Chase22

Recipes 

color me stupid, but why is a 3 gallon keg more valuable than a 5 gallon keg?

__________________
Prost!

jbrookeiv

Recipes 

They're way more rare.

__________________
My Beer Review Blog: Beer Review Dude
My Craft Beer Social Network: Craft Beer Network

Primary: Belgian Pale Ale w. Brett | Saison | Mango Pulp Wine | Graff, 10 gal

Bottled / Kegged: Hopped Imperial Wheat | AK47 Pale Mild, BIAB | AHS 20th Anniv. IPA, No Chill | Apfelwein
Leftover IIPA, No Chill | All-Molasses Ale | BIAB Black IPA | BIAB Hoppy Stout | JAOM | RyePA

wildwest450

Recipes 

And the 2.5 gallon kegs cost even more.

doobliebop

Recipes 

The soda industry used the 5 gallon kegs, and when they moved on to plastics and cardboard there were warehouses of these left over. The homebrewers moved in and bought the refurbished ones for ~$25. New 5 gallon kegs cost ~$120. Since the soda industry didn't do small kegs every small keg on the market was bought by someone for full price ~ $120, and there aren't a lot of them out there... so the ones that are being sold usually are sold for closer to manufacture cost.

As an aside, most of the warehouses of used 5 gallon soda kegs have been bought and sold, and most everyone expects the cost of the refurb'd 5 gallon kegs to rise over the coming years as interest our hobby seems to be growing at a fast rate.

TL;DR: Supply and demand

__________________
The Keg Ran Out Club
Broomfield, Colorado
http://www.kroc.org/