DESCRIPTION : Here for auction is a BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION of SIX OLD ALBUMS which contain round 300 OLD-VINTAGE colorful embossed DIFFERENT  INTERNATIONAL CIGAR BANDS . The albums are from the 1950's and 1960's and I believe that most of the bands are dated 1950's-1960's at the latest. The CIGARD BANDS were collected by an Israeli collector and were purchased from his inheritants.  I don't deal with CIGAR BANDS , I never sorted this collection and I'm selling it AS IS. All the bands are scanned and if the collection includes some RARE and VALUABLE PIECES - They are still there, They were never pulled out and you have the chance to have them with the whole collection. I'm offering this collection for a reasonable opening price of only slightly more than $1 apiece. Condition of thge CIGAR BANDS is GOOD to EXCELLENT. ( Pls look at scan for accurate AS IS images )   . The collection will be sent in a special protective rigid sealed packaging.

AUTHENTICITY : This is an ORIGINAL vintage  ANTIQUE CIGAR BANDS COLLECTION  , It holds life long GUARANTEE for its AUTHENTICITY and ORIGINALITY.
 
PAYMENTS : Payment method accepted : Paypal .

SHIPPMENT : Shipp worldwide via registered airmail is $ 19 . The collection will be sent in a special protective rigid sealed packaging. Handling within 3-5 days after payment. Estimated duration 14 days.

MORE DETAILS :  A cigar band is a loop made of paper or foil fitted around the body of a cigar to denote its brand or variety. Although origins of the device are the subject of several legends, modern historians credit a European immigrant to Cuba named Gustave Bock with invention of the cigar band in the 1830s. Within two decades, banding of cigars exported fromHavana became almost universal. Their use remains very much a part of modern cigar production, with a recent trend towards larger and more elaborate designs in evidence. Cigar bands are considered a collectible by some people today, with collectors organized into a group called the International Label, Seal and Cigar Band Society. Contents  [hide]  1 History 1.1 Origins 1.2 Heyday of cigars 1.3 Band production 2 Collectibility 3 Removal 4 Footnotes 5 External links 6 See also History[edit] Origins[edit] The origin of the use of cigar bands is steeped in myth. One legend has it that Russian Tsaritsa Catherine the Great took cigars wrapped in silk so as not to stain her fingers, with members of her court beginning to wrap cigars in fabric bands in emulation of the queen.[1] Similarly, tales have been told of paper bands used on cigars exported to England to prevent the staining of gentlemen's white gloves.[1] These fanciful theories aside, cigar historians credit Dutch-born cigarmaker Gustave Bock with the invention of the cigar band in the 1830s, when he ordered paper rings with his signature on them placed on every cigar intended for export to Europe.[1] In this way, an indication of quality and prestige would be lent to Bock's products, he believed. By the middle of the 1850s, virtually all Cuban cigarmakers were banding their exported cigars, registering their marks with the government and urging consumers to insist on banded products.[1] Heyday of cigars[edit] At the turn of the 20th Century an estimated four out of five American men smoked cigars, with production handled in literally hundreds of factories.[1] Product differentiation became very important in the fiercely competitive marketplace as makers struggled to win and keep market share. With the cost of production of cigar bands approximately 70 cents per thousand, the use of colorful maker's marks became an important tool for building brand identities.[1] Historians estimate that approximately 2 billion cigar bands were sold in the United States in the year 1900 alone.[1] Band production[edit] With advances in printing technology, cigar bands became brighter and more pictorial as the 19th Century drew to a close. The bands and box art printed from 1890 to 1920 are today considered to be a product of the "Golden Age" of cigar-related artwork.[2] Cigar bands in the early 20th Century were precut by the printer and generally were shipped in bundles of 100.[1] Bands were applied by hand as one of the final stages of the production process, with the cigarmaker generally backing the band with a dab of plant-based glue to hold it in place on the finished cigar.[1] Bands produced in Europe were typically carefully designed to match packaging motiffs while in the United States many bands bore to the boxes or inner paper in which they were packaged.[1] Cigar bands were also used as a primitive form of trading stamps by some cigarmakers of the early 20th Century, with at least one company producing an illustrated catalog replete with premiums which could be received in exchange for dozens, hundreds, or thousands of its bands.[1] From the 1920s through much of the 20th century cigar bands tended to become more utilitarian, owing to the spread of low cost four-color printing[2] and the growth of cigarettes, which dramatically reduced the number of cigar manufacturers and their need for brand differentiation. Collectibility[edit] Recent years have seen a trend towards larger and more elaborate cigar band art. Cigar bands were sometimes collected by children during the so-called "Golden Age" of cigar art due to their varied and colorful nature and their ready availability.