I am thinking about buying a humidor soon, so I will be needing to fill it up :laugh:. Could you guys recommend some good samplers? Is that the best way to do it? or would buying them individually be better?
As stated earlier, the Newbie Sampler Trade is a good start.
Also, consult with some of the retailers here. Ask them the same questions you are asking us. They will take care of you.
Finally, check out famous smoke shop and cigar international. They always have great deals on samplers. Unfortunately, you do need to know what you're getting before you pay because some tend to be better deals than others. Look up the samplers and read the reviews. For example, a lot of the samplers like to include smokes like the Graycliff 1666, which "retails" for $14, but is really more of a $4-6 smoke. Also, one of the drawbacks to ordering from online stores is that you get a very limited selection. A lot of the higher quality smokes have strict "no online sales" policies. So while ordering online can be good to get a sampling of whats out there, you typically won't find limited releases or really high quality stuff.
To start, I recommend sampling these brands to get feel for what you like. They offer lots of blends and vitolas. I've found that most of the smokes they make are generally good to great quality, they are easy to find and a good start for beginners. Once you settle on wrappers, blends, and vitolas that suite your palate, you can start branching out:
CAO
Arturo Fuente
Padron
Rocky Patel
Oliva
Don Pepin Garcia
Tatuaje (less "easy to find", but almost all Pete Johnson smokes are great, or so I've heard/read)
And again, find a good, local shop to HERF at. I can't stress this enough. Tobacco shops will give you the best experience and advice. They will be more expensive than online sales, but it's worth it. By the way, on a side note, don't walk in with a ton of smokes you bought online, spark one up and then expect a warm reception.