Rare Cigars Go on the Auction Block for Hurricane Katrina Victims

In an effort to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina, on Thursday, September 15, CigarAuctioneer.com will auction off a rare box of 1995-vintage Partagas 150 Signature Series "Don Ramon" cigars. Proceeds from the auction of the box will be donated to The American Red Cross.

Easton, PA (PRWEB) September 14, 2005 - You could call it "Smoke Aid" for Hurricane Katrina victims. On Thursday, September 15 at 6:00 A.M. eastern time, CigarAuctioneer.com is hosting a special auction featuring an extremely rare, 10-year-old box of Partagas 150 Signature Series "Don Ramon" cigars. The Dominican-made cigars, which debuted in 1995 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the famed premium cigar brand that originated in Cuba in 1845, will go on the auction block at a starting bid of $1,000. Proceeds from the auction sale will be donated to The American Red Cross.

This particular box of Don Ramon cigars was presented by General Cigar Corporation to Famous Smoke Shop president, Arthur Zaretsky, in honor of his mother, Rose Zaretsky, who died in May of this year at the age of 95. Mrs. Zaretsky, who along with her late husband David, opened the original Famous Smoke Shop cigar store in 1939 in New York City, was affectionately referred to by customers as "Rosie".

"She was a very compassionate woman," said Mr. Zaretsky. "General Cigar and I couldn't think of a better tribute to my mother's memory than by donating this very rare box of cigars to the victims of Hurricane Katrina."

Only 1,000 boxes of the Don Ramon cigars were made in 1995, which makes them virtually impossible to find today. The cigars are presented in a varnished humidor hand carved to look like a large book. The "book" holds ten 7" x 52 cigars individually encased in cedar boxes inscribed with the signature of Partagas' renowned master blender, Ramon Cifuentes. Making these cigars even more valuable to cigar collectors is the wrapper Seņor Cifuentes used on the Partagas Signature 150 Series. It comes from the last remaining bales of African Cameroon wrapper harvested from a seminal 1977 crop, which now makes them 28 years old.

Due to the nature of this special CigarAuctioneer.com auction, Mr. Zaretsky hopes the bidding will far exceed the current estimated value of the box, which is somewhere around $2,000.

The Partagas 150 Signature Series Don Ramon cigars auction will run from Thursday, September 15, through Thursday, September 22. The winning bidder will not only receive a very special, once-in-a-lifetime box of cigars, they will have the added reward of knowing they helped The American Red Cross assist thousands of displaced people during this extraordinary and historical crisis.

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