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Location
manhattan
Rating - 94.6%
105   6   0
I recently commented on a post by another member wanting to buy some zoas and the fact the zoas are getting to be outrageously priced. Thought I would share the rant.
"You hit it on the head! 20.00 per polyp and you wonder how they can afford the pricey lighting setup over their tanks. Im with you 1000%! PPL its cool if you have something new and unique but Rasta, Armour of gods, Grannies stinky underpants polyps, etc. selling for nose candy prices???!!!??? Sometimes meeting a seller is like meeting your local crack dealer! If more ppl banded together and said whatever they would be begging you to take it off their hands i.e. GSP, Xenia.
Hey we all want the latest thing but do something better than frag a frag a frag a frag! Hell, Bonsai them by cultivating them on cool rocks, Get them to grow in odd patterns by clipping and light shaping. I can forgive the LFS as they have serious overhead! Rant complete!"

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS EITHER WAY.

Thanks.
 

cmantis

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
103   0   0
This is how the free market works. If you don't like the price you aren't forced to purchase it. People can ask whatever they like and it is supply and demand. When you purchase stuff off the marketplace do you nickel and dime them? You do realize that somebody along the way had to pay retail.
 

ruha456

Advanced Reefer
Location
Westchester
Rating - 100%
34   0   0
What's worst than overcharging for polyps and frags is how people on this forum want to charge more than half price for their used equipment, and then want to say low ballers will be called out. Who cares keep your over priced crap ill get it new. This is a forum for sharing an helping not a business or a way to get paid.
 

roycinus

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
I don't know what's worse, the price or the arrogance of some sellers. I agree that we are in a free market, but as a hobbyist community, it's kind of sad that some people treat here as a money making place.

Regarding the zoa, I would say it's all hype. $20 pp is totally ridiculous. Maybe we can gather a pool of ridiculously overpriced zoas by some senior members, and we start a chain of RAOK. A buyer can buy it at a fair price say $5 or even free and he promises to frag it to another person for the same price.

Supply up, demand drops, price drops.
 

MatthewScars

Guns, Razors, Knives.
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
59   0   0
ok... I mean, you are in your 30's+ right? You know how this stuff works. You ever bought a new top of the line TV or a car?

You just wait for the price to go down and then buy it. You can complain all you want about people making money. You seriously think people would pass up an opportunity to make money? If someone has a zoa thats $20 a head and he knows he can get that much for it or more, you better be damn certain he's going to sell it at that high price, else he'd be a fool.

Remember when Tub Blues were $15 a head? Stop wasting your time thinking about how unfair or unjust life and economics are and just wait six months till the fad is over.

WAHHHHHHH
 
Location
manhattan
Rating - 94.6%
105   6   0
Roycinus that is exactly the idea. Don't get me wrong I love a free market. I also like the idea of the collective but you would still have those that would come for freebie and punt it off to some newbie. Three or four months back I got bagged for some corals that were worthless. I took it as a lesson I do my research and now I only buy from ppl who are cool with prices or provide that something extra in the presentation of the coral i.e. unique mounting, shaping, or are doubling what you would normally get from a LFS or the quick buck artists. I do not, and will not feel guilty if they show with something not agreed to. I'll walk and neg rating be damned. It works both ways.
Everyone else can buy, sell, trade what they wish. Me, I say "no fraggin way" lol.
So why rail and rant? Because nothing will ever change unless you say something and call ppl out.
 

reefer4eva

Advanced Reefer
Location
Glendale,Queens.
Rating - 100%
282   0   0
What's worst than overcharging for polyps and frags is how people on this forum want to charge more than half price for their used equipment, and then want to say low ballers will be called out. Who cares keep your over priced crap ill get it new. This is a forum for sharing an helping not a business or a way to get paid.

I agree 100%...I share whatever I have that's outgrown,matter of fact I gave stuff away for free numerous times and many who know me know that I'm extremely generous even if I charge a price for something I know as well as others that there getting an awesome deal....and I always throw in something free with anything I sell!my way of thinking is where all in this hobby for the same reason.REMEMBER! This is a hobby.and to the generous people like me thank you for giving back to the HOBBY!
 

tunicata

Tunicate Tamer
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Rating - 100%
163   0   0
:sigh:

The unfortunate part of the market (from the perspective of a person that feels prices are too high considering that If I pay for a coral at market price...if I frag it once or twice I most likely would have made 100% of my money back if I sold it close or right at the price I paid) is that well...if someone is selling say...a rasta zoa for $35 per polyp and people see that their corals are selling...then the price eventually will increase in certain instances.

