BS: Momentous, life changing decision!

Subject: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 02:50 PM

Yes..it's true. After much thought, hesitation and soul searching, I have reached the point where I must... with great regret and hand wringing... get rid of my collection accumulation of beer bottles! (and a few cans)

*sigh* 35 years ago, I moved East from Kansas, and discovered GOOD BEER. This coincided almost exactly with the revival of small craft breweries in the USA, and I actually acquired one bottle from the New Albion Brewery of Sonoma, California, which was "the beginning" of the revival.
Out of curiosity, I kinda 'kept' one example of each type I tried (slowly at first; there being very few decent American brands, and imports were mostly German and Australian... some quite good. After 5 years, I had 'several dozen' or so and a hobby obsession was born.
As the years went by and more & more new breweries opened, I build shelves along the wall leading to my workshop. Alas, by that time, I had more bottles than would fit on the shelves... so...boxes, stacked 'here & there'. Soon, I last track of what was in the boxes (never having been a great cataloger or record keeper)... but oh, the plans to BEGIN record keeping!

Fast forward to the last few years, where it was common knowledge to those who drew my name for Xmas that Bill D was easy... just go get a six-pack or two of some interesting beer.... and the collection accumulation grew rapidly. And with the FSGW Getaway, good friends began bring me neat stuff from England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, New Zealand...etc..But many duplications began to occur... and not even I could remember what was in all those boxes. But one (read-me) had to be SURE; so dupes grew.

What also grew was my workshop and need to have shelf space for 'stuff' and to cope with those boxes...so....I decided to photograph the bottles and get rid of them. Easy, hmm? Nawwww... they were dusty, and I had to clean, arrange, REbox and REstack everything.

Arrgghhh.. took a few pics, revised 'plan' to 'just photograph a few special ones'. Decision process of identifying 'special' when they were scattered in many places became more complex than doing pics.

Seemed so simplistic 35 years ago.


Anyone want a collection accumulation of 'interesting' beer bottles? I thought not...

Did a few more photos and will begin 'surprising' the recycling truck every Monday for a few months. (I'm guessing there are over 1000...maybe 1200)


(I will soon post the dozen or so pics of the special ones I couldn't resist)

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 02:52 PM

(to clarify... I am NOT giving up the occasional beer....just resisting KEEPING all the empties.)

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 02:59 PM

Bill, try ebay first. You never know...

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:20 PM

Never having done ANYTHING on eBay (except looking for prices), I quail... and IF I advertised, who would want to pay shipping to North Dakota? The odds of finding someone local are not real good. I suppose Craigslist or something 'might' work, but serious collectors already have their collections and would want to pick & choose...... and I need to get on to real work.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:22 PM

Indeed, Jeri. >1k bottle is a "colection" and should not be placed in the "garbage". Whaddya get each? 10p? That's $100.Surely a "collection" is worth more than recycling and a collector will appreciate it.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:35 PM

I thought maybe you were giving up drinking or having a sex-change operation.

Are these bottles empty or full? If the latter I'll help you empty them.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Jeri
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:36 PM

Bill, but a minimum on it, put an amount they'll pay for shipping and handling, and let 'em bid.

It might be one guy wants maybe 3 cans or bottles that he hasn't been able to find. Put it in your pipe and see if anyone salutes it!

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:37 PM

I was wondering if they were empty. But you mentioned that they are.
If you have "Kijiji" it would be a good way to try and get rid of them. Cash settlements.
Adrien

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:48 PM

(I DO have some full cans of Billy Beer and "4077th M*A*S*H" beer and "J.R. Ewing" beer- and one can of generic *BEER*...only about 15-20 years old... *grin*)

(Oh yeah... and 3-4 cans of Theakstons "Old Peculier" that are maybe 25 years old)


I told you this was a momentous decision!


(and ONE unopened bottle of Thomas Hardy's Ale that is 19 years old now that is not for sale...even though I could probably get $25 for it...YUM!)

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: GUEST,999
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:57 PM

If eBay's out, try getting them into an auction.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 04:00 PM

9... modified... If eBay's out... Kijiji or same as suggested above.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 04:38 PM

Well.. I confess I had never heard of Kijiji. Just put up an ad there for 'cheap' beer bottles... we shall see.

ad

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 04:49 PM

No Bill. Soak off every label (save), and THEN discard. And then see us over in the Declut thread. ;~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 04:52 PM

Try....in Fargo ND

http://prairiehomebrewers.org/

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

burrppppppp

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 05:05 PM

What is nice about "Kijiji" is that you deal directly with the person who wants to buy your item and you deal in cash. it is a free site and Kijiji does not take a %.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: gnu
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 05:10 PM

Yes, Beer. When you are the seller at long distance, you can set your terms for cheque by mail and make sure you get paid "up front".

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 05:41 PM

I sold a few things and the person drove from Montreal to my place (1 Hour drive) Looked at the items and paid cash.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 05:42 PM

My Rog says you could donate them to the "Mudcat Museum!"

