This afternoon, Tatuaje announced (via Facebook) the “Unlucky 13.”  These are the 13 Tatuaje retailers allotted a shipment of the extremely limited dress boxes of this year’s edition of the Monster Series.  The 2013 release, the sixth edition, will be known as No. 6 – or “Jason”, in reference to the central fictional character of the same name in the Friday the 13th movie franchise.  The packaging, shown at left, will be themed with a hockey mask (à la the movie-bound Jason) and the number 6.  The “Unlucky 13” are listed below, but expect them to have already allotted their expected delivery of dress boxes….and possibly even have a long waiting list “just in case.”  There are only 666 of these decorated 13-count boxes available, and demand is very high.  But never fear – a larger release of the plain, 10-count boxes will be arriving at many other Tatuaje accounts as well.  These will also be in high demand, but far easier to get your hands on.

Unlucky 13 Retailers:

1. Buttheads Tobacco Emporium, Danbury, CT
2. Prime Cigar and Wine Bar, Boca Raton, FL
3. Town & Country Cigar Bar, Euless, TX
4. Havana House, Akron, OH
5. Fine Ash Cigars, Avondale, AZ
6. Union Cigar Society, Seattle, WA
7. Liberty Tobacco, San Diego, CA
8. Atlantic Cigar Co, Folcroft, PA
9. Don Francisco Cigars, East Brunswick, NJ
10. Humidor Pipe Shop, Huntsville, AL
11. Tobacco Shoppe of Midland, Midland, MI
12. Cigar Master, Boston, MA
13. Leesburg Cigar and Pipe, Leesburg, VA

The list was previously made available to members of Tatuaje’s Saints N Sinners club, where the fervor has been very high as expected.  As I’ve watched the public run wild via Facebook & Twitter this afternoon I have come across a number of both detractors and fans of the dress box phenomena.  Personally, I will occasionally go out of my way to track down and pay a premium for a rare cigar, although it’s certainly not the norm.  Monster fans love it, as it’s a chance to chase down an elusive limited edition; detractors declare they have no desire to do so because of all the hubbub and work involved with only a slim chance for success.

Generally, I can see the detractors’ point with limited edition runs of cigars.  It’s just too difficult, time consuming, and expensive to go chase them all down.  And what comes next if you get them?  Should you find a new favorite, there’s no future in it because you won’t be able to get them again anyway.  Where you fall on this is likely dependent on whether you’d rather have loved than lost, or never have loved at all.

However, I feel differently with this series.  The big differentiator here is the fact that the extreme limitation is on packaging, not the cigars.  Someone who wants the opportunity to smoke a cigar from the Monster Series should have little trouble finding them – the plain boxes, while also limited, are within reach of anyone with the slightest bit of ambition.  I can appreciate the compromise.  That’s why we’re all in this hobby, right?  The cigars?  I understand the collectors’ standpoint…but I’m here for the cigars.  I don’t smoke the boxes….

So, I’ll put the question to you fine folks…how do you feel about Limited Edition offerings?  Just to make this a little easier for those conflicted folks, I’ve left the option open for you to select 2 choices in the poll below.

[poll id=”2″]