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If you had to start all over again, what would you do?

Deadman

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Back when I had all the sticks I could want, I learned a lot thru trial and error. I quickly learned that not all humidors are well made, and that the fancier the humi, the more likely it is to have issues (IE, a glass topped, skeleton keyed desk humi). In the end, I kinda sorta cobbled together a wine-a-dor that worked fairly well, but it wasnt perfect.


Now that Im starting over, I want to *try* to setup something that will essentially be all I need for a while. I dont have a spare room/closet to turn into a walk-in, and apparently renting out the other half of the duplex to turn it into my own smoking lounge is out of the question. I see things on Craigslist, everything from 6ft tall 300ct wine coolers to second hand desktop boxes and everything in between

What would you do, if you had to start over? Doesnt have to be top of the line or new, but what would you look for (Peltier unit is a given if going that route) to store your sticks?
 
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How many sticks are you trying to store, what issues will you have with the room they are stored in? What's your budget? I have an old refrigerator with well sealed Tupperdoors and a Kegerator thermostat control. Gets hot and wet in SE Louisiana. Small dorm room refrigerators are cheap, kegerator about 40 bucks. Can't get any non-fancier then that.

Oh, and I wouldn't have waited so long to lose that extra weight!
 

StogieNinja

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Depends on whether you need temp control. If so, I would start with a regular-sized wine cooler and go with smaller compartmentalized tupperdores inside, buying new ones as I filled them. If not, I would start with a 28qt cooler, then move to a larger cooler once that was full.

The former method allows for separation of temp control and rh balance, which I personally think is the best way to do it. and both methods are cheap, and both allow for smaller space to be filled before going larger, but at minimal cost.
 

Deadman

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OK THIS is why I love this place!

I'm looking at (potential) wife #3 right now, and am working on the weight thing so I understand all that!!!

I was thinking along the lines of a wine cooler thing, figure Im not really a baller box buyer but I do pick up handfuls when the moneys right. I dont plan to ever use a desktop humi again, and currently all my sticks reside in a 10ct herf. Thank dog for Bovedas.

What Im hoping to do is learn from others mistakes in a way. I've been reading the posts here about the subject and Im looking for something aesthetically pleasing thatll last a while. And because I used to buy everything, figure out what works and toss the rest I wasted a lot of good cigar money, so Im also hoping to circumvent that if possible.

Tuppidor would be the cheapest route, with a cooler being next and wino being more or less the end of the line until I got that nice spare room to work with.
 

Deadman

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Sadly I've had to. The reason I lost all my smokes prior to this was a house flood, after which the building was condemned and demolished. I was able to move a few things out before the flooding, but was basically homeless for a good while after. I couldnt imagine a fire.
 

Deadman

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I would have skipped the wineador (not enough space) and also skipped the cabinet humidor (no temperature control) and gone with an Aristocrat or a Prestige Group cabinet humidor that is temp controlled.
I dont think Ill ever be that baller! Granted, when I buy a house Im going to have a plan for something like that, but I dont think Ill ever have more than 10 boxes at a time.
 
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I am continuously running out of room in my tupperdor, so before I buy a larger one can you tell my why a cooler is better?
I agree with the cooler.

Why better than tupperdor? while it might not seal 99.2% like Tupperware, it is a very nice fit - it has to be. 1) You can go bigger than Tupperware. In fact, you can get just about any size you want. Go big, trust me on this. 2) A cooler also does help keep a more stable environment when temperature fluctuates in the house, and is even more stable when the temperature remains fairly constant. 3) You can go as expensive as you'd like, and they are still probably WAY cheaper than a humidor.

That is my $0.02.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
 

Deadman

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I agree with the cooler.

Why better than tupperdor? while it might not seal 99.2% like Tupperware, it is a very nice fit - it has to be. 1) You can go bigger than Tupperware. In fact, you can get just about any size you want. Go big, trust me on this. 2) A cooler also does help keep a more stable environment when temperature fluctuates in the house, and is even more stable when the temperature remains fairly constant. 3) You can go as expensive as you'd like, and they are still probably WAY cheaper than a humidor.

That is my $0.02.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
Question is: if I were to have a $100 bill in my hand looking at a new cooler or used a wine cooler, which would be better? As far as I can tell, the wine cooler would, altho the interior space may not be as great but you have lighting, glass front, and probably the better seal of the 2, plus cooling if needed
 
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Question is: if I were to have a $100 bill in my hand looking at a new cooler or used a wine cooler, which would be better? As far as I can tell, the wine cooler would, altho the interior space may not be as great but you have lighting, glass front, and probably the better seal of the 2, plus cooling if needed
I don't think I've seen you answer the question a few have asked or hinted at. If temp is a problem for you, yes wineador is probably better. If it's not, get a cooler.
 

redneck_toy

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Since you live in the humid south, where 100 degree plus days are common, I'd recommend the wineador route for piece of mind. If you have a basement, I'd go for the cooler-dor every time.
 

Deadman

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Im not sure if it will be. I live in the glorious South, and things do tend to stay a bit warm, which is my concern. especially with the stupid AC setup here in this place...
 

Deadman

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Since you live in the humid south, where 100 degree plus days are common, I'd recommend the wineador route for piece of mind. If you have a basement, I'd go for the cooler-dor every time.

Thanks, and why the cooler if temps werent an issue? is it just about price?
 
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