Bourbon Exchange on Facebook Hopes to Make Collecting Easier

People collect things. There is someone who collects just about anything you can imagine. There are people who collect distilled spirits such as whiskey, but they face challenges other collectors do not.

Their hobby is illegal.

It is against the law everywhere in the U.S. to sell alcohol without a license. If you do it anyway, you're probably breaking both federal and state laws. Some states, such as Tennessee, have limits on how much alcohol a person may possess.

These laws were not intended to discourage collecting and they are rarely enforced against legitimate collectors who trade, or buy and sell, alcoholic beverages, but they could be. Every so often, such as when Maker's Mark bottle collectors started to use newspaper classified ads to buy and sell, the local Alcoholic Beverage Control board (ABC) will issue a warning.

So it's hard out there for a whiskey collector.

Maybe social media can help.

That's the hope of John Scott Bull, who just this week launched The Bourbon Exchange on Facebook.

Bull's page is non-commercial, but he is himself a frustrated collector. The idea is simplicity itself. People with something to sell can post pictures. People interested in buying something can post their wants. Everyone can view the site and contact each other via messaging. It's up to the buyer and seller to negotiate terms, navigate the legalities, and assume all risk. Unlike an auction site such as eBay, the Exchange plays no role in the transaction and, of course, receives no compensation.

"It's just a hobby," says Bull.

It's a Facebook Group page, so you have to join the group to participate. Bull says he's approving everyone. Since it's social media, the hope is that people will develop relationships and build up a network of fellow collectors whom they trust, and who share their interests.

The pitfalls of something like this are obvious. Let's see how it goes.