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....how many "5ers", out of their box, are from '98 ?  :)

[quote author=Hutch link=topic=14314.msg72327#msg72327 date=1339339733]
....how many "5ers", out of their box, are from '98 ?  :)
[/quote]

As 1998 was the start of large production leading into the bad years of 1999-2001 this is really not that big of a surprise. Currently I have over 20 boxes with 1998 box codes and I have occasionally sold a fiver out of them and I am sure others have as well.

1998 is kind of what I call the poor mans vintage cigar.

[quote author=TheLostGringo link=topic=14314.msg72364#msg72364 date=1339433989]
As 1998 was the start of large production leading into the bad years of 1999-2001 this is really not that big of a surprise. Currently I have over 20 boxes with 1998 box codes and I have occasionally sold a fiver out of them and I am sure others have as well.

1998 is kind of what I call the poor mans vintage cigar.
[/quote]

Exactly!!! Lots of '98s around.  People bought boxes of stuff back then and can now get 2-300% of what they paid by selling them.  Smart people.  "98s are good cigars as a whole and the buyer gets "vintage" cigars at reasonable prices.  everybody wins.  You don't trust someone that they are '98s?  easy enough to prove by a photo of the box.

I had heard there was a period where HSA took 99 boxes and restamped them as 98. Unsure if there's any truth to it.  :bla:

Not quite sure how that could happen unless the boxes had not been stamped yet.  Easy enough to put a stamp on a new box.  Taking a box with a '99 stamp and restamping to make it look like '98-not so easy.  And remember, this was 1999 when the boom was at a high and Cuba was exporting 200,000,000 cigars.

Just like the endless supply of '98 Trini Fund's.

What is funny is people still trying to charge like double the price on the '98 boxes, especially if you look hard enough you can find them for half the price being asked here.

It amazes me why people buy this stuff.

If I was sure of the provenance, and in the market for a particular cigar, I would have no problem paying someone double for a babysitting a box of cigars for 14 years :bait:.

I don't go quite double, but I've paid a significant premium for aged cigars...given the provenance you mention, and complete boxes. Unboxed 5ers with a claimed age...never.

[quote author=mcgoospot link=topic=14314.msg72443#msg72443 date=1339612989]
Not quite sure how that could happen unless the boxes had not been stamped yet.  Easy enough to put a stamp on a new box.  Taking a box with a '99 stamp and restamping to make it look like '98-not so easy.  And remember, this was 1999 when the boom was at a high and Cuba was exporting 200,000,000 cigars.
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Here's some reading. [url=http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/7322]http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/7322[/url]

Hmmm, 200 million keeps going down: [url=http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/feb01/22e5.htm]http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/feb01/22e5.htm[/url]

But hey, it's the press....who ya gonna believe.

Provenance is key.