Now there is a welcoming post!!! Thanks PuroBrat. I will heed your advise and move on, and TRY to smile to the absurd.PuroBrat said:Cohibin, there are a lot of really great guys here at CP, they will forgive your transgressions as they forgive those who transgress against you. And there has, obviously, been a lot of transgressing in this thread, on both sides.
The fact is that most guys on this, as well as most forums, will continue to believe you are smoking fakes. That is a fact, based on the way you obtained them. I don't know you from Adam, but I personally see how your account can be true, while I am reserved as to total belief. I refuse to say you are wrong, as I feel that your account is very plausible
However, you will need to get a little thicker skin. That is what I give you as a fellow BOTL. When someone says you have fakes, you can thank them for their information, smile in the knowledge that you possess and they don't and enjoy your cigars...OR...you can fight with them and never have any peace and be followed from BB to BB and attacked every time you make a post. Fact is, the decision is yours. I personally would smile and enjoy my smokes.
I would like to see you take my advice, hang around with us, and enjoy the friendship that truly exists in this house. And in case I forgot to say it before, Welcome to CP!
You're a good guy Puro, having the balls to stand out to the mainstream says a lot about one's character. Bow to you
At this point, as far as I'm concern, let them think they're fakes, good for all, specially for me, wouldn't want to get caught with some "legit" puros on me now would I!? To my story, there is probably nothing I could do to proove it, and I'd be a pathetic looser if I were lying to myself, the rest is history and personal believe.
I appreciate you givng me at least the benefit of the doubt.
If something I would like to bring to this forum (whether is heeded or not), is the fact that real puros can be obtained at places outside the stores. In Cuba the people are in dire needs, so tabaqueros are willing to take out whatever to make ends meet. They are not the highest paid individuals, many of them are very poor. This is very different to say "buy anything from someone you don't know on the street". As a foreigner, I'll be the first to tell you, you'll get burnt. You must first be able to trace the line from the person offering you the hook up, to the guy getting the cigars out of the factory (the least people involved the better), and you will be surprised how much stuff you can get for unimaginable little $. Remember, cubans are paid by the peso. Average sallary is $100-$400 pesos a month, which is equivalent to $4-$16 USD/ mth. Some now are being paid a part in US $ but at the most it would amount to $25 USD a month.
For most cubans it's ez to get legit cigars, but it's a matter of trust. Me for example, I only go to connections proven from my immediate family members. Never go as a tourist directly to the guy, always have your proven cuban friend ask for them as if they were for his own consumption or gift. You may not always get the right box (or even a box), the right bands etc since those things are more controlled and chances are the guy at the factory won't take the risk or will never have access to those elements as he does to the vitolas pre-baned in masos. Always take a digital scale with you. Get the official weight of each cigar and weight each vitola in the maso, that's usually a good way to tell quality from crap. Also know, the official government relies heavily on tourists $$ to survive, and they will always have you believe, if you don't buy it in an outhorize dealer, it's a fake or low quality, until they scare you out of your wits for even contemplating buying from somewhere else.
The new meassures at cuban aduanas, is not to prevent the "export" of fakes. They couldn't care less if it wasn't affecting their pockets. They know most of these cigars are stolen. It's a way to force you to buy in their stores.
Hope that helps someone save some $ one day.
