Dan, he is in Alabama, where a case of bottles new is $18. It's another world, and the entire Southeast is another world when it comes to booze of all sorts compared to the freewheeling North.
In Alabama, where making wine at home is still illegal, used bottles are strictly and tightly controlled. They must be smashed by bars and restaurants or they risk losing their license. If the state finds out they are being given away, the bar or restaurant could lose its license. Those controls will not change, even if the state passes a pending bill to legalize home brewing.
Because of the constraints, used bottles in Alabama are sold all the time, and his price is about right. The range is $5-$7 a dozen.