Why isn't there more demand on trading Frags!

[piranhapat]

I was just curious why isn't there a bigger market on people trading or selling frags more. Addicted to SPS in last few years. I see hobby growing but at a snail pace. Even MR has Swap twice a year. But seems more for vendors of late. Why is it still hard to find rare or higher end frags. When you do their at ridiculous prices. Not to take away from LFS or vendors. But only makes sense to buy frags over small colony's at reasonable price. Simply if you lose a frag it's easy to replace it without spending lot of money. I find it funny watching yourself at LFS or vendor. Looking at frag tanks like your at Jewelry show case picking out diamonds. All sort of names and sizes at high end prices.

 

[edd]

it seems a lot of members are looking to recoup money that the hobby cost them. its a hobby and hobbies cost money. you see members selling frags at vendor or lfs prices.
personally I'm not in it to make money, so i would rather trade. not look at value just a trade.

 

[dubs]

i am all about this some people need to remember this is a hobby not to make it $$$$$ of there tank to be honest i have not bought a frag for my tanks since 3 mr frag swap ago i stop buy in frag i rather trade it make still have a little fun meet someone new etc its not about been cheap and i do sell frag packs also i have buy chemical and pay for my tank which i have enough corals so y my hobby should be pulling on my pocket but i try keep a bit of hobby in too (its fun that me and miss dubs can drop by jugernaut crib bring some frag we all jump in his car and take trip to say albano crib bring few frags and then we leave there with frag of ower own and there was not a single $$$ exchange and everyone have new frags to look at )lets keep reefing fun people trades are cool too as long at its strait forward /fair/and down the middle

 

[Waleedwale1]

Whenever I post stuff forsale, I almost never get a trade offer even though I always right that I'm open to all offers and trades. Personally I would rather trade since both people end up with something new, it helps spread frags that way.

 

[dubs]

i hope no one find this rude or offensive but if ur broke or cheap this not a hobby for u /if u dont intend to loose a few$$$ well this not the hobby for u /if dont have a certain care level this not a hobby for u /if dont have a little bit of renegade in ur blood this not the hobby for u

i have spent few gs on this coral thing and still have few gs on this coral thing i love looking at my tank every day and all day untill this change ill continue reefing the way i do

RENEGADE

 

[dubs]

waleedwale1 1++++++

i have open up half my tank for trades and barely got any hits i have plenty of renegade pack been sold with trade more welcome and nothing or low ball offers ridiculous low ball offers etc

i am going to put it out there anyone on here that reads this half my tank at any giving point is open for trades send a messages and lets link up

 

[lnevo]

At least for me when I'm selling its to clear up space cause I hate having the frag rack up in my tank. I do get some trade offers but a lot are for stuff I already have. I dont know how people cram so many frags in their tank and then theres no room to grow them. For me I dont even know where to mount the frags I have.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

This is a great thread. I have been in this hobby for over 35 years and in the old days you would buy a piece of brown SPS and grow it out under you 6500k MH or if you were rich a 10000K Ushio MH bulb. You never knew what color the coral would be, but that was the beauty of the hobby. You would trade with other reef nuts and have something to discuss and BS about. NOBODY SOLD ANYTHING!!!
I have seen changes even in the reef club I belong to, in the old days seven or eight of us would meet every month and discuss how our tanks were doing and sharing ideas about what was working or not working , now the club is much larger and it seems like a business meeting with most people interested in the auctions that are held at the end of the meeting. Even the name FRAG SWAP is a joke. It's big business with the only swap being cash for some piece of coral that someone has to have
Call me old fashioned but I love this hobby and don't really give a care about whats "HOT" or new or expensive this week . If I like the way a piece of coral looks, I buy it or trade for it, simple. If you try to tell me the name I promise you I will not remember it.
I apologize for this long and boring rant but I miss the old days when this was really a hobby and trades were a part of it.
If you've read this far you probably are saying Andy works for a vendor. I do and the main reason I am there is to do what I love, talk about this hobby and share my experiences with others.
Thanks for reading, I know I feel better

 

[thirty6]

This is a great thread, I'm not an sps nut and don't have enough coral in terms being able to trade for more. I have basic stuff that most already have or kept forever ago. Everyone who has posted has made great points...hopefully more will chime in

 

[d5332]

never have gone to a swap and dont think I ever will, its not a swap, its convention with a door fee and from what I read, very expensive frags in many instances.

