I’ve got obviously a different philosophy than you guys regarding collecting. I don’t really see any problem with buying in the secondary market. I buy and sell all the time. My cost basis in my overall collection is far below retail, but I have to work to get there. I do stuff like buy 3 bottles of Pappy 15 at $800 each knowing I can sell 2 of them for $1000 each bringing my cost basis for 1 down to $400.
Right now, I’m trying to finish off some open bottles before I open any others. A few weeks ago I looked and I had 45 open bottles. I’m trying to get that down to a more manageable level. I’ve finished off around 10 since then.
I have some bottles that I’m saving for a special occasion. For example, I’m holding off on opening my Pappy 23.
I have some bottles that I’m not opening because I might sell them. These are things like Blade and Bow 22 and Booker’s Rye.
I have some that I’m not sure when I’ll open, but eventually I will. I have the entire lineup of 2016 and 2017 BTACs. I drink BTAC bottles, but I’m saving the unopened lineups for a while. I do have open bottles of 2017 GTS and WLW and 2016 THH.
I don’t really love Saz18 or ER17, so I’m probably not going to open those. I’ll eventually sell them.
For certain bottles that I love, like 4RAY, I try to get an extra. I have 1 open and 1 extra.
I trade samples of stuff with some of my friends. I have a friend with a better collection than me that’s always getting good stuff to try.