents...........

  • beatnicbeatnic Posts: 4,133
    I take my cellos off, unless I plan on leaving the stick in for aging. . I'm careful and don't mess with my sticks too much. The aromas other speak of? Well, they affect other sticks as well. And to those that say cello breathes, it does, but not as well as an exposed stick. I find that my newly introduced sticks acclimate much faster without the cello. Just my experience and opinion. And I know that I am in the minority on this forum.
    I like my ladies naked!
  • j0z3rj0z3r Posts: 9,403 ✭✭
    There really aren't any cons to storing with cello on, preference is the biggest determining factor.
  • CAcigarguy007CAcigarguy007 Posts: 2,027 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I store mine cello on. I have stored cello off in the past and had a lot of nicked/chipped cigars. The only downside to storing with the cello on is it takes a lot longer for the cigars to acclimate and fully/evenly humidify. Sometimes as long as 3-4 weeks since it goes from foot to head. A fully humidified stick will not have a hard head and I have found that they don't smoke as well when the head is still hard to the pinch test. Naked cigars will fully humidify much more quickly than their celloed counterpart. Most BOTL on here have enough cigars on hand to rest their sticks and let them acclimate. The only reason I would store naked is if I wanted to smoke a stick soon after receiving it or if I had only a small supply of cigars on hand. It really is a personal choice in the end.
  • docbp87docbp87 Posts: 3,521
    I always keep cellophane on, and have even put old cellophane on sticks that didn't come with it, for storage purposes... I mess with my cigars too much, and have had too many cracked, torn, and damaged wrappers to not use it...
  • KriegKrieg Posts: 5,188 ✭✭✭
    KingoftheCove:
    You can search this Forum for many responses on this topic, but I'll note a few more, as I noticed I didn't really answer your question in detail.
    Advantages to cello off
    1) When you open your humi, it smells good for a few seconds
    2) You don't have to remove the cello when grabbing a stick to smoke - saves you at least 5 seconds.

    Advantages to cello on
    1) Even though I pretty much know where all my sticks are (due to my excel tracking system), I still on occasion have to "dig" into a humi, moving 15 or 20 sticks, to get the one I want. I feel much better about "rummaging" around sticks when they have the cello on
    2) I like to put a date sticker on my cigars - tough to do without cello, unless you want to put it on the band, which is quite lame
    3) Sometimes I send sticks out for trade and such. Mailing sticks is always better when they have the extra protection of cello
    4) A few times now, I have had to do a wholesale shuffling and relocation of 100+ sticks. That would be a pain with un-protected cigars, as you would have to be very careful about where you put them down, picking them up, etc.. Some cigars have delicate wrappers, and it doesn't take much for them to start fraying and getting beat up.
    5) God forbid I should ever have a beetle problem, but I'd feel better having cello on my sticks if there were beetles, then not having cello. Despite the fact that they say the cello won't help much with beetles, I view it as an extra layer of protection, which might save a few sticks in the event of an outbreak.

    Just my 2 cents...........

    6) Helps protect against mold.

    "Long ashes my friends."

  • boydmcgowanboydmcgowan Posts: 1,101
    KingoftheCove:
    You can search this Forum for many responses on this topic, but I'll note a few more, as I noticed I didn't really answer your question in detail.
    Advantages to cello off
    1) When you open your humi, it smells good for a few seconds
    2) You don't have to remove the cello when grabbing a stick to smoke - saves you at least 5 seconds.

    Advantages to cello on
    1) Even though I pretty much know where all my sticks are (due to my excel tracking system), I still on occasion have to "dig" into a humi, moving 15 or 20 sticks, to get the one I want. I feel much better about "rummaging" around sticks when they have the cello on
    2) I like to put a date sticker on my cigars - tough to do without cello, unless you want to put it on the band, which is quite lame
    3) Sometimes I send sticks out for trade and such. Mailing sticks is always better when they have the extra protection of cello
    4) A few times now, I have had to do a wholesale shuffling and relocation of 100+ sticks. That would be a pain with un-protected cigars, as you would have to be very careful about where you put them down, picking them up, etc.. Some cigars have delicate wrappers, and it doesn't take much for them to start fraying and getting beat up.
    5) God forbid I should ever have a beetle problem, but I'd feel better having cello on my sticks if there were beetles, then not having cello. Despite the fact that they say the cello won't help much with beetles, I view it as an extra layer of protection, which might save a few sticks in the event of an outbreak.

    Just my 2 cents...........

    All right so the KOTC has a good pros for each going here so I'll just add my thoughts to his list.

    Advantages to cello off
    1) When you open your humi, it smells AMAZING.
    2) I guess technically, but never really thought of this.
    3) The look, I have glass top humis and nothing kills the look of a humidor than cellophane. Call me vein, but thats important for me at least.

    Advantages to cello on
    1)I don't have enough cigars for digging to be come necessary, so if you do, then maybe consider this, Cello does offer alot of handling protection. Also I'm ok with minor blemishes becuase I'm going to smoke them.
    2) Date sticker- True, I don't do this and maybe I would if I we're a cello guy
    3) Mailing sticks is always better when they have the extra protection of cello. This is True, I feel bad mailing naked stick, but I toss the cello the second they land, so i don't have much of a choice.


    Given all that. I weight the look and the smell over the extra protection issue and date sticker because that works for me.
  • beatnicbeatnic Posts: 4,133
    I hate the glare of the cello when you take a picture.
  • beatnic:
    I hate the glare of the cello when you take a picture.
    LOL. I knew someone was going to say it.
  • lcpleellcpleel Posts: 3,455 ✭✭✭
    Most of the celllo stays on but I have a few that I take the cello off on (picture reasons) and some how lose the cello. I personally would like to keep the cello on so it doesnt damage the sticks but I take it off to smoke anyways so no worries.
  • camgfscamgfs Posts: 968
    I got used to naked sticks, because that's how I buy them. Only when I started purchasing sticks from ccom did I start to see cello covered sticks for full boxes, and at first I thought that was just for shipping purposes. The only sticks at a B&M around here that have cello on (for the most part) are cheap machine made sticks that you buy in a box of 5 or 8 (depending on size).
    Until I started as a customer with ccom, most of my purchases were ISOM sticks, and some did come with cello, but usually only if it was 5 singles from a box, so they would use cello for shipping. Most full boxes were naked.

    In my case, it's what I got used to and I take the cello off without thinking of cons.

  • Can you buy these things new? Or do you just collect them as you smoke? I'm going to have to start collecting if so. I like the idea of protection.
  • CvilleECvilleE Posts: 1,594 ✭✭✭
    howtobass:
    Can you buy these things new? Or do you just collect them as you smoke? I'm going to have to start collecting if so. I like the idea of protection.
    I'm sure you can get them new, but almost all the sticks I have gotten from c.com has cello on them. Just save those as you smoke them and save your money to buy more smokes :-). I had 2 big storage bags of extras at one time.
  • CvilleE:
    howtobass:
    Can you buy these things new? Or do you just collect them as you smoke? I'm going to have to start collecting if so. I like the idea of protection.
    I'm sure you can get them new, but almost all the sticks I have gotten from c.com has cello on them. Just save those as you smoke them and save your money to buy more smokes :-). I had 2 big storage bags of extras at one time.
    Yea. It looks like i'm going to have to save. I tried looking for some on google but couldn't turn anything up.
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