Took a chance....

[tom502]

Hi,

I hope I didn't make a mistake. But my father is a smoker, and I've noticed a few sites that sell cheap cigs from overseas. I've often looked at them and pondered, hoping I would not be ripped off.

But today, I decided to take a chance with one. If anything, if it's a rip off, I hope I am only out $16 bucks.

But I ordered a carton from here: http://www.mailmycigarettes.com/

The site owner emailed me back, after I enquired about his site. I did email him back, telling him I've never done this before, but if it works out well, I'll probably do it again, so I guess it's wait and see.

[lxskllr]

I've wondered about operations like that. Keep us updated. If I could find a place that sold unfiltered Luckys, or Camels, I'd consider buying a carton and freezing them. That way I could have the occasional cigarette, and the carton would last almost the rest of my life :^D

[Liandri]

I'd personally love to get my hands on a pack of Lambert and Butler menthols. I enjoyed those when I was oversees, trying new things.

Lx if you wanted LS's we got those where I'm from but I haven't seen camel unfiltered in a long long LONG time.

EDIT: I take that back, have both.

[papawinkle]

Liandri -- if you can find a legit British cigarette dealer online, and let us know when you do, you could surely buy a carton of Lambert and Butlers -- it's a popular brand -- but it's likely to cost you a bundle in duty charges.

Or, for about twenty-six bucks American, you could buy a carton of Lambert and Butlers from Tony Tung's syndicate in Yunxiao. It's a popular international brand, and they've got the printing down to a science -- up to sixty variant tax marks and package designs for Marlboro Reds, for instance -- and the fix has long been in with the Party locals.

I understand the taste of the most popular brands is often very well mimicked through the best efforts of moonlighting chemistry professors from Fudan U -- the price quoted is $15,000 per brand plus royalties -- and you can get up to an extra eighty percent nicotine hit in Yunxiao cigs, too. Along with elevated levels of a lot of other stuff.

Oh hell, I'm just amusing myself after Googling "counterfeit cigarettes Philippines." Please forgive me.

[lxskllr]

Lx if you wanted LS's we got those where I'm from but I haven't seen camel unfiltered in a long long LONG time.

EDIT: I take that back, have both.

Camels are easy to get here. Luckys I could get a couple years ago, but I don't know about current availability. It's a bit more spotty, but you tend to find them more out in the country. I'd only get them if they were very cheap(not current American market rate). I don't like cigarettes enough to pay that kind of premium for a carton.

About 20 years ago they were renovating a local drugstore, and turning it into offices. When they were doing the attic, they found a carton of WWII Luckys under the floorboards. They figured it was an employee stashing them for later removal. One of the workers was selling them in the local pub for $5 a pack. Unfortunately I wasn't there, and didn't get one :^( I'd love to have a Lucky pack in OD :^)

[Snusmun]

man you guys are making me salivate for some unfiltered Gauloises. Found them for about $25/carton from one of these sites.

[BadAxe]

I have ordered my wife's cigs from www.dirtcheapbutts.com for the last 2 years. 6 cartons at a time, Marlboro Light. I would have ordered mine from there too except it seems no one oversea's carries menthols. Anyway, Total price including shipping is like $23 a carton. They take 3 weeks to a month to get here. But I have had zero issues with ordering them. The cigs come from the Ukraine. The only English word on them is Marlboro, the rest is in Russian. lol. But man, the money I have saved on her cigs the last 2 years is amazing.

But she is snusing now, so I have not ordered her anymore.

[Liandri]

I don't know anything other than Lucky Strike, Camel, and Pall Mall that came unfiltered. I got a pack of these russian cigarettes that were unfiltered but instead of just tobacco up to the end there was just a little piece of round fiber board inside for holding. Can't remember what the hell they were called, bleh.

[Tobakssmak]

Look into making them yourself. There's a little work involved, but you can make them literally for less than $1/pack, maybe 1.50 if you buy premium tobacco. And, not only is it cheaper but it's a *better* smoke, better for you (no FSC), and better tasting (even with the "cheap" tobacco). I recommend Golden Harvest full flavor / Zen full flavor tubes. With that combo, I was right at 1 dollar per pack.

A good stuffing machine will cost you $40, but you'll make that back in savings after only 1 or 2 cartons.

Check out www.ryorevolution.com

RobS

[tom502]

These were from my father, who refuses to even try snus. He has made his own cigs before, with the tubes and injector machine. But he was curious about the cheap cartons online. I don't mind if I get taken for $16 bucks, I just hope they can't get into my account. But everything seemed OK on the site and the process. So it's just wait and see.

[Liandri]

I looked at a few cigarette stores online and TBH non of them look "professional" in the sense that I'd want to buy from them. And it kinda looks like most, if not all stores/brands are sold overseas (The giant warning throws it off). Always just a tad bit skeptical. I think you should be fine. Maybe talk to your bank/credit union and say "I used this store and have my doubts, if my credit numbers are at any time in use in this area can you please hold until I confirm" They'll take where the order was placed (even if you don't see it on the website) and redlist the area in something goes on.

Does that still go on? I did it after my first northerner purchace ( was skeptical too about them at a time ) until my order can in. Then I told my credit union all was good with them. Of course if you forget to say anythig and try and place and order they'll say they never recieved payment until you clear it with you bank/CU

[lxskllr]

Look into making them yourself. There's a little work involved, but you can make them literally for less than $1/pack, maybe 1.50 if you buy premium tobacco. And, not only is it cheaper but it's a *better* smoke, better for you (no FSC), and better tasting (even with the "cheap" tobacco). I recommend Golden Harvest full flavor / Zen full flavor tubes. With that combo, I was right at 1 dollar per pack.

A good stuffing machine will cost you $40, but you'll make that back in savings after only 1 or 2 cartons.

Check out www.ryorevolution.com

RobS

I handrolled my cigarettes for the past 20 years or so. I like the unfiltered prerolled, because... Well, just because :^D I like the short packs, and the history in the brands. It isn't worth $50 a carton to me, but it might be worth $20. I'd have to see when the opportunity presented itself.

[papawinkle]

I'll second the recommendation to Make Your Own. The wife fixes her pack/day habit with ten minutes at the machine every morning. We went looking in the Daughters and Ryan list for a Camel analogue and got sidetracked -- by better tobaccos. (Note: a better Camel = Ramback Gold label; Lucky Strike = Two Timer.) Cost: about $1 a pack. Beats any feces-laden Chinese knockoff with or without anxiety about card theft.

[LHB]

Bear in mind that RYO and MYO smokes, along with most grey market overseas purchases, enable you to enjoy a smoke without that horrible FSC cigarette paper. What I wouldn't give for a carton of Galluoise unfilitered, though. Or that amazing Galluoise rolling tobacco in the light blue pouch. Man, that was good.

[BadAxe]

I tried the make your own cigs for a few days. But I was a heavy smoker, 2 packs a day, and I found that it required too much of a daily time committment to make my own consistently. I have very few hours of free time a day, and I really did not feel like dedicating at least one of those hours, usually a bit longer, every single day, to making cigs. It got old really fast. If I had been under a pack a day smoker, I would definitely have continued making my own. I liked them, just too much time involved.