The Long Branch Saloon is For Sale, Ennis, MT

The Long Branch Saloon has been open since 1931 and is the archetypal Montana bar. If you happen to befriend the regulars, you may find yourself with a free drink chip in the form of a piece of antler bone and a story or two to take home. Willie's Distillery is also just a stone's throw down the street and the Honey Moonshine is worth the walk. However, with the fly-fishing and tourist seasons being so extreme compared to the off-season in Ennis, MT, the Long Branch Saloon is for sale because the mortgage is leeching the current owner's retirement. Liquor licenses in Montana are commodities, typically going for $500,000-$1,000,000, though we have more liquor licenses per capita than any other state in America, save North Dakota. This seems to exemplify the fallacy of supply and demand: giving a product or service a price based on a value or anchor that doesn't actually exist. There is legislation in place to make liquor licenses more accessible, but the Montana Tavern Association (MTA) won't have it. Members argue that increasing the number of liquor licenses in Montana and making them more accessible for new business owners essentially de-values the licenses that they've already purchased, in addition to their concern about competition. I see their point, but I also support new businesses and buying a Montana liquor license without a seven-figure bank account seems impossible. What's the answer here?