Because people will think it is an acceptable price.

I mean...I see people paying $100 plus for .75" of an SPS frag because it is worth it to them.

So, now my general impression is that it is NORMAL and RIGHT to expect to pay that kind of price.

If I do not do my research on the color, location, original namer, name of coral, etc then I wont know why many hobbyests readily agree on such a price. So, I'd pay it, If I could afford it.

I do feel that it is a good thing to make sure people are informed on the general going prices of things.

I love the MR community and all of the other fish hobby related ones I am in. I take this as an educational venture and I just hope that others care more about strangers enough to NOT make 500% profit off of the sale of the natural growth a coral.
 
Location
New York
Rating - 100%
88   0   0
Truth is this. If you want something search for it until the price is right or free.

Somehow I have had beautiful tanks with tons of eye candy and i have never really broke the bank.

If your trying to make money off frag sales in this hobby then you don't make enough money elsewhere or very greedy. Just my opinion

I'm fortunate to have a great network of friends that enjoy this hobby and enjoy sharing. Whether they paid retail or not.
 

fishman1069

Advanced Reefer
Location
Sound Beach,LI
Rating - 100%
40   0   0
truth is this. If you want something search for it until the price is right or free.

Somehow i have had beautiful tanks with tons of eye candy and i have never really broke the bank.

If your trying to make money off frag sales in this hobby then you don't make enough money elsewhere or very greedy. Just my opinion

i'm fortunate to have a great network of friends that enjoy this hobby and enjoy sharing. Whether they paid retail or not.

+1
 
Location
manhattan
Rating - 94.6%
105   6   0
This is all great stuff. Anybody ever think of forming a swap group? A collective where its true swapping? Small Frags nothing crazy any other stuff optional. Give one get one were you list what you have avail and what you want. Pic to pic trading. Then meet up and truly trade in a central location. Nothing formal just a bunch of fish geeks.
Or is that a fantasy?
 

iTzJu

Advanced Reefer
Location
Elizabeth, NJ
Rating - 100%
71   0   0
This is all great stuff. Anybody ever think of forming a swap group? A collective where its true swapping? Small Frags nothing crazy any other stuff optional. Give one get one were you list what you have avail and what you want. Pic to pic trading. Then meet up and truly trade in a central location. Nothing formal just a bunch of fish geeks.
Or is that a fantasy?

frag swaps, that's how that term started



Sent from my SGH-T999 using Reefs
 

E.intheC

Advanced Reefer
Location
Suffolk County
Rating - 100%
150   0   0
What's worst than overcharging for polyps and frags is how people on this forum want to charge more than half price for their used equipment, and then want to say low ballers will be called out. Who cares keep your over priced crap ill get it new. This is a forum for sharing an helping not a business or a way to get paid.

I might be responsible for starting the "low ballers will be called out" posts :rolleyes: But here's the thing -- I was tired of people offering $100 for an almost brand new Elos system, for example. If you can't afford or aren't willing to pay close to the asking price, move on to the next sale item. Don't waste time by low-balling. People have told me they don't post for sale items here because of how bad the lowballers are.

Or they have real jobs?

We have a WAHHHHHHHH thread in the nudibar. Go check it out.

This. However, we actually don't have a Wahhmbulance thread anymore. it was locked... :rolleyes:

These types of threads have been popping up on forums for years. People have actually fought over names, "lineage", alternating skirt colors on zoos, etc.. It's ridiculous. Buy what you like and don't worry about the names. (I forget the names when I buy zoas anyway, so they do nothing for me :D).

That said.. if you don't like the price, move on. If no one likes the price the item won't sell. It's pretty simple. Stop complaining. Stop worrying so much about things you have no control over. People are going to ask $100's for corals. It's the way it is.
 

roycinus

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
An offer is an offer. If sellers don't want to negotiate, say it in the thread. I don't think it's okay to embarrasse someone just because you don't like the offer. Why can't seller just move on and ignore it?

It's greed. Seller wants to maximize price and buyer wants to minimize price. I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just business, nothing personal.

Just saying, and I hate lowballers as well but I think it is quite unfair to call out lowballers considering buyers are not allowed to comment on price even when sellers selling stuffs more expensive than store price.
 

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