Prices are too dang high!!!

[ScooterV]

You want to see high try owning a boat, put Marine in front of anything and it triples the price.. Owning an airplane (which I don't), that will increase the price by 10X or more!

LOL, yep!!! Starter on my Dad's boat when out when I was visiting. Boat dealer wanted more like four times for the exact same starter at NAPA auto parts. I asked the difference from the boat dealer and "It's painted to seal it". Ummm, ok, if boat sinks it's toast either way. We'll go with NAPA since we can just replace the dang thing 4 times, or paint it

 

[KrisReef]

Coral prices right now are a crazy affordable bargain compared to what is coming if the current ban on wild coral collection goes worldwide.

 

[Brew12]

I feel prices for coral nubs are high because many people see it as an investment that they can grow, frag, and recover the cost. Prices for some frags stay high become many of these same people lose their investments. If a coral is great looking, easy to grow, and fast growing, it won't get a high price.

 

[mrpizzaface]

I'm bored at work so i'm ranting about this hobby we love.

PRICES ARE TOO DANG HIGH!!!
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Why are corals that are soooooooooo small sooooooooo expensive? You can get a frag that's the size of a pencil eraser and it can be well over $100!
I don't care how colorful it is. IT'S THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER!!!

THE PRICE IS TOO DANG HIGH​

Why is a acrylic box that holds 5 gallons of fresh water over $100??? IT'S A PLAIN OLD ACRYLIC (plastic) BOX!!! So what if it has a green top. It's ridiculous!

THE PRICE IS TOO DANG HIGH
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Why is a fragging kit over $40 FOR A CHEAP BASIC KIT??? Let's face it. A fragging kit is really nothing more than a fingernail care kit. For a cheap basic bare bones frag kit they want over $40!!!

THE PRICE IS TOO DANG HIGH
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Why does a dosing container cost anywhere from $40 for the BASIC single container up to 199.95???? The reasoning is beyond me!!!

THE PRICE IS TOO DANG HIGH
​

There is sooooooooo much more in this hobby that is just WAY overpriced. And I mean WAAAAAAAAY overpriced!

But, we keep buying so, they keep robbing, I mean charging us.


What's YOUR Overpriced rant?

Frags are a simple supply and demand situation. They can only charge what the market will bear.

Regarding fragging tools, $40 dollars seams cheap(for almost anything), especially for tools that come into contact with seawater. The last pair of fingernail clippers I bought cost $25 (they are great by the way). I don't ever buy cheap tools.

I think you highly undervalue acrylic fabrication. I would challenge you to make your own ATO container or dosing vessels. I would be curious if your perspective shifted once you had to account for materials, tooling, and labor. (that doesn't even count for the overhead and profit a real business would need to account for)

 

[Sailingeric]

 

[User]

Dosing containers and ATO reservoirs **** me off. It's a plastic bucket ***.

Then use a plastic bucket. Cost $7 for 5 gal from HD. A 20gallon square brute will cost $22.

 

[Oshengems]

I agree a lot of the stuff we buy in this hobby is over priced example Kalk( yes I’m that cheap lol)

 

[Oshengems]

lol I’m dead lol

 

[Dj City]

@bronxreef

You from the Bronx?

 

[Oshengems]

@bronxreef

You from the Bronx?

Yes sir!

I will take a guess your a DJ from the city? Lol

 

[TessGlo]

Marketing is all about saying a product is new/better/special/unique and assigning status or value to owning such characteristics. Containers that hold liquids are not something new and are sold everywhere, but if you make one out of acrylic and call it an ATO or dosing container you appeal to some who value such characteristics.

I can't understand spending more than $50 on a frag, but it's all relative, perhaps I would if I was rolling in dough.

 

[James M]

The old saying...

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Found this really funny

 

[Dj City]

Frags are a simple supply and demand situation. They can only charge what the market will bear.

Regarding fragging tools, $40 dollars seams cheap(for almost anything), especially for tools that come into contact with seawater. The last pair of fingernail clippers I bought cost $25 (they are great by the way). I don't ever buy cheap tools.

I think you highly undervalue acrylic fabrication. I would challenge you to make your own ATO container or dosing vessels. I would be curious if your perspective shifted once you had to account for materials, tooling, and labor. (that doesn't even count for the overhead and profit a real business would need to account for)

"Frags are a simple supply and demand situation. They can only charge what the market will bear."

Bullpuckey!
I have corals that I could frag for days. Once you have a good size colony or large coral, you can frag and frag and frag again.
It continues to grow so $100 to $800 and up for a tiny piece of coral is just plain stupid greed.

"Regarding fragging tools, $40 dollars seams cheap(for almost anything), especially for tools that come into contact with seawater. The last pair of fingernail clippers I bought cost $25 (they are great by the way). I don't ever buy cheap tools."

I have cheap tools and expensive tools. I prefer quality to cheap any day of the week.
Having said that, my cheap wrench turns a bolt just as good as my expensive wrench.
My cheap stuff has outlasted and outperformed some of my supposedly high end stuff.
Price does not equal quality.

