QUICK ANSWER: The first step for a new collector is planning where you’ll store your cigars—humidor bag, plastic container, travel case, or wood humidor. Next up is consistently managing the humidity inside with a 2-way humidity control system like Boveda. Boveda packs automatically maintain the ideal humidity range for cigars, which is between 65 and 72% relative humidity (RH). Now you’re ready to build your cigar collection starting with a variety of cigars instead of investing in bulk boxes.
Where Do You Start?
Every serious cigar collection starts the same way: with one cigar, a little curiosity, and a decision about where to store cigars. The good news is that building a collection doesn’t require expert-level knowledge on day one. It requires a few smart habits, starting with storage, that keep your cigars smokable and improving rather than drying out or going moldy in the back of a closet.
Which Cigars Should You Buy First?
When you’re just getting into cigars, a new collector often makes one of two mistakes:
- Buying a single box of one cigar because it’s familiar.
- Buying in bulk before you know what you actually enjoy.
A better starting point is variety. Pick up a handful of singles across different cigar types and wrapper styles so you can compare flavor, body, and burn quality side by side. Early on, get familiar with the shapes and sizes of cigars. A Robusto and a Churchill of the same blend can smoke differently. Learning cigar vocabulary will make it easier to ask for recommendations at your local tobacconist.
Bulk buying makes sense later, once you know which blends you’ll actually reach for.
Where Should You Store Cigars?
Storage is where most new collections succeed or fail. It’s also where Boveda removes the guesswork that trips up so many beginners.
What to Know about Humidors
A humidor is any container or space (a box, a bag, a Tupperware®, a room, etc.) whose humidity is controlled to maintain a desirable moisture level for cigars. Traditionally, you’d find a wood cigar humidor (with Spanish cedar being the most sought-after interior). Cigar humidors can be made out of metal, carbon fiber, acrylic, or even leather.
Remember, a humidor is just a cigar container. Alone a humidor doesn’t preserve cigars. You need to maintain the ideal humidity for your budding cigar collection.
For those new to cigar collecting, The Boveda Humidor is a solid choice. The Boveda Humidor maximizes its patented 2-way humidity control without the maintenance of a traditional wood humidor. As your cigar collection grows, there’s no messing with messy distilled water, gels, sponges, or manual calibration. The Boveda Humidor comes with everything you need to get up and running, from one-time seasoning packets to your first six months of humidity control. Even more convenient, opt in to an Autoship Boveda subscription to have future refill packets delivered to you for zero-lapse cigar protection.
What to Know about Cigars, Humidity, and More
Storing cigars right allows the aromatic compounds and textural complexities of the blend to come through. Aging a cigar in ideal conditions rounds out and mellows the flavors, as the tobacco’s oils meld and shed minute impurities.
Ideal Conditions for Storing Cigars:
- Steady relative humidity between 65% and 72% (Boveda automatically maintains the ideal RH for cigars for you.)
- Around 70°F/21°C (Don’t store cigars in the fridge or freezer!)
- Out of direct sunlight (Rethink a glass-topped humidor, which lets light in and leaks moisture like a sieve.)
- Away from the catalyzing effects of oxidation (Protect cigars in an airtight tupperdor, humidor bag, or seasoned humidor.)
Why Seasoning a Humidor Matters
A brand-new wood humidor is dry wood, and dry wood pulls moisture straight out of your cigars if you skip seasoning. Seasoning conditions the wood to hold humidity before any cigars go inside. It brings the wood’s moisture content to the ideal level necessary to maintain the desired humidity for storing and aging cigars.
Skipping this step is a common reason a beginner’s first cigars show up cracked or harsh a few weeks in. Boveda makes a Humidor Starter Kit that comes with everything you need to season your humidor and get ongoing cigar protection for months.
How Many Cigars is Good?
Most collectors find that 15 to 25 cigars is a manageable starting point. It’s enough to compare a few blends and sizes without overwhelming a small humidor or forcing you to rush through cigars before they’ve properly rested.
Should You Rotate Cigars?
Good habits around storing cigars early on make organization second nature as your collection scales.
Tips for How to Organize a Cigar Collection:
- Group cigars by strength, wrapper, or brand so you’re not digging through your humidor every time you want to smoke.
- Organize cigars by size in cedar trays for a more orderly look.
- Rotate your stock AKA FIFO (first in, first out). Move older cigars that have been in your humidor the longest to the top. These should be the first ones you smoke, so nothing gets buried and forgotten.
Why Do You Age Cigars?
Aging is when collecting becomes a craft. Given stable humidity and time, many cigars mellow, and their flavors integrate in ways a newer stick can’t replicate. The catch is that aging only works if storage conditions are consistent. A single dry spell or humidity spike can undo months of progress. Read the lifespan of your cigars to better understand resting and aging your collection.
What Are Common Cigar Mistakes?
Treat cigar storage as a crucial first step instead of an afterthought. A few missteps show up again and again for new cigar collectors:
- Overbuying before knowing which blends you favor.
- Poor storage, whether that’s an unseasoned humidor or unmanaged humidity.
- Mixing cigars with strong, flavored, or infused wrappers alongside delicate naturals, which can transfer aroma between sticks.
- Ignoring temperature and light—leaving cigars by an HVAC vent, in full sunlight, in a hot car console, etc.
How to Tell When It’s Time for a New Humidor
A humidor bag, tupperdor, hard-sized travel case, or small cooler are fine for cigar collectors who are just starting out.
Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Include:
- Running out of space.
- Wanting a dedicated spot for aging cigars.
- Committing long-term to the cigar lifestyle.
A cheap humidor isn’t good and a good humidor isn’t cheap. If you’re serious about cigars, invest in a quality humidor. The Boveda Humidor is the first and only wood humidor exclusively engineered to maximize Boveda 2-way humidity control. It’s maintenance-free cigar storage. Season it once, then get ongoing cigar protection automatically delivered to you every six months.
How to Build a Cigar Collection That Lasts
Cigar collectors who stick with it long term are rarely the ones who initially bought the most cigars or chased every new release.
True cigar enthusiasts get cigar storage right from day one. They protect their investment with Boveda products, which takes the guesswork out of humidity control with a set-it-and-forget-it system. Get the environment right, and your collection will reward you with better flavor for as long as you’re willing to let it age.
FAQs
How many cigars should a beginner collection have?
Most new collectors start with 15 to 25 cigars across a few blends and sizes, enough to learn your preferences without overwhelming a small humidor.
What humidity level is best for storing cigars?
Most premium cigars do best between 65 and 72 percent relative humidity, with 69 percent as a common target, and a temperature close to 70°F.
Do I need a humidor to start collecting cigars?
No. A Boveda Humidor Bag or tupperdor with 2-way humidity packs inside works well at first. As their collection grows, most cigar smokers upgrade to a quality wood humidor.
Why does a new humidor need to be seasoned?
New wood is dry. Seasoning a wood humidor with Boveda 84% RH packets provides moisture directly to the wood, creates a better seal, and prevents the wood from robbing moisture from your cigars. After seasoning, use Boveda 69% RH packets for ongoing cigar protection against cracked wrappers, dull flavors, spongy fillers, and mold growth.
Can cigars actually get better with age?
Yes, many cigars mellow and develop more complex flavor with time, provided humidity and temperature stay consistent. Even brief fluctuations can undo that progress.
Learn the Proper Way to Store Cigars from the Experts
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