Online Cuban Cigar Auction Sells 99 Percent of Lots

Source from:  Cigar Aficionado 02/10/2015

The first online cigar auction of 2015, held by C.Gars Ltd. in the United Kingdom, sold 99 percent of the available lots and showcased serious bidding interest in standard collectible vintage Cuban cigars brands such as Dunhill and Davidoff. The auction closed Feb. 1.

According to Mitchell Orchant, the managing director of C. Gars Ltd., some of the heaviest interest from bidders was directed at pre-embargo lots, and represented a positive shift from previous recent auctions. He also said that prices for Cohiba cigars were very strong across the board.

The lots receiving the highest bids were for pre-embargo Romeo y Julieta Coronations de Luxe in a cabinet of 100 cigars, which received a winning bid of £10,000 (about $15,178); a pre-embargo cabinet of 100 Punch Double Coronas closed out for £9,000 ($13,534); a 1985 Cubatabaco humidor commanded a final price of £7,610 ($11,444); a pre-embargo cabinet of 50 corona-sized Ramon Allones Trumps brought in £7,610 ($11,444), and a pre-embargo cabinet of 50 H. Upmann Cabinet de S.W.F. Coronas was bought for £5,000 ($7,519).

The highest priced Davidoff lot was a box of 25 Dom Perignons (which are Churchill-sized cigars) dated from 1987. It drew a final bid of £4,960 (about $7,460). Another box of 25 Dom Perignons from the 1980s also produced a winning bid of £4,500 ($6,767 ).

Two Cohiba lots also brought in very high prices. A box of Cohiba Sublimes Extra, Colección Habanos 2008 was purchased for £4,517 (about $6,793). And the gavel slammed at £4,010 ($6,000) for a specially banded diplomatic cabinet of Cohiba Coronas Especiales from 1989. Enditem