[2] The bright bands were sometimes collected and combined into collage art by scrapbookers — surviving specimens of which are eagerly sought today by collectors of folk art.[2] Vintage and modern cigar bands are collected today, with collectors joined into an organization called the International Label, Seal and Cigar Band Society. The largest collection of bands was accumulated by American collector Joe Hruby, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for a collection of over 165,000 distinct varieties of bands — although that number had ballooned to over 221,000 varieties by 1999.[3] Cigra band collecting is called vitolphilia. Removal[edit] The matter of whether to leave a cigar band on while the cigar is being smoked is a matter of some debate. In Great Britain bands have been traditionally removed, the retention of the brand names being commonly considered a form of impolite boasting by one smoker amongst his fellows.[4] Elsewhere, whether or not one retains the band while the cigar is being smoked is deemed a matter of personal preference.[4] Removal of the band is sometimes difficult when a cigar is freshly lit, although in short order the heat of the smoke generally loosens any adhesive glue impeding the band's removal.[4] This is an alphabetical list of cigar brands. Included is information about the company owning the brand name as well as a column allowing easy viewing of the source of that information. If a brand name begins with the English word "The" or its Spanish equivalents, El, La, Los, and Las, that first word is disregarded. Brands denoted by dual personal names or by personal names preceded by the title, Don, are alphabetized by the first name of the series — thus "Don Pepín Garcia" appears under the letter D, notG. Brand names beginning with De or Del are listed under D. Feel free to make additions to this list, but please try to keep new listings in alphabetical order. If you are not comfortable making changes to the table, note your additions to be made on the Talk page. Brand Name Manufacturer Notes Source 0.4O 1502 Cigars 1608 Global Premium Cigars Nicaraguan Tobacco 1881 1886 Graycliff 420's 5 Vegas Cigars International 1990s brand now wholly owned; various manufacturers [1] 57 601 Don Pepin Garcia for United Tobacco 777 J. Fuego Cigar Co.| Tabacos S.A. Honduras|Nicaragua A. C. C. Special Edition Achievement Cigar Company Inc Ecuadoran Vintage and Cuban Vintage Tobacco A. Fernandez A. J. Fernandez Cigars Nicaragua A. Turrent Altadis AVO Davidoff Dominican Republic ACID Cigars Drew Estate & Rocky Patel Dominican Republic Adan y Eva Adrian's After Dinner Aging Room Boutique Blends Cigars Dominican Republic Agio Royal Agio Cigars Alamo Alcántara Alcántara Cigars Dominican Republic Alhambra Alec Bradley Alec Bradley Contracts with various factories for manufacture. [2] Aliados Alonso Menendez Menendez y Amerino Cia. Ltd. Brazilian Puro Absinthe Infused Alpha Cigar Company Dominican Republic Amador Ambrosia Drew Estate Nicaragua Angelina Ankara Antonius intercigar s.a. Dominican Republic Antonio Gimenez Avanti (cigar brand) Avanti Cigar Co. anise-flavored Aray & Sons Aristoff El Aroma La Aroma de Cuba My Father Cigars for Ashton Nicaragua Aromas de San Andrés Puros Santa Clara Mexico Aroma Reál Arsen Corporacion Cigar Export Dominican Republic El Arte Cigar Company Arte Cubano Arturo Fuente Arturo Fuente Dominican Republic Ashton Cigars Arturo Fuente for Ashton All the Ashton branded cigars are made by Fuente in the Dominican Republic Ász Augusta Augusto Reyes Corporation Cigar Export Dominican Republic La Aurora La Aurora Dominican Republic BH Puros Baccarat Davidoff Imperial Tobacco Dominican Republic Backwoods Bahia Bahiba Graycliff Bahias de Costa Rica Bahman Balmoral Royal Agio Cigars Dominican Republic Barracuda Bauza Belinda Bellman Siesta Benedit Bermudez Black & Mild Black Patch Reserve Black Patch Cigar Co Dominican Republic Black Patch Select Black Patch Cigar Co Dominican Republic Bodega Premium Blends Distributed by House of Emilio Bodega Premium Blends Website Bolívar 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. General Cigar Co. Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands ---- General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Bossner Brasil Autênticos Bravo Brazil Brun del Ré Brun del Ré Cigars Tobacco Company of Costa Rica Costa Rica Bucanero Bucareli Virreyes de México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Bucareli Room Virreyes de México Tabacos Victoria & Cía BUNCH CIGARS Handmade at Plasencia Cigars, in Nicaragua  CAO General Cigar Co. General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Nicaragua C.E. Beck y Cia Cabaiguan Tatuaje Cabañas Las Cabrillas Cain Oliva Cigar Co. Café Crème Henri Wintermans Cigars (acquired by Scandinavian Tobacco Group in 1996) Calypso Camacho Oettinger Davidoff Group Honduras Camaguey Campo Verde Panameros Caonabo Capa Flor Puros Santa Clara Mexico Capote Captaris Argentina Caravelas La Caridad del Cobre La Caridad del Cobre Carlos Toraño General Cigar Company Dominican Republic Carlscorona La Carolina Casa de Alegria Casa de Alegria Nicaraguan Tobacco