Do you have a really old bottle of whiskey? What about a unicorn that’s coveted by every bourbon enthusiast out there? We’re joined by Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers to talk about what it’s like to buy and sell high-end bottles at a legit auction. We talk about everything from the bottles they accept, how they process auctions, and how they spot fakes. Every year a whiskey breaks the ceiling for sales, who knows what it will be this year.
Show Notes:
- BevAlc Insights: https://bevalcinsights.com/
- Dating Old American Whiskey Bottles: https://bourbonveach.com/2020/06/29/dating-old-american-whiskey-bottles/
- Whiskey Advocate Article: https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/black-market-bourbon-feature/
- This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bottled-In-Bond.
- How did you get into spirits and auctions?
- Did 50 year old scotch ruin you?
- How do you get these rare bottles?
- Talk about the legalities of selling and shipping alcohol for an auction house.
- How do you transport or ship the bottles?
- What do you define as a rare bottle?
- How often do you get something in and it’s ruined somehow?
- How do people react when they bring you a bottle that they think is amazing, but you can’t sell it?
- How do you spot fakes?
- What would happen if you auctioned a counterfeit bottle?
- Do you research on the secondary market for pricing? How do you gauge value?
- What do you attribute fluctuations in the market to?
- Any advice for people wanting to participate in an auction?
- Do you still get a thrill when finding rare bottles?
- Are there things you won’t sell?
- What’s the record sale?
- What’s your commission rate?
- Who is cooler, Scotch or American whiskey buyers?
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