What's the best way to sell my collection?

[lovejones]

I don't want to break any rules here, but due to a little financial problem....I'd like to sell my collection.

I guess Ebay is an outlet? Are there any other ways to sell bottles of bourbon as a private citizen?

[Attila]

How many bottles are in your collection?

[wadewood]

How big is collection and how may unique bottles? If you have a great collection of Makers Mark bottles, not many of us would be interested.

There are a few of this board that have bought entire collections (I'm not one), so you will probably get a few PMs.

Ebay has issues; it is still illegal and perhaps you could get in trouble with your state (unlikely). Bottles can break during shipping, buyers can claim chargebacks, ebay/Paypal/shipping fees add up quick.

[lovejones]

Thanks. I've received quite a few PM's, and it looks like person to person is the way to do it. Please consider this a response to your PM if you sent one, as most asked the same question.

I'm going to put a list together and post it here tonight. PM me if you're interested. Since the prices will be set, I'll take the first to respond...with one exception. IF someone wants to buy multible bottles, they will get the sale over someone who only wants one bottle.

Although I need the money, I'm not going to try to auction these off. Instead I'll price them what a current bottle of the same sells for today...if that's fair? So a bottle of 2006 Stagg will cost what a bottle of 2008 cost, not what I paid.

I do have a few rarities that will be hard for me to price. Honestly, what's fair for a Double Barrel BTEC? Or a 40th Anniversary Four Roses? Or a signed bottle of Pappy 15?

I didn't buy these to resell, honestly. I hate doing this, but a mortgage payment is worth more to me now....and selling these will help.

Again, I apologize if this offends anyone or breaks any rules on the forum.

P.S. I do have one MM bottle : )

I'll post the list tonight, and PM me what you would like at that time, not before. Thanks.

[lovejones]

I'm not going to post a list. If you've sent a PM, I'll get back to you. PM me if you haven't previously.

[cowdery]

It's probably worth pointing out that the sale of alcoholic beverages without a license is illegal everywhere, with no exceptions. All such sales on eBay are illegal, despite the meaningless fig leaf eBay offers by way of a disclaimer. There isn't a lot of enforcement, although a guy in Tennessee who had a million dollars worth of Jack Daniel's bottles got into some big trouble with the state ABC a few months back. If you live in a state that permits it, and I think about a dozen do, including New York, you can sell through a licensed auction house. That's the only way to sell a collection legally.

I'm sorry for your misfortune.

[WsmataU]

PM'd and still haven't seen a list.:skep:

[WsmataU]

Has anyone heard from lovejones?

[Stones]

I PM'd him too but have had no answer... :skep:

[DeanSheen]

Nope. Figure thats it for that.

[BunkerBooze]

Hey Guys:

I'm kind of in the same boat as LoveJones now plus I have way to many bottles and no more room to house any future whiskeys. Any one knows any good licensed auction houses here in California? If you do, email me. Thanks.

Much appreciated.

[theDon]

Hey Guys:

I'm kind of in the same boat as LoveJones now plus I have way to many bottles and no more room to house any future whiskeys. Any one knows any good licensed auction houses here in California? If you do, email me. Thanks.

Much appreciated.

If you are having space issues, you aren't drinking enough. You have a plan now. Get to it!

[ErichPryde]

PM'd and still haven't seen a list.:skep:

[cowdery]

If there's anything going on anywhere except eBay, I don't know about it.

For people wondering about this sort of thing, and speaking just for myself, I have nothing against the idea of people collecting and that inevitably involves buying and selling. Most of the hostility to eBay has to do with people who quickly scoop up limited editions like the BTAC and immediately post them on eBay at ridiculous prices. It's offensive because you have people (the buyers) who are too lazy to participate in the hunt but have enough money to simply write a check to get what they want, and people (the sellers) who don't care about the whiskey, they're just looking to make a buck. I also have nothing against people trying to make a buck, but selling whiskey without a license is criminal, so I'm entitled to think of such people as criminals and disdain what they do, while at the same time feeling that--in a perfect world--it would be possible for whiskey collectors to trade and deal the same way collectors of everything from baseball cards to fine art do.

[Lost Pollito]

If there's anything going on anywhere except eBay, I don't know about it.

For people wondering about this sort of thing, and speaking just for myself, I have nothing against the idea of people collecting and that inevitably involves buying and selling. Most of the hostility to eBay has to do with people who quickly scoop up limited editions like the BTAC and immediately post them on eBay at ridiculous prices. It's offensive because you have people (the buyers) who are too lazy to participate in the hunt but have enough money to simply write a check to get what they want, and people (the sellers) who don't care about the whiskey, they're just looking to make a buck. I also have nothing against people trying to make a buck, but selling whiskey without a license is criminal, so I'm entitled to think of such people as criminals and disdain what they do, while at the same time feeling that--in a perfect world--it would be possible for whiskey collectors to trade and deal the same way collectors of everything from baseball cards to fine art do.

[WsmataU]

If there's anything going on anywhere except eBay, I don't know about it.

Chuck,

I sent him a link to McTear's auction house. It specializes in whiskey auctions, but I believe they are based in Great Britain and therefore not subject to US Law.

Of course I'm still curious to see a list of what he has available.