Casa Blanca Casa de Nicaragua Casa de Torres Casa Magna Made by Plasencia Nicaragua La Casona La Cava del Puro Cesars Chaman Charatan Charles Parker Exclusive to Matamoras Cigars Chateau Real Drew Estate Che El Che Chicos Puros Santa Clara Mexico Chieftain's Chinchalero Chubbys Churchill Nicaragua Cifuentes Cigars NB Emilio Reyes Cigalia Cohiba 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. General Cigar Company Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban versions ---- General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Cojimar Colinas Colón Panameros Comandante Virreyes de México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Condal Conuco La Corona El Credito - Altadis General Cigar Criollitos Crispin Patiño Crown Fumas Croix Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Cruzero de Panamá Panameros Cruz Real Cuaba Cuesta-Rey J.C. Newman Cuban Crafters Cuban Stock Cuban Stock Cigar Co. form. "Crown David International" Dominican Republic Cucaracha Cumbres de Puriscal La Cumanesa Cumbalette J. (Jacob) Koppel New York, NY via Cuba and Red Lion,PA. See also below "Flor de Cumbal". Cumpay Cupido D8 DaMatta Dannemann Davidoff Davidoff Imperial Tobacco Dawa De Graaff's-Gravenhage De Hertogh De Nobili Avanti Cigar Co. Tuscan-style cigar De Olifant Del Paraiso Tabacalera R. Paxtian Mexico - Mexico Tobacco Blend / Filler: Mexico, Binder: Mexico, Wrapper: Negro de San Andres/Sumatra/Habano Del Paraiso Fusion Tabacalera R. Paxtian Mexico & Nicaragua Tobacco Blend / Filler: Mexico-Nicaragua, Binder: Mexico, Wrapper: Negro de San Andres/Habano/Sumatra Delectados Delicioso Devil's Weed Diamond Crown J.C. Newman Dominican Republic Diesel A. J. Fernandez Cigars Exclusive to Cigars International Dignity Diplomáticos Domenico Dominique Don Alfredo Don Alfredo Denominativo Exclusive to Matamoras Cigars Don Antonio Don Benigno Don Bienve Don Cándido Dunhill Don Cervantes Achievement Cigar Company Inc Ecuadoran Vintage and Cuban Vintage Tobacco Don Chango Don Chicho Don Collins Puerto Rico Tobacco Corporation Don Diego Altadis Dominican Republic Don Esteban Don Fernando Don Horacio del Monte Don Jose Don Juan Urquijo Don Kiki Don Leon Don Lino Don Luis "Secretos del Maestro" Don Mateo Don Pedro Cigars Don Pepe Don Pepin Garcia Don Porfírio Don Ramos Don Ramos Honduras Don Rigo Don Sebastian Don Tomas [2] Don Tuto Don Ursulo Doña Erô Doña Flor Menendez y Amerino Cia. Ltd. Brazilian Puro Dunhill Dutch Masters Altadis DUX Edicion Especial Ejecutivos Puros Santa Clara Mexico Elisabeth Bas Emilio Emilio Reyes Encanto La Escepción Honduras Eureka Excalibur Exhibit Exquisito La Familia de la Casa de Hidalgo Farel Cigar Macedonia Farias Farvardin Femöring El Fenicio Fenix Fighting Cock Fittipaldi Flor De Las Antillas Don Pepin Garcia La Flor de Caney Flor de Cano Flor de Copan La Flor de Cuba Flor de Cumbal J. (Jacob) Koppel New York, NY; from Cuba via Tampa Fla. See also above "Cumbalette" La Flor de Gonzalaz (Hialeah,FL) Flor de Filipinas Flor de Jalapa Flor de Jardin La Flor de la Isabela Flor de Maria Mancini Flor del Punto Dunhill La Flor de Rizal Flor de Selva La Flor Dominicana La Flor Dominicana Dominican Republic Flor Real Florette Fonseca 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. MATASA Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands Fratello Fratello Cigars Rolled in Estelli, Nicaragua at Joya de Nicaragua Fratello Bianco Fratello Cigars Rolled in Estelli, Nicaragua at Joya de Nicaragua Fuente Tabacalera Fuente Dominican Republic Las Fumas De Puerto Rico Fundacion Ancestral Galactico Galiano Tabacalera Galiano Galopp Game Swedish Match Garcia Y Vega Swedish Match Garo Habano Göta Lejon Gispert 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. Altadis Former Cuban cigar now made in Honduras La Gloria Cubana 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. General Cigar Company Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands ----- General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Glorias de España Goviado Guillen cigars Goya Gran Habano GR Tabacaleras Unidas [3] Graycliff The Griffins Davidoff Imperial Tobacco Dominicna Republic Guane de Oro Guantanamera Gurkha Different supliers in Dominican Republic and Nicaragua H. Upmann 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. Altadis Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands (Non Cuban made in Dominican Republic) Habana La Habanera Hacienda Veracruz Puros Santa Clara Mexico Hajenius Hav-A-Tampa (discontinued in 2009) Havana Soul Habaneros Habaneros Cigars (Florida) Heat J. Fuego Cigar Co.| Tabacos S.A. Honduras|Nicaragua Helix General Cigar Co. General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Henri Wintermans Henry Clay Heren van Ruysdaal La Herencia de Cuba (Ybor City) Heritage Dominican Republic Hofnar Hoja Boricua Hoja de Mexicali Hoja de Oro Puros Santa Clara Mexico Homa 20 Homage 1492 Hoyo de Casa Puros Santa Clara Mexico Hoyo de Monterrey General Cigar Co. and Habanos S.A. General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Huifkar Hunor Independencía 1898 Indian Tabac Rocky Patel Inter A7mer Irene Iturbide Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & Cía. Isla de Sol Drew Estate Nicaragua Isleños J. Cortès J. Cortès Belgium J. Fuego J. Fuego Cigar Co.