NYC to Pennsylvania cigarette run

Liet

Golden Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,529
0
0
Hi dudes,

Can anyone confirm the average price of cigarettes in Pennsylvania? I've pondering the idea of taking a $20 Chinatown bus after work to pick up a few cartons.

I feel like a revolutionary.
 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Hi dudes,

Can anyone confirm the average price of cigarettes in Pennsylvania? I've pondering the idea of taking a $20 Chinatown bus after work to pick up a few cartons.

I feel like a revolutionary.

A bit north of $5 a pack for name brand.
 

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
0
76
its like $9.50 for 2 packs of premium cigs here in southern va. $8 if i drive 15 minutes to the border of carolina. a carton of premiums is like $32-$39. if they happen to have promotional cartons of the "$1-2 off" stuff u can snag a carton for like $20. not sure if they are supposed to do that though but they do.
 

Liet

Golden Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,529
0
0
Thanks for the link, MadScientist. I used to order from a company in the Seneca territory long ago, until Bloomberg sued the reservations.

They're charging $60 for a carton of my brand, so I might be better of just going to PA and having them cheaper and in hand today.
 

Liet

Golden Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,529
0
0
I was just pondering it. I would never actually avoid paying state or city taxes. Vice taxes are a wonderful thing and we need more of them.
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
Hi dudes,

Can anyone confirm the average price of cigarettes in Pennsylvania? I've pondering the idea of taking a $20 Chinatown bus after work to pick up a few cartons.

I feel like a revolutionary.

Hey guys! I'd like to break the law, but I need some help. Any of you bros help? Thanks, fellow criminals!
 

IcePickFreak

Platinum Member
Jul 12, 2007
2,428
9
81
tax evasion is illegal

Right, because when a family goes out of town for vacation you know they always account for the out-of-state expenses on their taxes.

OP, you ever think of either rolling or making your own? You can get pre-made tubes, tobacco, and a cig making machine and make em yourself waaaaaaay cheaper. A pack of Marlboro's is about $7.00 here and I thought that was too steep. I started making my own and it comes out to a little under $2.50 a pack. You most likely can find the tobacco locally for relatively cheap, and you also miss out on all the other crap they put into manufactured cigs.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,260
14,689
146
Cigarette tax by state, add another $1.50/pack for NYC.
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0222.pdf

The Senneca Smoke Shop is still doing business online. Minimum order is 4 cartons. Not sure what carrier they use since you can not ship cigarettes via USPS now, except small quantities to APO, FPO addresses.

http://www.senecasmokeshop.com/

Damn...Seneca is higher than I pay here at the local Circle K store...About $49/carton including sales taxes.
 

Liet

Golden Member
Jun 9, 2001
1,529
0
0
That's a pretty damn fine idea, actually. Do you find that they taste better, as well?

Problem is, my father lives with me and just quit smoking after 60 years. I'm leery of keeping a cigarette-making mchine around! :)
 

darkewaffle

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2005
8,152
1
81
Hey guys! I'd like to break the law, but I need some help. Any of you bros help? Thanks, fellow criminals!

Wait, seriously? I'm actually curious, I figured this would of course be legal. I live in PA, and I know people from PA/MD/NJ who travel to Delaware just to go shopping because there's no sales tax.
 

Wyndru

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2009
7,318
4
76
Rolling your own really is the way to go, at least until they pass the tax law that makes cigar and pipe tobacco applicable to the same taxes, like they did to the roll your own tobacco last year.

You can get pretty much any flavor tobacco and filter, and the machines are really simple and quick. The only problem I run into is the supply. My shop has a line of people outside of it on Thursdays when their shipments come in, and they frequently run out by the weekend, so you have to get there early.
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
Wait, seriously? I'm actually curious, I figured this would of course be legal. I live in PA, and I know people from PA/MD/NJ who travel to Delaware just to go shopping because there's no sales tax.

Depends on the product they're purchasing. Many states have laws against transporting certain things across state lines.

With smokes, most states don't like cartons or packs without that state's tax stamp.

It's not like some cop is going to stop some guy and check the pack of smokes he has in his pocket, but crossing state lines for smokes isn't new and there are plenty of states with laws specifically on the books for smokes.
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
I don't think it's illegal to buy things in states where you don't live.

Is it illegal to buy things while you're on vacation?

I know you're not this stupid. You're just playing stupid for the sake of argument. While I can respect that tactic, to some degree... gimme a break. :rolleyes:
 

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
I know you're not this stupid. You're just playing stupid for the sake of argument. While I can respect that tactic, to some degree... gimme a break. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. Still, I didn't know it was illegal to buy cigarettes out of state. I guess it doesn't surprise me, I just never thought about it.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,260
14,689
146
It's perfectly legal to buy things when you're on vacation, but most states will require you to pay the taxes on goods you bring back to your home state...much like most states require you to pay taxes on things you buy on the intarwebs.
(not that most people actually do...)
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Depends on the product they're purchasing. Many states have laws against transporting certain things across state lines.

With smokes, most states don't like cartons or packs without that state's tax stamp.

It's not like some cop is going to stop some guy and check the pack of smokes he has in his pocket, but crossing state lines for smokes isn't new and there are plenty of states with laws specifically on the books for smokes.

And most if not all of them have a limit on the number of cartons you can bring across. As long as it isn't hundreds of cartons with the intent to distribute or sell nothing illegal is being done by purchasing cigarettes across state lines.
 

JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
12,032
1,132
126
What's a chinatown bus? A regular bus that leaves from chinatown?

That's a pretty damn fine idea, actually. Do you find that they taste better, as well?

Problem is, my father lives with me and just quit smoking after 60 years. I'm leery of keeping a cigarette-making mchine around! :)

Guess you value you father's health over yours.
 
Last edited:
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
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I used to do this all the time back when I visited CT and it didn't have aggressive taxes. $10 a pack back then in NYC ($12+ now), $4.50 a pack in CT! I wouldn't go out there just for cigs but, when I did, I'd buy at least 4 packs