MR member prices from what i can see, are more than reasonable and some. Give your selves a hug :grouphug:. I went to a few LFS's etc. in the area over the weekend and let me tell you, the prices for corals are outrageous. No doubt the for sale forum is most popular on the site.:cheekkiss
Member Prices
- Thread starter Dre
- Start date
- Location
- Medford, NY
Captain Spaulding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL No but seriously LFS's have overhead unfortunatly some guy sitting on his couch on the computer doesnt.
- Location
- Oak Ridge, NJ
LFS prices are ridiculous. I walk in and look and walk out with nothing. I know they have overhead and all, but if they would sell things a bit cheaper then trying to make a bigger profit they would sell more. I've seen starfish in one store for 40 bucks that live aquaria sells for 10. That's a huge mark up.
Why do you think WalMart does better than other places? Lower prices - more quantity sold = better profit.
Yes it takes a little more to sell the same but you will easily gain newer customers and more quantity sold.
Most LFS setups are not on par to housing stock for long periods of time. So if they are not reasonably priced your more likely to let them die then sell them at reasonable prices. Overhead is a bizzatch though. I was punching numbers in my head to become a vendor, the place, the equipment, then likely everyone else (food, water, SALT, fragging equipment, baggies, etc) and it can get expensive quickly. Then you have to worry about the additional discounts for your regulars, fish/coral dying because the customer wasn't actually ready to take care of their new "killjoy" and blame it on you.
Definitely understand the prices but that's when you meet those on these forums and find GREAT people and GREAT deals.
Yes it takes a little more to sell the same but you will easily gain newer customers and more quantity sold.
Most LFS setups are not on par to housing stock for long periods of time. So if they are not reasonably priced your more likely to let them die then sell them at reasonable prices. Overhead is a bizzatch though. I was punching numbers in my head to become a vendor, the place, the equipment, then likely everyone else (food, water, SALT, fragging equipment, baggies, etc) and it can get expensive quickly. Then you have to worry about the additional discounts for your regulars, fish/coral dying because the customer wasn't actually ready to take care of their new "killjoy" and blame it on you.
Definitely understand the prices but that's when you meet those on these forums and find GREAT people and GREAT deals.
Last edited:
- Location
- Bridgewater, NJ
Lets not forget that Walmart can buy 10,000 of x product whereas the LFS buys 10. The larger the quantity you order the lower the price. Not only do LFS' have to account for everything he listed above the employees are the most expensive part.
Also like stated above, that's why there are places like MR. Great people, great frags and great prices. Can't beat it!
Also like stated above, that's why there are places like MR. Great people, great frags and great prices. Can't beat it!
You know what, I really don't care what the price is. If you have something that I am interested in I will give it a look. I may even buy. Though if you have something I have been looking for and desperately want and would give my right arm for and I don't care for you or you're on my list, then I don't care if you're giving that item away for free, I won't ever get it from you.
Dre, I hear yah, and I also totally love MR, and most of it's members. Without MR, I don't know that I would have the reef I now have.:wink1:
Not as high as an LFS owner, but still do. Without the tank, their electric bill would be less, their wallet would also not feel the sting of the missing $$$. Salt, foods, animals, fragging equipment, all cost $$.
Ditto!
I beg your pardon. That guy/gal sitting on their "couch on the computer" do so have an overhead as well.
Not as high as an LFS owner, but still do. Without the tank, their electric bill would be less, their wallet would also not feel the sting of the missing $$$. Salt, foods, animals, fragging equipment, all cost $$. The above should not generalize, not all lfs mark up outrageously.
Ditto!
Last edited:
- Location
- Brooklyn - Dyker Heights
Well i a partly agree. LFS they have a big expenses in order to sell you that nice coral. I am talking about the legitimate store that carry excellent corals and fish that are healthy and thriving. Those places have huge rents (based on location think about rent in manhattan), huge electric bills, huge chemical bills, huge water bills, plus a knowledgeable staff that they have to pay, and they carry rare items that you rarely see on MR sale forum, and if you do see a rare item, it's either snatched quickly and it's also expensive. What I usually see on MR for sale forum is not soo rare corals, gsp, birdnest, and simple sps which are great for beginners but for the more advanced hobbyst, you really don't have much choice. Having said that, I check out the for sale forum multiple times a day, to see whats there, and I buy frags from other members, but I also go to the lfs and when I go, i am fully aware that if I purchase something at a store, it ain't gonna be cheap....but sometimes you get lucky, just this week i bought a sweet medium size sps colony in a brooklyn shop for $40.
I was at Absolutely Fish yesterday and people standing next to me were buying $3.00 snails and $200.00 corals as if money were free.
The "for sale" section of any forum is only a segment of the market. Some people prefer dealing with an established store and dont mind paying the higher price. Not too mention the convenience of knowing fixed store hours.
I have visited several home based businesses and some I will never go back to, some lie about their prices or inventory to get you in and you the the "that just sold before you got here, but I have these".