| Tabacos S.A. Honduras|Nicaragua J.L. Salazar y Hermanos JM's Dominicans Dominican Republic J.R. Tobacco Altadis Jamaica Small Cigars Jason Crouch select Drew Estate Java Drew Estate Java Royale José Bartolo Jose Carlos José L. Piedra Joya de Havana Joya de Nicaragua Joya de Nicaragua Nicaragua Joyas de Panama Joya de San Andrés Joya Real Juan Clemente Tabacalera Juan Clemente Dominican Republic Juan López Juan Lencero Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & cía. Julio Cesar Juno Justus van Maurik Kafie 1901 Cigars Kafie Trading Company, LLC Honduras Karel 1 Kenbano Black Patch Cigar Co Dominican Republic Origin King Edward the Seventh Krush Drew Estate Lars Tetens Latinos Leite & Alves Los Libertadores Liga Privada Drew Estate Nicaragua Lochem Cigars Lucas Santana Exclusive to Matamoras Cigars Luna Perfecta M. Vito Marco V Cigars & co. Dominican Republic MR Macanudo General Cigar Company General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Dominican Republic Maker's Mark Man O' War A. J. Fernandez Cigars for Cigars International Nicaragua Marca Fina Federación de Tabaqueros América Central Maria Divina Marco V Marco V Cigars & co. Dominican Republic María Guerrero Marmara Marqués de la Palma Marsh Wheeling National Cigar Corp. "stogies" Marty Oswald Cigars Matacan Maximus J.C. Newman Maxum Mehr Mehari's Royal Agio Cigars Miguel Grau Miranda Mito de San Andres MJ Frias Cigars Dominican Republic Molino del Rey Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Mombacho Nicaragua Monseñor Monte Canario Monte Pascoal Monteros Montesino Tabacalera Fuente Dominican Republic Montecristo 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. Altadis Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands, Non Cuban made in Dominican Republic Montecruz Morro Castle A. J. Fernandez Cigars Exclusive to Cigars International? Muriel My Father My Father Cigars Nicaragua Mythos Solitude Nabucco Nat Cicco Zander-Greg Dominican Republic | Nicaragua Natural Cigars Drew Estate Nat Sherman Nat Sherman Has used various makers over time Nelly NFUZE Marco V Cigars & co. Dominican Republic Nicaragua Habanos Nick Bada Bing Cigars Nick Bada Bing Cigars, Inc. Company Founded by Nicholas "Bada Bing" Karagiannis in Tarpon Springs, Florida. La Nobleza Manila Nomad Cigar Company Tabacalera L&V and A. J. Fernandez Cigars Cigars from both Tamboril, Dominican Republic and Esteli, Nicaragua Nomi Nub Oliva Cigar Co. Nicaragua Old Henry Oliva Oliveros Dominican Republic Olor Del Cibao Cigars Orange Label Ordibehesht Oro de Panama Origen J. Fuego Cigar Co.| Tabacos S.A. Honduras|Nicaragua Ortega Serie D Maduro Ortega Premium Cigars Inc. Ortega Serie D Naturals Ortega Premium Cigars Inc. Oshno Oud Kampen Padilla Padilla Padrón Nicaragua La Palina Made by PDR Dominican Republic for La Palina Dominican Republic Panter Royal Agio Cigars Parodi Avanti Cigar Co. Tuscan-style cigar Partagás 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. General Cigar Company Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World siteNon Cuban made in Dominican Republic Paul Garmirian La Paz Swedish Match Peerless Peñamil Perdomo Tabacalera Perdomo Petri Avanti Cigar Co. Tuscan-style cigar Phillies Pi Achievement Cigar Company Inc Ecuadoran Vintage and Cuban Vintage Tobacco Pichón Piano Plantation Reserve Plasencia Nestor Plasencia Nicaragua Playboy Altadis Por Larrañaga Altadis Pricewise Cigars Pride of Panama Privilegio's Select Line Tabacalera R. Paxtian Mexico - Nicaragua Blend / Filler: Mexico & Nicaragua, Binder: Nicaragua, Wrapper: Maduro Negro de San Andres/Sumatra/Habano Privilegio's Special Line Tabacalera R. Paxtian Mexico - Nicaragua Blend / Filler: Mexico & Nicaragua, Binder: Mexico, Wrapper: Maduro Negro de San Andres/Sumatra/Habano Primo del Rey PROPIO Achievement Cigar Company Inc Ecuadoran Vintage and Cuban Vintage Tobacco Puerto Rico 965 Punch 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. General Cigar Company Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands, Non Cuban made in Honduras. Punto De Oro Punto de Oro Cigars (TABACDEGUA S.A.) Guatemala Puros Reynoso Purisco Puros Indios Puros Julio Puros Richard Puros Sol Dorado Puyana Pythia Quai d'Orsay Quesada Matasa Dominican Republic Quevedo Quiteria Quintero Quorum Pensa for J.C. Newman Nicaragua Rafael González Ram Ramón Allones Cuba Ranch Hand Real Pedro La Regenta Reloba Reinado Cigars Nicaraguan Puros Republic Cigars Republic Cigar Company Founded in Tampa, Florida by Nicholas Tabus and Alec Burnett. Reserva Cristobal Reserva Ecologica Reserva Miraflor Guillen cigars La Restina Puerto Rico Tobacco Corp. Rewaechad El Rey de los Habanos El Rey del Mundo La Rica La Rica Hoja El Rico Habano General Cigar Company Rima Ritmeester Rivalos Rocky Patel Rocky Patel Romano Romeo y Julieta 1. Habanos S.A.; 2. Altadis Dueling Cuban and non-Cuban brands La Rosa Cubana Royal Barbados Royal Jamaican Altadis El Rubio Sabrositos Saint Luis Rey Altadis Solomne Salute to Arms Sam Houston Sam Lord San Bosco San Cristóbal de la Habana San Martín San Miguel A. J. Fernandez Cigars Exclusive to Cigars International? Nicaragua San Teodoro Grupo Tabacalero Lavin Cigar Company Mexico Lavin Cigar Company Website Sancho Panza General Cigar