For humidification, Heartfelt Industries' "70% RH (relative humidity) beads" are the easiest method. They absorb and release distilled water to maintain the ideal 70% humidity. For a small "desk top" humidor, a 2 or 4 ounce tube should be perfect. I prefer to use more than the recommended size so I don't have to tend to it as often. Thus, in my 300 count humidor, I use one pound of 70% RH beads. Tubes and bulk beads are listed on this page.
Finally (if you're still with me), you need a humidor. Ideally, a humidor is about half full all the time. They are sold with a "count", e.g. a "30 count" holds 30 cigars, but one would only store 15 to 20 in it at a time. A 30 count worked for me for quite a while, until I started ordering cigars in bulk. Any good tobacconist will sell humidors of various sizes with a lot of options in the small, 30-50 count, range. Note, however, that they will be a little overpriced at a shop, but you do get to look at them and pick one that suits your sense of style. Many are quite beautifully finished with different patterns of wood. Alternatively, you could shop online. I would recommend www.cheaphumidors.com for some excellent deals and large selection. For those on a budget, they have discounted humidors with slight defects in the finish, or minor scratches, that do not detract from the function of the humidor.
Any humidor you find at a good shop or online will be lined with "Spanish cedar", and should have a snug fitting lid. Both of those features are a must, but are pretty standard. Some sites will suggest using tupperware or a cooler in place of a real humidor. However, if you compare the price of a cooler with some of the humidor deals out there these days, there is really no excuse not to buy the real thing, especially in smaller sizes. Cigars will only age properly in a real, Spanish cedar lined humidor.
Finally, humidors almost always come with a hygrometer and a humidification device, both of which will be useless. The hygrometer will be inaccurate, and the humidification device will be inadequate and together they make it easy to over or under humidify the cigars, potentially ruining them. The beads and the adjustable digital hygrometer I listed above fix these problems and make it simple to safely store cigars for virtually as long as you like.
