queen for split: virgin vs mature cell

[windfall]

Can someone explain the finer distinctions/reasons for using a ripe cell vs a virgin queen when making a split. I believe I understand the differences of the other options: buying a mated queen or allowing the split to raise thier own. But these two (vigin vs cell) seem so similar to me that I am unclear why or when one would use one over the other.

[Kathyp]

first you have to think about why you make splits.  1. to increase your hives.  in this case, you have no virgin so your choice is to let them make their own, or to buy a queen.  2.  you think the hive is going to swarm.  here you take the mature queen away so that the hive believes it has swarmed.  you leave the swarm cells behind so that the hive can requeen. 
you might also split a large aggressive hive.  in that case, you might kill the queen and allow both to requeen...or you could purchase queens.

if you make a split and the queen in the hive is a virgin, the hive has likely already swarmed and has no resources to make a new queen.  if you are raising queen, you could have virgin queens for your split if you caged them before they hatched.

if you have queen cells and you want to requeen a hive, you can kill the old queen and use the cells in the hive. 

[Haddon]

Difference from what I have been told.
Virgin queen hive might accept her.
Cell hive almost always accepts her.

I have heard you can buy virgins I have never tried but I am told you can.

On brushymountain webinars  Dr Larry Connor talk a lot about queen cell and virgins and buying virgins.

[windfall]

Thanks for the replies. I should have been a bit clearer in my question and intentions. this question is really an extension of a thread I put up a few days ago regarding timing a split here in the northeast.

Several folks have suggested to me I might consider bringing in a purchased queen cell or virgin queen...others have suggested mated queen or walk away. The hive does not presently (as of last week) have any queen cells...just a few cups. So at this point my choices are a walk away, puchased queen cell/virgin, or purchased mated queen. We like the genetics of the bees we have...waited some time for them to be available to us...walk away was our first choice; but given the size of the colonies we have to work with and the time of year I get the feeling saving a few weeks with a cell or virgin might be a good idea and still possibly keep some of our genetics via the drones...if we go that route I was trying to understand the factors driving that particular choice (cell vs virgin). Obviously a mated queen is the surest bet but also a completely new set of genes.