Co. General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Sandes Santa Clara 1830 Puros Santa Clara Mexico Santa Rosa São Salvador Savinelli Schimmelpenninck Senator Señor de Sipán El Septimo Sexy Sticks Sibelius Siboney Siete Magníficos Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Siglo Altadis l Sitio Smokin' Toad Sosa Tabacalera Fuente Dominican Republic Srintil Los Statos de Luxe Stormen Strandrove Sueños Oro Suerdieck Svea Carlscorona Cigars Swag Boutique Blends Cigars Dominican Republic Swisher Dominican Republic (Non premium cigar) Taino Tabaricos Tabacalera R. Paxtian Mexico Blend / Filler: Mexico, Binder: Mexico, Wrapper: Sumatra / 10 Different Flavors Talavera Tambor Tabacos Brito Tatiana Tatuaje Nicaragua Tabacos Baez Tabak Especial Drew Estate Tambo Te Amo Mexico Ted's Cigars Tenorio Thomas Hinds Tierra del Sol Tabacalera Perdomo Tir Tabacos Costa Tony Alvarez Topkapı Toppers Toraño Toraño Cigars purchased by General Cigar Co. General Cigar Co.'s Cigar World site Tortuga Reserva Victor Vitale Tortuga Island Petri Toscanelli Avanti Cigar Co. Tuscan-style cigar Toscanello Manifatture Sigaro Toscano Ammezzato Toscano, half the size of a typical Italian cigar Toscano Manifatture Sigaro Toscano Original Italian cigars Travis Club Tres Hermanos Trinidad Altadis and Habanos S.A. Troya Uiltje La Unica J.C. Newman Vallejuelo Intercigar s.a. Dominican Republic Valdez Puros Santa Clara Mexico Van der Donk Vargas Vato Cigars Paul Vato & Sarah Vato of Vato Cigars. Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel. Las Vegas, Nevada. Fremont Street Experience Ultra Boutique Premium Cigars. Hand Rolled with Precision! Tobacco from Honduras, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and United States (Connecticut Shade). Vegafina Altadis Dominican Republic Vegas Cubanas Vegas de Santiago Vegas de Tabacalera Esteli Vegas Robaina Vegueros Habanos S.A. Cuba Veracruz Puros Santa Clara Mexico El Verso National Cigar Corp. La Vieja Habana Drew Estate Vieux Carré New Orleans Cigar Factory La Vigía Villa Zamorano Villiger Switzerland Vintage X Marco V Cigars & co. Dominican Republic Virreyes D México Tabacos Victoria & Cía Viva Republica Viva Republica, Inc. Dominican Republica Vueltabajo Tabacalera Galiano Vulcan White Owl Willem II Zar Zino Davidoff Dominicna Republic Hoyo de Monterrey Habanos [4] Other makers[edit] 1502 262 Alcántara Cigars Bellaterra Casa de Garcia El Cubano Cigars Drew Estate General Cigar Co. Kafie 1901 Cigars Puros Santa Clara Swedish Match Tabaqueria de Filipinas Tabacos San Jerónimo Tabacalera Galiano Tabacalera R. Paxtian / San Andres Mexico Tabacalera Lavin Cigar Co. / San Andres Mexico Tex Cigars Vato Cigars Footnotes[edit] Jump up^ A Unique Hobby, Collecting Cigar Bands Updated on April 10, 2012 Some collect things as a hobby like coins, stamps and antique glassware. Others have taken the road less traveled and find some very unique things to collect, such as cigar bands. For many cigar smokers, the small paper band was just a piece of trash to be discarded. For others it’s a piece of history. The cigar band has an interesting history. It begins during the early 1800s in Cuba, the undisputed cigar capital of the world. Although cigars in one form or another have existed for centuries, the first modern observation of them was observed by Christopher Columbus with his arrival in the New World. On October 28, 1492 Columbus noted in his log the natives of San Salvador burned and inhaled the leaves of a local plant. However, they were not cigars as we know them today. The natives wrapped their tobacco in maize, palm or other local vegetation. The Spanish are given credit for creating the modern cigar. The Origin of the word cigar comes from the ancient Mayans. The Mayans called the cigar a "Ciq-Sigan," which the Spanish word "Cigarro" is derived from. Eventually the word evolved into its’ present form. Once cigars had become a global commodity, they were shipped in wooden barrels or boxes stamped with the manufacturer’s name. There were many scoundrels who made a fortune by substituting cheap European cigars in these containers. A Dutch immigrant, Gustave Bock, who owned a cigar factory in Cuba in the 1830s, came up with a simple solution to counteract much of the counterfeiting. He placed a paper band around his cigars which bore his name. Because of Bock’s success, many other companies soon followed suit. They also discovered cigar bands had another advantage. They gave their product name recognition. By 1855 it was becoming common practice. The use of cigar bands got a big boost with technological advances in the printing industry, specifically, cheap color printing and embossed paper in the 1880s. Prior to 1915 the most beautiful cigar bands were printed in the United States, Cuba, and Germany.  Between expansion of the cigar industry and new innovations in printing techniques, manufacturers entered into its "Golden Age" of advertising. Cigar makers began working on ways to differentiate their products from others. