Enough with the live sales already

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I don’t mind if a vendor wants to do a live sale every now and then, but it seems like that’s the only way to get corals online now. I personally don’t have time or a fast computer on them. I just wish I could get a good deal on a coral straight off of the website. Instead, vendors seem to never keep corals in stock on their websites.

 

[BrandonS]

I don’t mind if a vendor wants to do a live sale every now and then, but it seems like that’s the only way to get corals online now. I personally don’t have time or a fast computer on them. I just wish I could get a good deal on a coral straight off of the website. Instead, vendors seem to never keep corals in stock on their websites.

They figured that's where the money is I guess. Definitely hurts when only way to get coral is through a high pressure scarcity tactic. Even worse than an action. Unfortunately until people stop buying that way it won't change. I am with you. Part of why I like Local stores is there isn't that high pressure. But with local stores disappearing I wonder what it's going to become.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

Im super curious what those who like the live sales consider a "good deal". I for one think they are a joke and every coral i've seen on a live sale i've found for less. Im led to believe people think its a "good deal" because the "original" price is high and the "sale" price is low. When the reality is the "sale" price should probably be the original price.

Do some research, be patient, check the sale forum here and save yourself some real money. Spending excess money on overpriced coral isnt winning.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Well look at the shear amount of vendors these days. Rehvtree stated explicitly just today,that r2r is a for profit business and vendors put money in his wallet for his family. Live sales bring traffic, and more money for the vendor and r2r.

Business is business and business is good apparently.

Hes making bank when you figure $300-$350 a month for a vendor sponsorship and the amount on here, that's a lot of money. Smart Guy!

 

[tehmadreefer]

Im super curious what those who like the live sales consider a "good deal". I for one think they are a joke and every coral i've seen on a live sale i've found for less. Im led to believe people think its a "good deal" because the "original" price is high and the "sale" price is low. When the reality is the "sale" price should probably be the original price.

Do some research, be patient, check the sale forum here and save yourself some real money. Spending excess money on overpriced coral isnt winning.

Last live sale I participated in, I bought a $9 Duncan and a holy grail mag nem for $128. Pretty sweet deal right there.

 

[Bnichols124]

Yeah the deals are out there but a different "sale" every weekend is a little much. I remember the old school live sales with wwc that was fun. This is just annoying now. Props to the people making money on them thou and the people who can wait for a deal to pop up and save a few bucks. Plus I don't have the time in my life right now to sit around every weekend looking for that amazing deal. If I want it I'm going to buy it

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

From a business standpoint, it's a fantastic concept. They make way more money with live sales then with regular sales. I don't personally enjoy them, nor do I participate in them anymore, but there is no denying they function similar to gambling. Most people spend more than they intended to, however the knowledge that you got a $50 dollar frag for $100 makes the $600 you spend seem worth it

FTFY

 

[Copingwithpods]

I wouldn't mind the live sales if it wasn't for their detrimental affects on the hobby. They are single handedly driving up prices, creating false rarerity of normal pieces and playing into the buy it now or never see it again scare tactic. I was coral shopping today and almost all the big vendors websites had a huge amount of items out of stock. Variety on non live sale days is gone. Auctions are even worse. I saw a 2 polyp frag of red people eater going for $55! $45 gsp frags. That is madness. Saw a common orange Monti go for well over a $150 when I paid $40 for the same piece not 2 months ago. I think what most people don't realize is that without live sales you'd have access to the same corals at the same prices or lower any day of the week. No rush to buy and no spamming that refresh button for hours on end. Also people don't realize that "originally $274 Sale price $179" means nothing, you aren't getting a good deal, the coral was never worth 274 and isn't even worth 180, it worth what you talk yourself into its worth and what you are willing to pay. It's the same people that don't understand that ($300 item at 50% off) = ($200 item at 25%off) one just makes it more likely for you to pull the trigger because half off a $300 frag is crazy.

 

[spfahnestock]

Just a though about pricing... isnt this the same with anything supply and demand dictates the price? I was at my LFS this last week and saw a Holy Grail Torch. I asked the owner the price and he said it is $400 then proceed to say he remembers years ago when he would sell them for $15 because they were not in demand. However if I were to look them up on the internet a similar piece would be $600, and he was correct.

So i believe we in this hobby like the other hobby i have (collecting boy scout patches) demand dictates the price and at the end of the day vendors/stores are there to make money and if we, the hobbyist, are willing to spend it then the prices will hold.

Live sales remind me a lot of any other purchasing method. Is it any different than an LFS posting on Facebook what they received on that shipment and it is first come first serve? I live 1 hour from my LFS so chances are if it is a widely desired item my chances of getting it are slim to none.'

