Q: Optimum humidity degree in a personal humidor

Q: Can you please give me your opinion about the optimum humidity degree in a personal humidor. (Robert S., CANADA. 11/97)

A: It is said that a very high degree of humidity is required (about 80%), but I think that it is too much for a personal humidor. Many cigar merchants keep the humidity at this level in their own cigar rooms, but they have appropriate reasons : cigars are boxed, some boxes are varnished, and once sold the cigars might not be transferred immediately into another humidor.
Personally, I think that the best way is to have a cigar room and a humidor, or two humidors: one for storing cigars in their original boxes (75% humidity; keep varnished boxes half-open), and the other for cigars that you will light up in the next 15-20 days (between 67 and 70% humidity).
If you have only one humidor, try to keep all the cigars in their original boxes, and separate the vitolas if it's possible -(it requires a humidor of large size)-. In this case, I think that a humidity level between 70 and 75 % is excellent.
This is my method for storing cigars. Because each one of us is different, you must find your own ideal humidity degree, between 67 and 75%.