Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 238,323	$ 326,365	$ 506,423	$ 234,466
Investment securities available for sale	342,577	346,043
Accounts receivable - trade, net	18,022	23,328
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	98,576	90,323
Income taxes receivable, net	0	3,282
Restricted assets	2,324	2,595
Other current assets	45,236	36,718
Total current assets	745,058	828,654
Property, plant and equipment, net	79,448	84,112
Real estate held for sale, net	23,043	10,643
Long-term investments at cost	46,219	40,292
Investments in real estate ventures	199,026	163,460
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	20,220	12,013
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	267,000	269,972
Prepaid pension costs	26,635	25,032
Other assets	56,194	58,893
Total assets	1,462,843	1,493,071
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	6,074	52,640
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	884
Current portion of employee benefits	931	931
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	3,723	1,743
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	66,103	29,471
Deferred income taxes, net	28,322	28,479
Other current liabilities	125,523	126,755
Total current liabilities	230,676	240,903
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	872,999	860,711
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	156,783	168,502
Non-current employee benefits	49,705	49,314
Deferred income taxes, net	98,180	94,510
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	56,166	57,079
Total liabilities	$ 1,464,509	$ 1,471,019
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (82,986)	$ (57,027)
Non-controlling interest	81,320	79,079
Total stockholders' (deficiency) equity	(1,666)	22,052
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficiency) equity	1,462,843	1,493,071
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	111,503	211,751	398,119	151,342
Investment securities available for sale	277,483	278,010
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	1,744	795
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	2,343	1,055
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	910	899
Total current assets	393,983	492,510
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,177	2,648
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments at cost	45,669	39,594
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	563,658	518,963
Restricted assets	3,034	1,707
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	42,810	45,904
Total assets	1,051,331	1,101,326
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	25,000
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		884
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	78	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	18,734	17,452
Other current liabilities	34,318	36,653
Total current liabilities	53,130	79,989
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	864,399	852,560
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	156,783	168,502
Non-current employee benefits	33,381	32,842
Deferred income taxes, net	24,155	23,539
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	2,469	921
Total liabilities	$ 1,134,317	$ 1,158,353
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (82,986)	$ (57,027)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' (deficiency) equity	(82,986)	(57,027)
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficiency) equity	1,051,331	1,101,326
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	24,020	9,724	15,086	11,812
Investment securities available for sale	65,094	68,033
Accounts receivable - trade, net	12,471	18,024
Intercompany receivables	0	267
Inventories	98,576	90,323
Income taxes receivable, net	0	463
Restricted assets	910	1,181
Other current assets	7,078	9,133
Total current assets	208,149	197,148
Property, plant and equipment, net	57,228	61,149
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments at cost	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	17,186	10,306
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	26,635	25,032
Other assets	11,701	10,743
Total assets	428,410	411,889
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	5,788	27,248
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	931	931
Intercompany payables	405	0
Income taxes payable, net	5,985	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	66,103	29,471
Deferred income taxes, net	9,588	11,027
Other current liabilities	54,264	58,677
Total current liabilities	143,064	127,354
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	8,583	8,120
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	16,324	16,472
Deferred income taxes, net	34,560	32,301
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	49,460	51,775
Total liabilities	$ 251,991	$ 236,022
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ 176,419	$ 175,867
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' (deficiency) equity	176,419	175,867
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficiency) equity	428,410	411,889
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	102,800	104,890	93,218	71,312
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	5,551	5,304
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	21
Restricted assets	1,414	1,414
Other current assets	37,248	26,686
Total current assets	147,013	138,315
Property, plant and equipment, net	20,043	20,315
Real estate held for sale, net	23,043	10,643
Long-term investments at cost	550	698
Investments in real estate ventures	199,026	163,460
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	159,489	162,461
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	1,683	2,246
Total assets	550,847	498,138
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	286	392
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	1,339	1,062
Income taxes payable, net	3	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	0	0
Other current liabilities	36,941	31,425
Total current liabilities	38,569	32,879
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	17	31
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	39,465	38,670
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	4,237	4,383
Total liabilities	$ 82,288	$ 75,963
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ 387,239	$ 343,096
Non-controlling interest	81,320	79,079
Total stockholders' (deficiency) equity	468,559	422,175
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficiency) equity	550,847	498,138
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	(1,744)	(1,062)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(2,343)	1,743
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(4,087)	681
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments at cost	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(563,658)	(518,963)
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(567,745)	(518,282)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(1,744)	(1,062)
Income taxes payable, net	(2,343)	1,743
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(4,087)	681
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, net	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	$ (4,087)	$ 681
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (563,658)	$ (518,963)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' (deficiency) equity	(563,658)	(518,963)
Total liabilities and stockholders' (deficiency) equity	$ (567,745)	$ (518,282)