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 06:33 PM

bottle house

bottle house interior

bottle chapel

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: artbrooks
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 06:45 PM

Well, if you find a good home for them, let me know. I have a (full) can of Olde Frothingslosh (the Pale Stale Ale with the Foam on the Bottom). I'm pretty sure the contents are toxic waste by this time. Come to think of it, since it was made by Iron City it was probably toxic waste to begin with.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:14 PM

Hey I think I might have a can of Olde Frothingslosh too! (the full ones are stacked up in an awkward place... I'll have to look)

Bottle house! Now there's an idea... all I need is.... ummm.. 50,000 MORE bottles and a couple or years.

There are 2-3 million people within an hour's drive from me, so I will wait a week before beginning the big DUMP.... see if Kijiji (weird name) has any result.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:25 PM

If your post of 19 Jan 13 - 04:38 PM
is on Kijiji it is showing when I clik on it as Ebay
ad

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:46 PM

Tell ya what, Bill... Just 'casue you and I go way back I'm willin' to take the entire collection off yer hands if ya' have 'um filled first... Don't gotta be Dark Heineken... Iron City be just fine... When you have 'um restored to being beer carriers let me know and I'll come fetch...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Beer
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:54 PM

There is one thing I have to do before they lay me down is to try an "Iron City" beer. Bobert(and others) speaks of it so much that it must be good.
ad.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 11:14 AM

eBay search on "beer bottles -caps -brewing -home". I reduced the number of listings by getting rid of some specialty products in the search.

Once you get to that page, the real information is obtained when you click on the "completed listings" at the top of the results. You'll see what actually sold and for how much. You can search by date, by highest sale first, etc.

I think eBay stopped using that Kijiji name so you can get there by searching for eBay classifieds.

Selling on eBay isn't difficult if you do a few things very well: describe what you're selling, post good photos, before you list it find the best way to package and ship it, and when you do the listing use the eBay calculator to figure the shipping costs. If parcel post or Priority are a few cents apart choose Priority because people are always happy to get their purchases quickly. Offer to accept returns but they pay for return shipping. In my experience people don't return things very often if you've described and shown exactly what they're getting. Good customer service counts for a lot on eBay.

Use the online eBay shipping software and you'll meet your shipping costs. If you drive to the post office you'll pay more. I package items and sell them, then when the sale is complete print the shipping label, tape it on and hand it over to my postal carrier or drop it off at the counter at the post office. Most post offices have a place where people walk up and leave these things - don't go through the line or have the postal clerk fool with it.

If you have some bottles you discover are very collectible, list them as buy it now at that price, or start with a ridiculously low auction price (.99 or less) and see what happens. If I'm getting ready to put up something that I know is collectible but don't see much activity in that category I'll sometimes salt the field for a couple of weeks first by selling a few lesser examples of the same item. People notice and begin to watch for the items being offered.

Email me if you want more information. eBay really is the best place for some of these listings, if you want to sell some one at a time or sell them in lots. It can take a while, but it can also be rather interesting. The other sales methods address smaller audiences and for specialized sales you need a lot of eyeballs. I would never sell a specialized item in a garage sale because what are the odds that a collector will walk up the driveway and buy it for the price you know it's worth? Some of these regional classifieds are just a step above the garage sale as far as audience.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Janie
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 11:20 AM

Well, Beer, re: Iron City, let's just say the price is right.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 12:08 PM

I've been scrolling thru the EBay listings for beer bottles.. I see a large part are 'antiques'... which are harder to find and take up MUCH less space as a collection. On the more modern bottles, what I see is 'no bids' on most of them.

I do appreciate the guidance on eBay selling in general, as I do have some other kinds of stuff that I ought to list..(my mother's collections of powder jars, Kraft "Swanky Swigs", and Roseville pottery).... but even IF 'modern' beer bottles were to get inquiries and sales, the process of packaging, shipping and just monitoring eBay would likely negate my basic goal of reducing my 'load' of dealing with the heaps. I 'might' try listing a few of the odder, scarcer items... but I think that the Kijiji thing of seeing if anyone in a 100 mile radius is interested is my best bet. If no one even shows an interest in a week or so, basic recycling is my easiest route.

(and... Bobert.... since very few bottles have caps, I couldn't easily fill them and have them ready for your exalted needs. I could make an attempt to simulate the delicate flavor of Iron City by the same process used by Genesee 12 Horse Ale... I believe when you get a 6-pack, it requires 2 horses to fill each bottle ☺... but since I also have no horses, I would have to substitute myself as horse-proxy. I could probably manage 2-3 bottles per day... do let me know if you would like a 'sample' in an Iron City container.)

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bettynh
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 01:25 PM

I use craigslist for selling stuff I don't want to pack up. They're not quite so dependent on good pictures, and you can be a bit chatty in the writeup (I'm pretty sure explaining that I was selling my mom's best dishes was a key point in one sale). Let them know your "problem" and you might connect with another "collector" and exchange sale of a few prime bottles for what you need to know (which ones are utterly worthless and only good for recycling). It's usually pretty clear within a few emails which response is from a dealer and which is from another addict.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 08:28 PM

Thinking it over, Bobert? I have a couple Iron City bottles saved.. just in case.

Subject: RE: BS: Momentous, life changing decision!
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 08:30 PM

They full???

B;~)