Colorado How much to charge?

I have a good amount of bottles piling up. Thinking about selling or trading. What is a fair price to ask for 2 cases of 12 Oz bottles?

free, I honestly don't know anyone that would pay for used bottles especially if they would have to come pick them up.

duboman beat me to it. If they are delabeled and clean....free. If they are dirty...free.

I see them sold on Craigslist for ~$5 a case. Seems reasonable to me if they are clean and delabeled. I've had to buy them a few times. Of course, there are a lot of homebrewers in my area, I'm not sure if that makes a difference. For comparison, my LHBS sells new bottles for $13 a case.

I would only be interested if you were giving them away. It is too easy to collect bottles from friends. I have bought 2 cases because I didn't plan ahead and my brews were ready. I have over 400 other bottles - all free. Then again someone in the position I was in might pay something. Bell's charges $10 for a case of 24.

You can auction them, I'll start: $1

Look on craigslist to get a sense of your local price range, I've paid $5/case for new, clean, unlabeled bottles in Denver. $5/case for clean, unlabled bottles is probably on the high end but you could always start there and work your way down if no one bites.

If the bottles have labels on them still I can't imagine you'll get anything for them.

Where in CO?

all i have learned so far is that they are worth more when they are full, and alot less when they are empty. your price should be free if they are empty.

VT Brewer said:

all i have learned so far is that they are worth more when they are full, and alot less when they are empty. your price should be free if they are empty.

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Exactly,
If you need bottles then buy some good craft beer, support the community, strip the labels and recycle for your own use

I've seen them for sale a lot. My problem now is I hate taking the labels off (a little lazy I know) so if I do it, I'll keep them. I was thinking a 6 pack off craft beer for a case or two of bottles...... All my brewing buddies are all set.

Greeley Colorado also.

I bought bottles when I started brewing. Then my friends found out I was brewing; now I have too many damn bottles I can't even give them away.

IDEA: If they're regular bottles with no embossing, sell them as "VINTAGE BEER BOTTLES" and watch the hipsters come a'running!

TINMANBrew said:

I've seen them for sale a lot. My problem now is I hate taking the labels off (a little lazy I know) so if I do it, I'll keep them. I was thinking a 6 pack off craft beer for a case or two of bottles...... All my brewing buddies are all set.

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For empty bottles, with labels on, no way you'll get $12 a case (that's about the price of a good 6 pack in my area). You'd be lucky to unload them for free, because some places don't recycle glass and charge to take them.

A decent 6 pack is about 8 to 10 here. If you figure you spend 17 a 12 pack of craft beer (full) . 8 bucks for 2 cases doesn't seem out of line. I'm a bit cheap but seems there are cheaper dudes out there than me!

TINMANBrew said:

A decent 6 pack is about 8 to 10 here. If you figure you spend 17 a 12 pack of craft beer (full) . 8 bucks for 2 cases doesn't seem out of line. I'm a bit cheap but seems there are cheaper dudes out there than me!

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The cheaper ones scavenge and find 'em for free or hit up the local bar for their empties on a Saturday night

A good 24 hour soak in Oxy and the labels just fall off, wipe with a sponge, rinse and dry, sanitize on bottling day and you're good to go.

duboman said:

The cheaper ones scavenge and find 'em for free or hit up the local bar for their empties on a Saturday night

A good 24 hour soak in Oxy and the labels just fall off, wipe with a sponge, rinse and dry, sanitize on bottling day and you're good to go.

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Plenty of people buy new bottles at 12-13 for 24. I would guess with labels on, someone might pay $5 a case. If it was convenient to pick up.

Give them to a friend who homebrews and needs them. Charity pays back a lot more the nickel and diming.

Home brewers who have been at it a while know where to get their bottles for free. Charge what ever you feel like, someone will buy them and you can feel good about making a few bucks off someone who doesn't know any better.

Yeah, if they are clean but not delabeled, I'd say that they are worth whatever the bottle deposit is. That's the most I would pay at least. Of course, it appears that in Colorado you guys don't have a deposit.

texcan2000 said:

Give them to a friend who homebrews and needs them. Charity pays back a lot more the nickel and diming.

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Yup, help a fellow brewer out and gain good juju.

$1 ea http://denver.craigslist.org/for/3895185225.html


Im in the same boat. Gotta get bottles, but if Im going to have to buy them Id rather just pick new ones up at my LHBS then go through the hassle of arranging a meet time, and driving across town.

When I got rid of all my bottles I charged a homebrew bottle for the lot. That way they went to someone who was nice enough to let someone have their beer

dchd1130 said:

$1 ea http://denver.craigslist.org/for/3895185225.html


Im in the same boat. Gotta get bottles, but if Im going to have to buy them Id rather just pick new ones up at my LHBS then go through the hassle of arranging a meet time, and driving across town.

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That $1/per is for bombers, which in my experience are significantly harder to come by.

I sold some for $5 case delabeled and clean. Bought some for the same

I guess maybe this winter when I have some time I'll clean them up and either store them until someone needs them. I have a few cases of bombers that I normally use when I don't keg. I'd totally trade for some homebrew too!

Free! last year I gave away 14+ cases since I went to kegging. I got the bottles by buying beer and collecting my friends recycling bin every few weeks. I de labeled all of them myself.

I got 150 bottles free few weeks ago in Denver

Just give them away.

When I got into this, I bought a big kit that came with almost enough bottles. The kit description said something like, You'll need about 6 more bottles. If getting 6 bottles is a problem for you, this is not your hobby.

Since then, I've had bottles show up on my porch, left bottles all over four counties and a parish and thrown out bottles because they were clear or green or I just didn't feel like messing with them. Bottle are one of those things that just are in this hobby.

Since I got into kegging, I've been giving my bottles away to friends who are getting into the hobby. They have had enough bottles for their first batch but want to get another going but don't have enough bottles. So I give them enough for at least another batch to get a pipeline started.

This is my way of helping grow the homebrew community. It also establishes a network of friends to try different homebrews and recipes.