So I'm looking to complete my first trade. I know that it's going to be tough finding a partner since I'm so new, but I need to start somewhere. I grabbed some Toppling Goliath (psuedoSue, Zeelander, and Light Speed) while I was home over Christmas. I also got some Founders Breakfast Stout and Prairie Bomb. Does anybody know what I could ask for to get my first trade in the books? I understand I can't expect much being so new, but I'd like to at least get something that isn't available to me in the Midwest. Thanks in advance for your help.
Being new won't limit what you can trade for, but expect to be asked to ship first, since you don't have any trade history. Lots of people are interested in those TG beers, so I would start by trying to trade those. You need to be specific about what you're looking for to attract the most attention. Good luck!
^ Like mentioned above...I would narrow down your ISO to a specific IIPA or IPA that's fresh right now and you should have no problem. Good luck
Pick a state or region, look over the list of best beers/breweries from that state, find out which of those beers are shelf beers (as opposed to super-limited), and ask away. So, for example, if you picked NC, look at this list: http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/state/nc/ After poking around that list and doing some research, you might decide on Hop, Drop n' Roll (this is great by the way) and some Wicked Weed stuff--these are fairly obtainable (I think, although the WW varies depending on which one). Then post your ISO/FT. Don't worry if you are off, people will let you know. For example if you posted "ISO Surly Darkness/FT Founders Breakfast Stout" someone would probably let you know that's not really a good offer (hopefully they'll say so nicely). Don't be afraid to reject offers. Find someone who has a good trading history, seems nice (look at their posts if you want), and isn't trying to "win" a trade. FYI Founders Breakfast Stout probably won't get you much action, as it is widely distributed. The TG and PB should get you some bites though. Good luck! It's fun to get new beer in the mail.
Should be easy to find any IPA that we can't get in KS with the ones that you picked up from TG. Just state that you're willing to ship first and you'll find someone to trade with. Should be easy to find some Pliny, Heady and other highly rated IPAs. Founders is not distributed in California so you might be able to do something with the breakfast stout with people out there.
Ah, forgot CA doesn't get Founders, so even the FBS might get you some bites out there. Also you can use seekabrew to figure out who distributes where.
My first advice is trade because you really want something out there that you can't get locally and not just for the sake of trading. It may sound strange but I've conversed with some that have got caught up in trades as a hobby and not necessarily for the desire of the beer. Shipping can get very costly. My next bit of advice is to take your time and do some reading thru different forums to get to know the nuances of the site. Especially the trade forum.
Thanks for all the replies. TG has gotten me some hits, and I have a couple trades in the works now. I'm really excited to get some new beers to try. Thanks for the tip. That site is really handy. I haven't seen that before. That'll be really helpful in the future.
I am in your same position and live in Washington. I would be interested in trading as I am a first timer as well.
