Flippin

You’ve seen that bottle of Whisky in a shop in the UK or on holiday and you recognise as it as being rare or worth something, should you flip it or add it to your collection.

Well, here are some tips to keep in mind before you buy the bottle.

1.Check the distillation dates and the finer details such as the alcohol level are the same as what you are comparing, if you are comparing via Whisky Exchange or other websites. There are big differences in value between early Dewars White label and later labels despite the labels not looking that different.

2.Understand your source of comparison. So you’ve seen the bottle and you can buy it for £60 and you’ve noticed online that it’s selling for £100 sounds great! Well don’t reach for the cash just yet. If you are comparing it to an online shop, the shop will have VAT (20%) and a margin (?) to account for so don’t expect to match the retail price. In regards auction sites, keep in mind their fees; listing fees and other fees which will eat into your margin.

3.Check how full the bottle is, make sure it has not been opened before and check the cork. It’s an obvious point that isn’t so obvious, is the level of liquid actually in the bottle high up the neck line or below the neck?

4.Be aware of Whisky fraud! Famously one auction house had suspicions regarding some Macallan from the 1850s and upon inspection they found that as it contained trace elements of radioactivity, as a result of nuclear experimentation in the 1950s, it was fake. Unfortunately, as the industry has grown and the value of Whisky has increased so has the sophistication and intrigue from fraudsters.

What tips would you like to share?