A Question Of Morals??

[ACDetroit]

OK so here is my question for everyone! I went to this store and they have one Louisville Centennial Bottle! State minimum is $34.95 and I know it’s high but I’m willing to pay that! I have found some cheaper and some for a steal, but I’ll pay the book price for it.

This guy has it for $39.00 plus 6% sales tax and I just hate the fact that he wants an extra 5 bucks out of me. So I go in some time ago and ask , hey can you work with me on the price? Oh no not on that bottle he says it’s a collectors item and no longer in my book to order! I show him it’s in the State book and the price! He still will not budge!

So here is my moral dilemma!

1) Suck it up and pay the price! I know it’s $4 dollars but I’m pissed.

2) Buy it and swap out a transitional Frankfort bottle and return it for my dough? (you know as well as I he would never know)

3) Leave it on the shelf and see if it’s there in a year for more $$

4) Who cares this is a stupid post, do what you want!!

Just want to know what would you do???

Thanks,

Tony

[nor02lei]

OK so here is my question for everyone! I went to this store and they have one Louisville Centennial Bottle! State minimum is $34.95 and I know it’s high but I’m willing to pay that! I have found some cheaper and some for a steal, but I’ll pay the book price for it.

This guy has it for $39.00 plus 6% sales tax and I just hate the fact that he wants an extra 5 bucks out of me. So I go in some time ago and ask , hey can you work with me on the price? Oh no not on that bottle he says it’s a collectors item and no longer in my book to order! I show him it’s in the State book and the price! He still will not budge!

So here is my moral dilemma!

1) Suck it up and pay the price! I know it’s $4 dollars but I’m pissed.

2) Buy it and swap out a transitional Frankfort bottle and return it for my dough? (you know as well as I he would never know)

3) Leave it on the shelf and see if it’s there in a year for more $$

4) Who cares this is a stupid post, do what you want!!

Just want to know what would you do???

Thanks,

Tony

I would gladly pay 39 USD for a Louisville bottle. As a madder of fact I wouldn’t mind paying 39-euro ether. Considering the current dollar rate I wouldn’t mind paying 39 for a Frankfurt ether.

Leif

[Old Lamplighter]

I echo the previous post as I would gladly pay $39 for a L'ville bottle. In fact, the last few Frankforts I have found were $33-35. However, since you may have bunkered quite a bit of this already (recalling a prior post), it would cause you less pain I believe to pass on it........the principle of the matter as they say......just my opinion/2 cents worth.

[Special Reserve]

Tony,

The state price for Weller Centennial is $34.95. Perhaps a sharp store owner will know the difference between the available Frankfort bottling and the no longer widely available Louisville bottling but it is listed in the state book and on the state website.

I've successfully asked for the state minimum price (especially when the sign on the door states they only charge the minimum state price). Most store owners will give you the minimum price.

I never try to let on that I know it is an unique bottle. Some store owners have gotten to know me. Recently when I asked a store owner what was the price on a bottle on his top shelf he said we charge $10 over the state minimum but not for you.

So it pays to ask for the state price.

When a store charges substantially more than the state minimum price and tells me that I'm wrong and that they are charging the minimum price I just don't go back. They don't need my business.

Will

[TNbourbon]

Buy it if it matters to you. Who cares what price another customer paid for a bottle that YOU want? A bird in the hand...

[Kendall]

Tony, anyone who reads and post here very often knows what a great collection you have. Why worry about $5.00.

I will have to agree with Tim on this one.

If you went to your local bar and had a drink of cheap bourbon, how much would it cost you?

[ACDetroit]

Thanks guys! yeah Will I asked if he'd come down he said the State doesn't control his pricing and has not for some time now. I asked what the book was for then and he just kind of blew me off!

His I.W. Harper BHC is $58.99 and Dickle 10 BHC is $46.99 I have been finding enough for the State minimum that I don't need to go there! Thanks Will you're right!

Tony

[whiskeyhatch]

Tony, if this guy really is an a**hole just give him 5 bucks worth nickels in a ziploc bag. Otherwise, I'd just pay the premium and help him pay his bills.

[felthove]

Tony, if this guy really is an a**hole just give him 5 bucks worth nickels in a ziploc bag. Otherwise, I'd just pay the premium and help him pay his bills.

Great post!! Do it in nickels!

[ThomasH]

Better yet, if you really want the bottle and will have to pay his price, pay him in pennies. Remember who you are ultimately dealing with. Does the state really go out of their way for you?

Thomas

[ACDetroit]

I'm liking the change idea, go in and buy the whole shelf $250 + in unrolled coins! Let me pounder this for a bit and I may do it! I have some other irons in the fire as of today and will need to tie up the ends on them first.

If I do it it will be posted and I will try yo get pictures of the coin in baggies! At his prices they are not going anywhere that's for sure!!

Tony

[NickAtMartinis]

OK so here is my question for everyone! I went to this store and they have one Louisville Centennial Bottle! State minimum is $34.95 and I know it’s high but I’m willing to pay that! I have found some cheaper and some for a steal, but I’ll pay the book price for it.

This guy has it for $39.00 plus 6% sales tax and I just hate the fact that he wants an extra 5 bucks out of me. So I go in some time ago and ask , hey can you work with me on the price? Oh no not on that bottle he says it’s a collectors item and no longer in my book to order! I show him it’s in the State book and the price! He still will not budge!

