VIP membership & other deplorable practices...

I pretty much agree with everything you said. One advantage to living in a small town with no beer choices is that I will never have to decide whether to join something like that or not.
BTW where do you buy truck nuts and what do you do with them?

 

$35 to be first in a beer line? Have banged more for less.

 

I think that's a good idea. If it was a conveniently located shop, I'd join right away.

Many of you also need to learn what price gouging actually is. Under no circumstance can that phrase be properly used in conjunction with beer.

 

The plot thickens

 

I'd pay for this convenience. I can imagine it now: no running around on KBS day desperate just to get 2 bottles, no sitting restlessly on Backstage release days hoping they aren't sold our by the time I'm done with work, etc. As long as the shop is decently priced the $35 is just fine. Would save me gas money too

 

Geez...you think you could at least get a Members Only jacket.

 

My knee jerk reaction was to immediately think I would abstain from this particular store. However, after freezing my nuts off for a couple of releases in the New England area, the thought of shelling out $35 for the ability to stay toasty warm and waltz in at my leisure to pick up the same beer is enticing. I guess, ultimately, let each consumer decide with their dollar, as is the capitalist/free market way. Depending on the situation, I might jump at the chance...

 

Apparently, it did not occur you or to the 36+ dittoheads who liked your post that this is a very strange idea of a "free market". This market is about as twistedly manipulated as it gets.

 

I have a buzz right now, so I'm not gonna try to tell you why, but what you said is fucking stupid. You can't slam capitalism with the first half of your sentence then embrace it with the second half.

Edit: I'm just buzzed enough that I told you why anyway.

 

Add HF to that list.

 

Yeah, because that 5 word statement was the point of the post and the sole reason those "dittoheads" liked it. Please don't talk anymore.

 

Let's say it takes you 30 minutes to get to the store. Let's say that 4 times a year you travel there for a special release only to miss out on it. That's a total of 4 hours of your time and if you make more than $8.75 an hour in take home pay then it's worth it to join. Plus your life is more convenient. And if you are over 21 and make less than $8.75 and hour, you might want to save your money for something other than premium beer.

 

Ah! Now we get to the true meaning of freedom--telling other people to shut up. I'll eagerly await your orders... in one of my next lives.

 

Even more weird is that the people from three towns over took all our jobs!

 

I like this idea, and would sign up if my local shops did it. Thing is my local shops DO do it, but not in an up front $35 way. They do it by recognizing me because I come in often. They do it by taking my money for beer a couple of times a week. The know me because I spend a lot of cash at my local shops, and I know the staff because we talk about beer. So now when something new or limited comes out a few get put aside, and when I or someone like me comes in they bring it out for us. Same thing and I still pay for it one way or another. I wouldn't get this treatment if I didn't come in as often as I do, or spend as much money there as I do.

 

It suggests a sort of elitism to me and that's the opposite of what beer means to me. It's a drink for the working classes.

 

In no way whatsoever is the American liquor industry operating in a free market. Free market means that there is no government regulation. Frankly I can't think of any sector of the US economy that operates in a free market, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

 

Let's say this beer store owner signs up 49+ "VIPs" at $35 each. And then he gets 48 bottles of (insert rare beer here). What's a poor greedy bastard to do now?

As far as I'm concerned, the brewery has already priced the beer where it can make a reasonable profit, and sent it out for distribution. If the market will bear higher prices, then let the producers reap the benefits—not the store owners holding an elite echelon of beer for ransom.

 

Sorry, you're in the New World of Beer. Going to team sports games in no longer for the working class--who can afford to drop $500 on a routine family outing? Lobster and oysters are no longer poor-man's dinner--they are reserved for special occasions and sophisticated palates even in fishing towns. Same goes for beer--at least the kind you don't bother to slam. Welcome to the Colonies!

 

SIGN ME UP!!!

I didn't get the impression that VIPs are "guaranteed" beers, it just seems they get first shot at them--that'd work just fine for me! If we had something like this locally, I'd GLADLY spend the cash just to be able to get Russian River and Alpine IPAs on the regs. It'd be nice to know you could get Enjoy Bys without having to drive all over the place, too.

Hell, I don't cellar much at all but with access to limited releases like this, I WOULD!!!

Oh, and don't tell my wife but I'd totally still shop at other places, too.