[T Comp]

I also have nothing against people trying to make a buck, but selling whiskey without a license is criminal, so I'm entitled to think of such people as criminals and disdain what they do, while at the same time feeling that--in a perfect world--it would be possible for whiskey collectors to trade and deal the same way collectors of everything from baseball cards to fine art do.

[ErichPryde]

Chuck, if I had a bottle of Very Old Fitzgerald, would you buy it from me for ten dollars?

[cowdery]

Chuck, if I had a bottle of Very Old Fitzgerald, would you buy it from me for ten dollars?

You apparently misunderstood me, because I never said I wouldn't buy something through that or any other illegal channel. That has nothing whatsoever to do with how I regard it.

Also, Very Old I could take or leave, and Very Very Old I'd be suspicious of as in too-good-to-be-true, so weak analogy all the way around.

[ErichPryde]

You apparently misunderstood me, because I never said I wouldn't buy something through that or any other illegal channel. That has nothing whatsoever to do with how I regard it.

Also, Very Old I could take or leave, and Very Very Old I'd be suspicious of as in too-good-to-be-true, so weak analogy all the way around.

I misunderstood you because of this thread on bourbonenthusiast, in which you said this:

One reason I feel comfortable talking about this is because I'm not a collector and don't do any of the illegal things. I'm also a lawyer and fairly high-visibility in this business. If I got caught breaking liquor laws I would, in addition to the other penalties, probably be disbarred.

I wasn't trying to give an analogy- I was just asking you, where is your line?

I'm not trying to pick a fight here... I just don't understand where you stand on this issue, exactly. I would buy a bottle on ebay for the right price, although I haven't done anything besides bid as of yet.

Confining laws need to be challenged, it's unfortunate that in order to do that, someone's life has to be jacked up first. Some parts of the laws regarding liquor are too confining, and some are too lax. I personally believe that selling liquor on ebay should not be illegal. I don't think shipping alcohol should be against the law (as it is in some states). I understand that shipping incredibly high proof spirits can be considered dangerous and would understand why some things would not be allowed. Also, if Mr. Hoffa calls me from the store and asks if I want him to pick anything up, and I pay him back for it, I don't think that should be illegal either.

[cowdery]

As a general rule, I have no interest in buying anything on eBay, of an alcoholic nature or otherwise. The example you gave was intended to pose a "too good to resist" opportunity, and while I can't say for sure what I would do in such a situation, I can't say I wouldn't take the bait.

I'm comfortable with ambiguity in my life. I've never said that I've never broken the laws of which we speak, which is as much as I'm going to say about that.

You seem to be saying that the only way to challenge unjust laws is to break them, and while I respect civil disobedience in some circumstances, I think we should obey even the laws with which we disagree unless there is a morally compelling reason to defy them. Civil disobedience principles also require that you defy them openly and with a willingness to take the punishment.

I'm also not presenting myself as the perfect exemplar of my own principles.

In a lot of these discussions, I seem to be criticized for merely stating the facts, what the law is, as if we'd be better off if we didn't know, or something.

[SMOWK]

I like to think ignorance IS an excuse. At least that's what I tell the lady.

[ErichPryde]

Chuck, my original "ten dollars" post was not meant as a criticism or an attack. I understand that you were simply trying to state the facts. I don't think that civil disobedience is the only way to challenge laws. The laws we are talking about however are, in some cases, outdated and inane. If it was a serious crime to ship alcohol across state lines, someone would prosecute.

I posed my ten dollars question because I remembered reading you say that you didn't break those laws, and I wanted to know where you stood. I think I can safely say that most of us walk a line of ambiguity and hypocrisy at times, and I'm content with that for myself as well.

I feel that some aspects of the liquor laws are completely pointless, and I don't see a point in following some of them. If I bought 300 dollars worth of whiskey for somebody and he pays me back and both parties are 21 or older, absolutely no one is getting hurt. The government taxed the distillery for the whiskey, and then also got to tax the consumer for the purchase. They made their money.

I guess the response I could see someone coming up with to what I said here is "so where do you draw the line if you choose to follow some laws and not others?" I'm not drawing any lines. I am not going to get into an argument about whether or not I will choose to follow traffic laws, sexual acts laws, or jaywalking laws. The laws under discussion are stupid, are not enforced, and I don't intend to openly defy or challenge any of them. If someone else wants to be a hero or a martyr or both, they can feel free.

I think we should obey even the laws with which we disagree unless there is a morally compelling reason to defy them.

I disagree. I could think of several examples of laws outside of the current discussion that should be defied on principle, and not because of moral reasons.

I'm also not presenting myself as the perfect exemplar of my own principles.

Good. I don't expect anyone to be. I know I'm not.

In a lot of these discussions, I seem to be criticized for merely stating the facts, what the law is, as if we'd be better off if we didn't know, or something.

Again, I was not trying to attack or criticize you. It was nice to have an honest conversation about the subject.

[cowdery]

Though I wasn't sure on the first post, I know you were not attacking or criticizing. I appreciate the thoughtful discussion.

[T Comp]

Of course breaking the law with regards to purchasing alcohol had more dire consequences at another time in our history. http://www.slate.com/id/2245188/?wpisrc=eDialog