Bond Roberts Auctions, the global online auction platform established for collectible premium cigars, has announced the launch of its New World cigar division.
The expansion opens the Bond Roberts platform to premium New World cigars for the first time. It will provide collectors with a dedicated global marketplace in which to buy and sell sought after, aged, discontinued and limited production releases. The new division launches with an initial database of 563 individual cigar lines from many of the world’s leading New World brands. The database will continue to expand as new brands, formats and releases are added.
Bond Roberts built its international reputation through Cuban cigar auctions. The new division reflects the increasing scale, quality and collectability of cigars produced outside Cuba, particularly within the United States market.
“Bond Roberts was built to make the secondary cigar market more accessible, transparent and trusted,” said Bond Roberts co-founder Rob Ayala in a press release. “Until now, our auction platform has concentrated on Cuban cigars. The New World market has developed into one of the most innovative and important parts of the premium cigar industry, with an increasingly knowledgeable and passionate collector base,” said Ayala.
“For some time, our members have been asking us to bring New World cigars onto the platform. This expansion is a natural progression for Bond Roberts and one we believe will be particularly significant for collectors and sellers in the United States,” added Ayala.
The New World division will be overseen by John McTavish. McTavish is known in the international cigar community as Cigar Surgeon and is a contributor to Developing Palates and KMA Talk Radio. McTavish will guide the development of the category, work with the Bond Roberts team to expand its cigar database and help ensure the platform reflects the particular needs of New World collectors and sellers.
“The New World cigar market has changed enormously,” said McTavish.“Collectors are now actively searching for limited releases, discontinued lines, aged boxes and cigars from significant periods in a brand’s development. Many of these cigars are becoming increasingly difficult to locate through conventional retail channels,” said McTavish
“Bond Roberts provides an established global auction platform through which these cigars can be properly presented, discovered and traded. I am delighted to be overseeing the division and helping build it alongside the collector community,” added McTavish.
Sellers can begin submitting New World cigars immediately and will begin appearing on the platform starting on September 28.
“As with any platform expansion of this scale, there may be some initial teething issues,” Ayala said. “We will work closely with our members, listen to their feedback and resolve any issues quickly.”
