"I've got a great cigar collection - it's actually not a collection, because that would imply I wasn't going to smoke every last one of 'em"

Ron White’s humorous reflection on his cigar “collection” plays with the concept of ownership versus intention. On the surface, he claims to possess a great number of cigars, which, by many standards, would qualify as a collection. However, he immediately dispels the notion of himself as a collector by clarifying that his cigars are not meant to be displayed, preserved, or admired behind glass, they’re meant to be smoked, enjoyed, consumed until none remain. The playful contradiction between possessing many of something and resisting the label of “collector” highlights his attitude towards material enjoyment and living in the moment.

His statement lightly mocks the tendency of people to collect things not necessarily for their intrinsic use, but for the satisfaction of ownership, or perhaps for future value. By rejecting the collector label, Ron White signals that he’s not withholding his pleasures for some imagined future or as a trophy to be admired by others. He believes in indulging fully, relishing life's treats while they’re at their best, rather than saving them for a distant and uncertain “someday.” The remark echoes a philosophy of seizing immediate joy and not being overly precious or delayed in enjoyment.

Moreover, there’s a subtle commentary on the difference between collecting as a passion versus collecting as a form of deprivation, a refusal to use or savor what one has accumulated. For Ron White, the value of his cigars lies not in their rarity or status as collectibles, but in the simple pleasure they provide. He’s quick to point out that every cigar in his possession is destined for use. The underlying joke also carries an appreciation for authenticity and straightforwardness. Rather than feigning a sophisticated air of curation, he admits forthrightly to his real intentions: he’s not building a shrine to cigars; he’s planning to smoke them all.