What extras do you include?

I generally try to include some good, interesting stuff available here that's not available for my target along with wants. If they don't get distribution, I sometimes toss in some stuff from Founders, Bells, Bruery, Ballast Point - stuff that's not local but that's available here regularly - especially if it hits wants.

Besides that sort of thing, I like to include a selection of a more local brewery that people may not have tried. One example is Foothills - they recently started bottling both their regular porter (People's Porter) and the BBA version, so I'll toss in one of each among the extras. Olde Hickory's barleywine is available in both 2011 and 2012 editions around here, so I'll include one of each for comparisons. Several of the Duck Rabbit seasonals that age ok, etc.

So yeah, wants, good local/regional stuff (trying to hit preferred styles), and stuff we get distribution of that's not available for my target.

 

Yikes this made me sad.

 

Agreed, I don't think it's the norm. I try to drink every extra I receive, those I don't drink I give to my brother or a friend. When sending extras I look at my target's wants and see if I can hit any of them easily. If so, that's what I do. If not, I look at favorite style then try to get the best locals that aren't available in their area in that style. I also like to pimp Odell IPA and Myrcenary, so most of my boxes include at least one of each of those.

 

Depends on who you're trading with, too.

If it's a long-time trading partner, all bets are off. Good stuff, wants, great stuff, whatever. Quality beers.

If it's someone I haven't traded with much and/or ever, I'll see if I can nab something off their wants to throw in. If not, I'll find something local they can't get their hands on (Surly, New Glarus, Central Waters, etc.).

 

I feel a bit lucky having access to great beers that are very geographically limited. I usually include some Surly, Furious, Coffee Bender, Cynicale or some Central Waters treats, BBBW, Peruvian Morning, BBS, etc.

 

I would say that's the complete opposite of the norm.

It really tends to be all over the place, but it seems the "average" extras in a box would include one 'nicer' bottle and 1-2 simple locals. Usually the 'nicer' bottle is a want, a limited release, or something awesome and under the radar. The locals might be a bomber and/or a couple of 12oz bottles of a local favorite. Some random things that make great 'nicer' bottle extras - KBS, BCBS, Boulevard/Victory/etc-type widely distributed but limited releases, Hill Farmstead/Alpine/remote_brewery_x anything, Bruery Reserve Society surplus, some random new highly rated local large bottle, Struise, etc, etc.

That's more or less what I do on an "even" trade. If I feel I'm getting a particularly good deal I might go beyond that, and I have gone way beyond that a couple of times. I also almost always try to nail a want or two, which usually isn't too hard with MA distro.

In all my trades I don't think I can ever recall getting extras that just looked like somebody dumped their 6 month old leftovers on me. I'm sure it happens, but I don't think it's common. Free beer is free beer I suppose, but extras are half the fun of trading so why not put a little effort into the box?

 

i give beers that i think my trading partner will like and can't get. if i can tick off their wants, i will, but that is rare (i'm not captain deep cellar).

extra selection is one reason communication and such is important. my last trade was with someone who it turns out has very similar tastes as me, and lives in cali, so i was able to find more than enough great stuff to include. when someone is in a distro area i'm less familiar with (e.g. chicago) and i know less about their tastes, it's harder to figure out extras (just send whatever i think is good and local).

the worst extra i've sent was clown shoes blaecorn unidragon to a guy in chicago. that beer is shit. i hadn't had it yet (had a bottle ready to drink myself), but people across the country were clamoring for clown shoes because of their "scandalous" labels. it turned out that a) the guy had clown shoes available in chicago, and b) (again) blaecorn is an awful beer.

but i would never send something just because i don't want to drink it. i'd give that shit away in person with the caveat "i don't like this; want it?"

 

Yep!

 

I try to throw in nothing but regional/local beers unless I can get something on a person's want list in my area. Some people don't really seem to put any real thought into extras and just throw in beers they have but don't want (which has lead to me getting some old IPAs) or random beers off of the shelf. It's one thing to send a local/regional brewery that you aren't aware distributes to your partner's neck of the woods and another to send something from a brewery closer to partner than you. Hell, I've gotten an off-the-shelf beer from a brewery from NC before as an extra.

 

I am a bit curious about how much people typically spend on extras. I typically go with about 25% the value of the trade, the sample size on what I have gotten back is too small to really judge if I am doing it right.

 

I think 20-25% is a good number, but it depends on the partner. I recently did a trade where there was $60 worth of agreed upon beers, but I threw in $45 worth of extras because the guy stuck to his pre-trade agreement and sent me the agreed upon number of KBS bottles, even after getting there and finding out that the allocation was halved (I got 8 bottles in that trade). I also wanted to show him that I was serious about wanting to establish a regular trading partnership, so hopefully that helped!

EDIT: The extras were all local beers, e.g. Fremont Bourbon Barrel Abominable Ale, HotD Adam, PtE, and Cascade Kriek.

 

The bigger the better. This serves as a great way to establish excellent/long-term trading partners, but for many other trades, probably even a small majority, it just leaves you having put in more than you received. Karma it forward.

 

Man I feel real bad right now, I am sending my first one but do to box size and the fact that I am shipping 60+$ of beer on a first trade I only put in a St. Arnolds Endevour (their new really good release) and one small bottle of Hardcore (which is one of my fav beers) Should I try to put another in the outer box wrapped really well?

 

God bless you! Anyone that considers Surly an extra, you are a great man. Got my hands on 24 Aggressive and Abrassive and a few porters, Fell in love with them.

 

I always Give Extras that are not available in their area. I make sure that they're brews that are good. Like Bells Hopslam, Third Coast Old Ale, Founders Dirty Bastard, Shorts Huma, ETC...

 

I tend to throw in a bunch of good/great beers that I know dont really get distributed. Some are highly rated on here, some are just personal favorites.

 

I try to always add 2-3 extras. There have been 1-2 times were I was unable to add anything I felt was of value to the box so I didn't add any extras. HOWEVER, I let the trading partner know that I will make it up to them on the next trade by adding several sought after extras. I'm a firm believer of karma. Add some extra's and in the future you may get an extra that you have been dying to try.

 

Generally speaking, I search the person's 'wants'. If I can't hit any, I look at their reviews (if they review) as well as their favorite style and try to throw in things that they may not have tried. If all else fails, I put in locals that I am particularly fond of that the person may not have access to.