TEXAS TOWN FOR SALE

[NorthernWinos]

Iam hooked on eBay....doing my Christmas shopping now....


Came across this...just can't afford it at the moment......Maybe some of you might like to be the winning bidder.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120175767867&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002

 

[jobe05]

I'm thinking along those lines, but I want an island that belongs to no one, no country, nothing! I want a small island that I can create my own Government!

Maybe after Castro goes I can have that one....................

 

[dfwwino]

I've always wanted to own my own town. Anybody up for forming a limited partnership to buy a Texas town? Rename it Winemakerville. Or if George chips in, I'll vote for Finevinewineville. Now there's a tongue twister. It looks like an ideal spot for a winery and wine festival.

 

[Wade E]

Im in!

 

[masta]

Based on what the asking price is on the website 2.5 million is a lot of dough for 13 acres!

 

[lockdude]

It would be a cool spot to start a winery,but its out of my price range.

 

[dfwwino]

I thought the current bid was just over $350,000. The Hill Country is one of the beautiful spots in Texas. Edited by: dfwwino

 

[dfwwino]

Scott, it must have caught your interest to follow the link to the "Town" website. You must have been nibbling.You are right the fine print on the website has an asking price of $2.5 M. I wonder what the reserve on Ebay sets forth.Edited by: dfwwino

 

[PolishWineP]

I was wondering what I was going to get Poor Bert for Christmas! What a great idea!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Looks like PWP wants that Texas town at any price.

 

[smurfe]

I have actually been there before. My wife has family in that area and they took us to that Ice house once.It is a beautiful area that I would love to live. Looks like others do as well. Just looked, 112 bids and the price is up to $3,000,800.00 as I type. It would be a great place for a vineyard and winery.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Maybe that's George's bid and he's going to surpriseeveryone at Winstock next year.

 

[geocorn]

I wish!


I will tell you that if I had $3MM to invest, it would NOT be Albert, TX. With that kind of money, I could have 10-15 Toy Stores around the country and a Winestock each month, somewhere. Now that would be fun!

 

[PeterZ]

Memphis needs a Toy Store! We have one store in midtown that used to be OK until the couple that owned it retired and sold it to some loser who lives in the back and has no stock. The only other place is 95% beer, 5% wine. Good to have if you need a carboy or airlock fast, but otherwise worthless.

Well, the beer guy is not worthless if you want to do some beer. He's got lots of SS equipment for making beer for loaners, like a propane fired 20 gal outdoor wort cooker, SS coiled wort coolers, etc. Buy your supplies and carboys from him and he will let you take the cooking equipment home for the weekend to cook up your batches. Nice guy, but the mead he makes is pretty bad.

 

[jobe05]

We could use a FVW around here also Pete.

There are 2 a few miles away, one has about 1900 square feet of store, and about 75 square feet is jam packed with overpriced wine supply items that ave been there for 2 years, rarely does it change.

The other is a health food store that has great supplies and great prices and 4 to 5 year old kits. He buys out dated kits from a guy out of state and re-sells them at his store......... At full price!

The third store is an hour east of me that is very small, a few items and not very personable at all. They seem to want to rush you out of the store every time I go there. I pick up an item off the shelf and keep looking and they say "is that all, are you ready to check out?" I say no, still looking........ pick another item up and "is that all, are you ready to check out?" Last time I was there I asked if they had a certain kit (a Red kit), and if not could they get it. All I got for an answer was a sales pitch on a white wine that was going out of date................ I left!

My favorite local place...... Alternative Beverage in Charlotte http://www.ebrew.com/index.htm

I like this guy and the way he runs his business, it's very much like having a "George" right here in NC. Jess always comes out and greets his customers, has a HUGE inventory of kits, product and supplies, anything imaginable and is hardly ever out of stock on anything. He is moving his location to a private business park and his shop will be on the river, in a park like setting for those tasting parties ad wine events.

Best part about Jess is I am sure he does as much in beer business as he does in wine, but I as a wine customer would never know it, because when I'm in his store, I am his only customer, thats how he makes you feel, regardless of how many customers he may have at that moment. And most importantly to me, it's a place that I feel comfortable "hanging" out in if I want. Shop for hours if I want, Jess wouldn't mind, it's good for business.

Anyway.............. Thats over an hour away................ We need a FVW!

 

[NorthernWinos]

We have a 'Fermentfor You' store 80 miles away...it has a boutique atmosphere...I buy gifts there...like openers, etc...and occasionally buy a bottle of Campden Tabs or Energizer if I am in a pinch and in that city.


There is a real Heath Food Co-op 50 miles away...they have a lot of winemaking kits and all the additives...but mostly cater to a beer making club...I HATE going in there...Everyone is so skinny.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[smurfe]

We could use a place as well. I have one better for you Jobe. We have 2 places around Baton Rouge that I know of. One is only open 3-6 2-3 days a weeks and is out in the sticks. The other is in the industrial area of Baton Rouge. It is an industrial supplies store that is probably 5000 sq ft with less than 100 sq ft of brew supplies, mostly beer supplies. The only shop I know that was in New Orleans closed after the hurricanes.


I have thought many times about opening a shop here. My issue is that any place in Baton RougeI would want to locate a shop the retail space rents are outrageous. The town I live is between BR and NO and has decent retail spaces for rent but I think it would be tough to draw people out of the Metro's to the sticks to buy supplies when they could order of the Internet without leaving the house and probably get it cheaper.


The most vital issue that has kept me from opening a shop has been that it is predominantly beer brewers here and I know very little about brewing beer. There are a few winemakers but there are a lot of beer brewers. The shop in BR I mentioned that was with the Industrial supplies shop, I went there and asked them a question about beer and they couldn't answer any question. They give you a business card with an email address to write to answer any questions. They didn't have anyone to refer you to about wine. I will never go back to that place even if I am in a pinch for something.