No-sales tax shopping, East-Coast style
By Jennie L. Phipps • Bankrate.com

Delaware's known as the First State, and it definitely is the first stop for many shoppers in the northeast. The state's location makes it an easy drive or quick bus or train trip from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York.

Adding appeal to the easy access: Delaware has no sales tax.

At the Christiana Mall on the outskirts of Wilmington, the state's largest city, you won't find anything unusual. But if you live in a state that taxes clothing, this mall and the stores that surround it offer the chance to get the apparel you would buy anyway at a few dollars less.

If you're buying a big item like an appliance and live in one of the nearby states, Delaware retailers often will arrange delivery from a warehouse near your home. That way, in addition to the tax savings, you don't pay extra for transport.

One word of warning: Every state that has a sales tax also has a use tax. These laws are designed to collect sales tax on products you buy in a tax-free jurisdiction but "use" in your home, sales-tax-collecting state. Enforcement and collection of use taxes varies from state to state.

When you finish shopping, check out Delaware's 26 miles of coastline, some of the prettiest beaches on the East Coast.

The state also is home to numerous du Pont family mansions left over from the days when the chemical company was king. Winterthur, the former home of Henry Francis du Pont, was designed in the spirit of a European country house and boasts an impressive collection of American antiques. Just across the state line in Pennsylvania is Longwood Gardens, created by industrialist Pierre S. du Pont and recognized as one of the world's premier horticultural display gardens.