Getting rums from the primary market

You need to know the shops that get them first and when they will be listed. The independent bottlers have their distribution channels, they supply certain shops with which they cooperate. Caronis are often sold directly by employees or by people who buy them privately.

Me thinks you have to be a trader buying in bulk, in order to beget access to better prices and have the opportunity to strike alluring deals, especially shipping-costs wise. Or travel a lot and visit distilleries. Before 2010, relatives of mine visited Cuba and bought among other things, 2 boxes filled to the brim with cigars, Montechristo and Cohiba, sold there dirt cheap! While buying a single cigar here, costs more than purchasing an entire box being sold there! Also, don't forget the mandatory price search and products comparison, before deciding what to buy from where; i bought Appleton 21 for 87 euros from one retailer, while everybody else at the exact same location at that, all offered it at a fixed 136 euros price! Likewise, i saw somebody here in our midst, mention Millonario XO that they bought it for 70 euros in their locale (europe somewhere), while in my place, nobody ever sells it cheaper than 102 euros. You do not necessarily need to somehow access the "primary" market. Just research a bit before purchasing. Or make friends with foreigners and arrange mutually beneficial deals/gifts/trades! In Steam for example, a world renowned gaming platform, gamers befriend Russians, Brazilians and trade privately with them, in order to bypass local pricing and outrageous taxation... Or use VPNs to trick the system regarding locale; but this can work only on digital goods. Finally, Catawiki sometimes gives you the chance to make a real steal; i've seen Millonarios XO sold for no more than 35 euros and Ryomas for less than 25 euros; while sets of El Dorados (12, 15 +21) are being taken, for the total price that a single, standalone 21 costs!

So it's basically an inner circle and you have to get invited or something? Or do you know how to join the club? I know it is sometimes possible, like in LMDW when people could access Hampden birds first.

It's good to know someone, could be an owner of a shop for example. He can make a reservation. Or you become a blogger, you will get information and some bottlings for free. You can also join some Facebook Groups. Hampden Group for example, some people there were posting about the Hampden Bird releases and where to buy them. I am looking for information in Facebook groups. You get to know some bloggers and shop owners there, also some small independent bottlers. They have often their own FB profiles where they share information about coming bottlings.

Sounds encouraging. Time to drie deep in the rum world. As always, thanks for the tips.