Looking for a good 5¢ cigar? Famous Smoke Shop's got 'em!

"Waste not, want not," is how the old saying goes, and with so many companies going "green" these days, Famous Smoke Shop has gone "brown" by recycling premium cigars, and in turn, creating "the 5¢ cigar."

The idea to market "pre-owned" cigars surfaced after a sample cigar tasting where many of the cigars had been put out after only being smoked briefly.

"It seemed like such a waste," said Famous Smoke Shop's "cigar advisor," Gary Korb. "Then I realized, there must be dozens of unfinished cigars lying around here. Having recently read an article in a science journal about how cigars could be safely recycled, I figured, why toss them in the trash? It's like throwing away money."

During the next few weeks, cigars were collected from ashtrays in the Famous Smoke Shop offices and retail store, and placed in a blue recycling box.

"Many of the cigars are top-rated brands, too," said Korb. "What's really cool is someone could find themselves smoking a cigar that was previously smoked by Rocky Patel, Pete Johnson, or Jonathan Drew."

First, the cigars are clipped behind the ash to remove the charred tobacco. Using a process developed by research scientist, Dr. Peter Heinzinger at The University of California, Pelican Bay, the cigars are cleaned using a hygienic, vegetable-based solution that removes any excess ash residue on the wrapper. The cigars are then exposed to ultra-violet radiation to remove any remaining traces of bacteria.

"The ultra-violet radiation completely destroys any bacterial remnants left by saliva, dirty fingers, etcetera, as well as other microorganisms," says Dr. Heinzinger. "Once the cigars have been treated, they are entirely germ-free and safe for consumption."

Finally, the cigars are bundled, shrink-wrapped, and stored in Famous Smoke Shop's climate-controlled, state-of-the-art humidor to freshen-up.

For the past several months, Famous has been secretly test-marketing the cigars to select customers. One of the cigar smokers who identified himself as "Dennis," participated in the sampling: "They're not pretty, but they are pretty tasty," he said. "The extra tars and oils that have built up prior to being put out make the cigars very full-flavored and complex."

"At first, I was skeptical," said Tony Martinez, of St. Louis, MO. "How could you not be? But I was amazed at how tasty these pre-owned sticks were. For five cents each, how can you miss? They're so cheap, if one sucks, you can toss it away without having to feel bad about it. Plus, they're perfect for the golf course."

"Supplies are limited," said Korb. "And at five-cents apiece, these will fly off the shelf at the speed of light." Plus, since the cigars are pre-clipped, all you have to do is light-up and enjoy."

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