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, well known commercial and prominent artists crafted elaborate, distinctive cigar boxes and bands. Many featured images of historical or famous personages of the era as well as nature scenes or commemorations of special events. It was an art similarly used in making postage stamps. Example of a Personalized Cigar Band There was one drawback collectors encountered. Although most were well-made, they weren't intended to survive the ages. The collector’s album was born. It was the predecessor to those used by collectors of baseball cards, comic books and of course, stamps. During the height of cigar smoking's popularity many found these bands attractive. They were often left discarded on streets and were easy to collect. The hobby became more popular around the turn of the century when some manufacturers began giving premium rewards to customers who turned in a certain number of bands. The same ploy used by a well known cigarette company in the 1990s.  Speaking of cigarettes, after World War I, the cigar industry began losing sales when they became more popular and less expensive. To compensate, cigar makers stopped putting as much time or money into making attractive cigar bands. As a result cigar bands lost their appeal, at least in the US, and many companies went out of business during the 1920s and 30s. Though there are few collectors in the U.S. it remains a thriving hobby in Europe. Cigar makers there continue to print colorful bands, some as part of a series, again like stamps. Others are created specifically for collectors. Some smokers even personalize their own bands. One collector in Ohio, Joe Hurby, has been collecting for over 70 years. Joe began collecting in 1920. He now has more than 221,000 bands and says he still finds ones he doesn’t have. In a collection of 400 bands he bought there were 200 not in his collection. However, at the same time he explains that’s a rarity. In another collection of 5,000 he found none he didn’t already have. Joe is listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Despite active band collecting clubs in Spain, France, Belgium and Australia, their value, as with most modern "made-for-collectors" items, remains low. Cigar Box Labels & Bands  by Orlando Arteaga By the middle of the 19th Century the big cigar manufacturers devised to place printed labels on the outside of their containers and a paper band around each cigar to improve the presentation of their products and to protect themselves against counterfeits. The cigar industry was already a highly productive one so they decided to hire the best lithographers who, using advanced printing techniques, made elegant cigar box labels and bands. This got the attention not only of customers but also of people with artistic sensibility who began soon collecting these beautiful objects considered as true art work. The first society of cigar bands collectors of the world was the International Cigar Band Society, founded in the United States in 1934, and one of the first worldwide known collectors was Louis Rubin, a New Yorker, who collected more than 100,000 cigar bands by 1957. Before dying he asked that his collection be conserved in one of the museums of the city. Collecting Beautiful Cigar Bands and Boxes By Syl Turner Posted July 2016 The use of the cigar band began in Cuba during the early part of the 19th century. Cuban cigars have always been recognized as the world’s best and as such, commanded a premium price. This price differential caused some unscrupulous European manufacturers to begin selling lower-grade cigars with Cuban names. To combat this practice, a Cuban cigar manufacturer by the name of Gustave Bock, a European immigrant to Cuba, began placing a paper ring containing his signature around all his cigars, and it wasn’t long before all Cuban manufacturers adopted this practice. In the early 19th century, America cigar quality left much to be desired, and manufacturers, in competition with each other with the nickel cigars they produced, elected not to spend the money necessary for a band and for the labor to fashion it on the cigar. By the late 1880s, however, printing costs had been significantly reduced, and it wasn’t long before the U.S. cigar industry began employing the best lithographers, who by using ever-improving printing techniques, produced elegant cigar bands and cigar box labels. Mark Twain cigar box label, ca. 1930s, $15. Old Hickory 1920s cigar box label, $20. The adaption of cigar bands by U.S. producers created another opportunity for women to enter the cigar-making workforce. Bands were almost always applied by women using a dab of adhesive on the tip of their finger, being careful not to touch the cigar with the glue and being vigilant in arranging the band uniformly. In 1900, an estimated four out of five men smoked cigars, and it wasn’t long before collecting cigar bands became a full-fledged obsession, with enterprising tobacconist selling albums for displaying the collected bands. Sometime around 1900, in an effort to dominate the cigar market, the American Cigar Co. introduced a program wherein one could earn premiums by exchanging cigar bands from their 28 different brands of cigars. As identified in their 1904 redemption catalogue: a young boy could obtain a football for 1,200 bands, and for 44,000 bands, a family could acquire a four-piece bedroom set. Kafroth and Hellinger wooden cigar box, ca. 1920, $45. Silver Prince 1920s tobacco label, $10. Antique collectors may recall seeing ashtrays