dirtycontour
Active Member
Is it me or is this name brand, $50 a polyp craze ridiculous? Give me a break, I hate to see posts of people trying to charge outrageous prices for corals because they gave them a fancy name. Sorry, I'm done.
$50 a polyp rant
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rosko23
Active Member
No one forcing u to buy.
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dirtycontour
Active Member
I realize that...
I just think it "uglies" the hobby a bit.
Jon Warner
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Here's my angle on this.
Some people collect American Gold Double Eagles and some collect Mercury Dimes. Collect what makes you happy and what you can afford. The dirty little secret is... you can build a BEAUTIFUL reef tank with cheap frags. Just pick out "last years" popular corals or classic favorites. How about the legendary Oregon Tort? Possibly the most vivid blue in the hobby and not a pricey frag.
Some people collect American Gold Double Eagles and some collect Mercury Dimes. Collect what makes you happy and what you can afford. The dirty little secret is... you can build a BEAUTIFUL reef tank with cheap frags. Just pick out "last years" popular corals or classic favorites. How about the legendary Oregon Tort? Possibly the most vivid blue in the hobby and not a pricey frag.
rosko23
Active Member
There will always be a "named" brand item... If ur like me... U get all the new stuff... But again not necessary.., a coral is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
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dirtycontour
Active Member
Makes sense. I guess I still cling on to the delusion that reefers want to help each other out and it's not just a business.
I think it helps people think they are ballin. in todays society it is necessary to be "better" than the next guy..if that means buying a polyp that pricey than so be it...have you looked at dog prices???? they live less years than corals are capable of and cost far more for "grand champion dogs" than any coral on the market. the price does limit the frugal reefer to the so called lesser corals. one mans Star Polyps is another mans Chalice.
I think that the price per polyp/square inch/ whatever is a little bit too much as far as detail...you dont charge per stripe for clowns or per tentacle for anemone..why charge per head??? corals could easily sold based more on their potential rather than what is for sale in front of you. A good 3 head frag could turn into a beautiful matt of polyps within a year given the right conditions....why cant the farmers just be a little more generous with their fragging. They are master growers after all.
but yeah...50/ polyp is not something i would consider, unless its edible and regenerates rapidly...for example: Plum Tree. 50 bucks and im eating some juicy goodness with so many different things to make out of plums, the value is surely over 50 smackaroos.
I think that the price per polyp/square inch/ whatever is a little bit too much as far as detail...you dont charge per stripe for clowns or per tentacle for anemone..why charge per head??? corals could easily sold based more on their potential rather than what is for sale in front of you. A good 3 head frag could turn into a beautiful matt of polyps within a year given the right conditions....why cant the farmers just be a little more generous with their fragging. They are master growers after all.
but yeah...50/ polyp is not something i would consider, unless its edible and regenerates rapidly...for example: Plum Tree. 50 bucks and im eating some juicy goodness with so many different things to make out of plums, the value is surely over 50 smackaroos.
buddythelion
2500 Club Member
+1. It's also hard when you are one of those people that buy/have polyps/frags worth $20+ and then sell them for about $5-$10 just for that side of the hobby that prefers cheaper frags. It's come to a point in this hobby where we've become collectors and have certain values to certain things. The price tag issue is not from the seller's fault but because hobbyist had a large enough demand and were okay with the value placed upon certain corals. Like someone else said, no one is forcing you to buy pieces that you feel are wrongly priced. But I do agree that there are a few things going on regarding price that I don't understand. Say for example, one seller sells a certain morph for about $15 and it goes unnpticed. But then a vendor snaps it up or same morph from another source and makes it a $50/$100+ and then everyone flocks left and right for one. Hype is something I don't like and try not to fall for, but it does get to me sometimes.
rajkovich207
Well-Known Member
I enjoy that my corals have a name, it stinks that they cost so much, but to me that's half the fun, knowing you can make back your money and then some! Some timed its a little nuts like when the $500 efflo came out or the bowder paly, but if you like it that much, wait it will come down some. I picked up a mini colony of rainbow monti for $15 last month and the first frags were selling for $125 for a 3/4th inch frag. What really gets me though is people like Jason fox (not knocking the Guy) but my dad got a small frag of rainbow for 30 . And why was it more? Because it has his name on it, plus $900/eye for a chalice its a bit nuts IMO. That's just my. 02 though, not trying to upset any one.
nonstopfish
Active Member
Are you also mad that they make $500 jeans, $10,000 purses, and $1,000,000 Cars? What about multi-million dollar artwork? Etc. Etc.
This is how the world works. A small percentage of people are willing to buy "luxury" items and the rest aren't. It's simple supply and demand, there is nothing to complain about or get worked up over. The only reason someone can possible be angry about the prices is that they are mad they now can't afford a coral they really want(not saying this is you).
