Off the shelf is easily available?

Maybe if they won't trade what you are after, ask them if they'll trade shelf beers like King Henry for it.

If the people are so dogmatic about classifying the beer within their strict parameters it probably isn't going to be fun trading experience anyway.

 

When I try to trade Americans for off the shelf beers, I generally refer to year-round locals that can be picked up at their local beer store without really going out of their way for it.

 

What the two gents above me said.

There are some people who call beers like Rare off-the-shelf. Yes, it was on shelves for a few hours. But I can only call them hopeless idiots if they expect it to trade for Black Chocolate Stout, for instance.

Joe, which jackass is giving you a hard time now?

 

the vast majority of the time, when someone says "off the shelf," you know what they mean, everyone else knows what they mean, and it's not "surly syx," or even "brooklyn black OPS," "heady topper," "marshall zhukov's," etc.

"off the shelf" generally means "you can pretty much always go and buy it off the shelf." yes, all the beers mentioned can be bought "off the shelf," but no one means this kind of "off the shelf" (ie "it was once on a shelf, full stop, as general as it sounds,") unless you're trying to trade someone one and they inexplicably say,

"why should i give you my brewery only release beer for that shelf beer?"

(in which case you should say, "you shouldn't, thanks for the discussion!")

in other words, reasonable people only call rare or BCBVS or (again) even black OPS and borderline cases like founders imperial stout "off the shelf" if they specify "off the shelf seasonals," or "rare shelf beers," or something like that.

normally, "off the shelf," means like "storm king stout". it doesn't need a strict definition because i would hope everyone who would even consider trading beer understands the difference between storm king, 90 minute IPA, stone smoked porter, etc, and the beers i mentioned (even FIS).

---- edit: mild sentence cleanup ._. post written like a drunk, but i haven't drank in days. meh.

 

And that, as we say, is /thread.

 

It's either a) ignorance or b) a negotiation tactic.

 

I'm not going to argue with you there. Although I think b is usually PLAYING ignorance AS a negotiation tactic.

 

Sooo, what you're saying is that, you're upset that Syx doesn't have the trade demand you were hoping for when you tracked down and bought your bottles?

 

yeah, while syx is, again, not the kind of beer people mean when they say "off the shelf," i also think that if syx isn't pulling the beers the OP wants, that's just too bad.

it's not unfair. obviously if captain dark lord wanted your syx he would have taken the trade.

 

Muddled thoughts:

1. I understand; it sucks when someone wants to talk down the beer they want to trade for.
2. Failed expectations at trade value shouldn't effect your drinking/enjoyment of the beer (unless its as bad as Surly Five, which may also explain why other valuation does not match yours).
3. Break up that first sentence into 2-3 different ones man! Not trying to be grammar cop, just thought it would help clarity wise. And "infrequent regularity" WTF is that?

 

One of the problems with questioning people's motivations is that it opens up your own motivations to questions. These types of threads usually end up with no winners.

 

What if the guy's locals are really good and you miss out?

 

I agree wholeheartedly.

It's pretty obvious to me what the OP was saying: that people use "off-the-shelf" loosely, i.e. if it was ever on the shelf, it's an "off-the-shelf" beer.

And I think there is a whole peanut gallery of people who (a) either willfully misunderstand, (b) think they're funny, or (c) have reading comprehension problems regularly in these types of threads. For example, the word "example". UMNBeerhunter is using Syx as an "example".

Go ahead. Look the word up. I'll wait.

So attacking examples or his motivations makes you look ignorant &/or like you're working for the Obama &/or Romney campaigns.

Feel free to attack my post. I like it.

 

You're one of the few people who are consistently amusing, sir!

 

The old argument about something being available on the shelf is that someone *could* hit a bunch of stores and have dozens of bottles. Nobody cared that you didn't get that many bottles. Not that I agree with it, but that is the argument I usually see.

Regardless of shelf status Surly Syx doesn't seem to be as sought after as some other limited releases.

It really depends on the beer. Take other limited releases like IST, Cafe Royale, etc. There are less bottles of those than some of the bigger limited brewery only releases. They also disappear off shelves within minutes. That doesn't necessarily dictate their trade value.

 

The problem there is that Syx is much, much worse than Five. Surly should be embarrassed that they released that abomination.

(Although looking at reviews some are shockingly high, I wonder if this is just among the most divisive beers or if there's some kind of crazy bottle variation. No one in my tasting group could finish the pour of the bottle we got.)

 

You need to learn math!%@

 

I'm trying to wrap my head around how anything can be "much, much worse than Five."
If that's the case, I would expect a much more stern Surgeon General's warning.

I doubt Alpine would have to sue if they called it Exponential Crapiness.

 

like if im in NC and want Surly, 3Floyds, Russian River, Lost Abbey, or Port? yeah those are worthy of trading something really decent. Its called trade value. people create posts all the time asking what things are trading for. that might be the OPs best bet.