Wine Searcher Bottom Dwellers?

[Guillermo_M]

There’s plenty of room to walk and shop in Bassin’s, and Schneiders on Capital Hill (a classic jam-packed wine store) is often overpriced.

Schneider’s’ pricing is middle of the road. I’ve found good deals and some bad prices. It’s rarely at the bottom of the list though. They do free delivery too. It’s also a tiny store so that may dictate the lack of space.

DCanter and Grand Cata are in a noticeably higher pricing range.

[Victor_Hong]

Anyone who uses wine searcher with any regularity is probably aware of 2 or 3 retailers that consistently show up at the end of the search, and always with prices that are dramaticly higher than the rest of the sellers. This is not a criticism of these retailers but rather an inquiry as to who it is that buys at these inflated prices. Also, if private collectors were to sell to these businesses, should the seller expect to receive higher prices for their wine?

Off-market retailers seem irrelevant, in my personal opinion. Like worrying if any green beetles on Jupiter.

A weird view. Have you ever taken an economics course? Do you know how a supply curve is constructed?

When at the University of Chicago, I took only lunch delivery orders, not classes…such as microeconomics.

For the market as a whole, the full ranges of proposed buyer bids and seller offers define the classic downward-sloping demand curve and upward-sloping supply curve, respectively. The intersection determine the market-clearing price.
For the individual buyer who lacks price-setting power in a large and competitive market, the market-clearing price set thereby creates an effectively flat supply curve for that buyer. The market ignores his or her lower bids, with no incentive for a seller to supply anything.
For the individual seller who lacks price-setting power in a large and competitive market, the market-clearing price set thereby creates an effectively flat demand curve for that seller. The market ignores his or her higher offers, with no incentive for a buyer to buy anything.

[A_Gillette]

Seems less applicable when wines domestically available.

Of course. But so what? They just post the whole inventory from sources from which the wines are available. If you look at the inventory from some large UK merchants you will see the same inventory roughly. So they aren’t picking and choosing. You can decide what’s worth paying for.

The two or three main sellers are pulling a feed off Liv-Ex.

I think it is important to have a little care about you offer/sell rather than just posting five thousand wines owned by someone else on Wine-Searcher.

Lots of UK merchants use a broking model where they list wines that they don’t own. The wines are generally in bond. That’s a lot more care than your average secondary seller in the US, who can’t tell you much about provenance on any wine.

[Victor_Hong]

Anyone who uses wine searcher with any regularity is probably aware of 2 or 3 retailers that consistently show up at the end of the search, and always with prices that are dramaticly higher than the rest of the sellers. This is not a criticism of these retailers but rather an inquiry as to who it is that buys at these inflated prices. Also, if private collectors were to sell to these businesses, should the seller expect to receive higher prices for their wine?

Off-market retailers seem irrelevant, in my personal opinion. Like worrying if any green beetles on Jupiter.

A weird view. Have you ever taken an economics course? Do you know how a supply curve is constructed?

In the case of bottlings with one or few buyers, is monopsony possible?

[ZiporaTilda]

Anyone who uses wine searcher with any regularity is probably aware of 2 or 3 retailers that consistently show up at the end of the search, and always with prices that are dramaticly higher than the rest of the sellers. This is not a criticism of these retailers but rather an inquiry as to who it is that buys at these inflated prices. Also, if private collectors were to sell to these businesses, should the seller expect to receive higher prices for their wine?

I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone buy those products with inflated prices (NOT JUST WINE). There is this misinformed notion that expensive is quality.

[Victor_Hong]

Anyone who uses wine searcher with any regularity is probably aware of 2 or 3 retailers that consistently show up at the end of the search, and always with prices that are dramaticly higher than the rest of the sellers. This is not a criticism of these retailers but rather an inquiry as to who it is that buys at these inflated prices. Also, if private collectors were to sell to these businesses, should the seller expect to receive higher prices for their wine?

I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone buy those products with inflated prices (NOT JUST WINE). There is this misinformed notion that expensive is quality.

There also is this misinformed notion that cheap is low quality.


May that persist.

[Guillermo_M]

In the case of bottlings with one or few buyers, is monopsony possible?

The existence of this board would seem to point to the answer being NO.

[david_paly]

Remember that most of the country is now in a restricted space for shipment so some of these hi priced retailers are not participating in a ‘market’ per se. They command higher prices because their consumers have little choice, especially in urban areas where fewer people have cars or space to store wine.

[markjchambers]

The original question assumes that the merchants selling the wine at the lower prices actually have the wine and can ship it to your state. Ohio is not a great place for wine shopping in depth and especially not good for great wine at a great price. More than once I have gone far down the Pro list to find a desired wine that was obtainable. It would be nice if wine-searcher would use my state as a filter so merchants that do not ship to Ohio wouldn’t come up.

[Jason_L]

The original question assumes that the merchants selling the wine at the lower prices actually have the wine and can ship it to your state. Ohio is not a great place for wine shopping in depth and especially not good for great wine at a great price. More than once I have gone far down the Pro list to find a desired wine that was obtainable. It would be nice if wine-searcher would use my state as a filter so merchants that do not ship to Ohio wouldn’t come up.

Hi Mark,

There is an option to filter by state and ship-to state in wine-searcher. Better results might be limited to Pro subscribers, but it’s there. On the Prices tab, there’s a pull-down menu that says “Shop Location” and within that, there is a toggle slider that allows you to include OH ship-to as well.

Hope that helps

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

The original question assumes that the merchants selling the wine at the lower prices actually have the wine and can ship it to your state. Ohio is not a great place for wine shopping in depth and especially not good for great wine at a great price. More than once I have gone far down the Pro list to find a desired wine that was obtainable. It would be nice if wine-searcher would use my state as a filter so merchants that do not ship to Ohio wouldn’t come up.

Hi Mark,

There is an option to filter by state and ship-to state in wine-searcher. Better results might be limited to Pro subscribers, but it’s there. On the Prices tab, there’s a pull-down menu that says “Shop Location” and within that, there is a toggle slider that allows you to include OH ship-to as well.

Hope that helps

It’s not entirely accurate, speaking in general not in re to Ohio.