Excited to get my feet wet and complete my first trade...any kind words of advice or help finding the beer/s im looking for??
Read all the rules, and do some searches for bottles you have/bottles you're looking for to get a sense of trade value. Be ready to potentially send first, as this is your first trade. Enjoy, and try not to get too addicted!
Based on you user name I think your best bets are Alpine (Nelson is always a favorite), Pizza Port cans, Alesmith/Modern Times/Lost Abbey limited releases, Council/Societe/Toolbox growlers etc.....start small because it gets addictive quickly. Use the search function on the trading to get an idea of what you can reasonably look for based on what you have.
Great advice here: If you don't know what you are looking for, don't trade. Try as many different local brews as you can to figure out what you like. Once you know which styles you love, then consider trading for those. Stop messaging in people's threads...message them privately by clicking their name and starting a conversation. http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/ft-para3-iso-heady-focal-petit.272547/#post-3456779 http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/ft-heady-077xx-iso-list.272605/#post-3456899 http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...neral-maine-lunch-dinner.272489/#post-3456951 http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...-willows-hoppin-frog-etc.272437/#post-3456968 Go slow...don't get in over your head. PLEASE read the rules. Cheers!
I lurked this forum and the trade forums for weeks before I even considered my first trade. Slow down and soak up some knowledge.
Communication. Make sure both parties understand what is involved. If extras, say it. Just be on the same page overall, never assume
Bomb proof each box. Read some of the other topics related to packing. Replacing trades is expensive and time consuming.
Try all your Cali beers before trading. Chances are you can get as good or better beer more easily by buying from the amazing local and state breweries you have out there. If you do trade my best advice is start with a veteran, and do your research before going for it. www.seekabrew.com is your friend not sure it's allowed to post the link, but do a google search for AleWatcher trading tips and you will find a wealth of great info on that blog
Do not send any boxes that have liquor, alcohol, wine, beer markings on them. Someone very recently sent one to me, and now I'm bing completely screwed over by fed ex.
This. COMMUNICATE. 9/10 problems that arise are from a lack of good communication. It takes 5 seconds to write someone a message and let them know what's going on. If you're going to be late shipping let them know, when you ship let them know, when you get the package let them know, if they have any questions answer them promptly. You'll save yourself a lot of hassle and potential issues simply by giving good communication.
FedEx wouldn't even ship one of my boxes that I recycled from an online retailer even though I Xd out the alcohol stickers on it. Wouldn't accept it at all.
There's so much good local distro in CA if you're willing to take little weekend trips to shops and breweries... what are you looking to trade for?
At this point I've tried a ton of beer from San Diego, well, California for that matter. Now im looking to get a hold of brews that I cant get out here such as heady, ZD, jai as well as a ton of others. So yes, I understand that im drowning in breweries out here but, this is more for the thrill & excitement of drinking brews Ive only heard about
It can get really expensive very quickly, both with shipping and the actual beer cost. I personally don't like to have more than 2 trades going at a time because of that. I just did a few trades and realized I needed to back off again for a bit due to expenses. Also I like to be able to ship quickly and be responsive, and that all takes time. I'm paranoid about packing, so here's my method: line a box with a garbage back, bubble wrap each bottle, put each in a brown bag, pack them and fill in gaps with newspaper, close and tape garbage bag, close and tape box, put that box in another garbage bag, put that in a bigger box filled with newspaper so it's tight on all sides, tape it up and go. Sounds kind of ridiculous, but I haven't had any breakage yet, and I'd rather spend a little extra on packing material than have to reship beer.
I have to echo the comment above about communication. If you are open and honest and trustworthy, people will want to trade again. There are always minor snafus that come up (weather, didn't make it to Fedex prior to closing, etc.) but being honest and communicating solves nearly everything. I would add that it helps if you are generally a friendly person. Most people in the craft beer scene are pretty cool and genuinely like to talk about beer and share new beers and really want to avoid drama and nonsense. Those people tend to appreciate people who are like-minded in that regard. I like to trade with those people and a few have become regular trading partners who I now consider friends.
Communicate efficiently. Be flexible (don't try to "win" trades). Make fair trades but don't be a slave to $4$. Pack as safely as you think you should....and then pack it some more. Don't render your packing supplies unusable (use rubber bands or minimal scotch tape around bottles). When it comes to extras, don't send old IPAs or anything in your trade partner's distro.
Interesting. I have used alcohol related boxes several times, without issue. Recently sent 6 bombers in a WSJ Wine Club box that the guy at my shipping place saved for me. Think this really depends on the individual location as the guy I sent it to says his delivery guy knows it is beer he is receiving and mine knows that is what I am sending...
