Are these prices serious? Who buys this stuff?

[scriptmonkey]

Weekly:

Thread.

While I agree that they are overpriced overall, there is a bunch that goes into coral farming. They have to buy/Acquire a lot of colonies and a lot of which will just look meh. Once in a while they will get one that looks amazing and that will get a name like decepticon unicorn table dance of the rainbow pony. All that takes time, resources, and sometimes these grow super slow for maybe a payoff?

Everyone likes to go after WWC but they for one have a great warranty unlike some that give you 30 seconds from the time the FedEx guy says the H in Hello. With WWC I had to use it twice, once on day 7, and on a DOA. No trouble what so ever. In addition they seem to do a lot for the reefing community. All BRS testing lately is done with WWC donated corals.

But the great thing is value is in the eye of the beholder and no one is forcing anyone to buy anything. If you do not like the price do not buy and if enough people agree with you then the price will come down.

I mean if you really think about it we are using dollars or your nation's currency and that is printed on paper or is a number in a bank database. That $20 dollar bill is not really worth $20 bucks of materials, it is worth that because we all agree it is worth that. Sort of like coral.....

*disclaimer: Not an economist and it was a general statement by a dude that has not had caffeine yet. Batteries not included, tip your waiter or waitress.

 

[salty_trout]

Im glad they are high for the most part. It puts pressure on hobbyists to aquaculture their high end pieces and reach out to other reefers to trade forcing new friends. Several of my high end pieces like my walt disney were gifts or trades. Unfortunately, nice, or really pretty things often are expensive..... that includes coral, houses, cars etc. I wish a Mercedes Benz wasnt expensive, but it is. Luckily if you dont want the coral you can look elsewhere. You arent having your arm twisted to buy it. That being said JF. Vivid, and WWC are all too expensive, but all seem to end up in my tank.

 

[scott11106]

i would have to say i will not spend 300+ for a coral frag but in the same breath i dont mind spending a bit more for quality. I have had the best luck with WWC as far as quality. They are always healthy, happy and pest free. i tried many others including LFS's and always have some sort of problem, and mortality is always higher.

 

[JonoB]

Batteries not included, tip your waiter or waitress.

Batteries cost too much!


...

 

[scriptmonkey]

Batteries cost too much!


...

Now I have to make a cost of batteries meme!

 

[KStatefan]

Now I have to make a cost of batteries meme!

Just make a cost of "everything" is to high then you would be ready for anything.

 

[sde1500]

It's a joke. It is also a peek into the future if we all don't stop buying wild harvested corals and rock.

What are you talking about. Prices going up if we don't stop buying wild coral??? That is exactly opposite of what would actually happen. Wild coral increases the supply, there is more of it growing in the wild than in our tanks. Plus it grows without inputs, inputs that in aquaculture come with a cost. You're ranting about WWC, who aquacultures a lot of their coral, while saying stopping the purchase of wild coral will fix this? So backwards..

You have absolutely no basis for such a silly statement.

They were right, you were waaaay off base.

What about the 1 million dollar acro frag?????
https://battlecorals.com/products/fairy-food

I mean, he is pretty clear it is a joke.

 

[Jon Fishman]

i would have to say i will not spend 300+ for a coral frag but in the same breath i dont mind spending a bit more for quality. I have had the best luck with WWC as far as quality. They are always healthy, happy and pest free. i tried many others including LFS's and always have some sort of problem, and mortality is always higher.

This applies to my local shops..... I currently have one shop that has now earned all my repeat business for coral purchases. My success rate with them is 100% so far..... maybe 95% not sure....

 

[Javamahn]

I would agree that overall the pricing of coral is inflated solely for profit not because of any Indo ban. All the Ban did was give license to inflate much the same as gas pricing when a refinery is taken off line for one reason or another. I would also say that pricing over time does usually come back down with supply and demand. An SPS frag of Walt Disney Tenius that was once $400 can now be found for less then $100 in some markets becase it has been propagated extensively.

 

[FishDoc]

I buy that stuff. I'm a sucker for tracks and lobos

You’re willing to/have paid 500+ for a single coral? If that’s the case this hobbies gotten out of control...

 

[FishDoc]

That’s also the colony section ($$$) of their website not just your run of the mill frags.

Sometimes they use the term ‘colony’ a bit to liberally if you ask me...

 

[MnFish1]

I would agree that overall the pricing of coral is inflated solely for profit not because of any Indo ban. All the Ban did was give license to inflate much the same as gas pricing when a refinery is taken off line for one reason or another. I would also say that pricing over time does usually come back down with supply and demand. An SPS frag of Walt Disney Tenius that was once $400 can now be found for less then $100 in some markets becase it has been propagated extensively.

The last sentence of your paragraph negates the logic used in your first. If the prices of coral drops over time because of supply/demand - then prices aren't artificially inflated. I.e. when there were only a few Walt Disney pieces they commanded a high price - now the prices are lower because its been propagated extensively. (Now I guess you could make the point that even at $100 - A Walt Disney frag is overpriced - but). As to the ban - I think you're incorrect. up to 90% of coral imports came from Indonesia and Fiji - Now people are turning to Australia - which is also considering restrictions. How could the price NOT go up.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I am literally speechless. Am I missing something. $800 for a single head torch. $500 for an average trach?

I long for the days when I could purchase large coral colonies (mostly Trachyphyllia, Catalaphyllia, Plerogyra, etc.) for $40. With that said, there is a good local shop that has decent frags starting at $10 (many are as colorful as those shown in the photos just smaller.)

 

[MPS]

On sale just for @kgk

A rare piece! Its called "SmartWater's Angel Face Pink Lemongrass SuperSoaker KoolAid Happy Go Fun Time"

Regular Price $6,000.00
Sale Price: $42,003.50

Act Now!

nicely done.

 

[TheHarold]

Im telling you.... we really need a "Bitter about Capitalism" category on R2R for all of these threads .

 

[TheHarold]

I long for the days when I could purchase large coral colonies (mostly Trachyphyllia, Catalaphyllia, Plerogyra, etc.) for $40. With that said, there is a good local shop that has decent frags starting at $10 (many are as colorful as those shown in the photos just smaller.)

Theres still one garage-store local to me with pricing around that. Like nice 5" walling hammer colonies for $40, LPS at $10 a head, really nice acro frags no more than $40.

 

[sde1500]

I would agree that overall the pricing of coral is inflated solely for profit not because of any Indo ban. All the Ban did was give license to inflate much the same as gas pricing when a refinery is taken off line for one reason or another

Then you should look into how supply and demand works. Demand isn't going down, but Indo/Fiji ban obliterated supply. That is beyond basic Econ 101 example of supply and demand.

 

[Opus]

Sure aquasd has some crazy priced stuff but they also have 600 other corals that at least are in the ballpark . Frag packs that come out to like 15 bucks each or whatever it is . Honestly they are the only vendor that has figured out the whole live sale thing . Heres 700 corals you choose what you want no sitting in front of your computer for 10 hours . These didnt sell during the week we mark them.down 30%. I get it by dragging it out across 10 hours you create hype and competition but I dont have that kinda time . Think the point of the thread was not to show what vendor sells the most expensive coral but to show the ones that sell cheap corals for expensive prices .

They are also basically a coral chop shop.

 

[Jonathan Iu]

lol those are cheap.

 

[JonoB]

They are also basically a coral chop shop.

How so?