How much do cigarettes cost?

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imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
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I'm doing something for school and need to know the retail price of cigarettes either by the box or carton in california(other states too).

I've tried searching online but all I find is the discount places.

Thanks for any help.
 
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TheOmegaCode

Platinum Member
Aug 7, 2001
2,954
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I bought a pack today along with a pack of gum and it came out to $5.15. I really don't know why I remembered that...

I don't buy cigarettes often enough to give you an exact price, but they're usually between $4 and $5 per pack on the name brand stuff. More for specialty blends, less for the off brands.

This was in California, btw.
 
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imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
1,617
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Thanks!!
Do you usually buy gum with your cigs? Is that common for most smokers?
Also can you remember the brand.

This is for an econ paper dealing with pros/cons of cigarette taxes by the way.
 
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TheOmegaCode

Platinum Member
Aug 7, 2001
2,954
1
0
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Thanks!!
Do you usually buy gum with your cigs? Is that common for most smokers?
Also can you remember the brand.

This is for an econ paper dealing with pros/cons of cigarette taxes by the way.
Click to expand...

Marlboro 27's. As for the gum, I buy more gum than Cigarettes.

Is it a common theme among smokers? Hrmm.... I've seen a lot more younger smokers chew gum afterwards than older smokers. I'm talking college students here.

Probably because, despite popular opinion, we do smoke with and talk to chicks. Then, afterwards, hand out the gum because it makes for a more pleasant encounter...
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Would I be correct in assuming that each cigarette product is sold at a relatively fixed price throughout the USA, with differences in cost being due to the state's tax?

http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html

Fixed Price (manufacturer's price) + Retail Markup + Variable Price (state tax) = Your Retail Price?

Small variances in manufacturer's pricing is usually due to volume purchase discounts, promotions, etc. That type of information is usually considered proprietary and secret, thus the difficulty you were having in locating it on the web.

If you take the retail price of a given cigarette product from the lowest-priced retailer you can find, minus the tax of the state in which you purchased it, I'm guessing that you should be reasonably close to the manufacturer's price which should be relatively constant nationwide.
 
B

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,330
1
81
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
Would I be correct in assuming that each cigarette product is sold at a relatively fixed price throughout the USA, with differences in cost being due to the state's tax?

http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html

Fixed Price (manufacturer's price) + Retail Markup + Variable Price (state tax) = Your Retail Price?

Small variances in manufacturer's pricing is usually due to volume purchase discounts, promotions, etc. That type of information is usually considered proprietary and secret, thus the difficulty you were having in locating it on the web.

If you take the retail price of a given cigarette product from the lowest-priced retailer you can find, minus the tax of the state in which you purchased it, I'm guessing that you should be reasonably close to the manufacturer's price which should be relatively constant nationwide.
Click to expand...

Aren't there differences in some states, for example NY, where I think that cigs have to be made a special way so they have a decreased chance of causing fire?
 
gsaldivar

gsaldivar

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2001
8,691
1
81
Originally posted by: BigJ
Aren't there differences in some states, for example NY, where I think that cigs have to be made a special way so they have a decreased chance of causing fire?
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware of that, but yes - if states impose special manufacturing requirements, it usually causes their local pricing to increase.
 
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imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
1,617
0
0
Originally posted by: gsaldivar
Would I be correct in assuming that each cigarette product is sold at a relatively fixed price throughout the USA, with differences in cost being due to the state's tax?

http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html

Fixed Price (manufacturer's price) + Retail Markup + Variable Price (state tax) = Your Retail Price?

Small variances in manufacturer's pricing is usually due to volume purchase discounts, promotions, etc. That type of information is usually considered proprietary and secret, thus the difficulty you were having in locating it on the web.

If you take the retail price of a given cigarette product from the lowest-priced retailer you can find, minus the tax of the state in which you purchased it, I'm guessing that you should be reasonably close to the manufacturer's price which should be relatively constant nationwide.
Click to expand...


Thanks for that link! I was looking for a chart like that.
 
Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
In Michigan a pack of Marlboro Lights is about $5.25 give or take 0.25 depending where you get them. A carton is about $50 anywhere I've been.
 
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imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
1,617
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Originally posted by: Jeff7181
In Michigan a pack of Marlboro Lights is about $5.25 give or take 0.25 depending where you get them. A carton is about $50 anywhere I've been.
Click to expand...


A carton is 10 packs right?
$50 for a carton is quite a lot, especially since I'm seeing cartons of marlboros for under $20 at a lot of these online discount places.

 
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boyRacer

Lifer
Oct 1, 2001
18,569
0
0
i remember when a pack of marlboro reds was $1.25 around 97 or so... oh well. A pack now is around $3.25-4 or so... I think marlboro 27s cost a bit more... I don't remember i havent bought one in months.

