Custom furnishings, clothes, cars, yachts, and even custom humidors [http://humidorscigar.blogspot.com/] are the luxuries that that the affluent enjoy in their effort to express their individualism in a world that is becoming increasingly more commercialized every day.

Affordable luxuries

There are niche pockets within consumerism where the ultra wealthy and the middle class (aspiring to one day be as well off) can find common ground in the goods and services that they indulge in. Savvy retailers have long since come to this realization and take every opportunity presented to them to market "luxury" pens, overpriced sunglasses, and Starbucks coffee.

Despite mainstream efforts to commoditize luxury the ultimate mark of distinction is the one of a kind appeal of a custom good. When addressing the often asked question of, "what do you give the man that has everything?" the answer should be to give them something no one has - ergo, something even they do not currently have.

Why humidors are a luxury item

A luxury item is by definition one that is not required by necessity. In some respects the further a product is removed from being necessary for daily life the more luxurious it is considered. Computers for example while not required for sustaining life where once considered a luxury but now that so many people are required to use them for their daily jobs (even many of the working poor) the luster of owning a computer has faded in much the same way the pride once produced by owning a color television set has long since lost any relevance.

Humidors are used for maintaining the freshness and quality of cigars, which are themselves luxury products. The cigar humidor combo is essentially double the luxury. Of course any blue collar worker can walk into a liquor store and buy a cigar as easily as a pack of cigarettes but cigars have maintained an aura of being a symbol of wealth and success. The association that most people in the western world have with cigars is largely due to the fact that in modern culture cigars are considered to be in the same class as wines. While both wine and cigars are readily available to the public there is a reputation that precedes both which states that these vices are only properly enjoyed by sophisticated pallets.

Appeal of custom humidors

Humidors come in all shapes and sizes with some being as tiny as a small shoe box, while others on the opposite end of the spectrum are literally entire rooms. Custom humidors are particular popular in certain circles because they combine the desired elements of customization and luxury that were previously outlined.

Because custom humidors are more affordable to the masses than custom yachts while still holding some of the social significance these types of humidors have become progressively more popular amongst the plentiful upper middle class. The large demographic that can easily afford a custom humidor but will never be able to afford a custom yacht is forced to manage the need to feel like part of the social elite by satisfying that desire with items like custom humidors and expensive bottles of wine.

Sociologists have studied the motivations behind why people purchase the things that they choose. The research indicates that the overwhelming factor that decides if a sale is made or not is how the purchase makes the consumer feel. The emotional motivation behind the purchasing decision (as opposed to practical motives) has some scholars delving more deeply into the widely held belief that women, traditionally the more emotional gender, seem to enjoy shopping significantly more than men. Ultimately, for reasons that science is working to explain, whether it is a woman shopping for the perfect gift for the man in her life or a man shopping for the optimal affordable balance of luxury and customization a custom humidor repeatedly comes up as the choice for an overwhelming percentage of the upper middle class.