Re: Frag Swaps

[ming]

There's absolutely no issue with that stage, but I would much rather test it on something much more common and easy to grow first, not to mention cheaper, rather then something rare.

 

[Jzhou]

I actually prefer the swaps where you can buy frags instead of trade. For people who doesn't have anything "rare", they at least have a way of getting some nice stuff.

 

[tosiek]

Its sad, kit comes up every swap about why there is no "swapping". But noone ever does anything about it. Its not that MR or any other "frag swaps" in nyc don't allow it its just that the people selling/trading don't want to deal with it for various reasons.

Also, another thing not mentioned here so far, $$ is a powerful thing. Why trade your frag when you can sell it to make back the $$ you put in or spend on maintenance/electric? Its also another motivator as to why we see the majority of transactions to be sales and not swaps.

Anyways, food for thought. People should start something up, maybe it'll turn into a trend and we'll have the vendors angry because everyone is trying to trade stuff =0)

 

[guarda]

So whoever thinks prices are artificially inflated and the reef scene in NY is an anti-competitive oligopoly, the answer is simple; give your corals away. Reef populism If more people adapt your mantra of reef anti-capitalism, prices will come down. It's a double edged sword however. If the vendors don't make money, they can't support MR. Without MR...

ps, I'm not worried about this happening, but in keeping with the spirit, I'll give away some purple hornets.

what would be the inpact if members sold their $40 to $60 highend frags for $15 to $20. Thats all.

 

[tynman]

I know a fight or 2 might breakout over this but this was on my mind. lol Ok I was talking to my cousin husband who lives in Atlanta, GA yesterday and I was telling him about different corals i would like in my tanks. I also told him that NY have frag swaps where you can buy frags ranging from $10 to $100+ for high end corals. He scream at me over the phone and said that was ridiculous! lol He said down in GA that they frag swaps are different. Meaning they dont exchange money for corals, only corals for corals no matter how up the chain it is. Well atleast where he's at. So it got me thinking if there were swaps like that in NYC? And if not how come?

So I guess the real question is, if we did have swaps like that all over. Would it bring down the prices on the high in corals? And how hard of an inpact would it have on divers and other ppl?

When I first got into the hobby thats what I thought a frag swap was!!! But to my surprise Not only did I have to pay top dollar for frags but I had to pay to get into the door!! Does that make any cents I have to pay to spend my money on frags!!! Is it just me or do other people feel this way too? But I have only went to 1 frag swap and will never got to another one again!!! Waste of my gas to drive there, of my time, and my cover charge at the door.. Got there at 10am and by 10:35am I saw it all (maybe even 2 times) and then they sell the raffle tickets and want you to hang around til 3pm (and you have to be there to get your prize if you win) But thats the way I feel and Im sorry if you got me to vent about it and no one wants to listen....

 

[tynman]

Anybody is free to do frag trades during a frag swap. The reason why most people are selling is because they are either a vendor, or because there isn't many corals they are interested in from other people, so its easier to put a monetary amount attached to the coral. Then you can use the money and buy the coral you want, even if the guy selling it doesn't want anything from you.

If you bought a $100 coral, would you trade it for brown ugly zoa's from a newbie because he wanted your coral? Probably not, but the $100 price tag gives him the chance to get that coral without having anything good to trade back.

I also been to other frag swaps, the MR frag swap is by far the best. Other swaps barely have anything to sell/trade/buy except a few very low end or even browned out corals which aren't even attractive cause you don't know what you're getting if it can color up or even has a color besides brown. The other swaps usually have no speakers which can help guide and educate a lot of users. I wouldn't trade the MR swap for anything

btw, you also don't need to buy $100 corals to make your tank look nice. Some $10 or so corals when fully grown into a colony looks pretty good too!

LOL I wouldnt trade any of my colorful sps for anything brown or anything I didnt want thats the best part of swapping or trading frags for frags.... But if I have a frag of my $75 purple monster to trade for lets say a frag for a raspberry lemonade I would do that after we show each other pictures of them of see them in person.....

 

[Imbarrie]

What kinds of corals are being swapped? I'm sure people aren't being forced to hand over their stock of ORA in exchange for a handful of loose palys.
There is room for a one on one exchange in the marketplace.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[Josh]

Actually, we have a trade-only event coming up soon.

 

[Josh]

LOL I wouldnt trade any of my colorful sps for anything brown or anything I didnt want thats the best part of swapping or trading frags for frags.... But if I have a frag of my $75 purple monster to trade for lets say a frag for a raspberry lemonade I would do that after we show each other pictures of them of see them in person.....

That is why most of the swaps involve more member selling than trading. If I have a nice coral and I want something of yours that is not exactly equal, I sell mine and buy yours. It isn't very complicated, we're just using money to even out uneven trades.

