How to get Organized?

[Solarius99]

Lurking around here for awhile now, I see everyone's posts on their collections and their humi setups and have to say I'm a touch green with envy. But that's all good... gives me something to strive for.

Now that Winter (okay Fall, but hell I was a Cali boy before moving out here and anything below 75 is Winter to me) is coming on, I think this might be a great time to finally get my arse in gear and organize my humi. I've been smoking since 2001... but didn't really get into the whole collection thing until 2005. My boxes are well organized, dated, and sitting in my basement in a cooler with heartfelt beads. Sadly, my singles humi in my office is not so organized. I am about tapped out for space (definately on the box end) and wonder what the best way is of organizing my singles and figuring out what sticks are good to keep, and which I should relegate to the dog rocket pile?

Hell, I don't even know what some of the sticks are or how long I've had them for.

Any ideas on how to tame the mess? For an idea of the mess I'll see if I can attach a pic from my phone in a minute. Ignore the boxes... that is overflow... I need a bigger cooler or maybe in the Spring, spring for an Avallo.

 

[Craig Mac]

Smoke more!!

But seriously, if you are going to a bigger humi in the spring I wouldn't worry too much about it now. At one point I moved all the stuff I wasn't going to smoke and random stuff to a big tupperware container with a boveda pack. I started using them for buddies who didn't smoke much, troop bombs and yard work cigars and eventually got through them. Gave me more room in my desktop, plus it was only full of cigars I wanted to smoke.

 

[CigarGavin]

Smoke more!!

But seriously, if you are going to a bigger humi in the spring I wouldn't worry too much about it now. At one point I moved all the stuff I wasn't going to smoke and random stuff to a big tupperware container with a boveda pack. I started using them for buddies who didn't smoke much, troop bombs and yard work cigars and eventually got through them. Gave me more room in my desktop, plus it was only full of cigars I wanted to smoke.

Recently did this for about 100 of my cigars that I considered "filler"; separate humidor that I reach into for friends and yard work. I first thought it would take forever to empty, but its moving along. Opened up a lot of room in my 300 count and my wine cooler for stuff that I wanted to keep long-term.

 

[Solarius99]

What is going to be the best way to figure out which are yard dogs and which are the truly good smokes? Aside from stuff I've bought over the last few years (which I know what is good for the most part) some I don't even know what they are. I might just have to sort through and post a big pic of "WTF is this?"

And yeah Craig, I don't smoke alot. I buy probably 3-4 times more than I smoke on average. Especially during the winter my smoking will be curtailed even more as I hate the cold and only make the hour drive up to my favorite shop every other weekend.

 

[CigarGavin]

What is going to be the best way to figure out which are yard dogs and which are the truly good smokes? Aside from stuff I've bought over the last few years (which I know what is good for the most part) some I don't even know what they are. I might just have to sort through and post a big pic of "WTF is this?"

And yeah Craig, I don't smoke alot. I buy probably 3-4 times more than I smoke on average. Especially during the winter my smoking will be curtailed even more as I hate the cold and only make the hour drive up to my favorite shop every other weekend.

Its all subjective; if you love it regardless of price then its a keeper. If you have a bundle of something that you never really enjoyed let someone else smoke it and see if they enjoy it. Otherwise you can always bomb the crap out of a fellow brother :jitb: or try to sell a sampler(s) on the marketplace.

 

[Fourtotheflush]

If your in Southern NH you should hit one of the federal cigar locations!

They are a great store w friendly people and quite a few BOTL frequent there and ate on this board.

 

[carholio]

I have a wineador with 4 drawers and one shelf. What i did to keep "organized" is create an Excel spread sheet so i know what and how many singles are in each drawer (yeah, I'm a little OCD :waving. For the ones that you don't know what they are, i'd try putting them in a tupador with a Boveda and pick at them from time to time to figure out what is "good" and what isn't. I'd only keep the known "good" cigars in your singles humidor. I'd still keep a list of what is in there though.

 

[Treinenwj]

Only you can determine what's good and what isn't. Light 'em up and find out! If you really want to know what they are before lighting, then posting a pic here is a good idea. Lots of smart guys and google ninjas here.

 

[DarrelMorris]

Not a lot to add here as everyone has given you good advice. I'd definitely try some of the sticks that you aren't sure of. It's the only way you're going to know if you like them or not. Save the ones that don't quite do it for you and give them to friends who aren't regular cigar smokers. I usually take a couple of my "questionable" cigars as extras when I go to parties. That way I have some to share. Even though they aren't my best smokes, the other guests at the party really appreciate them.