EDIT: A carton nowadays is around $30-35+... i'm in LA BTW.
 
Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
In Michigan a pack of Marlboro Lights is about $5.25 give or take 0.25 depending where you get them. A carton is about $50 anywhere I've been.
Click to expand...


A carton is 10 packs right?
$50 for a carton is quite a lot, especially since I'm seeing cartons of marlboros for under $20 at a lot of these online discount places.
Click to expand...

That's correct. The reason those ones from online places are cheaper is because there's no state tax on them since they're purchased over the internet from out of state. However, some states, NY and MI being two I know of, are starting to ask these online cigarette retailers for records of people who've purchased them, then charging people the state tax, plus a penalty for circumventing it. I read an article about a woman who purchased 3 cartons online for about $60, and will end up paying $200 for those three cartons with the state tax and penalty.
 
I

imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
1,617
0
0
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
In Michigan a pack of Marlboro Lights is about $5.25 give or take 0.25 depending where you get them. A carton is about $50 anywhere I've been.
Click to expand...


A carton is 10 packs right?
$50 for a carton is quite a lot, especially since I'm seeing cartons of marlboros for under $20 at a lot of these online discount places.
Click to expand...

That's correct. The reason those ones from online places are cheaper is because there's no state tax on them since they're purchased over the internet from out of state. However, some states, NY and MI being two I know of, are starting to ask these online cigarette retailers for records of people who've purchased them, then charging people the state tax, plus a penalty for circumventing it. I read an article about a woman who purchased 3 cartons online for about $60, and will end up paying $200 for those three cartons with the state tax and penalty.
Click to expand...

Can you find a link to the article?
It's doubtful that very many of these online places will voluntarily supply customer info to states, so I'm wandering how they got the info about that woman.

In a lot of the articles I'm reading in LexisNexis everyone seems to be thinking that the higher taxes are resulting in more smokers quiting from the drop in cig sales, but it looks to me like the sales aren't really dropping, but just shifting out of state.

 
Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
Aug 21, 2002
18,368
11
81
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
In Michigan a pack of Marlboro Lights is about $5.25 give or take 0.25 depending where you get them. A carton is about $50 anywhere I've been.
Click to expand...


A carton is 10 packs right?
$50 for a carton is quite a lot, especially since I'm seeing cartons of marlboros for under $20 at a lot of these online discount places.
Click to expand...

That's correct. The reason those ones from online places are cheaper is because there's no state tax on them since they're purchased over the internet from out of state. However, some states, NY and MI being two I know of, are starting to ask these online cigarette retailers for records of people who've purchased them, then charging people the state tax, plus a penalty for circumventing it. I read an article about a woman who purchased 3 cartons online for about $60, and will end up paying $200 for those three cartons with the state tax and penalty.
Click to expand...

Can you find a link to the article?
It's doubtful that very many of these online places will voluntarily supply customer info to states, so I'm wandering how they got the info about that woman.

In a lot of the articles I'm reading in LexisNexis everyone seems to be thinking that the higher taxes are resulting in more smokers quiting from the drop in cig sales, but it looks to me like the sales aren't really dropping, but just shifting out of state.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't voluntarily do it... they're legally bound to do it... I'll look for the article.
 
RelaxTheMind

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
0
76
here in virginia I live about an hour and a half from Philip morris in Richmond, Virginia.

premium packs/carton average ~$4.25/$40 mid ~$3.50/$35 generic ~$2.50/$27

Although I can drive to the border in north carolina and get generic cigs for $1.09 a pack. $9.95/carton. (i used to be a real smoker, brands didnt matter)

When i was in new york/new jersey area last november

premium pack/carton $8/$60 (thats including the many imports they have) mid ~$6/$55 generic ~$4/$35

 
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imported_hscorpio

Golden Member
Sep 1, 2004
1,617
0
0
Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Washington State tax penalty info

Michigan Department of Treasurey cigarette tax penalty info (this is the one I was talking about) After reading more it looks like if you've purchased 3 or more cartons online they could come after you. With tax and penalty, you'd pay an extra $120 on top of what you paid for those 3 cartons.

New York info...
Click to expand...


"Under federal law, Internet cigarette vendors have a legal responsibility to provide details of their sales to Michigan residents. We then use that information to issue assessments and collect taxes and penalties that are due."

This led me to search the Jenkins Act, and I found this:

There has been a lot of talk lately about the Jenkins Act. The Jenkins Act requires anyone who sells cigarettes into any state, to report those sales to each state monthly. This would include your name and order information. Native Americans are exempt from the Jenkins Act because we are independent nations under our federal treaties. That is the reason that we do not pay, or collect, state taxes.

Interesting stuff.

 
TallBill

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
I cant believe that so many people pay so much for something that most of them "want" to quit. To each his own I guess.
 
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