Sometimes LFS or clubs or frag shows are not viable options. In my case, the nearest "local" fish store is 120 miles away, likewise for clubs, etc. So, I've had to rely on on-line options for most of my purchases. I also am new to corals so I've focused on lower priced frags to get started.
You can find some reasonable prices, but you have to work hard at it. Concentrate on sites that sell WYSIWYG frags. Live sales from R2R sponsors can be good, but some are a real pain to sort through all of the messaging and rules imposed by the vendor. Some sales have better prices than others though and you have to be careful. For example, some vendors may sell Zoa frags with only 1 or 2 or 3 polyps for $15-$45 while other vendors sell a similar Zoa variety with 10 - 15 polyps for the same price. That's why wysiwyg is useful. Shipping costs are a factor, so I usually order 5 - 10 frags at a time to average down. Still, in my case, $30 shipping versus a whole day 240 mile round trip to shop frags in a LFS is cost effective. So far, my average cost is between $15 and $20 per frag ( no scolys or hammers at this price point however!)
Read some of the threads for vendors in the Sponsors forum and you will get an idea of how buyers feel about the sellers.
