Rare Bottles and High Bids with Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers

Do you have a really old bottle of whiskey? What about a unicorn that’s coveted by every bourbon enthusiast out there? We’re joined by Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers to talk about what it’s like to buy and sell high-end bottles at a legit auction. We talk about everything from the bottles they accept, how they process auctions, and how they spot fakes. Every year a whiskey breaks the ceiling for sales, who knows what it will be this year.

Show Partners:

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Show Notes:

BevAlc Insights: https://bevalcinsights.com/
Dating Old American Whiskey Bottles: https://bourbonveach.com/2020/06/29/dating-old-american-whiskey-bottles/
Whiskey Advocate Article: https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/black-market-bourbon-feature/
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bottled-In-Bond.
How did you get into spirits and auctions?
Did 50 year old scotch ruin you?
How do you get these rare bottles?
Talk about the legalities of selling and shipping alcohol for an auction house.
How do you transport or ship the bottles?
What do you define as a rare bottle?
How often do you get something in and it’s ruined somehow?
How do people react when they bring you a bottle that they think is amazing, but you can’t sell it?
How do you spot fakes?
What would happen if you auctioned a counterfeit bottle?
Do you research on the secondary market for pricing? How do you gauge value?
What do you attribute fluctuations in the market to?
Any advice for people wanting to participate in an auction?
Do you still get a thrill when finding rare bottles?
Are there things you won’t sell?
What’s the record sale?
What’s your commission rate?
Who is cooler, Scotch or American whiskey buyers?