Buying them out


  1. So I just stopped in to my local shop during my lunch break to pick up some Jack's Abby Private Rye. They tweeted four days ago that it was in. I found four 4-packs on the shelf and grabbed them. I had planned to buy three, but I saw four and decided "what the heck." The guy at the register says "whoah, did you just buy us out?
    "Yes, I think I did." He said "bad karma, man, that's generally frowned upon in beer circles." I offered to put one or two back but he said "no, I'll sell it to you, I'm just sayin'."
    Now this is a seasonal, but by no means limited beer. I told him "I think they're going to be making this one all spring, you should be able to get more." "Oh, really? I know we have trouble keeping Hoponious Union on the shelf...."

    So, anyway, what's the deal? Is there some sort of unwritten rule that one never buys all of a particular beer off of the shelf? Am I supposed to always leave some behind for somebody else, even if it's something completely easy to get and restock? Is this guy a jerk or misinformed?
  2. you are going to beer hell ;)
  3. Steimie

    Steimie Initiate (0) Michigan Jan 7, 2012

    He's just trying to help, I suppose. However, his morality was beaten into submission by his desire to make the sale. It'd been there for a few days, I don't see anything wrong with what you did.
  4. That guy sounds dumb.
  5. ...and Beer Hell only serves Bud Light.
  6. cmmcdonn

    cmmcdonn Savant (355) Virginia Jun 21, 2009

    Say 10 "ale-marys" before you go to sleep tonight and all shall be forgiven.
  7. stealth

    stealth Advocate (580) Minnesota Dec 16, 2011

    Should have just cool story bro'd him and moved on. Like you said, it's a seasonal beer.
    Lantern, Jnorton00, ICCULIS and 3 others like this.
  8. 1.) When I saw the title and the first line of the thread I thought you were going to say Jack's Abby was going to get bought out. I was scared.

    2.) I wouldn't have bought them out, I would have left one four pack for someone else, but that's just me. If there was only one four pack left then yeah, I'd grab it. But if there's multiple, I leave one.

    3.) What kind of store owner tries to talk you out of buying something? What a clown! It's his paycheck for crying out loud. I can't believe he opened his yap. Again, I wouldn't have bought them out, but I understand why you did and that's cool, two each his own. Nevertheless, no one that works at the store should be making comments. If he's concerned about other customers getting some then put a limit on how much folks can buy.
  9. Lutter

    Lutter Advocate (650) Texas Jun 30, 2010

    If there's no limit... I don't see the issue. You didn't even buy a full case.

    Clerk needs to learn to keep his thoughts to himself.
    Lantern and Blueribbon666 like this.
  10. If you don't want to sell something, don't put it on the shelf for sale. I would have just rolled my eyes at him and put him on ignore.

    I bet the owner of the store doesn't give a shit if everyone gets a "fair" shot at a certain beer as he knows that beer will just be replaced with something else to sell.

    I wonder would he had said the same thing if you bought out all the OE 40's?

    This is one of the reasons I have all but stopped shopping at the stores that cater to beer geeks - most stores that don't cater to them don't give a shit as long as your money is green.
  11. I gotta say, I'm shocked by the responses so far.

    I personally don't give a shit either, but this is BA afterall and I thought you'd be taking a beating by now.;)
  12. If they really did put an announcement out 4 days prior I don't have any issue with it. If you walked in as they happened to be getting a rare beer in, then I wouldn't buy it all. That's just me though.
  13. draheim

    draheim Poobah (1,050) Washington Sep 18, 2010

    I generally don't buy out a selection if it's really limited (unless there's only one or two bottles left), but those usually have enforced limits anyway. It's an item available for sale, and as you've pointed out, they'll make more. I think this particular clerk might need a gentle reminder about where his paycheck comes from.
    Hopsiam14, SammyJaxxxx and 19etz55 like this.
  14. draheim

    draheim Poobah (1,050) Washington Sep 18, 2010

    Maybe all of us got laid recently.
  15. It's fine, you just have to send me one.
    Lantern likes this.
  16. teal

    teal Aficionado (195) Wisconsin May 3, 2012

    Hmm - don't get the idea that you need to leave some for someone else.