I will never remember the names of anything.

Tried trading but realized many that trade are looking trade pieces that are not of equal or less than optimal health.

This is a great thread. I have been in this hobby for over 35 years and in the old days you would buy a piece of brown SPS and grow it out under you 6500k MH or if you were rich a 10000K Ushio MH bulb. You never knew what color the coral would be, but that was the beauty of the hobby. You would trade with other reef nuts and have something to discuss and BS about. NOBODY SOLD ANYTHING!!!
I have seen changes even in the reef club I belong to, in the old days seven or eight of us would meet every month and discuss how our tanks were doing and sharing ideas about what was working or not working , now the club is much larger and it seems like a business meeting with most people interested in the auctions that are held at the end of the meeting. Even the name FRAG SWAP is a joke. It's big business with the only swap being cash for some piece of coral that someone has to have
Call me old fashioned but I love this hobby and don't really give a care about whats "HOT" or new or expensive this week . If I like the way a piece of coral looks, I buy it or trade for it, simple. If you try to tell me the name I promise you I will not remember it.
I apologize for this long and boring rant but I miss the old days when this was really a hobby and trades were a part of it.
If you've read this far you probably are saying Andy works for a vendor. I do and the main reason I am there is to do what I love, talk about this hobby and share my experiences with others.
Thanks for reading, I know I feel better

 

[jackson6745]

There is plenty of trade but it is done in inner circles. Over the last 15 years in this hobby I met enough GOOD guys, close friends, that I can rely on for most of the corals that I'm interested in, and I do the same for them. This works better in the long run and you don't have to deal with the cheapos. However, with the crazy prices of zoo and palys these days, I can see how one would want to recoup some $$ from this fast growing coral.

 

[afernandez]

Like dubs say this is not a job....and if my wife really knew how much I spent on this hobby ...let's just say I would be buying a lot of shoes!

If I really like something and it's a reasonable price I will buy it ..at times I do get excited and buy stuff thats not at a reasonable price. But that's all a choice...

Honestly I don't like to sell ... And when I do it's relatively cheap and I still get lowballed ...
I'm very particular most of the time of what I want but I don't mind trading at all ..I just don't want to trade Rastas for brown botton polyps

 

[Silkyslim]

I think some ppl prefer $$ over trading. Which is fine but it's a hobby not business, I'm always interested in trading. The money I get from selling frags goes back to my tank anyway. Just my 2 cents

Maybe the frag swapper should be modified to be used just for trades?

 

[mbg75]

We trade a lot amongst friends. Usually don't go over a friends house empty handed.
Trading over the site is difficult as you can't be sure of what your getting.
Also, few years ago a friend traded a bunch of coral, only to find the other member list it for sale when he got home.

 

[Rob&Gab]

There is plenty of trade but it is done in inner circles. Over the last 15 years in this hobby I met enough GOOD guys, close friends, that I can rely on for most of the corals that I'm interested in, and I do the same for them. This works better in the long run and you don't have to deal with the cheapos. However, with the crazy prices of zoo and palys these days, I can see how one would want to recoup some $$ from this fast growing coral.

Jackson, Dont forget some Polyps that are very expensive, Not talking all these CAR morphs That vendors keep comming up with names and yada yada Like Bloodshots, Hallucinations, Stratospheres, Krak 1,000$ Polyp. There Melt Rate of cutting a polyp to sell is very high thats why they cost so much cause if you Try to Get a 1polyp frag from your colony your bound to loose a few. Yes people do like to buy & Sell & Trade, Like you said its a inner Circle between people you Know and can try to trade your coral to and know where its going and what type of tank its coming from. I like to Trade+cash sometimes cause it gets me to spend a little less and get that polyp i want or what ever it is.