decorated with cigar bands while browsing in antique malls. The use of cigar bands for decorating ashtrays, vases and other household items reached its peak in the first decade of the 19th century. The first society of cigar band collectors was established in the United States in 1934, and some of the most avid devotees amassed collections of 200,000 or more. In the U.S. today, the number of collectors is relatively small and limited to true tobacco aficionados, ephemera collectors and people with artistic sensibility, who think of the bands as miniature works of art. Cigar band collecting is much more popular in Europe, but in our country, one can purchase on eBay, for example, a lot of 200 different vintage bands for as little as $10. Various cigar bands. Cigar box and cigar box label collecting is a different story, in that they are widely collected for their beauty and historical interest. As might be expected, printing techniques and technological advancements in printing during the past 100 years are important factors in ascertaining the value and collectability of these labels. Chromolithography was first used in the U.S. about 1840. Prior to this, color printing could only be produced by hand coloring black-and-white lithographs. Unlike lithograph printing which was produced from engravings, chromolithographs were printed from a flat surface. The process involved using a grease-based crayon to apply the image to a limestone slab called a stone. The stone was then covered with gum Arabic and a weak solution of nitric acid, inked with an oil-based ink, and passed through a press. A separate slab and a separate run through the press was necessary for each color in the print. Depending on the number of colors present, some labels required 20 or more slabs, taking months to prepare. This process allowed the use of heavy oil-based inks, including silver- and gold-colored inks, and the layering of inks from the use of multiple stones produced a texture and richness that make cigar label advertising so appealing to today’s collectors. Tom Mix tobacco label, ca. 1930, $25. Rosella cigar box, c. 1900, $49. I chose the word advertising in depicting cigar labels because I think of these as early point-of-sale advertising. I can envision a storekeeper propping open the lids of cigar boxes for display on his store counter with the knowledge that these stunning images would entice sales. Around 1875, technological advancements (photography with color filters) significantly reduced the labor and expense previously required to separate color, and by the mid-1880s, most American cigar companies were using chromolithograph labels. The “Golden Age” for cigar label art was from the 1880s to the 1930s. During this period, there were more than 300,000 brands of cigars. By the mid-1930s, however, the Depression Era, coupled with the increasing popularity of the cigarette, had significantly reduced cigar sales, and a new print technology called 4-color offset printing began replacing chromolithography and the exceptional labels produced via that print process. The value of a cigar label or cigar box depends on the usual factors: condition, subject matter, rarity and print process being the most important. When it comes to cigar label subject matter, nudes, Indians, sports, personalities and historical events are among the most sought after. It should be noted that by 1940, chromolithography was all but nonexistent. Experienced collectors can easily distinguish a chromolithograph label from one printed from the 4-color offset print process, but for the novice collector who might be in doubt, the difference can easily be determined with a jeweler’s loupe. The chromolithograph will have small irregular dots caused by the grain in the stone, while the 4-color offset print will have a pattern of dots that are identical. Most of the cigar box labels found in antique malls are common and can be purchased at prices ranging between $5 and $15. They are common only because they have been found in large quantities from cigar factories that have closed. However, these commonly found labels represent less than 10% of the hundreds of thousands of different labels that have been printed. On the upper end of the rarity scale, as much as 25% of all labels ever printed will fetch prices ranging from $250 to $1,500 and more. To get a better understanding of cigar label prices, visit the web site cigarlabelpriceguide.com which provides pictures and values for thousands of labels. Approximating the age of a label can come from the printer’s identification, usually found in small print below the image. Some of the most valuable labels were manufactured by the German manufacturers Klingebburg Litho, identified by a “GK” mark, and Herman Schott, identified by an “H” with a dollar sign through it. An extensive list of American printers and the dates they were in business can be found with the Google search: “collecting cigar boxes and cigar label art eBay.” One cannot talk about cigar labels without discussing the history and development of the boxes to which they were affixed. Before the appearance of the cigar box, which we are all familiar with, most cigars were sold in bundles of 50, tied together with a ribbon. The cigar box we know today came from