| ""I'll Take Price Gouging For $200 Alex"" by Clay Moore You can now buy craft beer at your local chain restaurant and any liquor store. However, there's something more disturbing than the guy at the end of the bar trying to pronounce La Chouffe. Reselling beer on eBay People are selling 4 packs of 2012 KBS for $50-$80. I saw two 750 ml bottles of Better Half for $110.00. Same for CBS. I'm not singling out Founders because I like their beers, and KBS season has arrived -- or maybe it's over before it started. You will find many others beers by very popular craft brewers selling online for ridiculous amounts. Is this legal? Well... It appears that only approved sellers of wine are permitted to sell. However, there appears to be a loophole if you sell a "collectible container." A few articles I read which tried to explain this issue indicated that if you mention some buzzwords when you sell, you're likely safe. Thus, sellers state that: (1) they are selling a beer simply for its container and that said container has a value that substantially exceeds the current retail price of the alcohol; (2) the container has not been opened; and (3) the beer is not available at any retail outlet. A seller is also to take appropriate steps to determine if the buyer is of legal drinking age and ensure that all State and Federal shipping laws are complied with. If you believe all of the above is taking place and true, I have some beach front property in Montana for sale. Forget about the fact that someone else in your area was able to get a four pack of great rare beer and you weren't. Now you have to worry about folks who are going to every store to buy it up; not to drink it, but to sell it on eBay. Can you imagine if this reseller had a connection to a distributor? Welcome to HopHub.com. The Big 3 are laughing at us again. As if it isn't enough that loyal craft beer bars and stores in New Jersey are getting routinely shut out of new releases by distributors in favor of the newest kid on the block (you know who you are), now consumers have to worry about this? Sadly, this problem won't make it to the front steps of Washington. Regardless, brewers, stores and distributors should be aware of this sufficient to take some action if they know this conduct is taking place. Who knows, maybe we finally found a use for tracking UPC and batch numbers. Unfortunately, any type of quota on the sale of certain beers, which punishes the average craft beer drinker in an already competitive cat and mouse game, would require an "across the board" commitment to stop reselling. Otherwise, these beer pirates will just walk into the next store and buy up what they can because there are still plenty of stores that just don't realize what they have sometimes. "Nugget Nectar? Is that a type of liquor?" I can accept having to pay $7.00 for a water these days, but don't you dare mark up my beer like that. |
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| recommends Beer Nexus's favorite band, Lunch Hour- Six Pack "beer for the ear" |
It's time for more ......TALES OF ALES
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