I have quite a few high end polyps that i havnt even thought about Fragging cause im scared to loose them.

 

[rookie07]

I trade with friends, and then sell the corals my friends already have or dont want.
I have 2 corals (zoas) that have grown near my overflow, so I must trim those often (i place tiles around the overflow and remove them once they get covered), these corals are now in tons of tanks.

 

[Rob&Gab]

THere are allot of people that are cheap. If your cheap like DUBS said you are not meant for this hobby.

i see people trying to sell a light fixture that is about 500$retail, there trying to sell it for 300$ cause its used nothing wrong with it and its like New only thing is its used for 1 and a half years. No one will buy it till the seller bumps his thread a million times till that Bargen hunter comes out and snipes it.

There are allot of cheapos here that dont want to spend money on something nice, If you like it and its a reasonable Price go ahead and buy it, Dont bash the guy cause he is asking for the Reefer Market Value for the dang thing.

all the stuff i have Sold has gone right back into the Hobby, for R/O water, Salt water More Coral, Filter Pads anything you would need for the tank. Never for food,Gas, anything like that.

Trading is Kinda Hard if your in the ZOA game for me kinda, All the polyps i have most people have here. But i still like to collect The same things from other people. Like candy apple reds are one of my favorite zoas. me and have have tons of them from Hording them lmao there all grown out now and nice colonies.

Trading is where its at. i just only Trade in my inner circle like stated before by whomever. i wouldnt want to trade with someone and i dont no them or there tank. Cause lets say they have A outbreak of something and i didnt no and it got into your tank. Then what would you do? you cant bash the other guy who just traded you. cause its not his fault its yours for not knowing.

alright i think im a little off subject but yea. just my 2cents.

 

[jackson6745]

Jackson, Dont forget some Polyps that are very expensive, Not talking all these CAR morphs That vendors keep comming up with names and yada yada Like Bloodshots, Hallucinations, Stratospheres, Krak 1,000$ Polyp. There Melt Rate of cutting a polyp to sell is very high thats why they cost so much cause if you Try to Get a 1polyp frag from your colony your bound to loose a few. Yes people do like to buy & Sell & Trade, Like you said its a inner Circle between people you Know and can try to trade your coral to and know where its going and what type of tank its coming from. I like to Trade+cash sometimes cause it gets me to spend a little less and get that polyp i want or what ever it is.

I have quite a few high end polyps that i havnt even thought about Fragging cause im scared to loose them.

Rob if I told you what I really think about the whole zoa craze I would probably be fighting with a few members and vendors You are a coral addict . Don't buy into any hype corals because its a losing pyramid scheme. Stick to buying what looks good and you will have valuable frags for years to come.

 

[brand]

Once you develop relationships with Reefers it's a trade relationship.

I give you an example yesterday I had Reefers come by my place no names. But I was giving away frags of kenya tree and xenia.

They came by and brought some frags also with out mention of trading thats the hobby in my opinion. I just shared my tank with them maybe one day if you have a crash they would help you start off those frags you gave away.


Well it's a expensive hobby so if the funds are not there don't do it... unless you keep it to a 10 gallon. lol.

So in conclusion build relationships, trade and chill...

I personally have never sold anything but yes I bought a lot and had many things die..lately things doing well finally have stable system...

later and my hellos and regards to those who I have met in this hobby ..

.Coronas and beer always available at my cave. lol.

 

[Rob&Gab]

Rob if I told you what I really think about the whole zoa craze I would probably be fighting with a few members and vendors You are a coral addict . Don't buy into any hype corals because its a losing pyramid scheme. Stick to buying what looks good and you will have valuable frags for years to come.

i know, im totally into the hype. If its ugly i dont buy it only what my eyes tend to like.