Will someone please explain?

[trio91]

I think there should be some type of guideline set up (although I am sure it would be almost impossible to regulate) but something like a "Kelly's Blue Book" if you will or a "beckets sports card" guide

I am fairly new to the hobby (just 2years in the reef keeping)....so new that I do not even know half the scientific names of the corals that I keep (which is nothing crazy btw)....but as an outsider looking in, how do you know what's what? how do I know what a fair price should be for a frag? do I go off what the LFS told me? should I believe the in depth harvesting story behind each frag to justify the price? do go by what everybody is selling the items for off he internet?

I personally stay away from the high end, LE pieces because I just feel I do not know enough about it where I am not 100% comfortable making that purchase....it's guilt that kicks in and always steers me towards that $10 piece

to me, the crazy names and the high prices don't make sense, but with all the saturation, again only as an outsider & reefing newb, you begin to assume that WYSIWYG and that includes the price tag that comes along with it

but just know, my wife would kill me if I ever purchased something like that crazy bounce shroom.....

 

[Oscaror]

I recently acquired the walt disney tenuis AND AM SELLING FRAGS ONLY $600 A CELL!
GET YOURS HERE: http://notevendoommusic.com/

 

[that Reef Guy]

I recently acquired the walt disney tenuis AND AM SELLING FRAGS ONLY $600 A CELL!
GET YOURS HERE: http://notevendoommusic.com/

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Eienna]

I can't even glue the darned things down when they're that small. They end up covered in glue. XP

 

[James w Lewis]

We pay the ridiculous prices because it is the only way to get nice stuff. Local fish stores sell the same old crap over and over most stuff on ebay is garbage and most reasonably prices pieces on websites are junk. you can go to Cornbred or Jason Fox or Cherry or foxy and their stuff will blow you away but so will their prices. Cornbred is the worlds worst at giving you a crumb for high dollar. But where else can you get the good stuff.

 

[James w Lewis]

how do you buy on facebook

 

[Pete polyp]

We pay the ridiculous prices because it is the only way to get nice stuff. Local fish stores sell the same old crap over and over most stuff on ebay is garbage and most reasonably prices pieces on websites are junk. you can go to Cornbred or Jason Fox or Cherry or foxy and their stuff will blow you away but so will their prices. Cornbred is the worlds worst at giving you a crumb for high dollar. But where else can you get the good stuff.

You gotta do lots of searching. There are many vendors that have corals equally beautiful as the ones you stated at fair prices.

 

[650-IS350]

Great Thread Scott !!!

The ROOT of all problems... plain fact - all mighty dollar

I'm not going to bother with the whole price per polyp, hundreds of dollars for a booger sized frag, asking up front for a wild new coral for hundreds to a couple thousand for a small frag even though there hasn't been a bench mark. Only bench mark I see is who can ask the most and sell it for the most now a days. Or which person sold what coral for what price.

Its all about the benjamin's baby !!! strike while its hot and before more hit the market and drive the price down.

 

[650-IS350]

The practice of slapping a silly name on a coral and charging 500$ per 1/8" square is not likely to stop as long as people continue to patronize those vendors.

truth

 

[650-IS350]

I am often confused about the "lineage" thing myself...I mean, coral comes from the ocean, and it may be propagated in captivity, etc....but the "lineage" really goes back to the wild, right? It's not like fancy guppies, Koi, or Discus, where you actually have controlled genetic work and "breeding" for variations...Fragging and propagating corals is part art. part science, and some luck, IMHO. You can't just turn a green coral orange...and if you can, I'd sure like to talk to you!

Love that.... but that's were Marketing and Hype comes in bud.

 

[WesF]

Sometimes I'll buy a really tiny frag of something that is selling for a lot of money but only if it is reflected in the price.

When I'm selling frags, it's only when I've grown a coral into a good sized colony and I can cut at least 1" (usually bigger).

Now I am guilty of "cut to order". But that's only because I don't go chopping up my mother colonies unless I know for sure that I've already sold a frag. I don't like to cut a bunch of frags and fill up my frag rack when I don't know if anyone is interested in buying them.

If you want frags fully healed and encrusted, I'll hold them as long as you wish and send wysiwyg pics but I won't cut until I receive payment.

 

[650-IS350]

The future of people reef tanks years from now...

Not my picture but just a example that display tanks will look like this.

Instead of this, something close to what most of us 'reefkeeping' enthusiasts would like to have. (not my picture) just a representation of a tank full of colonies.

 

[ssdawood]

Every reefer is different. I actually like the frag display better.

 

[Pete polyp]

Every reefer is different. I actually like the frag display better.

That sucker is gonna be sweet when those frags grow in [emoji6]

 

[mic209]

I've been searching for the committee, CFR's (code of federal regulations), city codes, government agencies, etc. that put these standards into place. I have yet to find them. I just what to know, what makes a clown fish grade a or grade b, where are guidelines in writing? Maybe I'll try the USDA next to see if my coral frags are high end!

