So I finally decided to take a trip to house of fins in CT to see what all the wow was about. And the wow were the prices!!!...Beautiful shop, clean and tanks full of nice fish. Nice EXPENSIVE fish that wont be sold unless you don't know anything in the hobby. I saw some small yellow clown gobies to go in my nano and the prices on this small paper looked really high so I ask how much for the yellow clown? the guy said 45 each. I said no thank you! Nice place again but wow.
House Of Fins WOW
- Thread starter rjl09
- Start date
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
File this under "old news". Cross list under "their clientele does not care"
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- Location
- Dingmans ferry PA
+1 Randy
- Location
- westchester
its crazy to see what they are charging for stuff and how they are getting away with it but as the saying goes there's a seat for every -ss
- Location
- bayonne / nj
Alex runs a quality and top notch shop. You get what you pay for no matter where you go. All there live stock is healthy eating ready to go into your tank.
Sorry, but IMO, with the exception of having some rare fish available...their livestock is no different from other LFSs ... other than price.
- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
+1 couldn't agree anymore. He gets his fish where everybody else does. Nice store but let's face it. He has customers that have money. Average guy in this hobbie if he can save a few dollars or a lot of dollars. You know where to buy and you know where to visit. But it's a way of life.
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Exactly, at least make it competitive. Make it look like you want people to buy and come back to your store. Have some sales or maybe some bargains. Every LFS has deals no matter what, but like everyone has stated, they have clientele who pay this money so oh well.
IMO, their main clientele (and income) are their maintenance customers... In order to be able to charge top prices to these customers, they must keep their store prices at that same level.
There is a store in my town that does the exact same thing, with prices almost identical to HoF... Been in business about 20 yrs, and really couldn't care less about the 'walk in traffic'... He makes all his profit from maintenance customers.
There is a store in my town that does the exact same thing, with prices almost identical to HoF... Been in business about 20 yrs, and really couldn't care less about the 'walk in traffic'... He makes all his profit from maintenance customers.
- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
Did you go across the street and check out they tank display. You would of gotten a kick out of that. I used to go they at least once a year just to check it out. I saw three vans that do maintenance services to Restaurant, hospital, Hotels, any other businesses. Like Albano said using his place just keep his hands on stocking his services clients.
Unless they've recently opened a new showroom, they lost the lease on the original showroom across the street about a year ago...they had to convert 1/2 of the rear retail space in their store into office space.
- Location
- Queens, NY
@bioman, i hear a story coming alone =)
- Location
- New Jersey
Which store are we referring to. lol
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
Before this thread degenerates, I'd just like to mention that House of Fins has been a VERY generous and long time supporter of MR and our events. This should not be forgotten.
- Location
- GARDEN CITY
They are a retail store not a wholesale store like most of us want every store to be. They do bring in the rarest of fish that most of the time you see only on a picture. They do have quality corals and fish that most of the time they get to cherry pick from wholesalers. They are very well connected. I enjoy going there and if you are a regular there, prices are not so bad.
- Location
- Staten Island
Agree with others on their maintenence and clientele. I haven't been to the store but have worked with multiple guys from HOF thru the years and on a few very large aquariums. To give everyone a better idea,I went to one guys house and he had purchased 6 Gem tangs from HOF in one shot,didn't last a week and client didn't bat an eyelash either,must be nice! I know the price he paid for each and trust me it wasn't wholesale nor a deal for quantity. Then again the owner also made me move my beat up 99' Ford Explorer for his 4 brand new Lamborghinis to be delivered.
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