Same as with cars, some ppl will buy a used car off craigslist or sitting off the road with a private for sale sign while others prefer to deal with an established dealership.
I dont hate on the stores, when I want something I first search the net but if I cannot find it within a couple of weeks I give up and go to the store.
Its just not the same thing to visit some dude with a frag tank versus an established store.
The "for sale" section of any forum is only a segment of the market. Some people prefer dealing with an established store and dont mind paying the higher price. Not too mention the convenience of knowing fixed store hours.
I have visited several home based businesses and some I will never go back to, some lie about their prices or inventory to get you in and you the the "that just sold before you got here, but I have these".
Same as with cars, some ppl will buy a used car off craigslist or sitting off the road with a private for sale sign while others prefer to deal with an established dealership.
I dont hate on the stores, when I want something I first search the net but if I cannot find it within a couple of weeks I give up and go to the store.
Its just not the same thing to visit some dude with a frag tank versus an established store.
- Location
- Bergen County, NJ
I for one, will continue to visit my LFS, in NJ there are not that many of them. Like Chief said if there is something I WANT, then I will buy it. AF for example has outrageous prices! But if people pay it, then they will charge it. If there was better competition in Bergen County then you would see AF drop their prices!
I have to agree about the basement vendors. While they have overhead there is not much at all! I could right now probably build a pretty big frag system in my basement for not much at all. So the overhead is not close in a home based vendor as a brick and mortar place.
But then again a home based vendor may not be able to get you stuff that you really want. How many home based vendors have frozen foods, or any dry goods.
We need the LFS, so for someone to say they wont buy from a LFS is not the best IMO.
Buying from members is fine and dandy, but to be honest for me to drive to someones house to get stuff, gives me the creeps a little (for ones that I have not met). I have seen to many "Craigslist" type crimes where people get robbed. I am not saying that MR people are like that, but you never know.
I have to agree about the basement vendors. While they have overhead there is not much at all! I could right now probably build a pretty big frag system in my basement for not much at all. So the overhead is not close in a home based vendor as a brick and mortar place.
But then again a home based vendor may not be able to get you stuff that you really want. How many home based vendors have frozen foods, or any dry goods.
We need the LFS, so for someone to say they wont buy from a LFS is not the best IMO.
Buying from members is fine and dandy, but to be honest for me to drive to someones house to get stuff, gives me the creeps a little (for ones that I have not met). I have seen to many "Craigslist" type crimes where people get robbed. I am not saying that MR people are like that, but you never know.
Just want to add, i visited the about 10 private places looking for corals and 1 vendor.
Coral Theory had better prices than any of the homes that i visited and Coral Theory is a store. For $116 i walked out with 8 pices and one was an elegance and the other a torch. This should serve as an FYI for private ppl that try to sell corals/frags Coral theory beats you so private prices should be better.
Coral Theory had better prices than any of the homes that i visited and Coral Theory is a store. For $116 i walked out with 8 pices and one was an elegance and the other a torch. This should serve as an FYI for private ppl that try to sell corals/frags Coral theory beats you so private prices should be better.
- Location
- Bergen County, NJ
I have to agree I walked out of Coral Theory with 13 pieces and I was shocked what I spent! Shocked as in how much I got for my money! And they sell NICE STUFF!
- Location
- Brooklyn - Dyker Heights
Agree on coral theory, they seem to have good prices for a store, and they carry good quality livestock. Hopefully it's not temporary to get costumers to know the store and eventually they'll jack up the prices once the store is established.
- Location
- north jersey
i still get the creeps whenever i drive to your house....lol :lol2:
and mmmm....i bet you are not as creeped out as some of us civilian not packing heat.....hehehe.
here is my personal protection... attack kitty...:catsmiley
as some had mentioned about AF, the prices are somewhat high but they do have some of the largest selections of many salt and fresh water creatures around here(north jersey). the employees are ones of the more knowledgeable people than most of the lfs i've been to. heard it through the grapevine that the saltwater employees do have to pass "exams" on the livestock they sell.
their livestock are fairly healthy and their tanks are fairly clean. i don't recall seeing dead fish in the tank. their prices had been pretty high in the past few years. i used to find more reasonably priced corals and fish but not lately.
do i go there? quite often. do i buy stuff there? sometimes. as far as us jersians go, it's probably the only lfs you can buy sps colonies that are fairly healthy and i have seen other store charge more for worse.
and that's my $0.02
ps. coral theory- thumbs up.
These points are all great points and I should have mentioned them. Places like AF and OG develop relationships with their customers and we as human beings value that. Places this well established are not like Petco where I was told this past weekend that the cleaner shrimp was ok to buy because only a few fish in the system had ich but not the rest.
The time that the staff dedicates to their customers is unmatchable and some of us do not mind paying for that. I go most often to AF because it's closer work and I have seen $1,000 angels in one week and sold the next, you can't sell a $1,000 angel continously if you dont sell quality stuff and they do.
