Trading, although enjoyable at times, is also quite addictive. For awhile I was shipping out 3-4 boxes a month (which is probably minimal compared to a lot of others on this site), but the costs were starting to stack up, with few benefits, besides of course having the opportunity to try new beers or share with others. I found myself looking to make virtually any trade, big or small, simply to build a larger cellar. I still have a cellar that I'm slowly drinking through, but I haven't made a trade offer or ISO post in a few months and have only sent out boxes to regular trade partners...where there is no effort involved based on negotiation or bargaining strategies. The change has been good. The beer tastes better knowing that I've received it from friends whom I've never met, regardless of rarity. Our connection is simply that we like to share beers with one another. This post is not to bash trading in general, it's simply to state that I'm happy to have broken free of the grip that it holds on some of us.
It would be interesting to see some data on how quickly people return to trading after making these posts. I have to imagine it's within a week or two.
Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I ship in beer? Even if I told you you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going to Fedex? A brewery big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears! It ceases to exist without me. No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger! A guy opens his door and gets a package full of shelf turds and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!
You know what's fun and always appreciated? When people make a big deal about their not doing anything. Everything on the internet needs a mic drop, right?
I've been clean for 4 months. Every day is a struggle. I find myself with half written replies to ISO's and FT's that I don't even remember having started. I look at my cellar that has a half year's drinking worth of beer provisioned, and think, "wouldn't it be great to have a few more to add to verticals and horizontals." Old trading partners mail me and try to tempt me back into the life. Ain't easy, I tell ya, but it can be done. One day at a time.
