1999 Tin FVF, Smoke or Sell?

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whsergent

Can't Leave
Jan 8, 2020
385
1,296
Id probably sell it, FVF was ok and i never had any that was older than 2-3 years, but i have to say that i was never that impressed with it.
Im not much of a straight va guy tho, like burleys.

But if you have to ask the question, its likely that you would regret selling it, so i say smoke it :)
 

F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,516
38
Canada
Sell it. You have so much stocked away. Be patient and enjoy (more than one) 20+ year old tin in 10 years when your 2009 tins get there. For now buy a bunch of new blends or a pipe with the funds from the sale.
 

jguss

Lifer
Jul 7, 2013
2,686
7,395
I’m going to offer a contrarian view, or at least a thought experiment for you to try. Put a notional value on the tin, say $100 or so. Now pretend you didn’t own the tin and you had the chance to buy it at that price. Would you buy it? Or save your money for something else (doesn’t matter what; food, entertainment, credit card bills, keeping it in the bank etc). What would you do: pull the money out of your wallet and buy the tin, or give it a pass?

One other thought. Gawith tins can be dicey at preserving their contents over extended periods of time. The potential for rust not visible from the outside, for example, is one possibility. If you had posted here that you had the opportunity to buy a twenty year old FVF tin for $100, many people on this forum would have pointed out that the chance of a compromised tin is not negligible. Whoever buys a vintage tobacco tin accepts that risk. That should factor into your decision too. A classic “the lady or the tiger” situation.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
21,004
50,330
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I’m going to offer a contrarian view, or at least a thought experiment for you to try. Put a notional value on the tin, say $100 or so. Now pretend you didn’t own the tin and you had the chance to buy it at that price. Would you buy it? Or save your money for something else (doesn’t matter what; food, entertainment, credit card bills, keeping it in the bank etc). What would you do: pull the money out of your wallet and buy the tin, or give it a pass?

One other thought. Gawith tins can be dicey at preserving their contents over extended periods of time. The potential for rust not visible from the outside, for example, is one possibility. If you had posted here that you had the opportunity to buy a twenty year old FVF tin for $100, many people on this forum would have pointed out that the chance of a compromised tin is not negligible. Whoever buys a vintage tobacco tin accepts that risk. That should factor into your decision too. A classic “the lady or the tiger” situation.
Jon,

That's a very good and informative way to look at the question. Is smoking it worth the potential loss of monetary gain to be made by foisting off a tin of what might be mummy dust onto a buyer with more stars in his eyes than sense in his head.
The monetary concerns would be less for me in this instance because as the owner of the tin since it was new, I'd only a few few bucks invested in it. As a buyer I'd take a hard pass, based on past experiences with vintage square and rectangular tins older than 10 years. It's a crap shoot, and like playing the slots in Vegas, the house has the edge.
Based on my experiences, I'd buy at a discount from retail, not at a multiple of retail. But others less risk adverse might strike gold every once and a while that isn't iron pyrite and are happy to take the gamble. So why not unload that tin and use it for something else I'd like. It's just tobacco.
Lady or the tiger indeed.
 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,248
57,309
67
Sarasota Florida
I have recently smoked a couple of FVF tins from 2004. Both were fantastic and I was very glad I smoked them. Watching them sit year after year in my cellar got real boring. I am now smoking any thing that suits my fancy no matter what the age, I have 11.35 years on this earth and I need to smoke up my good stuff
 
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hymnchimney

Might Stick Around
Feb 18, 2020
82
359
34
Morganton, NC
I'd sell it and purchase a bunch of blends you've never tried before. You've got 8 lbs of 10+ year old FVF already, which will serve you well in the future. The proceeds from an old 50g tin will surely net you ten times that amount in new stuff you've been curious about.
This is my take on it as well. Just put aside a couple oz and age it for another 10 years, then you'll know if you made the right call or not.
 

biodarwin

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 11, 2019
158
855
Indy
I vote, selling it to me! In all seriousness, this is probably an experience that is hard to put a price tag on. So smoke it.
 

magicpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 9, 2018
580
1,537
MCO
If you sold it, what would you do with the money? Probably buy more tobacco. Would that new tobacco be as good as a tin of 21 year old FVF? I think we all know that answer! Just smoke it and provides lots of details for the forum. Be sure to include pictures!

I have a can of 1992 McClelland Christmas Cheer tucked away. I’m might pop the tin in 2022 so that it’s an even 30 years old.
I also have a can of 1992 Christmas Cheer. Let’s get together in 2022 and open them at the same time. It will probably tear the very fabric of the space/time continuum. The ground will probably shake or lightening mIght crack at that very moment. Or, at least, we have one hell of a smoke!
 
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bent1

Lifer
Jan 9, 2015
1,218
3,179
64
WV
Well, I traded for this tin and the tobacco was in good condition and smoking nice. Thank you @bent1
View attachment 24959

Thx for the trade & kind words. When I compared the tin from 1999, it was physically smaller than a tin from 2019. Weighed both tins, the 1999 tin weighed in at 114.8g, the 2019 tin weighed 115.6g. I guessed the difference was due to the physical size difference.

Side note, if the tin upon opening turned out to be in bad shape, I’d have either refunded or returned the trade. Thx also for your honesty.
 
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ram74

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 7, 2013
242
355
Smoke it. Life is too short. I would smoke it now while sheltering in place.
 

briarbuck

Lifer
Nov 24, 2015
2,292
5,579
I say thermal treatment is exactly what's called for.

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