Trading big beers: IP only or risk shipping?

If you can't get it done IP, then just go nuts on the packaging. Make sure it's only the bottle in the box, and use enough packing for 100 bottles haha.

 

I would say shipping is fine. I recently shipped a KBBS 13. If you are really worried - go nuts on bubble wrap/packing tape and double box it.

 

I've recently received a magnum of SP Fuzzy, which is the biggest beer I've ever seen in person. Dude who sent it wrapped the bejeezus out of it and it made it safe - no issues.

I will generally lean towards shipping, if only because it drastically opens up the selection of beers available to come back to you.

 

Whatever you do, if you decide on shipping, don't drink the beer you get until yours is safely recd.

Ask if FedEx or UPS is more reliable or problematic in their area. Keep boxes to a reasonable size. Consider using a styro shipper.

Someone once posted that he will only ship 'hold for pickup'. This requires the box to be picked up in person at FedEx, picture ID & signature required. There's no additional charge & it's uber secure. There's no chance a box is mistakenly delivered to the wrong house, stolen from a porch or a bogus claim is made about non-delivery.

While I prefer IP for rare bottles it's usually not feasible. I don't want to limit myself to only those trades I can complete IP.

 

I usually go for the "sealed bottle, super bubble wrapped in a cocoon of packaging inside an inner box that is surrounded by more packaging inside of a bigger box" method. So far (knock on wood with a package yet to be picked up) I have had no issues.

And despite having made most of the journey, you remove that last cross-dock and delivery handler from the equation this way. Sometimes that last handler can be the worst of all since they are likely to be the most rushed person in the process.