Party Source Shipping

[MyOldKyDram]

Well, just guessing but I'd say it was more about serving their bank account than customers, but I will agree that the laws are ridiculous. I wish all KY stores were able to ship, and I wish that I could order from out of state. Doubt that either is going to change anytime soon, tough.

[Kyjd75]

It's a shame that things like this are met with a shrug of the shoulders from most consumers. The laws governing alcohol are ridiculous, from state-run monopolies to the anti-competitive three-tier system. I think it's fantastic that places like TPS (and there are a few others) stick their neck out to serve their willing customers.

Another way of putting is that they made a deliberate decision to violate the law and dare the Commonwealth to do something about it. Believe me, many other spirits retailers have looked at the law and it really is not even arguable that what they were doing was legal. Good for business and out of state customers? Sure. But legal? Not a chance. Did it ever occur to anyone why NO OTHER STORE in Kentucky was doing what TPS was. When Eric opened his store in Elizabethtown, he and I took a good hard look at the law and what TPS was doing, because if it was remotely legal, it would have a no-brainer to have an online multi-state store operation. We decided it was not worth the risk of losing a license, because the language was clear. Retailers simply cannot ship spirits in or out of this state.

TPS took a calculated gamble which paid off for awhile. If they had contested the law and lost, they almost surely would have lost their license (thus out of business) plus incurred very high fines. They really had no choice but to fold when confronted, which is what they did. I wish the law in Kentucky would permit what TPS was doing. It would mean more business for everyone, and it would be good for consumers because everyone would be in the game, not just TPS.

[rcb4d]

Well, just guessing but I'd say it was more about serving their bank account than customers

It was a mutually beneficial relationship. They are no more self-serving than any other business enterprise.

[luther.r]

Hello StraightBourbon.com,

Our website and e-commerce will continue to function in full effect (and coming soon, we'll have an option to have items packed for shipping).

This is interesting. So maybe TPS can pack the items and I can have a courier of my choice go pick them up there? Hmm...

[MyOldKyDram]

Not sure how that would work, as its illegal to ship booze out of KY. Maybe Jay will expand upon that thought?

[theglobalguy]

This is interesting. So maybe TPS can pack the items and I can have a courier of my choice go pick them up there? Hmm...

"No, no UPS i swear it's salad dressing shipping from that oversized package liquor store" :cool:

I was shocked they ever allowed it, but being within 2 hours and based in KY...it's always been a pit stop when heading north. Will continue to be.

To the comment above about more likely to be able to find special bottles...apart from the mad rush for PVW i didn't see them posting anything to the website since it'd sell out in store ASAP. But, i didn't check their site that often to know.

[GaryT]

Sorry to hear of this development, as I had just bookmarked their web-site this summer and was hoping to make some on-line PS purchases this winter. Just have to stock up when in KY I guess!

[Phil T]

Well, just guessing but I'd say it was more about serving their bank account than customers,.

Nothing wrong with making as much money as you can. The shipping added to their customer base for sure, nothing wrong with getting as many customers as you can.

I think TPS does a very good job of servicing the customer. They have a large selection of single barrels, and keep the prices of the limiteds well in check with what they should be(an enthusiast dream on both counts). A lot of retailers don't do that.

[Yeti]

Not sure how that would work, as its illegal to ship booze out of KY. Maybe Jay will expand upon that thought?

It would just be a UPS or FedEx courier from across the river, I imagine.

[MyOldKyDram]

Perhaps, but it still has to be shipped out of KY. Not sure it matters who's shipping it. Seems a dangerous game for TPS to be playing at this point, but what the hell do I know.

[Paddy]

Perhaps, but it still has to be shipped out of KY. Not sure it matters who's shipping it. Seems a dangerous game for TPS to be playing at this point, but what the hell do I know.

Opportunity here for someone willing to do a little side work (and take on a little risk)?

[393foureyedfox]

Opportunity here for someone willing to do a little side work (and take on a little risk)?

flashbacks to the '20's?

[Paddy]

flashbacks to the '20's?

We could run "shine" and TPS liquor all day long and still not fill all the orders!