 

[that Reef Guy]

We pay the ridiculous prices because it is the only way to get nice stuff. Local fish stores sell the same old crap over and over most stuff on ebay is garbage and most reasonably prices pieces on websites are junk. you can go to Cornbred or Jason Fox or Cherry or foxy and their stuff will blow you away but so will their prices. Cornbred is the worlds worst at giving you a crumb for high dollar. But where else can you get the good stuff.

Have you Tried Frag Swaps?

I buy pretty much all my Corals at Frag Swaps and get Super Nice Corals.

LFS can get nice Corals too. You just have to find ones where High End Collectors Trade in their Stuff.

 

[Dave3112]

I think that Facebook has certainly changed the hobby as of late. I think the main reason is the amount of exposure that it brings to the hobby. I know we all saw the growth of the hobby when the internet came along, well us old folks that have been around that long anyway, and now that everyone and their brother have a Facebook account there is just that much more exposure. I mean when I first started the hobby back in 1992-1993 the LFS was the only place to talk to other hobbyists unless you had a friend that also had a tank. Then the internet came along and with it message boards, which if I remember correctly, that were a part of an online business (Saltwaterfish.com comes to mind). There was an exponential growth just because more people were in one place talking about their tanks and their experiences. Now fast forward to today and Facebook. How many "friends" are on your friends list that you may share their pictures? Or even your own pictures on your timeline that people in your friends list will see and say, "Hey, that looks cool! I want to have that in my living room too!"? Now you have another exponential growth. I think these "new reefers" that have seen a tank for the first time on Facebook and set up their own search Facebook for pages to "learn" about reef keeping. There is where they stumble upon the auction sites that are perpetuating the 1/4" frags and they think that's the "norm". Anyway, that's my take on how it got started and keeps perpetuating. I know that "old school" reefers like myself do not buy into the 2 polyp acro frags, no matter how colorful or trendy. I collect mostly from fellow reefers in my local club and online sites that I know I can get a good frag at a good value, which I know is relative. I don't mind paying a couple hundred bucks for a coral that's proven to hold it's coloration and is hard to get, like the Purple Monster, if its well healed and encrusted (at least 1 1/2").

 

[thetedinator]

Just joined R2R because I saw Scott's UC FB post for this thread. As I read this, this thread is 6 pages. Evidence that this is a potent topic that bothers many.

I've been away from reefing since about 2008. From then to now I have several observations:
- Back then some reefers would make a few frags of wild "colonies" shortly after they were established in their tanks and give them away as an insurance policy and to help fellow reefers. Note three words: few, established and give.
- There were some lineage acros around (monster and Miyagi tort are examples). I bought frags of these special (I'm avoiding using LE) corals and when I did I watched the reefer clip the frag from his colony (at a branch, not the tip). These reefers were not in the business of chopping and selling.
- There where reefers who chopped and sold and you mostly knew who they were and many of them were willing to trade for cool corals.
- The scale of aqua-cultured corals was not like it is today but the potential reef saving impact of fragging and growing was understood and IN MY OPINION (not claiming as fact) the success of coral farming today is the result of reef impact and sustainability issues meeting the economies of scale tipping point.
- Frag swaps (usually club sponsored) had reefers selling, swapping and giving away corals to the locals who attended. It was about cool corals, successes and failures and helping others.

What I see today is:
- Today aqua-cultured corals dominate and this is great but I think it has fed the "LE" mentality.
- Today chopping and selling has been taken to a whole new level. People supporting this nonsense by paying stupid money are proving P.T. Barnum was correct.
- Today a lot of changes have been driven by social media and eBay. There is a dehumanizing/depersonalizing aspect to this which I think has the affect of helping the choppers "succeed"

My observations and opinions. Your mileage may vary.

 

[whixley101]

Bottom line is some people have more money than sense. For example: the "rainbow" chalice in my icon was involved in a trade. I was watching them sell for $500 an eye(Actually mouth. I hate the term "eye" with a coral) and refused to spend that on a bogger frag. I actually found a vender on R2R that wanted some SPS I had in my tank so it worked for me. It took a year or better for this trade to come to fruition, but I worked the game instead of the game working me to the point of spending a stupid amount of money for instant gratification. I like it and therefore did some trimming on my sps tank. lol. I know the name of nothing in my tank. My memory is filled with other useless facts.

Great firestarter Scott.


Cole

 

[Z-man]

We pay the ridiculous prices because it is the only way to get nice stuff. Local fish stores sell the same old crap over and over most stuff on ebay is garbage and most reasonably prices pieces on websites are junk. you can go to Cornbred or Jason Fox or Cherry or foxy and their stuff will blow you away but so will their prices. Cornbred is the worlds worst at giving you a crumb for high dollar. But where else can you get the good stuff.

I have purchased from Jason and Cherry with what I consider value. I believe the pieces I received were worth the price. Even Foxy has done me well although he does post some ridiculous prices. Trying to find a LFS is getting more and more difficult. When living in Orlando, going to WWC was a regular thing for me. Maybe as a regular, they took good care of me with larger frags. I have not purchased from Unique, but after this thread I am very intrigued to make a purchase.

Honestly, I would like 2 "must have" pieces that I don't own because of the booger frag sizing for $700 each. Eventually I hope to get both the Jelly Bean and Masterpiece chalices at some point, but refuse to pay that foolishness.