Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 281,713	$ 405,855	$ 208,748	$ 240,923
Investment securities available for sale	134,141	69,984
Accounts receivable - trade, net	12,495	11,247
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	96,761	100,392
Deferred income taxes	32,017	36,609
Income taxes receivable, net	16,631	6,779
Restricted assets	1,241	2,469
Other current assets	5,220	5,721
Total current assets	580,219	639,056
Property, plant and equipment, net	58,067	57,153
Investment in consolidated real estate businesses, net	23,200	13,295
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	21,292	16,367
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	6,671	6,432
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	142,878	119,219
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	12,288	9,792
Deferred income taxes	54,140	49,142
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	13,787	12,870
Other assets	49,490	55,894
Total assets	1,069,543	1,086,731
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	33,906	36,778
Current portion of employee benefits	2,824	2,824
Accounts payable	5,920	6,099
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	17,618	18,730
Income taxes payable	6,423	6,269
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	1,208	20,419
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	59,966	34,440
Deferred income taxes	32,030	27,299
Accrued interest	22,398	25,410
Other current liabilities	13,080	16,891
Total current liabilities	195,373	195,159
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	638,352	586,946
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	166,629	172,128
Non-current employee benefits	46,377	45,860
Deferred income taxes	112,444	109,532
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	39,870	56,358
Total liabilities	1,199,045	1,165,983
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(129,502)	(79,252)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,069,543	1,086,731
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	273,219	401,344	188,132	238,262
Investment securities available for sale	83,019	35,330
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	879	354
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	28,804	33,238
Income taxes receivable, net	44,764	33,302
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	479	665
Total current assets	431,164	504,233
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,115	2,104
Investment in consolidated real estate businesses, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	20,540	15,540
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	6,671	6,432
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	265,105	210,525
Restricted assets	1,892	1,898
Deferred income taxes	39,627	38,077
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	39,568	39,534
Total assets	808,682	818,343
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	782	661
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	21,328	23,304
Accrued interest	22,398	25,410
Other current liabilities	3,872	5,545
Total current liabilities	48,380	54,920
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	623,215	572,023
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	166,629	172,128
Non-current employee benefits	26,436	25,599
Deferred income taxes	72,616	71,777
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	908	1,148
Total liabilities	938,184	897,595
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(129,502)	(79,252)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	808,682	818,343
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	7,779	3,776	19,967	2,488
Investment securities available for sale	51,122	34,654
Accounts receivable - trade, net	12,257	11,183
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	96,761	100,392
Deferred income taxes	3,213	3,371
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	1,241	2,469
Other current assets	4,548	4,848
Total current assets	176,921	160,693
Property, plant and equipment, net	53,408	54,810
Investment in consolidated real estate businesses, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	10,365	7,863
Deferred income taxes	8,643	5,669
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	13,787	12,870
Other assets	9,920	16,144
Total assets	380,555	365,560
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	33,752	36,617
Current portion of employee benefits	2,824	2,824
Accounts payable	5,025	5,173
Intercompany payables	493	64
Accrued promotional expenses	17,618	18,730
Income taxes payable	449	1,445
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	1,208	20,419
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	59,966	34,440
Deferred income taxes	10,702	3,995
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	7,917	9,658
Total current liabilities	139,954	133,365
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	11,567	14,860
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	19,941	20,261
Deferred income taxes	35,306	33,793
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	37,504	54,506
Total liabilities	244,272	256,785
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	136,283	108,775
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	380,555	365,560
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	715	735	649	173
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	238	64
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	193	208
Total current assets	1,146	1,007
Property, plant and equipment, net	544	239
Investment in consolidated real estate businesses, net	23,200	13,295
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	752	827
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	142,878	119,219
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	31	31
Deferred income taxes	5,870	5,396
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	2	216
Total assets	174,423	140,230
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	154	161
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	113	265
Intercompany payables	386	290
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable	34,107	31,347
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	1,291	1,688
Total current liabilities	36,051	33,751
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	3,570	63
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	4,522	3,962
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	1,458	704
Total liabilities	45,601	38,480
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	128,822	101,750
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	174,423	140,230
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(879)	(354)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(28,133)	(26,523)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(29,012)	(26,877)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in consolidated real estate businesses, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(265,105)	(210,525)
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(294,117)	(237,402)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payables	(879)	(354)
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable	(28,133)	(26,523)
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(29,012)	(26,877)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	(29,012)	(26,877)
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(265,105)	(210,525)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ (294,117)	$ (237,402)