This is how the world works. A small percentage of people are willing to buy "luxury" items and the rest aren't. It's simple supply and demand, there is nothing to complain about or get worked up over. The only reason someone can possible be angry about the prices is that they are mad they now can't afford a coral they really want(not saying this is you).
rosko23
Active Member
Seen that happen quite a few times
buddythelion
2500 Club Member
Warlock, you always bring up absurd examples that have no relevance whatsoever to prove your point. Tentacle count on anemones makes no sense at all. I hope you know the cost to create a new breed of dog and cost to maintain one as well is much more expensive than to maintain corals. And people do pay more for certain clowns btw, and the price for those is also from cost of abd time from selective breeding and chance. The reason why people do per polyp is because that's all it takes in order to grow a colony of your own. It also helps to fufill the demand for those morphs as well. I don't know if you can grow an anemone with just a tentacle. When you do grow a bta from a single tentacle, let me know. Or when you get 2 golden retriver puppies and grow the for less than $50. up, assuming their are np health issues, and total cost of raising them and raising their babies and you can sell it at the same price as a coral, let me know too. I don't mind a new golden puppy for under $50 with a great pedigree.
i didnt say they charge per tentacle or that you can buy a single tentacle of an anemone let alone grow a nem from one. This is a late night rant, and it will be accompanied by levels of absurdity to act as anecdotes to the absurdity of what I call Prada Frags for the crazy prices. lol i dont mind seeing them, but im not going to buy it...ill trade a duncan head for one, thats about it...i dont even know what polyp were talking about, but if it will hurry up and make it cheaper, someone should go buy a ton of it.
And for dog breeding, I am aware of all it takes to go from wolf to poodle. (i used to groom dogs, lol). but, the costs to do so are not as high as you would think.
I have met breeders who own no dogs, they borrow other people's. Willingly of course. you only need to keep puppies for like 6 weeks before you can sell them...if you are a reputable breeder you will have down payments if not full payments on all of them before they are even born. on average, 6 weeks is what roughly takes X zoaanthid polyp to produce 2 new heads on a single plug. 3 little polyps, which in 6 weeks maybe 5? 6? idk, for the rate things with polyps grow they should all be fairly reasonable in price, 50 bucks for a hype coral, well, it will take a while to break even if you try...by the time you frag it there will be something in its place and your fancy buttons will be in the assorted polyps tank...waiting has got me some very nice corals, some that still are valuable and some that arent anymore, which is when i buy them :) dirt cheap for more stuff!
And for dog breeding, I am aware of all it takes to go from wolf to poodle. (i used to groom dogs, lol). but, the costs to do so are not as high as you would think.
I have met breeders who own no dogs, they borrow other people's. Willingly of course. you only need to keep puppies for like 6 weeks before you can sell them...if you are a reputable breeder you will have down payments if not full payments on all of them before they are even born. on average, 6 weeks is what roughly takes X zoaanthid polyp to produce 2 new heads on a single plug. 3 little polyps, which in 6 weeks maybe 5? 6? idk, for the rate things with polyps grow they should all be fairly reasonable in price, 50 bucks for a hype coral, well, it will take a while to break even if you try...by the time you frag it there will be something in its place and your fancy buttons will be in the assorted polyps tank...waiting has got me some very nice corals, some that still are valuable and some that arent anymore, which is when i buy them :) dirt cheap for more stuff!
_sludgefactory
Valuable Member
Hasn't this horse been beaten enough already?
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I dont think $50 per polyp is a bad deal for some polyps. personally I like to have things in my tank that have the wow factor.
I bought 3 polyps of red hornets for $35 per polyp a year or so ago, yesterday I sold a frag with 10+ polyps for $20
I would gladly pay the $35 per polyp again to get them. they grow fast for me and look amazing.
should I have charged more? I dont think so, I am a hobbyist
I just bought a pair of clownfish I think they did charge by the stripe,just the less stripes the more they cost. look at the ww clowns at $375 each for 1 stripe ;)
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Kinda goes with another topic recently posted. I have a few LFS here in Phoenix area that will order frag packs like those from RR, UC, SC and CC not even care about the name's just who sells it and mark them up 60-150%, based on what they sold for a year ago or currently per polyp. For me personally it is impossible for me to talk my self into that new car if I don't know what kinda car it is or I do know but it's last years model ;) With corals, half the fun for me at least is feeling like I got a great deal on something small (that with my dedication, hard work, and close attention to detail) will grow into the show-stopper we all seek. If I'm gonna pay fifty a polyp (which I won't) it better be able to crawl outta my tank, cook me some breakfast and clean my house ;) lol
if you are trying to buy frags just to cut and sell, I see your point. thats the only way your "rant" makes seance
most ppl that sell corals dont buy one polyp, they will buy $1000's worth of coral in one order "cherry pick" it for maybe 3 corals out of 20 that are worth big money
I dont know if you have any business background? but if I invest $5000 on an order of anything it better pay me $15,000+ thats how business works.
you have to consider cost of coral +cost of shipping+cost of holding+cost of loss+cost of marketing +.......... and then you need to make a little from your investment and you dont know why corals cost so much?? REALLY?? im not a rocket scientist but I get it.
as far as your dog breeding example lol
I have labs, my female had one litter. and after the vet bills ($1400) and selling the 7 blockhead labs I broke even! maybe I should have sold them for $50 each and lost $$ or I could cut the care of the female she would have died, but someone else would have been happy to have a pup for cheap!.
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Aquaph8
Love The Fish
What I like about the prices is that it makes people think twice about buying a ton of stuff before they know they're able to keep it. Ive seen so many new people to the hobby fill a tank in a short period of time only to kill them all. Imagine if those were big SPS colonies ( it would just be sad). I know for sure I wouldn't have spent over $20 for frag when I first started. I think size of frag works this way too, Ive seen some tanks from certain countries that look like someone took a bunch of colonies and plopped them on some rocks. This hobby is so much more rewarding when you get to watch those little 1" pieces turn into big beauties. I know this doesn't make the fact that some people are making a killing off chopping big colonies into little pieces but it doesn't have to be all bad.
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