 

[javajunkie]

Only you can determine what's good and what isn't. Light 'em up and find out! If you really want to know what they are before lighting, then posting a pic here is a good idea. Lots of smart guys and google ninjas here.

right here! don't relegate anything to the yard gar pile unless you know it doesn't work for you. myself, i really want to eventually smoke one of everything (god help me!), and usually buy one or two to start. be patient and slowly work through them. try to go out of your way; instead of the one you know, choose one you cannot remember trying. keep a journal or log, or just save bands on a push board. by the time the thaw rolls around, you should have a little more room, and a firmer grasp on your collection and what it consists of.

oh, and stop buying shit! easier said than done here, but it's true. if you buy more than you smoke, you either need to get more storage or look at what you have and what to keep.

and, when in doubt, bomb the troops! they've earned it, and need that hour of comfort and relaxation more than we can easily realize.

 

[ciggy]

Java...hit it on the head!

 

[Reelman]

Smoke more!!

But seriously, if you are going to a bigger humi in the spring I wouldn't worry too much about it now. At one point I moved all the stuff I wasn't going to smoke and random stuff to a big tupperware container with a boveda pack. I started using them for buddies who didn't smoke much, troop bombs and yard work cigars and eventually got through them. Gave me more room in my desktop, plus it was only full of cigars I wanted to smoke.

What he said......

 

[Reelman]

Sadly, my singles humi in my office is not so organized. I am about tapped out for space (definately on the box end) and wonder what the best way is of organizing my singles and figuring out what sticks are good to keep, and which I should relegate to the dog rocket pile?
Ignore the boxes... that is overflow... View attachment 26086

I came up with a better, more helpful idea. Because I am a nurturer and co-dependent pleaser, intent on helping others, I would suggest that you send me all of your loose cigars. You focus on the boxes. I will categorize the singles and send any back that are dog rockets. One does what one can to help..... :chat:

 

[danthebugman]

As for organization I know some guys use excel sheets and what not. That doesn't seem like fun to me. I do try to group my cigars by brands and what not in the humidors. I also try to put stuff I smoke frequently on top with stuff that I don't (or am wanting to save) towards to the bottom so it's easier to get to what I'm after. Also blank band are handy in helping you remember when and where you got something.

Dan

 

[Solarius99]

All great advice everyone... yeah the spreadsheet thing might be the way to go. I work with them all day keeping track of data for work, might as well do it for home. And of course, half of it I won't recognize it's so old. Hopefully I'll find some surprisingly good sticks for something I've never heard of.

The white labels bit... I've tried that before, but the labels were junk and didn't stay stuck for more than a couple of months. Are there any recommended suppliers out there that make good long lasting bands?

And as for the Fed... I've been going to the Dover Top Shelf since the day it opened. I still go there now, though it's an hour away after moving a couple years ago. Plenty of good friends and good times there, even if some of them need a shave (Rasch).

Oh... the Troops idea. I've though about doing that... but I thought you couldn't send anything to the troops anymore unless it was specifically addressed to a named person?

Thank you all... kinda set my mind right as well... thinking that just because I don't remember them doesn't mean they are crap cigars. I had to like them at some point if I bought em no?

 

[Cigary43]

As long as I've been smoking cigars it comes down to inventory control....knowing what you like and then being able to look at your stock in a few seconds to decide what you have and what you want. Being in a production and warehouse environment led me to do what I did in my career with my cigars....I have my HTF all the way down to my yard gars and I keep my stock in different humidors by size and name. There are days that you only have an hour to devote to smoking so I don't want to rummage through my stock to find something so I keep cigars by brand and size.

You can be as OCD as you want or you can be lazy as you want...I tend to label each cigar when I get it and put it in the appropriate humidor as I have about 26 humidors and 26 favorite brands...so that makes it easy to find what I want...each cigar has a home humidor and I just go to the humidor of what it is I want and reach in to get the size I want. I hate mixing up cigars esp. when you are looking for one that you know you want.

 

[fourkicksfan]

Wow Cigary! That's getting organized, how long did it take you to get to twenty five? Do you prefer that over a large stand alone cabinet? Finally, my last newb question, with that many desktops what do you find is the most effective humidification process?

 

[javajunkie]

actually, i'm wondering, with that many humis, where he has space to set his drink! o) love the "place for everything" approach, thogh.

 

[Solarius99]

Where do you put that many humis? Warehouse and Inventory control... I bet he has some of that heavy duty steel warehousing shelving and an automated inventory control system to go and get what he wants.... damn, too bad I'm not a handy geek, I'd make myself something like that.

 

[Knickerbocker]

I am a bit OCD, so my singles draw is very well organized. It consists of 50 trinni reyes, 18 VR Clasicos, 27 Bolivar RC's, 50 Boli PC's, and 22 siglo II's. Yes, it is bad that I know that but I keep meticulous records weekly via excel spread sheet.

My drawer has adjustable slots so that each cigar fits into the drawer perfectly, there is no excess space.

I leave one spot in the drawer "empty" for purchasing random 5er's or bombs etc.

Also use cigar labels for the year and the name of the vitola. I don't label every cigar, unless it is different from the majority of the group. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.