 

[Jzhou]

Atlanta might not be a good place to invest in real estate. The state is about to go bankrupt and job have been flying out of the city for the past decade.

 

[albano]

...Waste of my gas to drive there, of my time, and my cover charge at the door.. Got there at 10am and by 10:35am I saw it all (maybe even 2 times) ...

If you saw it all (2 times) in 35 minutes, then you did waste your time and $. I don't know of ANYONE that, in 35 minutes, could see the entire inventory of even 1/4 of the vendors...never mind the fact that the cover charge is also for lunch and GUEST speakers and workshops, which would have added some time to your visit.
If you were going there, ONLY to find a certain specific piece, then maybe you could have inquired about it, before the swap.

IMO...most of the attendees are there because they want to be THERE! It is an EVENT, that many of us wish happened MORE than twice a year, and a great meeting place for the people from the other side of the computer monitor...
To some, the fact that there is coral for sale, is a bonus!

.... But if I have a frag of my $75 purple monster to trade for lets say a frag for a raspberry lemonade I would do that after we show each other pictures of them of see them in person.....

That is why most of the swaps involve more member selling than trading. If I have a nice coral and I want something of yours that is not exactly equal, I sell mine and buy yours. It isn't very complicated, we're just using money to even out uneven trades.

+1 So Josh, you're saying this isn't 'rocket science'?

 

[brick-brothers]

Thanks for the info. To be honest its really for me and my fam to have so when we go out there we have a place to stay. But if I could rent it out to ppl visiting and used the money to help pay the mortgage, than that would be a plus for me. But thats another thread. lol

Atlanta might not be a good place to invest in real estate. The state is about to go bankrupt and job have been flying out of the city for the past decade.

 

[tentacles]

When I first got into the hobby thats what I thought a frag swap was!!! But to my surprise Not only did I have to pay top dollar for frags but I had to pay to get into the door!! Does that make any cents I have to pay to spend my money on frags!!!

It makes sense to charge an entry fee (I don't know why so many people have such a hard time with this concept. There is overhead to cover. The room must be paid for, the food that you are served is not donated (and feeding 300+ people is not exactly cheap). Plus, you have the opportunity to peruse some of the top vendors in the hobby, who are indeed selling their stock for less than their normal retail price. Not to mention the fact that you are able to hand pick your stock, and don't have to worry about shipping. Pretty much all of the vendors will offer you a deal if you buy more than one piece, and most have stuff that runs the gamut between cheap/beginner corals and high end LE stock. Members donate frags (and no, they're not all brown palys and xenia) that are sold at next to nothing prices and often even given away. You also have the opportunity to meet your fellow internet reefers, and have a nice, fun day. I'm sorry that you didn't think it was worth it, but perhaps if you had spent more than 35 minutes at the event you would have had a more pleasant experience.

And for the record, there's very practical and logical reasons behind why people must stay to claim their raffle prizes. It's not some clever ruse to get you to stay and spend more money :splitspin.

 

[Mattl22]

The past 4 swaps I've had to work this year I'm taking off I'll be there can't wait to meet everyone the no vendor swap sounds great but ppl should have the option to buy from others if they dont have anything to trade


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[Wes]

If there were no selling allowed, new hobbyist or people with nothing to trade would get left out.

cash allows everyone to pick up a few corals regardless of what they have to offer.

 

[marrone]

Plus, you have the opportunity to peruse some of the top vendors in the hobby, who are indeed selling their stock for less than their normal retail price. Not to mention the fact that you are able to hand pick your stock, and don't have to worry about shipping. Pretty much all of the vendors will offer you a deal if you buy more than one piece, and most have stuff that runs the gamut between cheap/beginner corals and high end LE stock..

This is a very important point, you have the opportunity to not only buy from some of the top vendors in the country but to buy some of the top corals too, and for cheaper than they normally would go for. You can also ask most of these vendors before hand to bring special items and even talk with them at the swap, which lets you build up a relationship with them.

Also it give you a chance to see all the hot corals, and in a lot of cases, wonder why they're going for so much.

 

[bogliman]

i think what frag swap entails here in NY and NJ is that yes you can swap corals with another member without any cash exchanges but it's just a swap.
The buying of the frags is just a bonus that you can do incase you do find someone selling something you like coming from our vendors or if someone doesn't show up to pickup a frag from a member then he has the option to sell it to you.
Of course it's just my two cents...:tongueani

 

[125reefer]

if you ask me the cover charge should be lowered.25 a person is very expensive.i know there are overhead but skip the lunch let people bring there own or eat before they go.if you have to pay speakers to be there let them stay home as well.im sure there are plenty people here that can have a knowledgeable speech and would do it for free.the vendors need to pay a price for there spot in the swap dont they?i would love to go but for a family who loves the hobby i wouldnt be able to take them

 

[chinatown]

Actually, we have a trade-only event coming up soon.

do tell.