Thoughts on cellaring, collecting, hoarding, trading and selling beer

Ditto.

 

So not gonna lie, I didn't read the whole post, because quite frankly, Ive read medical text books shorter than that. But I will say, I am cool with the 4 former, but despise the last (selling). Here's my take. I view selling beer (on eBay, craiglist, etc) as the equivalent of ticket scalping, which I also am adamantly opposed to. To me a ticket scalper, or eBay seller of beer, are both nothing more than middle men, screwing over both the producer of the product and the consumer. A band is going to put on a concert, they set a fair price for their tickets so that their fans can come, support them, and enjoy the product. Then a ticket scalper comes along (who almost certainly isnt a far of the band), scoops up all the tickets, and now there are none available for the real fans to purchase at the fair price set by the band. Now these fans, being fans and all and wanting to enjoy the show being put on by their favorite artist, decide they are willing to pay whatever price necessary to get into the show. So the all too willing ticket scalper is there to sell them some tickets for an (often absurdly) inflated price. This screws over both the producer and the consumer, and benefits but one person, the douche bag ticket scalper. They are providing absolutely no service, they are just profiteering off of a consumers love for a product. The band loses potential money they could have made from charging such high prices in the first place, and the fans lose money by paying significantly more than was originally asked. Likewise, those who sell beers on eBay are effectively doing the same thing. Bringing a bunch of mules to a beer release, and then turning around and selling those beers at massively inflated prices does nothing but hurt the craft beer community, and benefit no one but oneself. So if you are one of said eBay sellers, or ticket scalpers, f you .

 

I am split on this topic, one side says buy what you want then do what you want with your beer, other side (the entitled American side) says I deserve to score at least one bottle of whatever new limited release comes out.

I guess at the end of the day, in the spirit of being a lover of great beer, I'd like everyone to stick with their store bottle limit and actually consume (gasp!) the beer they buy instead of throwing it up for sale, holding it for hostage on the trading block, or throwing it in a dark closet for years like an unopened action figure hoping the value will go up over time. But I think we've all been guilty of at least one faux pas in the beer world.

 

Yes and actually it's almost irrelevant to one's macro views about capitalism vs. some other system. Here and in some other threads it's as if capitalism is equated with some sort of completely laissez-faire principle about selling of goods like this without a seller having the freedom to use some sort of restriction to accommodate the customer base.

 

This does happen in wine.

And it's much more expensive, and I think that because it's beyond most folks' budgets that they're not as aware of it.

Plus in wine it seems that they're better at raising prices to the point where the demand and supply curves intersect. There's just not the massive quantities of relatively cheap wine that are oh so rare and oh so good that they sell out and create headaches like you see in craft beer.

 

I'm pretty sure those people selling westy bricks didn't pay $700 for them. If they were selling them for the same price I might agree with you.

 

Simply put, it's illegal to resell alcohol without a license in the US nationwide, unless I'm mistaken.

I guess I'm missing your main point in all of this ranting, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Are you angry about reselling at jacked up prices, or think that others don't have the right to be upset by the practice? And are you comparing the "Latest Haul" thread to that practice, or are you describing it as a positive facet of this beer community?

I think that the vast majority of beer collected, hoarded and highly sought after is not for the collector to drink by themselves, and especially not for the sake of being the only one to drink that bottle with selfish intent. I think that it's rare that individuals take an exceptionally hard beer to find, or limited release, and "Markintihar" it in a CBS snifter, unless you are, in fact, MarkIntihar. But then it's justified, because of all the other aspects in which Mark assists other BAs in his daily life, that selfish act is negated by other selfless ones. And it's not like any of us want all that §ucaba anyways.

I see that most of the über .rar beers popping up in major tastings, shared amongst a large amount of BAs or beer enthusiasts, most with only a couple of ounces per pour, and delighting in the comparison of palates and the sharing of good brew. Even the non-wales that disappear off shelves quickly are often split with others, more often than not in the name of sharing the wealth.

Now, I'm not talking about those that walk into a store on a tip from our forums where they might find a new release, then go in and buy out the stock just to resell it illegally on the internet, but there will always be those that scrape the icing off the Oreo before tossing back the damp cookie.

As far as trading goes, I'm of the opinion, while the minority, that beer is beer, and my own personal mental value is what I'm willing to trade said beer for. Many of my opinions on value differ greatly from the majority on here, so in those instances, I just avoid trading for/trading away said beer, because I know how the negotiation will go.

However, I've come to know a great many BAs that I've traded with multiple times that have the same mentality, and those trades go better than most, because we understand a mutual though process regarding the trade, and know that neither of us is trying to outsmart the other, or "win" the trade. This mentality is, while diminishing, the ultimately better way to go about trading.

Again, if I misinterpreted your statements, my B. Cheers to you and the airing of your grievances, for as you know, 'tis the season.

Now, time for feats of strength.

 

Typically in early to mid 20s. Typically with a "collector" mindset. Often will continue to sample and rate beers even after their palatte has lost the capacity for discernment.

 

OK I get what you say. But how bout if you cant get your money back (scalper) he takes a chance sometimes a win sometimes a loss. I stopped going to Kate The Great day not because the beer was not good it was great.. Just too much of a pain in the ass line plus how many other great beers can you just go in an buy...Stuff works out. If you can't buy this beer or ticket get an other one. If re-sellers get left holding then they stop

 

I don't collect or cellar because I don't have the space or the patience. I haven't traded but I am excited about it. I think it is great that I have the opportunity to try a beer that I cannot get locally and same for the other person in the trade. I look at retail price of the beer and how much it is worth it to me to try something new. That is how I determine value. In my opinion that's good for both traders and both breweries.

 

krl2112 couldn't smooth a silk sheet if he had a hot date with a babe...I lost my train of thought

 

It's a Festivus miracle!

 

True, the holier than thou mentality is pretty pointless, but trading and selling are 2 totally different things, in my opinion (obviously open for debate). And as I said, "trading up," or auctioning off your beers for better/more beer is the wrong way to go about it, but I think that those who trade fairly, and believe me when I say that there are plenty here, is very different, and much more beneficial, than trading for profit, or selling beer.

I believe in an oxford comma. Yeesh.

 

I don't even understand how this would work.... Why wouldn't he just have them dry cleaned?

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i assumed you were a festivus afficiando. i am disappoint