the government’s desire to tax cigars to help fund the Civil War, and in 1863, Congress passed a revenue act that required such a tax. The problem was how to apply a tax stamp to a bundle from which individual cigars were sold and could unscrupulously be restocked to avoid taxation. The answer was to bundle the cigars into a box, nail it shut and apply a tax stamp over the lid, so when opened, the tax stamp would be broken. Tax stamps were required on U.S. cigar boxes from 1863-1959, and their use helps identify the age of the box or container on which they were affixed. Here are some clues to the age of boxes you are likely to find: *If the stamp is more than 12 inches, it is between 1878 and 1909. *If the stamp is dated 1883, it is between 1883 and 1898. *If the stamp is 8 inches long, it is between 1910 and 1915. *If the stamp is 4 inches long and has no portrait, it is between 1916 and 1942. *If the stamp is 4 inches ling with Henry Clay’s portrait, it is 1942 and 1959. A Google search for the “Gotham Cigar Museum” will help date early Cuban boxes. Collectors refer to the most common cigar box as “Nailed Wood” or NW. It consists of six pieces of wood, generally cedar, held together with 12 nails and a muslin hinge. It will hold 25 or 50 cigars. Almost all NW boxes produced after 1890 contained an interior lid label. The outside top of these lids could be branded and/or labeled. The value of NW boxes, with or without labels, is governed by rarity, condition, desirability of the label and country of origin. I included “country of origin” specifically for the antique Cuban boxes, which can be quite costly when found. A pre-1920 Cuban box in good condition, with all of the Cuban tax stamps, and with an interior label in good condition might sell for as much as $600. The range in prices for antique wood cigar boxes from U.S. companies is huge. Pre-1930 boxes, in good condition and with ordinary labels, might be found at prices ranging from $50 to $150, depending on age and condition of the box and label. Similar boxes with better labels will command prices that are 30%-50% more than the label itself. Old Judge cigar box, ca. 1910, $49. A variation of the NW box is one in which metal hinges were used in place of the more common muslin cloth hinge. These boxes are referred to as “Nailed Wood with Hardware,” or NWH. Generally, these boxes did not have labels but used a steam-powered, hand-operated press to imprint images and ad copy directly onto the wood. Wood boxes were not the only containers used in the retail sale of cigars. In 1870, a law was passed that allowed cigar boxes to be constructed of tin. These early tin boxes were hand-soldered and contained a paper label. They are very rare, as not many were produced. Tin cigar containers became more popular beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, but their use was more or less limited to a few manufacturers. Rarity of the brand and graphics on the tin are the principal factors in determining value, which might range from as little as $25 and up to several hundred dollars. The first durable cardboard cigar box appeared in the 1950s, and by 1960, 75% of all domestically made cigars were packaged in cardboard. Cardboard boxes are generally not as desirable as the earlier WN boxes, due to age, construction material, and the quality of the printed label. With cardboard boxes, condition and subject matter of the label will determine their value. In 1868, Congress passed a law requiring tax stamps on cigar boxes to be destroyed before being opened. Soon thereafter, the first cigar box opener was patented. In time, more than 100 different box openers were manufactured. (The last patent date for a cigar box opener was 1916.) Although they differed in shapes and sizes, cigar box openers had some common features. They all had a tapered edge or a blade designed to slit the tax stamp and any label that might be pasted on the end of the box. Also, they all had a notch to pry open the nail that sealed the box, and most had a hammer-like head to pound the nail back in as might be necessary. Remember, this was before the use of humidified showcases, so it was normal that there might be a lot of opening and closing of a box. In time, cigar manufacturers began imprinting their brand names on these openers for their salesmen to give to the cigar retailer. Unlike bottle openers that were often given free to the ultimate consumer, cigar box openers were designed and used almost exclusively by the cigar retailer. Today, they are widely collected with average prices in antique malls ranging from $10 to $25. However, like most collectibles, the rarest ones will command prices up to $100 or more. Very little has been written about cigar box openers, and most people when they see them do not recognize their function. Astute collectors see these seemingly unappreciated trinkets for what they are and are assembling large collections at very low prices. Attempting to provide a more detailed coverage of cigar advertisements would have included for example: cigar cutters, cigar lighters, cigar ribbons, tin containers, trade cards, tin signs, posters, broadsides, pamphlets, matchbook covers, postcards, as well as a multitude of items with cigar brand identification.     ebay3670