    They had several 4 packs. If you only buy 3 and leave the last one due to some BS code about not buying out a store, that last 4 pack has to sit there - FOREVER until they get more in (can't buy out the store, only 1 4 pack left - remember?).

    Then what happens? Some unsuspecting person buys that old beer when they re-stock.

    To me it's a bigger dick move to basically put people in a position to buy old beer than to buy no beer. That's bad karma.

    Buy out the store - limited release or not. Eventually SOMEONE has to buy that last pack/bottle and you just hope it's fresh. Why not me?
    jgluck likes this.
  17. bozodogbreath

    bozodogbreath Savant (450) Indiana Oct 19, 2006

    Stop this nonsense! You are not going to beer hell! But you will spend a considerable time in Beergatory to pay for this, unless you send...
    creepinjeeper likes this.
  18. Steeeve

    Steeeve Savant (265) Pennsylvania Nov 16, 2010

    I'd be irritated if I found out some dude came in and bought up the stock of a beer I wanted, but I'm not going to say it's unfair (I'd rather they go to a real beer advocate than some schlub who thinks the label is cool). If a store wants to restrict purchases to one four pack they're well within their rights to do so. If not, the cashier would do best to keep his mouth closed and accept your money.
  19. powpig2002

    powpig2002 Savant (390) Florida Jan 26, 2012

    it's cool UNLESS i come in after you. then it's a total dick move. enjoy
    mycatsissy, sergeantstogie and Brew33 like this.
  20. sukwonee

    sukwonee Advocate (560) Washington Dec 13, 2011

    Don't feel bad I do this all the time. They should enforce bottle limits if they don't want me to buy more than I need. I am a total hoarder though.
    millerbuffoon and Hopsiam14 like this.
  21. seakayak

    seakayak Savant (355) Massachusetts May 20, 2007

    You obviously never got smacked for reaching for the last pork chop as a kid.
    JackHorzempa and SammyJaxxxx like this.
  22. So I just stopped in to my local shop...

    ...and they said some douchebag had bought out the rest of Jack's Abby Private Rye despite being warned about what a dick move that sort of thing is. No worries, though, he kindly pulled out some BCBS he had in the back for his loyal customers.
  23. how are you to know that there isn't any more in the back? Douchery I say.
    gpawned and ESeab like this.
  24. bleakies

    bleakies Savant (415) Massachusetts Apr 11, 2011

    Possible translation: "Dammit, I forgot to stash a couple four-packs in back to take home with me."

    I enjoy passing judgment so under normal circumstances I might have tsk-tsk'd you for buying out their stock but in the present instance my main takeaway from this thread is OMG WHAT'S PRIVATE RYE AND WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN IT AND WHERE CAN I GET SOME??!!?

    Jack's Abby just keeps on releasing new (or new to me) brews and I just keep loving them.
    Bluecane, YogiBeer and craigo19 like this.
  25. Ross always "buys em out".
  26. It's bad karma for super limited stuff, but I don't really see the problem with a simple Jack's Abby seasonal. They'll get more, and the next guy could probably drive 2 minutes down the street to another store for more.
  27. To avoid the issue, I would have just replied, "yeah, normally I wouldn't, but some of these are for friends that live out of state and can't get it." Boom, you're now the good guy.
    Jwale73 likes this.
  28. TNGabe

