$40 for a brewers best kit?!

OK, it was actually only $37, but after taxes it was $39 something! It was the German Oktoberfest. Did I get ripped off?

Part of the problem is my LHBS doesn't have prices marked for probably 80% of their merchandise. Is this common practice? I got tired of asking how much everything is and waiting for her to look it up, and in the past I thought their prices were reasonable for the most part. The last BB kit I bought (American Micro style Pale Ale) was only $30.

I know I read another thread about BB kits going up in price, but I thought this was too much. I hope it's good!

I dont' think you got ripped off, that seems fairly close. Everything has gone up in price, not just hops. I talked with my LHBS owner and she said even 2-row Pale went up $0.12/lb which is pretty huge since it was just $1.25 before. The cost of fuel is causing all things to rise, because of shipping costs. I just picked up a simple extract pale ale recipe a couple weeks ago and it ran me $33 and change. A month before that, the same recipe cost me $28. No worries tho...2 cases of really good brew runs $50-55 even at Costco so we're still saving money!

A couple weeks ago I took a look at some BB kits (at my LHBS) and they were about $38 so your LHBS is probably right on target. It sucks but it seems to be the going price right now.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

No worries tho...2 cases of really good brew runs $50-55 even at Costco so we're still saving money!

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That's a great attitude, and I was actually just thinking the same thing. I ran out of homebrew a couple weekends ago and bought two cases of just mediocre beer and it cost me $35! I guess I shouldn't complain about spending a little more for some great homebrew.

My LHBS went up to $30.50 from $28.50 for BB regular kits and $36.50 for the Bold Series. Less than an hour up the road from them the same kits at another shop are $39 - $50 a kit!! An added benefit is that my LHBS owners usually attend our brew club meetings so with a little planning they'll bring me whatever I need for free! No shipping or hour drive for me.:rockin:

My LHBS also does not label any prices.
"How much is this?"

"$20"

Hmmm.. this isnt a yard sale you tell me the chances of that being the correct price. Low and behold I go home and check on their own website. $16.95. I no longer support my LHBS.

Im lucky enough to have a great LHBS. The prices for kits and malt extract have not gone up since I started brewing last June (crosses my fingers). Right now I pay $14.99 for a coopers/muntons pre hopped malt extract kit and then 3# of liquid malt extract costs me another 7.99. Some of the other prehopped kits cost 15.99 but it has been pretty standard well the same over the past year. Im waiting to walk in someday and see proces go up like 25% - which still wouldnt be too bad

Im in Canada so the prices would still be great.

coeceo said:

My LHBS also does not label any prices.
"How much is this?"

"$20"

Hmmm.. this isnt a yard sale you tell me the chances of that being the correct price. Low and behold I go home and check on their own website. $16.95. I no longer support my LHBS.

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My LHBS doesn't have an integrated inventory between their website and the point of sale so frequently the web prices are out of date. It is pretty typical that when the invoice for an order from their suppliers comes in that they update prices in the store point of sale but not on the website.

Full disclosure: I work there part time. In my spare time I am working on an automated script to sync the POS inventory/prices to the website.

camiller said:

My LHBS doesn't have an integrated inventory between their website and the point of sale so frequently the web prices are out of date. It is pretty typical that when the invoice for an order from their suppliers comes in that they update prices in the store point of sale but not on the website.

Full disclosure: I work there part time. In my spare time I am working on an automated script to sync the POS inventory/prices to the website.

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Cool! I work in databases all day, so if you need some script help just PM (mostly M$SQL, some MySQL and Oracle). I'm working on a site for my LHBS, but the owner doesn't use a computerized POS or have a computerized inventory. I'd love to help someone build an integrated system one of these days.

coeceo said:

My LHBS also does not label any prices.
"How much is this?"

"$20"

Hmmm.. this isnt a yard sale you tell me the chances of that being the correct price. Low and behold I go home and check on their own website. $16.95. I no longer support my LHBS.

Click to expand...

Well, at least you can check their prices online, even if it's just to find out you got ripped off. My LHBS doesn't even have a webpage, so I'm totally in the dark. Not labeling prices is very annoying to me. I'd hate to not support them anymore, but I'm afraid it might eventually come to that. I'll give them a few more chances though.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

Cool! I work in databases all day, so if you need some script help just PM (mostly M$SQL, some MySQL and Oracle). I'm working on a site for my LHBS, but the owner doesn't use a computerized POS or have a computerized inventory. I'd love to help someone build an integrated system one of these days.

Click to expand...

Thank goodness you using a real database engine...
I'm so sick of M$ SQL...
ACKHGHGHGHR

I deal quite extensively with POS / BOS / web stuff.

like 200 plus stores...
Most Mobil Petrall stations..

Oracle rules.

My LHBS is actually very good on prices and actually still has a wide selection of hops. Their website leaves much to be desired though.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

Cool! I work in databases all day, so if you need some script help just PM (mostly M$SQL, some MySQL and Oracle). I'm working on a site for my LHBS, but the owner doesn't use a computerized POS or have a computerized inventory. I'd love to help someone build an integrated system one of these days.

Click to expand...

My LHBS has a POS to keep inventory, but doesn't update it and has no idea what they have in stock. I purchased 6 feet of tubing from them and the computer said they had -2,305 feet in stock. So essentially according to the computer they were sellingtubing they didn't have....

i just got home with a brewers best ipa kit and it was $37 so that is the normal price