P A G E 6 B O R D E R B A T C H B R E W I N G S
Here’ s the way I see it thru beer goggles on a cold & blustery fall evening. The gales of November are definitely upon us as I write this piece. Dark beer selections are the popular choice here at The Thinline Bar & the winter reading sessions over big toasty winter warmers have begun in earnest. For some strange reason after finishing the beery Travels With
Barley by Ken Wells, I’ m revisiting Ovid’ s
Metamorphoses. I’ m trying to make it a beery experience by telling myself its research for a couple of good homebrew names. Hopefully there isn’ t a Greek tragedy brewing in a carboy down stairs- that’ s not the angle I was playing for. While I didn’ t take a lot of courses on things like psychology, philosophy or mythology in college, I’ ve always shown at least an amateur interest in how the human mind operates.( I just had a rather humorous flash of Stubie locked in an empty room w / a couple of cases of Grain Belt. Now I bet that’ d be a demonstration on human behavior!) I have been threatening for a while to pen a book entitled The Death of Common Sense in Modern America. Now most of the impetus for this work has been accumulated work related experiences that I’ m sure lack any interest to those in the brewery hobby scene. However, I’ ve recently begun expounding upon the theme as it applies in other venues of life. I think its time to apply the concept to the breweriana collecting hobby. So here it is, three obvious signs that Common Sense has indeed left the breweriana hobby building. 1.) Hobby vs. Job( Part I) The prices of items within our hobby reflect to me- at least to a significant degree- an attitude held by a number of collectors that our hobby offers an excellent opportunity for sideline income. This is supposed to be a hobby folks. I’ ve got a job- I don’ t want another. If I need some extra income I’ ll go get another job & keep the collecting as an exercise in pure fun. In my view collecting breweriana in order to sell off the extras for a profit is about the equivalent of joining the Big Brothers / Sisters program in hopes of making a few bucks for babysitting. I can hear the arguments coming already. I’ m sure my opponents may venture to state that if they take the time to chase down the contacts, spend $ 3.00 a gallon on gas to pick it up & then take the time to clean up that particular piece & haul it off to a show to sell, that those steps are worth a little mark up. Well maybe, but I’ d say it’ s a weak counter-argument. If you dabble in investing would you charge a friend or acquaintance a percentage for a stock tip you researched? Aren’ t fellow collectors friends or at least acquaintances with a similar interest? And if not, shouldn’ t they be? Do you really need to make a percentage for helping out a fellow collector with something they might like to add to their collection that is not of value to yours? Common Sense would tell me if it is in fact a hobby & not a business, that I need not participate in said hobby in the interest of making a buck. Sure I see exceptions to the above mentioned breweriana business. Friends giving deals to friends or giving someone a price break to return a favor but they are the exception not the rule. The prices you see on items at shows are the proof. Breweriana shows are not used car lots. Why are
w e setting prices high in hopes of eventually haggling down to a price that still leaves the seller well in the black? 2.) Hobby vs. Job( Part II) I don’ t know about the place where you work, but each week I get my fill of dealing with personality conflicts and people with agendas. Why must we bring it into the hobby? Sure not everybody is going to get along with every single individual out there. Have an opinion, defend it in pleasant conversation, but don’ t go out there & try to foist of your world view on other people. People are like beers; the goods one are all different from each other. Enjoy the diversity. Let the other guy enjoy what he enjoys even if you think its crap. With out getting into really specific real world scenarios the point I’ m trying to drive home here is that trying to get everyone to march to the beat of the same drum & do the same thing at the same time- that’ s all stuff I get plenty of at work- I don’ t need it in my hobby. I want to go to a beer event, talk to the people I want to talk to, drink the beer I want to drink, eat the food I want to eat, & look at / purchase the breweriana I want all on my own time schedule as I please. Common Sense should dictate,“ Its my free time, I’ m the boss.” Sure we all have to abide by some general rules of the social compact to avoid utter anarchy( drive on the correct side of the road, don’ t murder people, don’ t take a dump in the middle of the sidewalk) but other than those obvious types of things I’ m not going to surrender control of my mind to someone else. So to summarize this point; let people enjoy the hobby & their FREE time. If that’ s beyond your capacity don’ t be surprised when people buck your agenda. 3.) Taking the Beer Out of the Breweriana Hobby Have you ever heard comments like,“ I don’ t really like to drink- I’ m just here to sell some items” or“ I wish folks wouldn’ t drink so much beer at trade events because it detracts from the strength of the sales.” Well I’ ve only been in the hobby a couple of years & I’ ve actually heard both of these statements uttered at big beer shows. Here I go with the wild comparisons but isn’ t taking the beer out of the breweriana hobby the equivalent of taking Christ out of Christianity? Isn’ t it the sales & consumption of beer that have created all the wonderful objects of our collecting desires? HELLO?!? Now if you make a personal choice not to drink for any number of reasons I can respect that, but I think we’ ve completely missed the Common Sense train if we’ re regretting the consumption of beer by collectors at a breweriana show. Especially if your concerned that you aren’ t going to sell enough merchandise to make the trip worthwhile. After all, Common Sense might suggest that somebody may have a few brews & loosen up & spend more on a piece of breweriana than they otherwise would have. Common Sense should dictate that since it’ s a hobby we should applaud having a few brewskis to relax & unwind. When breweriana shows become dry, the breweriana shows will dry up. They’ ll go the way of the dodo & dinosaur- interesting things that have out grown there usefulness & died. Personally, you can count me out if it happens. In closing I hope it’ s the last time I need get on this particular soapbox. I’ d like to see some proof that Common Sense is not completely left the hobby. I’ m looking forward to a spring show season full of great deals on breweriana at shows, a decrease in human drama at those shows, & having a good time drinking good brews with good friends. Common Sense tells me that I’ ll have to settle for the latter. And you know what? That’ s probably enough!