"I think you highly undervalue acrylic fabrication. I would challenge you to make your own ATO container or dosing vessels. I would be curious if your perspective shifted once you had to account for materials, tooling, and labor. (that doesn't even count for the overhead and profit a real business would need to account for)"

I don't care what you say...$180 for a small acrylic box to hold water is ridiculous!!!
No matter how good the workmanship, no matter how nice the fit and finish is, in the end it's a small box to hold of all the simple things in the world....WATER.
Btw... I have my own business. I know all about supply and demand, overhead, labor, taxes and everything else involved.
A small box to hold water should not cost anywhere near what the companies that be are selling them for.

Im not arguing with you, just pointing out the fact that prices are tooooooo high and we keep paying for some unknown stupid reason.

 

[Potatohead]

Then use a plastic bucket. Cost $7 for 5 gal from HD. A 20gallon square brute will cost $22.

Out of all the obscene cost examples in this thread I think $7 for a 5g bucket is the worst, lol. I can get three for that price around here.

 

[Dj City]

You guessed correctly!

Im from 229th st & Laconia ave.

I live in Maryland now but I will always love my hometown no matter how rotten the Apple is.

 

[dantimdad]

If you can't buy... DIY! Or, if like me, you are too cheap!

 

[TMB]

High prices are what drive innovation:

When an industrious entrepreneur finds a product he/she can produce for less - boom a business is born! and prices go down.

When someone discovers something truly game changing - they can command a high price for it - a la EcoTech, and we eat them up like candy because it made our lives easier/better.

When you can successfully grow colorful corals that others desire - you can sell them for as much as others are willing to pay.

When you're on the flip side of any of these equations, it is not the fault of the seller/inventor/farmer. They did it because people desired it, not because they were greedy.

This is the beautiful thing about the free market economic system - those that provide things of utility/value, profit from them. Those that fail to do so go out of business.

Sounds like all of the "rant" items represent an opportunity for some one to capitalize on!

In my opinion this is part of what makes this such a great country!

Just my 2 cents.

Edit: And just to be fair - I loved your rant, it made me laugh several times.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Lol okay I can chime in on this and possibly be hated for it but I’m honest and I guess that counts for more. The reason prices are high are a few. 1.) people base success off of money the more you have the more successful you are, sadly this is not actually true. 2.) people are greedy, nine times out of ten the people selling those 900 dollar fish or coral didn’t pay close to that much for them. Is it possible that some have, yes but it’s not common. 3.) every one blames supply and demand. I remeber my parents telling me gas was 10 cents, (way before my time), it’s compnaies and their high up people. Example a person came in and was bleeding to death. They were an o neg blood type and for example the Red Cross people donate their blood to them for free. The blood bank charges 7,400 for one bag of blood. This poor person needed five. They are suppose to be non profit and their ceo makes millions a year. Medical costs are crazy expensive and 99% are for profit. It’s this way because we allow it to be and people refuse to stop it. It’s one reason why I don’t buy the most expensive equipment (lights pumps etc) and my tank has done amazing, (well to my standards).

The only way prices and inflation will go down is if consumers actually stop. But most people pay mainly for easy access, or simply lazy and or unwilling to make a simple change. (This has nothing to do with hienthey are as a person), but a good friend I love dearly spends sooo much money on eating out. She simply can not cook, and lol I’d be surprised if she could make a bowl of cereal. I have even tried to teach her, and she is smart just unwilling, and I still adore her very much. It’s her money but she contributes to the problem we all face.

 

[Dj City]

This is a thought provoking thread but....

Can anyone reasonably explain why this

Costs $99 ?

I truly would like to understand.

 

[danschoenherr]

It's what a free market society is like.
That person that is selling nubs of a Walt Disney for $150 has more than likely spent a lot of time dialing in his system and spent a lot of money on lighting and equipment to be able to grow a desireable/difficult coral. Who knows how many corals that he/she lost to RTN, AEFW's or ALK swings before they finally got it right. There is a lot of investment that goes into high end corals. Over the four years that I've been in this hobby, I've really come to admire those people that can grow those difficult corals and have seen the dedication AND the heartache when they lose a nice colony or even a whole tank to a crash or pest. If you have a local Reef Club, join and be active in it if you are not already. Many of these seasoned coral veterans can be very generous and helpful with coral frags for others interested in the hobby. (or is it the same as a "dealer" getting someone "hooked" for cheap???) For those who don't want to pay that price or can't afford it, there are other corals out there that are still beautiful.
As for the acrylic fabrication.....that is something that I frequently do for my job and quality does come into play there. Material thickness', how are the joints prepared and glued/welded and design are all factors. Of course you can use buckets, rubbermaid containers and the like, but if you need something a certain size or you happen to like high quality and can afford it....then by all means buy the fancy 3 color acrylic dosing containers with the company's logo lasered into the tops.
Pricing will always be like this. It doesn't matter what the product......cars, homes. The more attractive, the brand, rareity, the more options, the higher the price. How many people are reading this on a $1000 IPhone but think $75 for a frag of Holy Grail Torch is ridiculous?