Another great article, and one that's always hard to explain. There's just too many variables when it comes to pricing livestock in this hobby. Not everything can be priced with a straight forward calculation.
Let's use this zoa colony on outrageouslyawesomecorals.com for an example. There's about 50 polyps for $158.
So by my math, that's 158/50 = $3.16 each zoa on this colony costs. That means hey! If you charge more than $3.16 for a polyp, which is what each polyp cost you, you're ripping people off! Or even if you sell them at $10pp, you're charging more than 2x per polyp now. What a rip off, go start a business or something if you're thinking of charging that much.
I learned that there's a difference between affordable and cheap. Buying one polyp of the zoa for $10 is affordable. It's within the budget range that anyone can buy one of these. Cheap would be just buying the whole colony at $158, which would make the polyps at $3.16 vs $10. But then again not everyone has a need or the funds to buy the whole colony. When you frag a colony it takes time, effort, and of course there are always casualties. So then after fragging you wait for about 1-2 weeks before you can share anything and you're no longer looking at 50 polyps anymore and the time and effort to care for them isn't free. Because even if you have 50 polyps at $10 each and hypothetically can make $500, do you really have 50 different customers to sell to? Most likely about 10 of these frags are going to go out in the span of a month. Well hey, now you're still short another $58.
That's why some places would rather sell a whole colony vs frag and sell it. Do people honestly think these mari pieces were meant to stay on those clay pucks and bridnest frags? The whole purpose of those pucks are to be
fragged. But I guess it's a no no if a hobbiest was able to buy one of these pucks and sell the polyps. If it's such a no no, why do places sell frag plugs, frag glue, frag racks, frag tanks, frag tools, and even colonies of anything?
And let's just say you found this whole colony of acans (which is a really amazing find btw!) for $200 at the LFS.
And let's say you also found a very similar sized piece of this one for $200 as well.
There's about 20 heads on each colony, and both cost $200. So then that means both are equal in value and should be both sold for roughly $10 a head right?
Just because the price was the same for the much nicer acan does not mean that is has to be sold at the same price as the green and purple one. In my opinion, how much the colony cost does not reflect on how much you should price it. And this is a good example.
If you only use the example of how much something cost you, then let's say use these infamous zoas as an example. The going price on these is apparently $1000pp (really? that's just outrageous). So what if you stroll by your LFS and find this puck for $150? There's about 10-12 polyps on here so that mean you have to sell them for about $15pp or else you're no longer a hobbiest and you should just open a business and be a vendor. Really? Do you HAVE to only sell them for $15pp just to not get flamed? Just to still be called a hobbiest and not be looked at someone who only wants to make big bucks? At that point, what if you decide it's just not worth it to sell them and decide to keep them all? I'm pretty sure those who told you that you should HAVE to sell them at $15pp or else you're no longer a hobbiest will definitely switch their minds and come back saying "Hey... how about for $50? Or even $100???" You know why? Because there are a lot of people who understand the value of what certain corals go for but when it's in someone else's hands they talk smack until you bend over for them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the guy who picked up the Krakatoas for $150 should sell them for $1000pp. But he'd be taken advantage if he had to sell them at $15pp just so he can remain a hobbiest. There's definitely a crazy side, which is hyping. Krakatoas along with flaming turdhicans/rainbow mauls are a good example. I doubt anyone would have wanted to pay more than $70pp on either of those morphs if they never saw the price. High price for some reason makes people think that it's more valuable. Another example are those spectrum overdoses. People complain about $200pp on those because of their availabilty rather than how nice it was. But then they're fine shelling $200 for a "Bowser" which is almost the same as a CAR because it's slow growing and finicky? Well slow growing and finicky SUCKS! Why would you want that??? The Spectrums had more orange and had almost every quality above a Bowser. And yet for some reason people want to pay $200 for a "lineaged" less colorful Bowser than $200 on an obviously much nicer morph.
Didn't expect to rant so much, but I guess it fits with the topic. :tongue:
