UK Cigar Scene Magazine December Issue 12 | Page 20

C.Gars Ltd Winter Cigar Auction Report
Nic Wing reports from Knightsbridge
The 2015 winter cigar auction held at in the
capacious cinema at the luxurious Bulgari
Hotel in Knightsbridge saw a continuation
of the extremely strong market for aged
and vintage cigars.
Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert worked through an
amazing 359 lots in a little over 4 hours with the
total value of the sale, at hammer price, topping
£523,000. The summer auction, with 302 lots,
raised a total of £435,000 so the total sales through
the auctions for the year top out at an incredible
£958,000. With the mid-year online auction this
brings sales to well over the £1 Million mark.
For me it was also a highly educational and
entertaining afternoon as I sat next to Simon
Chase who corrected every mispronunciation
from the auctioneer.
For the second year there was the option of online
bidding and while this may have slightly reduced
the thrill of being in the room, it was obviously
a huge success from a sales point of view. By my
calculations around 67% of the lots were sold
to online bidders, no doubt sitting somewhere
enjoying a cigar as they bid. Only 21 lots (5%) failed
to sell.
The strongest market was still for Cuban Dunhill
cigars with almost all the lots doubling their
presale estimates. Lot 269 a box of ten tubed
Dunhill Estupendo from the 1908’s and described
as in pristine condition & appearance was
estimated at between £3,000 and £3,600 sold to, an
online bidder, for £6,000.
Lot 287 a Cubatabaco 25th anniversary humidor,
one of a limited edition of just 100 sold, again to
an online bidder for £14,500. (top pre sale estimate
£12,000)
There were a number of lots from the estate of the
14th Duke of Bedford, all stored at Dunhill’s of
London and all sold at well over the top estimate
with a part box of 23 Dunhill Don Candido No 506
selling for £6,100 against a pre sale top estimate of
£3,500.
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Cuban Davidoff cigar prices were again fairly
flat with most lots selling at or slightly below
their top estimate and with 4 of the 24 Davidoff
lots being unsold. The Dom Perignon marque
however bucked the trend with a sealed box of 25
cigars selling for £7,800 well above the £5,000 top
estimate.
A pattern which I had previously identified
was continued at this auction. The majority of
lots marked as EMS (English Market Selection)
produced an almost guaranteed premium over the
top estimate. The cachet of storing your cigars at
either Alfred Dunhill or at Davidoff London is also
almost certain to see a further premium over the
top estimate.
Prices for the rare pre embargo cigars continue
to be extremely strong with one of the more
notable lots being a box of 25 La Corona Seleccion
Suprema Numero 40 (ex Dunhill of London)
with a top estimate of £1,800 selling for £5,600,
to an online bidder and a box of 25 Por Larranaga
Triangular No1, previously stored at Dunhill of
London, sold for £5,600 against a top estimate of
£2,200, once again to an online bidder.
The beautiful and extremely rare pre embargo
cabinet of 250 Romeo y Julieta Invincibles,
described as in magnificent condition and
appearance sold for £30,000, to a bidder in the
room.
Having said all of this, providing you carefully
look at the provenance and storage history of
cigars, there are still some bargains to be had. How
great is it to have someone else age your cigars
for you for ten years and then to be able to buy a
box of 25 Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro from 2005
(EMS) for £420 which, with premiums and VAT,
works out to £23.18 per stick against a current retail
price of £32.00.
One thing that is for sure, the London cigar
terraces were out in strength, buying cigars
and with deep pockets. I would suggest that the
main reason for being in the room at the next
auction would be to know when they are bidding
so that you can get out early and avoid a major
disappointment.