Jacked Up SPS prices

[mannyhernz]

I think it's more of a zoa thing. It just HAS to have a name if it's a zoa. SPS are similar, but I have sold generic mariculture/wild SPS before as no name SPS. But still, I do find they sell better if I put a name on them. But, I don't charge $100 for a frag just because I called it "Boom's Creme de Menthe" etc. It's going to be my normal pricing in most cases, and that pricing is based upon what I paid for it.

Then you're a shop that I would definitely Buy coral from..

 

[edosan]

Except lambo and Ferrari and Porsche (had to throw that in there) are clearly SUPERIOR to Ford, whereas a "pink stinky winky " acro is the same as a regular old magenta colored tenuis, yet priced 10 times over.

Leave porches out of this, they are crap! jajajajaja Just Kidding!

When we talk about price, everything is relative, specially talking about frag beauty or exclusivity. is subjective. Like art, for some is just a paint, for others something amazing...both are perfectly fine but probably if you have money you will able to get it.

Same with cars, for some guys are just cars, for others are superior. The point is, who is to blame, the pricy vendor or the buyer? none imo!

 

[pirate2876]

I worked for a guy whose prices seemed to depend on his mood.
That bothered me.

I think I worked for that guy too!

I think one of the areas no one has yet to broach is the cost of the high end camera and multiply hours needed to photoshop a normal coral into a high-end coral. I've seen tons of oversaturated, filtered, transmogrified corals that must have the computer time included in the price...

 

[oldpaddy]

I think I worked for that guy too!

I think one of the areas no one has yet to broach is the cost of the high end camera and multiply hours needed to photoshop a normal coral into a high-end coral. I've seen tons of oversaturated, filtered, transmogrified corals that must have the computer time included in the price...

I remember one time I had him order me a fish. It showed up dead. "Next time I'm going to have to charge you"
Or the times I thought I wasn't getting the agreed upon discount and asked if he made a mistake on my pricing, "I looked it up and you're right, I over charged you"

 

[Braves Fan]

I was looking at coral web sites,, as I usely do, trying to find a deal,,, trying to see if there is anything that I just can't live without,,, I like WWC,,, awesome company,,, awesome healthy corals,,, on their After Sale post on their site,, Jason Fox ,,, Fox Flame,, no vertical growth,,, just a piece of encrustment,,, $100 ,,, really $100 for a piece of encrustment I don't want to be banned ,, so just delete this if I am in the wrong here for posting this ,,,,

 

[BoomCorals]

If you're looking for a fox flame I offer 1" multi branch pieces for around that price. Example:

 

[Anirban]

I got my Fox flame, red hot setosa and another favia from none other than Mr. Fox himself in local frag swap. You dont want to know the price just $110 for all 3. The flame was a inch so as the setosa (multiple branch too). Those two are retained their colour and just immediately adjusted to the system and started to grow.
Now, today on selling forum somewhere I saw someone selling a nub (I am pretty considerate person but its a nub) of some famous acro which was completely green even under blue light for $335. The same person sold similar size frag for $550 few days back. The mother colony picture is same since last couple of months sale. What I dont understand if someone is cutting so many frags from a colony and selling them so fast that baby colony should have disappeared by now. Interesting part he calls them cheap and people actually buy them a lot.
I also wonder why we never see a big colony of walt disney, RMF or even any other high price pieces. Are we really hobbyist and collectors or we just interested into cutting frags of frags of frags and so on.

 

[chris3del]

I was looking at coral web sites,, as I usely do, trying to find a deal,,, trying to see if there is anything that I just can't live without,,, I like WWC,,, awesome company,,, awesome healthy corals,,, on their After Sale post on their site,, Jason Fox ,,, Fox Flame,, no vertical growth,,, just a piece of encrustment,,, $100 ,,, really $100 for a piece of encrustment I don't want to be banned ,, so just delete this if I am in the wrong here for posting this ,,,,

 

[chris3del]

I got my Fox flame, red hot setosa and another favia from none other than Mr. Fox himself in local frag swap. You dont want to know the price just $110 for all 3. The flame was a inch so as the setosa (multiple branch too). Those two are retained their colour and just immediately adjusted to the system and started to grow.
Now, today on selling forum somewhere I saw someone selling a nub (I am pretty considerate person but its a nub) of some famous acro which was completely green even under blue light for $335. The same person sold similar size frag for $550 few days back. The mother colony picture is same since last couple of months sale. What I dont understand if someone is cutting so many frags from a colony and selling them so fast that baby colony should have disappeared by now. Interesting part he calls them cheap and people actually buy them a lot.
I also wonder why we never see a big colony of walt disney, RMF or even any other high price pieces. Are we really hobbyist and collectors or we just interested into cutting frags of frags of frags and so on.

How about this one it’s 1.25 and it’s called XL and the price is insane that would be a normal frag IMO

 

[olecaptainj]

Its not just the vendors but the noob hobbyists, imo.

Fo example, look at the WWC Ebay auctions. They have tiny brown nubs of randomly "named" frags that people bid high on for whatever reason. wwc pine cone, wwc toad, etc are all going for over $20 including GSP and xenia.... In turn makes the more desirable stuff just that more expensive.

 

[olecaptainj]

Its not just the vendors but the noob hobbyists, imo.