So here is my moral dilemma!

1) Suck it up and pay the price! I know it’s $4 dollars but I’m pissed.

2) Buy it and swap out a transitional Frankfort bottle and return it for my dough? (you know as well as I he would never know)

3) Leave it on the shelf and see if it’s there in a year for more $$

4) Who cares this is a stupid post, do what you want!!

Just want to know what would you do???

Thanks,

Tony

Tony, I wouldn't worry too much about the additional $4.05 he's charging. I say, if you want it bad enough, suck it up and purchase the bottle. If you already have a bunch - and you just may - then pass on it.

Mark

[wadewood]

The guy runs a business in a free market. If it is not state law that certain prices are mandated, he should be able set his price at anything he wants.

Then, as a consumer, you are free to either buy it or not.

If you bought it and returned a different bottle, that, to me, would not be moral.

[gothbat]

For this particular bottle I don't think that price is bad. It's slightly high but I think $4.05 is a pretty small premium to pay for it.

[cas]

The guy runs a business in a free market. If it is not state law that certain prices are mandated, he should be able set his price at anything he wants.

We do have a state minimum price in MI, specified for every bottling sold. I vaguely recall that NY had something similar when I lived there years ago...but I'm not certain. Are there other states with similar laws?

Craig

[Mike R]

I am with wadewood on this one. If the owner will not come down to book price thats his decision to make as a business owner. You just have to decide if the bottle is worth it to you. In my opinion paying in change seems petty and beneath you.

Mike

[Joeluka]

Since the bottle is filled with Heavenly S/W Bourbon, I suggest picking it up. 10 years old and 100 proof S/W bourbon is cheap at $40, IMHO!!

[cowdery]

I'm not quite sure if I'm supposed to take the question seriously or not, but with Tony it's probably some of each.

I'll take it seriously.

Only alternative no. 2 involves a moral dilemma, as does the change idea, and there's no real dilemma about the bait-and-switch. Most moral compasses would point to wrong. Even if it is ostensibly the same product, we're talking morals here, not law. Bait-and-switch is morally wrong.

The change idea might be justified if you have a legitimate reason to be outraged. Nobody likes high prices, but if you don't like a price, don't pay it and don't patronize the establishment. No further action is justified.

As for alternative no. 3, this sounds like a guy who won't change his prices under any circumstances and it'll probably carry the same price if it sits there for 30 years.

If you want it for $39, buy it and do so with a smile. Everybody got what they wanted. If you don't want it for $39, don't buy it.

[scratchline]

I'm 100% behind Chuck on this. As I seem to recall you've got 13 bottles of the Louisville Centennial bunkered and you're spending bandwidth on whether to go 4 extra bucks for your 14th bottle?

In the words of Bud Light: Dude.

-Mike

[whiskeyhatch]

Guys I'm a bit red faced about the bag o nickels thing so I wanted to slip this in for the record. I didn't intend for this to be taken as seriously as it seems to be. I should have been more clear on that. If I were gutsy enough to actually do this myself, I would want to try and get a read on the guy and make sure he has a sense of humour. I'd also keep a more suitable form of payment on hand. I'm not going to suggest anyone do something I wouldn't do. If it were me, I'd buy it at the price he is asking. Sorry Tony.

[ILLfarmboy]

The guy runs a business in a free market. If it is not state law that certain prices are mandated, he should be able set his price at anything he wants.

Then, as a consumer, you are free to either buy it or not.

If you bought it and returned a different bottle, that, to me, would not be moral.

I agree with Wade on this. but if you somehow feel you have been the victim of bate and switch paying with a bag O change does nothing.

Go into the store and buy a pack of gum or a candy bar and pay with a credit card. The transaction fees that retailers have to pay can really add up when repetitively purchasing small items, something like 10 cents per transaction plus the percentage fee, maybe one or two percent.

On second thought don't do that. That's small and immature.

[melting]

Amazing that we are talking about 5 bucks, the price I pay for two coffees in the morning.

The credit card idea won't fly because he can require a minimum purchase amount before he will accept a credit card.

The change idea is also no good because he has the right to not accept change as form of payment. No different than when small shops won't accept bills larger than $20.

And at this point in the transaction you may have to be ready for the altercation that's sure to follow. Those pennies may just end up getting shoved down someone's throat. We are talking about Detroit, correct.

Chris

[ACDetroit]

Thanks everyone for all you're input! I new the bait and switch was wrong and will just grab the Centennial for his price. Then I'm done shopping there and I'm down to 11 as Oscar took one last night and we opened one! That's another post!

Thanks everyone and I find it very nice to see that everyone here has their morals in the right place.

Oh yeah I'll pay cash! (exact change but not with all change).

Tony

[Virus_Of_Life]

Glad you saw the light on this Tony! I was with Mike, dude. I mean really. Dude!

(If it makes you feel any better I've paid $38.99 for all 3 or 4 Louisville Centennials I've picked up... And I'd pay $40 without ever thinking twice about it if I could find them!)

[jburlowski]

Part of the problem is state restrictions on competition, both by (unduly) limiting the number of outlets and by setting minimum prices. In a freer market, consumers could reward / punish retailers appropriately,