The Dilemma of the Price Tag

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Roy Hersh
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The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Roy Hersh »

I ran into an interesting scenario and would love to hear what you all do, or at least think.

While in NYC, at a friend's home who was putting on a wine dinner on my behalf and invited some of my old wine cronies from the early 1990's to it. It was a great reunion and my buddy broke out bottles from his cellar and everyone else brought bottles to fit his theme. The bottles he broke out (at his own home) still had the original price tags on them. Some of the participants chided him for not removing the price tag. He said that it was not done to flaunt the great prices he had paid back in the day (he bought those wines throughout the 1980's, mostly Burgs and a couple from the No/So Rhone and a great Mag of older VP ... but never peels of price stickers as they don't matter. Anyway, he defended his leaving on the price tags and was unapologetic, even when others really started to get on him for this. I was amazed by my brash NY friends and felt like it was out of line to call him out on that, figuring if they really had a problem, they should have said something after the fact and privately. That's just me.

The bigger picture though ... do you find it tacky to present bottles at your own home and leave the price tags on the bottles? Is this gauche or wrong? Or do you think there's nothing wrong with it?
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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Eric Ifune
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Eric Ifune »

I leave the tags on the bottles. I like seeing what the price was years ago. Sort of a time capsule. And I do flaunt it! 8--) To me, it shows how wise I was back then! :evil:
My come back to others would be that one upsmanship. I think the NYC crowd would at least appeciate that.

I think the wine stewart at Del Posto last month appeciated the tags on my bottles of older Barolo.
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Andy Velebil
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Andy Velebil »

I like seeing old price tags left on bottles. It's always fun to see how cheap (by today's standard) they were when bought many many years ago. So I don't see anything wrong with your friend leaving them on.

However, for a current vintage I would probably say no. Simply because what's the point when everyone knows the current cost.
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Eric Menchen
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Eric Menchen »

I don't advertise the price I've paid for any given bottle, but I probably have bottles with tags on them, and I can't claim for sure that I've always removed them. When serving I usually just want my guests to appreciate the wine for what it is. If asked, I'll tell what I paid, or what something is worth ... which leads me to what I was really thinking about when I read this:

Price tags are meaningless. I have plenty of bottles that have tags that don't correlate to what I've paid, or necessarily what anyone paid. I bought bottles at a tasting shop north of Sonoma (Geyersville) that have tags on them. I think several bottles were on sale, and I got case discounts as well. I've bought "end of bin" bottles from shops that have higher price tags than what I paid. And I've bought bottles at auction where I've paid more and paid less than what tags indicate. I always record what I pay for a bottle in my own records, and this rarely corresponds to a tag value.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Richard Henderson »

I do not find it the least offensive. I find it very historical to have the tags. It is a little nostalgic to see tags from stores that have closed or changed hands with the times. Also , when I see a bottle with its relase price, it causes me to reflect on the price increases , some of which have matched inflation and some have gone far beyond that.
I suggest that the point is becoming ever so moot because with bar codes, the stated price is usually on a shelf tag and rarely on a tag on a bottle. Except out of a sale bin, I see very few wines with price tags on bottles any more.
The price tags were put on so a clerk could key in the price at the cash register. Now they scan the bar code. Who needs a tag? :twocents:
Last edited by Richard Henderson on Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Moses Botbol »

I generally take them off of stuff I buy for immediate drinking. Sjngles that I store, I am not sure if I take them off or not? I usually buy by the case and they won't have a price on it. I don't think the price tag is in bad taste in-and-of-itself. The reason for leaving it on could be. As many said, it is a historical reference and easier than logging the price. If leaving the price on is to solely show how much money you have, then that is kind of tacky.

I keep a price gun in the cellar so I can spin the story any way I want... :drunk: :Naughty:
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Glenn E.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Glenn E. »

If the price tag is an old one, I'll leave it on. Those are kinda fun. But if the tag is recent I take 'em off even if I got the bottle on sale. It just feels like bragging, or snobbery, or something, if the tag is new whether or not you got a good deal on the bottle.
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Rune EG
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Rune EG »

I always take them off.
In case I want to know the purchase price, I have it documented in my cellar storage system.
When serving the wine (whether red wine or port) I concentrate on informing my guests about the wine and not distract them with whatever price was paid for the bottle.
Actually people are in general more interested in how long time ago the bottle was purchased.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Marc J. »

I always remove the price tags. In my opinion, the price tag has nothing to do with what's in the bottle. In many cases it does influence people's perception of a particular bottle and I'd rather that a wine be solely judged in its own merits.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Paul Fountain »

I certainly wouldn't be offended. My reactions would range from indifferent to curious depending on what the wine was. I don't think I've got any bottles of anything that have price tags on them, but if I bought some that did, I would leave the price tag on, and not worry about it. Maybe I'd feel different about it if I had some really expensive bottles.
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Derek T.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Derek T. »

Roy Hersh wrote:While in NYC, at a friend's home who was putting on a wine dinner … It was a great reunion and my buddy broke out bottles from his cellar … Some of the participants chided him for not removing the price tag … I was amazed by my brash NY friends and felt like it was out of line to call him out on that, figuring if they really had a problem, they should have said something after the fact and privately.
Presumably none of these guys were so offended that they chose to leave without drinking the wines that had been so generously provided by the host?

There is a very simple old-fashioned principle that should be followed in any setting where you are a guest in someone's home: "When in Rome, do as the Romans".

To accept hospitality and then criticise the manner in which it is provided is just plain bad manners. If you don't like it, say nothing, make your excuses and leave without making a fuss.

:soapbox:
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Gary Richardson
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Gary Richardson »

Derek T. wrote:To accept hospitality and then criticise the manner in which it is provided is just plain bad manners. If you don't like it, say nothing, make your excuses and leave without making a fuss.

:soapbox:
I agree with Derek.

I never alter the condition of the bottles that I purchase, even up to the point of opening and serving. If it had a price tag on it when I bought it, the tag will remain when I serve it. There is no particular reason for it ... it is just what I do. If someone is offended that I left the tag on the bottle, they are free to leave without enjoying its contents. I would certainly not shy away from having a discussion about it if a guest chose to engage me on the topic, though.

-- Gary
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Roy Hersh
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Roy Hersh »

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful responses. Derek, one question. What do you do with your own bottles?
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Al B.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Al B. »

It's a small minority of my bottles that have price stickers on them. The handful that I do own, I leave alone. I'm one of those guys who really likes to see the little piece of history that the price on the sticker represents. A couple of bottles I bought at auction and drank recently had pre-decimal price stickers and those were rather fun to see.

So I'm a firm believer in leaving the price stickers on and have fun with them in 30 years time - when I hope my children will all be saying "Dad, wine was so cheap when you were young. You were so lucky!"

Hey, it's all relative. I just wish I'd bought some Dow 1896 when it was first released - it was really cheap back then!
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Derek T.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Derek T. »

Roy Hersh wrote:Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful responses. Derek, one question. What do you do with your own bottles?
I don't think I have ever had a bottle of wine or port in my cellar with a price tag on it. If I did, I would probably leave it on.
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Re: The Dilemma of the Price Tag

Post by Eric Menchen »

I just noticed a winebid.com label on a bottle last night and tried to remove it. That is no easy task. I think a razor blade will be needed, and it isn't worth the effort. I wish those weren't so permanent.
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