Fo example, look at the WWC Ebay auctions. They have tiny brown nubs of randomly "named" frags that people bid high on for whatever reason. wwc pine cone, wwc toad, etc are all going for over $20 including GSP and xenia... I would consider them "trash" acros and wouldnt even but them. In turn makes the more desirable stuff just that more expensive.

 

[Anirban]

How about this one it’s 1.25 and it’s called XL and the price is insane that would be a normal frag IMO

Its bad really bad.........I know from where you got that but still its bad. That thing is neither rare nor outstanding good looking . 1.25 inch of that thing should not cost more than $50. But from the same vendor I bought 8 frags with few really nice, totally encrusted and good looking ones for total $450 including shipping. So, dont know what to say...

 

[Sea MunnKey]

• The world wide web of US lfs/reefers alike showcasing their LED saturated/photoshopped digital images of supposedly "Rainbow" plus the super uber marked up online pricing which they actually paid a fraction of what used to be reasonable wholesale price several years back. It's because of this greedy practice, (Indo, Aussie etc.) coral collectors figured that they also want a piece of the action of making a whole lot more profit after witnessing what US collectors are willing to fork out x amount of ridiculous money for a "rare, one of a kind holy grail" coral.
• Did you know that the less DOA incurred by the lfs, retail prices for corals would be less accordingly? Lfs does not get credit for DOA's but at their own expense and risk too.
• Coral suppliers are just as guilty in this trade/hobby as they sometimes show pictures of supposedly nice corals offered with intention to sale and upon arrival then only for the lfs to discover it's a totally different coral but with the same initial & already paid US quoted pricing!! Someone had mentioned that coral suppliers would force the lfs to "accept" a dozen or more of dull colored and common corals of the same specimen for the sake of ONE really nice piece.
• Yes it's true that by labeling a no name into a "designer name" coral ID, it would automatically raise the market price for a piece of it. I know for a fact that if I want to purchase a very nice wild acro colony it's eg. $350 but when cut to the already designer named 1/2" frag size it's $150 - $450 and upwards!

These are just some of the rants ... in no way I'm targeting all American reefing community but the ones who control and manipulate the coral market. And those who are very willing to pay far more than ridiculous amount of common sense retail pricing

 

[Mattrg02]

Its not just the vendors but the noob hobbyists, imo.

Fo example, look at the WWC Ebay auctions. They have tiny brown nubs of randomly "named" frags that people bid high on for whatever reason. wwc pine cone, wwc toad, etc are all going for over $20 including GSP and xenia.... In turn makes the more desirable stuff just that more expensive.

eBay can be deceptive. Don’t trust everything you see on there, as there is little to stop someone from using multiple accounts to bid up an auction to artificially increase value.

 

[olecaptainj]

eBay can be deceptive. Don’t trust everything you see on there, as there is little to stop someone from using multiple accounts to bid up an auction to artificially increase value.

That is what I think at times, because the stuff I see getting sold for the price it ends at, just makes no sense to me. I sit there and shake my head in disbelief.

 

[Braves Fan]

If you're looking for a fox flame I offer 1" multi branch pieces for around that price. Example:

Its not that I want one,,, I could understand that price for a JF Homewrecker encrustment frag ,,, but the Fox Flame,,, this coral has ,, for the most part become pretty common,,, its a good example of what is wrong with our hobby,,, JMO

 

[Mattrg02]

Its not that I want one,,, I could understand that price for a JF Homewrecker encrustment frag ,,, but the Fox Flame,,, this coral has ,, for the most part become pretty common,,, its a good example of what is wrong with our hobby,,, JMO

Hmm, I don’t know. I don’t think they grow all that fast for one. My LFS sells for $50, but it likely won’t be a healed and encrusted Frag like this one.

 

[BoomCorals]

Its not that I want one,,, I could understand that price for a JF Homewrecker encrustment frag ,,, but the Fox Flame,,, this coral has ,, for the most part become pretty common,,, its a good example of what is wrong with our hobby,,, JMO

Well, the frags must still be in a decently high demand, as I have searched for prices from vendors on this coral, and I think I'm priced one of the lowest. And it's also a reflection of what I'm paying for the frags, as these are definitely not coming cheap to me either even in bulk or wholesale. The market demand seems to be around that price point. This thing also grows slow as heck. That encrusting you see in the pic I posted was at least 3 months I think.

 

[snowboard1]

So today I went to a place who I thought the owner was a friend. Most stuff way overpriced but the quality is good. I bought a frag two weeks ago of a nice tenuis for 30 bucks that was pretty chunky! Owner stated that it was a wild piece and that he had no problem cutting me frags from it anytime. So today I went there and wanted another piece because I liked it and wanted to have a backup. Well now he says it is not a wild piece and that it was a MattV belladonna( which it is not) real one was just released and that he wanted 200 a frag. Also he states he buys from TSA and sells at triple the price they list their SPS frags. I should have done my homework on this store because it’s bounces around all the time closing one location and then ripening in another.

My humble advice from 15 yrs in the hobby: never buy a frag for more than $50. Very good chance that frag will die anyway...

 

[DJ Monty]

Make sure to support stores that support you and don't forget that shopping online is also an option.

Reefers Direct certainly do support their customers.. I was introduced to the store by a fellow reefer during this last summer & now even though it's about a 125 mile round trip they are my go to store, everyone there is just so helpful & knowledgeable.. Without their help I would not have such thriving tanks..