Anybody else not having beer trades go smoothly?

yes. this happens often. I was just in talks of trading some northeast beers for some Cigar City stuff and it stalled quickly after. Buyers remorse.

 

Wait, people actually complete 1 for 1 trades for 12 oz. bottles? What's the point of that? Seriously, I don't see any problem with starting with that and expanding but I cannot imagine sending a box to Alaska (not exactly close to most people) and getting one 12 oz. bottle. That's pointless.

I would probably give you a "thanks but not thanks" if you insisted on such a small trade too.

 

I think people generally dont want to trade a single bottle at a time, as its really not worth the cost of shipping (unless its something pretty rare)...cant be cheap sending beer to Alaska!

 

So, your mad someone wanted to expand a trade so they aren't just shipping one 12oz bottle?

 

Huh, who knew there was such an onslaught of beer being shipped to Alaska? Personally don't see how trading a 12oz bottle of beer for another is pointless. I would think the point is to try a beer you otherwise wouldn't have access to. Maybe it's something someone has been dying to get his hands on, and maybe he's broke. Nothing wrong with expanding the trade if that's what both parties want to do, but I wouldn't say a 1 for 1 is pointless.

 

Yeah I would say if that is all then why not do it 1 12oz bottle would actually be easy and cheap to ship.

 

I just can't fathom going through all the hard work of packing a box, printing a label, and paying for shipping and onlt expecting 1 BCBS in return. It's a $5 bottle of beer and not exactly rare. It's not a bottle of Dave or a 375 of Don Quixote.

To your point of it being better if you are broke, I don't really see trading as something you should be doing if you are looking to be cost effective. And i it is much more cost effective to do bigger trades less often than small trades often from shipping cost and packing materials cost perspective.

Either way, if two people respond to my ISO post and one won't expand and wants to do 1 for 1 to AL and the other is more flexible, I am going with the latter even though the first person technically was able to fill my ISO.

 

According to my Fedex account it would cost me $25 to ship a 1 pound box from here to Alaska, That wold make it a $30 bottle of Pirate Bomb, $25 for shipping and $5 for the beer. I put 1 lb for every box I ship and have never had one reweighed. So assuming I stay lucky and the box gets there at 1 lb regardless of what I put in then I am in much better shape if I send $100 worth of beer at a 25% markup than if I send $5 at a 500% mark up. Even if I pay the full cost at $60 for a 20 lb box trading higher cost beers the mark up is much lower.

Honestly I think being in Alaska is screwing him. I wouldn't trade with you unless you were the only person I could get it from. It is nothing personal, it is about twice the price to ship to Alaska as to ship to California from here, If I can find it in the continental US I would rather save the money on shipping. Especially for a single bottle.

 

This might have been about me. Turns out he is in Arkansas but still didn't feel like trading a 120 (not sure why it was in my wants as I don't have any) and a KBS for a Heady Topper and a Pirate Bomb! I don't like trading on a smallish scale. Even if adding a six pack of locals I would be much more interested.

 

Then no offense OP, but if you actually reside in the continental US, its mostly on you (dont know your situation, could be a heavy business traveler, could have just moved, who knows). But in general - I know people think they are being cute by putting silly locations in their profile, but I wont even consider trading with such people.

 

Cool but if I was only shipping 1 or 2 small bottles why not use USPS flat rate boxes it would cost $12. USPS might suck for big boxes of lots of beer but for something easy at that distance it sounds good to me.

 

Most people, myself included, don't like breaking federal laws shipping alcohol via USPS. Not telling you what to do, just giving you one major reason.

 

You do that using FedEx and ups as well. Most people lie about what is in the box right? I know the second time I shipped a box through ups I said beer when asked and was told it was illegal for me to ship beer with out the proper license...

 

The actual act of shipping via FedEx and UPS is only against their policies, not prohibited by law like it is with USPS. This is separate from whether or not you can send, receive, and/or transport alcohol across state lines without a license.

 

Aside from the legal issues, Even at $12 for 1 bottle of BCBS that is still a 240% markup. When I trade even my small trades are usually $40 of beer or more with less than $15 spent on shipping.

 

So it is still a federal crime.

 

IANAL, but I believe that it's state-specific regulations as to what you can or cannot do.

ETA: Here's a good primer on this along with clear differentiation between UPS/FedEx vs. USPS - http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Shipping-Laws-State-by-State_1049

 

You may not like it, but it is 100% illegal, regardless of how you ship it, to ship alcohol without a license...plain and simple.

 

I think a big difference, or so I've read is that FedEx and UPS either throw your stuff out and/or send you a letter telling you to stop. Whereas the USPS gets more aggressive and contacts you directly about potential fines, punishment. I could be wrong just my take on it.