Zette is absolutely right.
About eight years ago, when cartons of cigarettes bought in Ontario cost $45, and cartons of cigarettes in New York State cost considerably less (I guess from reading Zette’s post that things have changed), smugglers were making a fortune off Canadian smokers. The smugglers would buy Canadian cigarettes in New York for the New York price and smuggle them back into Ontario.
Then they’d show up at the local pub or bar, usually late at night, and just drop a word into the bar: “Cheap smokes in the van in the parking lot.” Selection was limited, but you couldn’t beat the price: $20 out of the back of the van as opposed to $45 at the store. Sure the smugglers had paid for the cigarettes in New York, but even at $20 a carton, they were making a profit.
I would imagine that robbers who made off with cigarettes could do the same thing. Unlike the smugglers though, their price wouldn’t have to factor in an initial cash outlay. But all it would take is a word in a bar, and the smokes would move.