Just my thought and no i do not do live sales as i want to see what i am buying, but i see nothing wrong with them.

 

[homer1475]

Another week, another I hate live sales thread. This is becoming a weekly thing now.

If everyone hates them so much, tell me why there was nearly 3k people in this past weekends livesale?

 

[alton]

I finally gave up because every time I thought I had something, some one else out bid me in the last second. Many times I was the only bid the whole auction! Plus you bid on several items, get lucky on one $20 coral and have to pay $40 shipping for one coral?

 

[BrandonS]

Another week, another I hate live sales thread. This is becoming a weekly thing now.

If everyone hates them so much, tell me why there was nearly 3k people in this past weekends livesale?

It's a big forum and the scarcity mind set is real. Also as discussed vendors are holding a majority of livestock for those sales.

 

[BrandonS]

I finally gave up because every time I thought I had something, some one else out bid me in the last second. Many times I was the only bid the whole auction! Plus you bid on several items, get lucky on one $20 coral and have to pay $40 shipping for one coral?

Yep, that is one thing I hate about auctions. It doesn't help that occasionally the person selling has people who will bid on there behalf to raise prices or keep from selling something to cheap.

 

[RMS18]

Live sales no longer get my attention, they just don't stand out anymore. They are Iike those ads that play before your youtube video, the ones that have a guy walking around the rented mansion lol, or the most durable drone ever made for only $100, yes that junk. I look for vendors that just have stuff I want in stock, simple.

 

[kevin_e]

Just a though about pricing... isnt this the same with anything supply and demand dictates the price? I was at my LFS this last week and saw a Holy Grail Torch. I asked the owner the price and he said it is $400 then proceed to say he remembers years ago when he would sell them for $15 because they were not in demand. However if I were to look them up on the internet a similar piece would be $600, and he was correct.

From the FTC:

"An agreement to restrict production, sales, or output is just as illegal as direct price fixing, because reducing the supply of a product or service drives up its price. "


Not saying that an agreement is being made, but we are approaching a gray area here. If vendors are restricting supply to drive up prices, we're approaching a gray area, imo.

 

[NS Mike D]

Odd that the basis of the complaint is assumption is that we don't know how to decide how we spend our money and blaming vendors for giving their clients what they want.

I've participated on just 3 live auction, I make my list and set my budget. & frags arrived today, and while my first choice to get corals is local private sellers, then my LFS, with shipping I am 100% it would have cost me 2x's from my LFS.

The OP doesn't think live sales are good value and doesn't participate, which is a great way to vote. But people assign different value on how they spend their money, so it's silly to blame others for having different opinions.

Plus, the ultimate irony, is the activity of the live sales gives economic incentive for more vendors to grow more corals - which ultimately decreases the margins via the increased supply competing for the hobby dollars.

 

[tehmadreefer]

From the FTC:

"An agreement to restrict production, sales, or output is just as illegal as direct price fixing, because reducing the supply of a product or service drives up its price. "


Not saying that an agreement is being made, but we are approaching a gray area here. If vendors are restricting supply to drive up prices, we're approaching a gray area, imo.

Lol, they don’t care about that.

 

[kevin_e]

Lol, they don’t care about that.

Didn't suggest that they did. My reply was directly in response to "supply and demand".

 

[BrandonS]

Odd that the basis of the complaint is assumption is that we don't know how to decide how we spend our money and blaming vendors for giving their clients what they want.

I've participated on just 3 live auction, I make my list and set my budget. & frags arrived today, and while my first choice to get corals is local private sellers, then my LFS, with shipping I am 100% it would have cost me 2x's from my LFS.

The OP doesn't think live sales are good value and doesn't participate, which is a great way to vote. But people assign different value on how they spend their money, so it's silly to blame others for having different opinions.

Plus, the ultimate irony, is the activity of the live sales gives economic incentive for more vendors to grow more corals - which ultimately decreases the margins via the increased supply competing for the hobby dollars.

All we can really do is vote with our wallets. That's at least the loudest way IMO.

 

[BrandonS]

Didn't suggest that they did. My reply was directly in response to "supply and demand".

Any market is driven by supply and demand ultimately. Very true. The market only supports what is tolerated.

The issue the aquarium hobby has I think over other markets is the turnover. There are just so many people coming in and out. The new people don't know any better which allows bad practices and false products (mostly freshwater hobby) to exist longer then they would in other markets. New people or even people returning after a long break may just think these are the prices. Not realizing that they may be artificially high due to tactics employed.