Heady NYC

Oh, I don't know how much more effort an in-person trade is: you have to go and pick up the beer, in either case. Though of course you do have to have something to trade. There are enough generous BAs around that I think you were to post an ISO for HT in the IP forum, with some halfway reasonable offers, somebody would either pick you up on it or just give you one. It's not that uncommon around here, really. Anyway, I'm not speaking as generically as I should here - I don't mean you personally, just anybody who'd be after HT around town.

 

The problem with the black market is there will always be one as long as people support them. It's about supply and demand as well as using your brain. I believe Heady is like $14 for a four pack and to charge $50 is just being a dick. There is no sugar coating it. Trading builds relationships and it does take time to get connections. But it is worth it IMO. This way you won't get bent over a barrel

 

I've never done a trade so didn't even think about in-person trades. That's no different really - you are right about that. I just kept thinking about boxing it up, going to UPS....etc.

Heady is $14/4-pack in Vermont but in a NY bar its $10/can. Bumping it up to $12.50 didn't strike me as a huge increase relative to what I expect to pay if I somehow stumble across one

 

it's not $10/can in a NY bar because it's not legally sold in NY

paying anything more than $13/4-pack (+ s/h charges, if that's how you have to get it) is flat-out stupid, end of story

 

$10 for an empty can makes $50 for the four pack a steal. You're getting the beer itself for $2.50 each!

 

Not sure what you mean--if the NY bar sells it for $10 per can (illegally of course) doesn't it still cost $10 for a can at that bar?

 

I had one in a bar in NY last night, and I did in fact pay $10. So yeah...

 

Why is it stupid? Yeah, it costs $13...in fucking Vermont!

But where it's not distributed, it's obviously going to cost more (if you can even get it). I wouldn't buy it more than once at that price, but I'd gladly pay $10 just to try it (which I haven't, only because I've never had the opportunity to do so).

And every time I seem to look at the trading forum, HT is ISO, not FT.

 

The legality question of selling HT in NYC always intrigued me. I assume it was registered with NYSLA when we got our "legal" shipment of HT some time ago. If it was isn't it totally legal to sell HT cans in NYC bars regardless of how they got there. Perhaps someone who understands this a bit better than I do can weigh in on this.

 

Putting aside whether this is legal or not, $10 for 16 ounces of a DIPA in a bar relatively speaking almost sounds cheap.

 

They are circumventing the Distributor, so it is not legal.

 

A good article about distribution in NY: http://brewyorknewyork.com/post/18135818154/why-you-cant-get-that-beer-here

 

Unless you guys are quoting cases prices broke down into 4-pack prices I just got back from Vermont and saw a four pack priced below $14 one place out of the 5 or 6 places I saw it being sold. More common was $14-$17 per four pack.

 

It was $12/4pk direct from the brewery. How is a $1-2 surcharge at a retail store "flat out stupid"?

Seriously, if that is too much a mark up for you swallow, where do you buy anything??

 

Most likely, the $10 for an "empty" can is simply a ruse that people like to use to attempt to circumvent laws surrounding the resale of alcohol by making it appear like they are selling a collectible item.

For many years, before the crack-down, sellers on certain auction websites would post a b.s. disclaimer about the value residing in the packaging and not the contents.

 

Ha $300 for a case http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/for/4881951262.html

 

I guess if you can afford to pay well over what the beer costs at the brewery, go for it. But that doesn't mean it is smart thing to do. Beer is meant to be enjoyed, not sold for much higher than retail simply for profits. We aren't talking about trading here and overpaying for rarity. We are discussing people that could care less about our craft and hobby. People who do business with such people only keep them going.

 

I like the way even though they are selling beer illegally they are requesting valid ID to make sure purchaser is 21!

 

Haha can't have underage kids buying illegal beers now, can we?!

 

Realistically, I'd probably respect the 18 year old who is actively looking to pay for and drink heady more than anything else...