    TNGabe Initiate (0) Tennessee Feb 6, 2012

    Next time you see the owner, ask if it's store policy to discourage customers from spending money. If it was my shop, I'd really appreciate being informed that I had an employee who was telling people not to buy beer. Said employee would be a former employee pretty quick.
    teal and draheim like this.
  29. sukwonee

    sukwonee Advocate (560) Washington Dec 13, 2011

    No, but I never tried either. I can't cellar pork chop.
  30. beerme411

    beerme411 Savant (360) California Sep 28, 2010

    When I was at a local WF during their 20% off all beer sale, they had a decent amount of fresh PtE and Blind Pig, no limits. I got a couple BPs (since I had not seen it before and I wanted to get other beer), plenty left on the shelf. I spent some time walking up and down the beer aisle and heard a clerk tell a customer that all the PtE they had was on the shelf. The guy that was next to me then got one of their empty boxes to hold beer and took the remaining 9 PtE they had. He asked the beer guy somewhat rudely if there was more in the back he could have, which there wasn't and then left.

    I thought that was a dick move since he knew there was no more in the back and was just taking as much as he could. In general I don't mind, but I was new to craft beer, had only seen PtE a few times, and he seemed like he was a spoiled child when he was younger. It just rubbed me the wrong way.
    creepinjeeper likes this.
  31. draheim

    draheim Poobah (1,050) Washington Sep 18, 2010

    I can't believe I remember this thread, but your story totally reminds me of this. Also happened in the Bay Area.
    Do you have more douchebags than the average city?
  32. GennyCreamAle

    GennyCreamAle Initiate (0) New York Feb 25, 2009

    There is no code, it's just how you feel like conducting yourself. I would not clear a store out in your example. If there is only 1 pack left then I would purchase it, that's not clearing out a store in my opinion. When you buy up multiples of everything a store has then you are pretty much just thinking about yourself and not others, selfish perhaps. It's totally a personal preference.
    creepinjeeper and seakayak like this.
  33. I recently posted on here about a similar scenario I had with hopslam. Had the opportunity to buy them out, but opted to not entertain bad karma and only grabbed two sixers. Went through them rather quickly and said if the store still had any left this weekend, I'd buy another two sixers. Went back, and sure enough, they had a few more so I bought two more. I really just ask myself how I'd feel if I found out one person bought all of them, but then again, the store has the right to put a bottle limit on its sales. If they don't, then why not? There's really no right or wrong answer. If they were just sitting on the shelf 4 days later, I'd say you gave others ample time and it just didn't sell. Go for it, man.
  34. Hanzo

    Hanzo Champion (955) Virginia Feb 27, 2012

    If you don't want me to buy it all don't put it on the shelf, but it behind the counter with a bottle limit. I wouldn't feel bad at all unless I was buying it just for trade bait or to sell (which I personally wouldn't do) but if my friends and I are going to enjoy it...I feel it is fair game.
  35. Andygirl

    Andygirl Savant (280) Michigan Jan 3, 2013

    I bought some beer a couple weeks ago and the beer guy told me I shouldn't buy that much because there was a limit on it last year. I asked him if there was a limit this year and he said no. I told him I would share it and he let me buy it.o_O
    szmnnl99 likes this.
  36. You guys sure are cranky about this. Totally something worth getting all hot n bothered about.
    Herbicide likes this.
  37. seakayak

    seakayak Savant (355) Massachusetts May 20, 2007

    Yesterday I went to my regular local beer store, only to see (for the first time in my life) the lauded BCBS!

    They had 4 bottles - how many should I have taken? (I bought 1, and was grateful for it).
    creepinjeeper likes this.
  38. Nectar

    Nectar Savant (310) New Jersey Jan 17, 2013

    It sat there for 4 days after being advertised on social media.

    You got what you wanted, everyone else had a more than fair chance, that guys a douchebag.
    Bluecane likes this.
  39. Nectar

    Nectar Savant (310) New Jersey Jan 17, 2013

    Its shipped in 4 packs. I say 4.
    craftpunk likes this.
  40. craigo19

    craigo19 Savant (270) Michigan Oct 12, 2009

    Not a douche move by you, but by the clerk, especially since it was a seasonal. Last week I could have bought more Hopslam from my regular store, but being that I already bought my case for the year I left it for someone else and bought a sixer of Ruthless Rye.

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