Buy or Sell: Is holding on to expensive Coral like playing the stock market?

[dbowman5]

If playing the stock market includes investing in tangible assets like gold and silver, bullion or coins, i would say yes.
"my dragon hoard comforts me"

 

[Wayne P.]

I buy my corals due to what they look like and the price. I spend my money on equipment so I have to buy the $20 - $30 corals. If they grow out nicely and I need to frag I am more likely to swap or give them away than sell them.

 

[Seamore2001]

I buy my corals for myself. I have a few more expensive ones, but they were not purchased with the intent to frag and sell.

The area where I live isn't really a hot-spot for selling anyway, and I don't want to be bothered with shipping.

If anything, I reckon frags make good trade stock - someone local has something I like, and vice-versa, so let's make a trade. And if I trade or give a frag, that helps protect me in case I lose a beloved piece.

 

[LegendaryCG]

I think very few people get into it to make money, of course there is an opportunity there. I‘d consider it more likely you offset some of the expense vs see a profit unless you make it a career

 

[PatW]

Well it depends on what kind of investor you are. If you are a speculative investor, buying stuff on hopes of a big score than maybe yes.

But if you are careful, absolutely not. If you invest in stocks with increasing earnings and revenues, high profitability and return to shareholders, you have a very good chance of making a fair bit of money.

With corals, there are some that seem to enjoy a high consistent demand. There are some acropora types that have been out there for a long time. But the venders seem to not be able to keep them in stock and their prices while not really high, to do OK. So raising them and selling them might make good sense.

But for high end, new corals, the people willing to pay $$$$$ for the latest great thing are relatively few. And with increasing supply and not being the latest and greatest, these corals will decline in price. Now if you have all that factored in and want to raise them, then sure.

 

[George81]

I've never seen a stock "RTN" overnight...

Jet.vn.....ask me how I know....if I remember correctly it lost 95% in one day....I’m still holding on. It’s been three years and now I’m only down 50%. Those venture cap stocks.....

 

[JohnnyDreadlock]

I don’t see corals or fish as money making things. I look at them like the live animals they are. Too many people that grow this mentality will be the reason more activists will find all the ways possible to shut down the hobby. All these hot corals prices are another reason people avoid the hobby. Too expensive due to greedy people.

 

[Dos]

Sell saltwater plants. they are hardy, ease to grove, have decent demand

 

[phatduckk]

I'm buying coral primarily to make my tank look nice. if some day I get awesome at it and have tons of extra frags I'll give them away or trade them.

 

[PeterC99]

Please - You are either in this for a hobby, love of animals, or as a business. Has nothing to with investing.

 

[Reefvision]

Me personally would never invest ( I guess that’s what it is) in anything that’s so expensive that’d make me ill if it didn’t “look “ happy today lol. I thought this should be a hobby and a way to appreciate the beauty of our worlds oceans and really appreciate our
Earths perfection and getting so much into making profits from ity bits of amazing life TO ME is — it is what it is; sorry for the run on - love r2r.

 

[kzitzman1]

I'd say there are similarities. You buy a stock and hope it grows in market value. You can buy it high and have it hold, lose or gain value. Just like you can a coral. A tank can crash causing your coral to die and the market can crash causing your 401k to die. Either is horrible. So, yes, I voted that they are similar analogies. I will say I put a lot more in my 401k than I ever would my coral, though.

 

[clffthmps]

I’m in it for the passion and the love I have for the hobby, Not money.

 

[Oscaror]

Of course it is. The stock market isn't the be-all end-all of investing, in any industry or community in which there are collectible items they can be considered investments. Trading cards have sold for millions, classic cars even more so, stockx is a marketplace designed for buying and selling sneakers with a similar form of price action to financial markets. Counter strike weapon skins, which are virtual designs for items in a video game can sell for five even six figures depending on the item. Cryptocurrency is an example of a financial market that operates entirely around collective agreed upon equilibrium prices based on supply and demand. Everyone needs somewhere to live, so real estate has managed to create an endless bubble due to an enormous increase in desperate buyers vs. those who don't want to sell. Any sort of community in which there is something limited and desirable its price will be affected in a similar way to financial markets where an influx of ready buyers drives up the price and an excess of ready sellers lowers it. It's pointless to try and figure out which types of investments corals resemble the most. They have their own fundamentals (care level, survivability, etc.) that drive price action in their own way. Corals are investments like any other.

So who else here stacks crypto lol

 

[weamdog]

More like the lottery as this will never pay off monetarily.

BTW, my free yellow tang is my oldest indoor fish.

 

[stoneroller]

More like Russian Roulette, in that holding on to that special piece to grow out just a little too long then it RTNs losing any hope of "return"

 

[don_chuwish]

If you like buying high and selling low maybe. Unless you can grow out enough of said coral to sell off frags I wouldn't count on cashing in on elevated prices down the line.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I buy when I can, and trade when I can. I don't buy or trade with the thought of selling

 

[Revnobody]

Corals are similar to stocks in that they are cyclical. As someone above stated, something becomes hot and forms a bubble. When the bubble pops people jump to the next fad. This has been happening since the early days of reefing and I don't expect it to change.

As for selling coral when it's hot? To each his/her own. I buy corals because I like them and want them in my display, not with the intention of selling.

 

[KrisReef]

I've never seen a stock "RTN" overnight...

Made me look 'RTN':

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