How to Properly Address Outrageous Overpricing

I think your point has been proven a few times in this thread, though you have to remember it is a general population forum so the art school education might be setting the bar too high in some cases.

 

You pretty much just defined what it is, and then said it doesn't seem artificial to you. The equilibrium price is higher and the prices are intentionally being set lower for other reasons.

 

[insert graphic of supply/demand curve here]

 

Head explodes

 

People understand it just fine. The argument is over whether or not it's actually a good idea for beer.

 

Beer is somehow special (compared to all other goods) and the laws of supply and demand should not apply?

 

Define "bend." It seems intuitively obvious that the term "price gouging" existed long before legislators and lawyers wrote laws to deal with the most egregious offenders. I say that those who now insist on only the newer, narrower, legal definition are the ones who are trying to bend it to help convince others that there is nothing wrong with this practice.

 

Call me stodgy but answers.com is not a dictionary that I keep on my shelf. You found a definition that you like (your words) and that's what you decided to use. That's fine, but I don't agree with it. Perjoratives and colloquialisms are not true definitions to me. Just because the cat has kittens in the oven don't make 'em biscuits.

'Convince others that there is nothing wrong with this practice'?? Please. That's a leap. Some of us are just saying that maybe a different, less dramatic word applies better in this situation. This (old) argument does not imply that some of us really really like overpriced beer.

 

You favor the "equilibrium price" as natural because you believe in free markets and probably have a big problem with almost any kind of market regulation. I say the price that producers want customers to pay is what's natural, and can and sometimes is enforced through regulation (i.e., when brewers decide to stop supplying certain retailers because they don't like their practices). Why does the fact that the market will bear the price make it natural and not artificial? Markets are man made constructs. What if the market is rigged? What if one retailer has unfairly cornered the market by bribing the distributor? Is the price still not artificial?

 

The American Heritage Dictionary is a dictionary that many have on their shelves, and it's far more prescriptive than most of the others:
http://www.answers.com/topic/gouge

 

I don't get the argument here. I don't see the room for debate. Contrary to how a lot of BA's act/think, your well-being will not be adversely affected if you are not able to get your hands on every single beer.

Only beer store in an area putting highly sought after rare beer X on a 5x mark up = an opportunistic store owner who can be ignored if one doesn't feel the price is worth it

Only store in an area putting water on a 5x mark up in the lead up to a hurricane = price gouging

 

The laws of supply and demand do apply. Which is why prices have gone up. The logic behind saying that prices are "artificially low" is that a small amount of beer sells out in some places. Some of those same beers (like BCBS) babysit shelves for months or years in other places, there are threads dedicated to this. Why would charging as much as a minority of beer geeks are willing to pay be a good long-term business decision, especially for a brewery or store trying to grow it's customer base?

Apply this to the people here wanting higher prices because that's what they're willing to pay. The only limited release I've ever bought was Mexican Cake, and it lasted 4-5 days here.

 

You found a definition that you like (your words) and that's what you decided to use. That's fine, but I don't agree with it.
We could just call it extortion, since we are trying to employ the most dramatic word possible that we can extrapolate an even vaguely reminiscent meaning from.
Tell you what, you really seem to be trying to change my mind, as if it's quite important to you. If you can do it I'll buy you a beer. If you can't, you owe me one. Deal?

 

I'm sure we'd both enjoy having a beer together either way if the accident would happen.

 

Or I could buy $12.00 12 packs of SN Torpedo every week

 

Sorry - not following. Are you saying that people arguing that certain beers (of the more limited kind) should be priced more in line with supply/demand, are doing so purely so that they can get their grubby mits on them more easily?

 

Maybe wine in a restaurant? You pay $10.00 for Beringer white zin retail and $22 for dinner at a restaurant.

 

Remember there are plenty of people into beer outside of the 400,000 or so on BA, and within that larger group of people who make beer their hobby, there are plenty of people who (for a number of reasons) don't give a shit about spending above MSRP to get their hands on beer X.

My point - I think everyone agrees that brewery X's widely available year round flagship sixer should stay accessibly priced. But people are more divided regarding where the price should lie for brewery X's double pappy barrel aged anniversary stout, or highly sought after seasonal DIPA. The former think the pricing should stay as close as possible to the year round sixer. The latter think the pricing should intersect where supply meets demand.

If you're in the former group (which you appear to be), then to have any chance of seeing these types of beers continue to be priced on the relatively (artificially, cough) low side, then you can never have a fuck-it moment.

 

I mean I get your point, and I most likely will have very few fuck it moments from now on. I still don't think there are that many people with enough disposable cash who really know what beers to throw it at to sustain those practices as this market grows, and we shall see as things progress.

Also, I have so many more beer friends around the country than when I bought those beers, and my current roommate is from Chicago and is going home for Thanksgiving and camping out with a friend who is guaranteed a case. So cheers to no **** prices on the BCBS this year.

 

Agreed that they may be low for certain limiteds, but what about the everyday brews, such as Edmunds Fitzgerald its a great brew for a reasonable price that I can find easily. I think craft beer as a whole is close to where it should be and even a bit high in some cases, especially with certain brewers the Bruery, FFF, brewers like this seem to charge crazy money for everything not just the rare limiteds.