[P&MLiquorsEric]

Opportunity here for someone willing to do a little side work (and take on a little risk)?

[Bourbon Boiler]

Got the depressing email today. I was looking at 3-4 bottles to order, and I was going to wait 2 weeks until I was on the next CC billing cycle. Really wish I'd have acted.

[Grain Belt]

There are some interesting thoughts on TPS getting out of interstate sales. Some are disappointed due to pending orders being shut down, others are jumping up and down with joy that the law has prevailed. Speaking from just one consumer's viewpoint, I am very disappointed that TPS has stopped shipping. I am a working class guy from Minnesota who loves bourbon that is both tastey and a good value. Several times I ordered reasonably priced bourbons from TPS that are not distributed to MN. Old Charter 10, HH BIB, EW 1783, AAA, VOB BIB. Other than some major interstate travel, I could not get those great value bourbons. TPS's cyber Monday shipping deal allowed me to order a few cases of these bourbons. I am a responsible, hard working adult with a small amount of disposable income that enjoyed getting my hands on these bourbons. Now I can't. That's a shame.

[squire]

It is a shame, I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of their competitors who made the complaint.

[393foureyedfox]

i know theres more to the whole thing than this, but.......KY is losing out on a LOT of tax money by not allowing its own retailers to ship out of state. KY is THE main provider of a worldwide demanded item. sell it and tax it, ship it to every state that will allow the importation of alcohol. but that would make too much sense....

but let ALL retailers offer the shipping of alcohol, not just one. level the playing field.

[393foureyedfox]

It is a shame, I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of their competitors who made the complaint.

[Wryguy]

but let ALL retailers offer the shipping of alcohol, not just one. level the playing field.

[oke&coke]

This blows some serious chunks. Hawaii misses out on a lot of bourbon and TPS was my go to for unavailable items. The other sites I found that ship to Hawaii don't have the big selection they did.

[Conquistador]

I've had a couple of large orders from TPS shipped to me, so this news is definitely a bummer. However, as someone who travels to the region every 1 to 2 years, I should be able to take advantage of the forthcoming "packed for shipping" option, as checked baggage on a return flight home. The basic rules for alcohol in checked airline baggage (securely packed with padding/cushion, each bottle placed in a separate air-tight bag) is basically how TPS has packed my previous orders. Sure, it will cut down on how much and how frequently I purchase from TPS, but since they have stuff that I like that is difficult (if next to impossible) to obtain elsewhere, I'll adapt to the situation.

[sutton]

This is the tyranny of the 3-tiered system and a problem that doesn't seem to be easily solved given the power of the liquor lobby. There have been a number of attempts to fix this, even a Supreme Court decision related to it a few years ago that really changed nothing (basically saying you can't allow intrastate shipping of wine without also allowing interstate shipping).

I think most folks buy what is locally available - it is just so much more convenient, why wouldn't you? Most go online to access what isn't available (because of uneven distribution or no distribution) or specialty bottlings. For retailers who want to ship interstate, I think they should be allowed as long as they collect and pay the taxes to the state they are shipping to - they can place this additional overhead into their pricing, and consumers can then decide whether or not they want to order based on that increased cost, including the shipping. Maybe I look at this too simplistically, but I don't see why it needs to be any more complicated than that (other than wholesalers and distributors now have to compete for the more limited stuff, and why would we want that to happen ...?!?)

I believe there was a recent order now forcing online retailers like Amazon to start collecting state taxes - after allowing them for years to have a leg up on local stores. I guess it didn't become important until even Wal-Mart was having trouble competing with them.

[Jay Erisman]

This is interesting. So maybe TPS can pack the items and I can have a courier of my choice go pick them up there? Hmm...

Luther.R, in the future, we can offer to pack your items in the same extra heavy duty packing materials we've always used, so that they could be easily transported. For example, a friend of yours could pick them up for you. Or, you could pick them up and check them through as luggage on an airplane.

But to answer your question, no, you could not have a courier come to the store and pick them up.

[oke&coke]

Well then, I guess we will just have to tell you that our "friend" will be picking them up.:grin: Who wants to be my "friend"?