Its a tricky tricky mind game. I am at the point of just buying more corals from stores only including coral theory unless a member is looking to make a few extra dollars and makes available some nice trimmings.
Why? here is why....in my quest to save a few dollars I've quickly come to the realization that corals from a private seller's house is nothing more than a $80 internet torch being resold for $140 OR convincing people to buy by throwing around the words super rare and aussey. This to me is just not nice selling corals at store prices or higher out of your house is not nice because there is a sort of abusing mind game that takes place and we as human beings have a trustworthy nature in us and we sometimes believe the person that is speaking.
OH and last but not least, wishing a slow death to those that prey on newbies, its a great hobby and preying on newbies can ruin a newbies experience.
Just clarifying I have nothing against stores, I like them just sometimes all I can do is stare and wish I could afford some of that stuff...
Long live the vendors and stores that stand behind their products.
The time that the staff dedicates to their customers is unmatchable and some of us do not mind paying for that. I go most often to AF because it's closer work and I have seen $1,000 angels in one week and sold the next, you can't sell a $1,000 angel continously if you dont sell quality stuff and they do.
Its a tricky tricky mind game. I am at the point of just buying more corals from stores only including coral theory unless a member is looking to make a few extra dollars and makes available some nice trimmings.
Why? here is why....in my quest to save a few dollars I've quickly come to the realization that corals from a private seller's house is nothing more than a $80 internet torch being resold for $140 OR convincing people to buy by throwing around the words super rare and aussey. This to me is just not nice selling corals at store prices or higher out of your house is not nice because there is a sort of abusing mind game that takes place and we as human beings have a trustworthy nature in us and we sometimes believe the person that is speaking.
OH and last but not least, wishing a slow death to those that prey on newbies, its a great hobby and preying on newbies can ruin a newbies experience.
Just clarifying I have nothing against stores, I like them just sometimes all I can do is stare and wish I could afford some of that stuff...
Long live the vendors and stores that stand behind their products.
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
I don't begrudge Brick and Mortar shops charging whatever they think their customer base will tolerate price-wise. Overhead is significant and the economics of this industry are complicated and difficult.
Basement vendors fall into 2 categories for me 1) those who are buying livestock wholesale/ importing direct 2) those who are large frags shops. The former incur many of the costs of brick and mortar shops and thus may need to charge more. The latter have little overhead beyond electricity and time and can/ should be able to charge less for frags.
Members who charge retail prices for frags from their tanks --- well lets just say imo they are to be avoided.
Basement vendors fall into 2 categories for me 1) those who are buying livestock wholesale/ importing direct 2) those who are large frags shops. The former incur many of the costs of brick and mortar shops and thus may need to charge more. The latter have little overhead beyond electricity and time and can/ should be able to charge less for frags.
Members who charge retail prices for frags from their tanks --- well lets just say imo they are to be avoided.
Last edited:
- Location
- Montauk NY
One thing no one has mentioned, without the LFS we would not have as many in this hobby as we do right now. Most people that are brand new to this hobby are not going onto the internet to purchase their first set up and livestock. Forums are great if you know enough to figure out if someone is just repeating what they heard or if the info is from someone that actually lived the experience. Now I am not saying you can't get bad info from a LFS but if your LFS is good you should get the correct info to help you.
Now you are correct you can get great prices online mostly if you buy more then one item. For me my tank is pretty full so I buy a frag or two at a time. Lets use a red planet frag for example. My lfs sold me a nice frag for 59.00. Now I have seen them online for 30.00. Thats almost half the price as my lfs. Now add shipping. I would say 36.00 on shipping. Now the online frag is 66.00. My lfs was cheeper. Also how many times have you ordered online and what you though you were getting is not and when you contact the company they say it should color back up once it is in your tank for a while. I personally like seeing in person what I am buying and under what light it really is under. Now I also do buy online and from peoples basements but I think lfs, online vendors and members selling stuff all play a balancing act and we need all 3 to keep this hobby growing
Just my 0.02
Now you are correct you can get great prices online mostly if you buy more then one item. For me my tank is pretty full so I buy a frag or two at a time. Lets use a red planet frag for example. My lfs sold me a nice frag for 59.00. Now I have seen them online for 30.00. Thats almost half the price as my lfs. Now add shipping. I would say 36.00 on shipping. Now the online frag is 66.00. My lfs was cheeper. Also how many times have you ordered online and what you though you were getting is not and when you contact the company they say it should color back up once it is in your tank for a while. I personally like seeing in person what I am buying and under what light it really is under. Now I also do buy online and from peoples basements but I think lfs, online vendors and members selling stuff all play a balancing act and we need all 3 to keep this hobby growing
Just my 0.02
- Location
- Copiague, NY
+1 it's great and all to get a deal on corals from your buddies tanks but without your LFS many of us would not be able to sustain our tanks, we rely on them for drygoods, fish, inverts, additives and much much more. I am a firm believer in supporting your LFS because without them it will cost you much more money in the long run.
Last edited:
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
