"Up-in-Smoke" Cigar Band Museum
REFERENCE ROOM

European Cigar Bands

The vintage cigar bands displayed in the galleries of the "Up-in-Smoke" Cigar Band Museum are predominantly those from cigars produced or sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Cuba before the 1930s. While the Museum exhibits do display some cigar bands from European cigar brands, they are a relatively minor focus. Because European cigar bands represent another major aspect of the hobby, this section of the Reference Room provides some background on European cigar bands. If you are interested in information on European cigar bands beyond what is presented here, a number of links to other websites that focus on European bands are provided at the end of this page. Cigar bands came into wide use at essentially the same time in Europe as they did in the Western Hemisphere, but cigar smoking has remained more consistently popular in Europe over that time than in the United States. Cigar manufacturers and printers in many different European countries have produced an extensive variety of cigar bands since the time they first became widely used in the latter 1800s. In fact, in the late 1800s and early 1900s some of the finest cigar label artwork was produced by German printing firms. Collectors generally categorize European cigar bands in to a few main types: "series" bands, "publicity" bands, "factory" bands, and "classics". Each of these groups is discussed briefly below, but because "series" bands are a distinct type that does not have any real equivalent in the U.S., they merit additional explanation. SERIES BANDS Especially since the 1950s, many European cigar manufacturers have produced a great variety of "series" cigar bands. Series are sets of cigar bands, with each set or "series" having a particular theme or subject. A particular "series" may contain dozens of different cigar bands, each with a different image consistent with the theme of the series. While some series bands were made to actually be wrapped on cigars, most series bands were designed and produced specifically for cigar band collectors. Such collectors' series are sold in inexpensive sets that cover almost every imaginable theme or subject matter. Made-for-collectors series are essentially manufactured collectibles and in some ways are more like commercial artwork in the form of a cigar band than functional artifacts. Though they are arguably distinct from cigar bands produced for the specific purpose of encircling an actual cigar, collectors' series have their own appeal and are widely collected throughout Europe and in other countries. There are no similar counterparts to "collectors' series" bands today in the U.S. Click on the thumbnail images below to view a few examples of the many thousands of different European cigar band "series" available to interested collectors.
A wide variety of different European series are usually available in online auctions on eBay. Enter the words "cigar bands" in the search box and look for series bands in the auction listings. Cost varies, but most series can be purchased for a few dollars. CLASSIC, FACTORY, & PUBLICITY BANDS Although most collecting of European cigar bands today involves "series" bands, many European collectors of course also collect actual, functional cigar bands, both old and new. Older, vintage cigar bands from before the mid-1900s are generally referred to as "classics" by European collectors. Cigar bands made by various European cigar companies for use on their own cigars are generally referred to as "factory" bands. In some cases a manufacturer has printed its own labels but also had them manufactured by another printer, resulting in minor variations of essentially the same design. Some collectors make distinctions based on those variations. The final grouping of European cigar bands is "publicity" bands, which are cigar bands that advertise or promote a specific occasion, club, organization, or business. They are essentially stock bands that are customized by a printer with the name or logo chosen by the purchaser. Publicity bands are commonly used by local businesses. EUROPEAN CIGAR BAND COLLECTORS' CLUBS A number of cigar band collectors' clubs or associations with many hundreds of members are currently active in Europe, most notably in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Spain. Most of them publish periodic newsletters, price guides and catalogues relating to European "series" bands, "factory" bands and "classics". The publications are usually written in the local languages, but not in English, and are generally well-illustrated. If you are interested in European cigar bands we recommend contacting one of those organizations. OTHER WEBSITES ABOUT EUROPEAN CIGAR BANDS Below are links to webpages of two European collectors that focus on European cigar bands. Links to their homepages are also found on the Museum's Links page. Coleccionismo de Vitolas This is a link to the personal webpage of cigar band collector Adolfo Otaola Carrera of Madrid, Spain. The text is in Spanish. The pages focus on European "series" cigar bands, especially from Spanish manufacturers, and display a selection of cigar bands from his own collection. He has expanded a collection that he inherited from his father and which was started by his grandfather. Homepage of Gerard van Eijk The homepage of a Dutch collector, with a focus on European cigar bands. He has expanded a cigar band collection begun by his father. Worth a visit as an introduction to European collectors. Many images of various of "series" bands, as well as "factory" bands, publicity bands, and a few classics. He also provides addresses and contacts for several cigar band collectors' clubs in Europe. Back to the REFERENCE ROOM Index Page