I just discovered the whole cigar box guitar thing last week and am already mildly addicted... okay, maybe very addicted. I built my first one this past weekend out of a box I already had, but now I need to know where to get more. Do most cigar shops sell old ones? Ebay seems like a hassle... you pay more for shipping than the actual box. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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I have a few in stock that I'm willing to sell. If you're interested let me know and I can send you a picture of them and you can pick which one you like.
We don't have any large cigar stores where I live. The ones we have sells them for 3 bucks apiece or 4 for $10. But there isn't much selection. Local cigarette stores want $6 apiece for even card board ones and again very little selection. I have bought most of mine from e-bay and the shipping makes them expensive. I have bought several from Lori Wimberley (the flaming Cat on the right of this page). I have gotten some real nice ones from her.
If you live in a larger city, I'd think cigar stores are the way to go.
i get mine from one of the 2 cigar shops here in town. one sells them openly (paper covered thin box for $1 and thicker wood boxes for $3) but i went in the other shop and she was EAGER to get rid of them, brought out atleast 100 boxes from the back and said if i wanted em she would sell em to me for 2 bucks each, AND when we told them what they were for she offered to let us set up a display with business cards to try and sell out CBG's there. what it simply comes down to is find places that sell cigar singles, and just ask. was in a liquer store a few days ago saw they sold cigars, asked about the boxes and if soe ID-10-T behind me didnt offer almost tripple what i did, i would have had a crap load of really nice macanudo boxes uber cheap, they guy literally said "make me an offer". ask around and you will be amazed at what you find
My main source in Louisville, KY is Liquor Barn. They put their empties out in a shopping cart or on a shelf near the check out registers. Paper covered wooden boxes are $1 and wooden boxes with no paper are $2. I did pick up a few boxes at a cigar shop at Barefoot Landing when we were in Myrtle Beach. I think that there, the wooden boxes were $2 and the cardboard ones were free. I found, in the CigarBoxGuitarBuilders Ugly Duckling Challenge, that even a reinforced cardboard box doesn't sound bad.
i've had better luck asking at liquor stores than at smoke shops - some smoke shops just give them away, but some want money from them. i'm actually thinking that it a place always wants money, i might just start dumpster diving them from there, because i'm sure they're just getting thrown out eventually. that, and these days a lot of my food is coming out of the trash, just like a lot of the furniture in my apartment.
Slim, I just went downtown last night and stopped at the Halfway to Habana smoke shop and he had a bunch for $2 each. I got a Macanudo Gold which seems pretty standard and a good choice for one of my early builds. I guess you just have to get lucky with what he has available.
Cigar Box Slim said:
Greenbrick, I live in Greer, SC and will be back in my shop after Christmas. If you need some boxes to get you started just let me know...I have plenty of them to share.
Greenbrick, I live in Greer, SC and will be back in my shop after Christmas. If you need some boxes to get you started just let me know...I have plenty of them to share.
All of the one's that Sam mentions are good ones. I've only ever bought boxes from eBay once and probably won't again unless I see something really unique. Definitely do not buy the regular run of the mill Punch box there. Also, check out pawn shops for rarities. Don't just limit yourself to cigar boxes. Have a look at this one: http://www.smokehouseguitars.com/namaste.html That box was found in the corner of a pawn shop in San Clemente, CA.
Wichita Sam said:
Welcome to a great addiction... assuming you have a closet or two to give up to it.... I have over 350 boxes, about 3/4 I've gotten free. Here's my list of best sources for boxes...
Cigar Stores (the kind with walk-in humidors, that sell singles and therefore have left over boxes).... they usually want 1-5 dollars per box, but I have 3 stores that have been giving me boxes once they found out what I did with them. It doesn't hurt to build a wall hanger for the store to show gratitude... that pretty much sets you up..
then, family and friends and their friends.... once people found out about my new "hobby", they just started bringing me boxes... I get some really unique ones... last month a friend of a friend brought me 40 boxes including 17 cuban "embargo" boxes. Best thing, these are almost always F*R*E*E!!!
Flea markets, estate sales and yard sales.... here you will have to pay, but if you are interested in building on a "vintage" box without paying thru the nose... these are great.... BUT...if you don't see any cigar boxes, go ahead and ask...sometimes there's a stash hidden in the back that they will bring out.... and, carry a CBG with you, people will be more generous if they can see a CBG...
Last, very bottom EBAY.... this is only good if you are looking for a particular box and are willing to pay more in freight than the box is probably worth.
OH, check out the CigarBoxGuitarBuilders Yahoo forum...
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/CIGARBOXGUITARBUILDERS/. We've just started a "trading post" in the files section. If you are looking for something you might just find it there...
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If you live in a larger city, I'd think cigar stores are the way to go.
Cigar Box Slim said:
-Slim
http://www.smokehouseguitars.com/namaste.html That box was found in the corner of a pawn shop in San Clemente, CA.
Wichita Sam said:
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