Calling out all vendors... Ultra Rare Super Toxic Holy Garbage...

[F i s h y]

My gifs and emojis don't work for some reason. Thanks for the assist.

Also I forget how it gets fixed but @Lost in the Sauce had the same issue maybe he can help

 

[Sean Clark]

Just imagine if those raptor eggs were ultra exclusive rainbow super deluxe raptor eggs?

*there are only so many rainbow dinosaur eggs gifs to choose from so...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Reading through this post was a great way to start my morning. Honestly, not kidding. I would likely not be able to participate in the hobby if i was currently over there having to pay those prices for the corals i wanted and $20 a lb for live rock from the ocean. Also, the sellers here certainly aren't as good with Photoshopping pics as they are over there so when I order a coral from a seller i can expect it to look a lot more like what i was really wanting and expecting when it gets to me. I truly am grateful not to have to deal with everything discussed in this post. Ironically i actually worked for a shop in America a while back so i am familiar with their pricing and sales tactics. This hobby is a luxury but it does seem to have gotten a little out of hand with the pricing.

 

[flashsmith]

I keep seeing buy from other reefers. Well im within shouting distance of WWC, TSA Living Reef Orlando and others. Every single reefer who sells frags has them priced as if they own one of those places. Buying from local reefers in my area is a waste of time. Nearly 100% of my coral came from ASD over 3000 miles away..

 

[fish farmer]

Is there a certifying authority on coral lineage on these brand name super expensive coral? Or is it a smile and a handshake? Meaning, if I buy a $1000 coral, do I get a certificate of authenticity with it? Or just the seller's word?

I have more confidence where my apples come from...they at least have a sticker.

 

[reefiniteasy]

I keep seeing buy from other reefers. Well im within shouting distance of WWC, TSA Living Reef Orlando and others. Every single reefer who sells frags has them priced as if they own one of those places. Buying from local reefers in my area is a waste of time. Nearly 100% of my coral came from ASD over 3000 miles away..

You a member of Central Florida Reef Addicts group on Facebook? Plenty of good people to get coral from, heck I give away and sell Zoas for $10-$20 bucks a frag. If not, join.

 

[reefiniteasy]

Bowing out of this conversation.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Reading through this post was a great way to start my morning. Honestly, not kidding. I would likely not be able to participate in the hobby if i was currently over there having to pay those prices for the corals i wanted and $20 a lb for live rock from the ocean. Also, the sellers here certainly aren't as good with Photoshopping pics as they are over there so when I order a coral from a seller i can expect it to look a lot more like what i was really wanting and expecting when it gets to me. I truly am grateful not to have to deal with everything discussed in this post. Ironically i actually worked for a shop in America a while back so i am familiar with their pricing and sales tactics. This hobby is a luxury but it does seem to have gotten a little out of hand with the pricing.

Location location location.

 

[Battlecorals]

I'll have to admit I am still flabbergasted by the extremely long list of thread participants whenever I "check in" on one of these almost daily live sales. Over and over. The majority of you guys definitely dig them. Why, I'll never really understand. But that's a topic for another thread.

Thing is, for every one thread like this, where we all blow steam and rant about the current state of things, and there are plenty, there are at least 5-10 active running live sale threads lol. As someone who was here before live sales existed, I can say with confidence, it has gotten silly. But as long as you guys keep going ga-ga over them, I'm afraid vendors that rely on them are going to keep doing them.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

As consumers, we set the prices collectively. There still Are rare corals. We wouldn't know it because now, EVERYTHING is "rare"

Super, Ultra, and Rainbow have lost All meaning in this context. A rainbow ACAN used to mean something. Now it means it's an acan with more than one color. This is just silly

Run of the mill, green on green torches are not $150/head corals because you call it ULTRA.

This is why I buy most of my coral from local hobbyists and my LFS. At a frag swap this year I got 3 really awesome hammers (a gold, pink, and a blue!) AND a big frammer, all for $100 total. A steal compared to online. I also scored a huge, I'm taking almost dinner-plate-size crown leather with a Kenya tree from my LFS (probably a trade in) for $60. I've seen 2" leathers of the same type online for well over $100. I do purchase online as well, but am very picky which sites I buy from.

 

[MNFish]

I don't get it if you are happy with the coral you buy and the price you pay for it, then who I am to say you over paid or underpaid. I agree that the JC Penny method of of saying something is normally worth 1000 on sale for 10 is BS if it never sold for 1000, but if you buy it for 10 dollars because you like it and not because you think it is worth a 1000 than I think that is an okay thing. I never bought a coral to put it on instant gram or to brag about how much I paid for it, I buy them because they make me happy and that is it.

 

[ninjamyst]

I keep seeing buy from other reefers. Well im within shouting distance of WWC, TSA Living Reef Orlando and others. Every single reefer who sells frags has them priced as if they own one of those places. Buying from local reefers in my area is a waste of time. Nearly 100% of my coral came from ASD over 3000 miles away..

I am in Orlando and sell stuff for cheap. Some example pricing:
- $10 orange Digi
- $10 zoa frags
- $30 - $40 gold hammers
- $50 - $70 gold torches

I am just too lazy to list my overgrown stuff....

 

[rtparty]

I'll have to admit I am still flabbergasted by the extremely long list of thread participants whenever I "check in" on one of these almost daily live sales. Over and over. The majority of you guys definitely dig them. Why, I'll never really understand. But that's a topic for another thread.

Thing is, for every one thread like this, where we all blow steam and rant about the current state of things, and there are plenty, there are at least 5-10 active running live sale threads lol. As someone who was here before live sales existed, I can say with confidence, it has gotten silly. But as long as you guys keep going ga-ga over them, I'm afraid vendors that rely on them are going to keep doing them.

So…when’s your next live sale? Imma need a reminder in my Pro phone

 

[vpierce3]

Can I please get a hallelujah!? And it’s not just corals…..there are a lot of ridiculously price fish out there too.

 

[lumbeejerk]

Totally agree ! Why I got out hobby after 10 years

 

[FDchase]

I’m just wondering why when I first started the hobby as a broke high school kid I could afford torch corals and green polyp toadstools but now they seem crazy expensive. Even at the LFSs

 

[ninjamyst]

I'll have to admit I am still flabbergasted by the extremely long list of thread participants whenever I "check in" on one of these almost daily live sales. Over and over. The majority of you guys definitely dig them. Why, I'll never really understand. But that's a topic for another thread.

Thing is, for every one thread like this, where we all blow steam and rant about the current state of things, and there are plenty, there are at least 5-10 active running live sale threads lol. As someone who was here before live sales existed, I can say with confidence, it has gotten silly. But as long as you guys keep going ga-ga over them, I'm afraid vendors that rely on them are going to keep doing them.

I participated in quite a few live sales and usually end up paying a lot less than other online stores or walking into WWC / LRO / TSA. You do have to weed through a lot of overpriced stuff and snipe the good deals fast. I do cringe when I see people paying $$$ for common frags they could have gotten cheaper elsewhere. The pricing between vendors are crazy. TCK had utter chaos for $1 a polyp. WWC sells them for $25 a polyp and people buy them right away from WWC. At the end of the day, you can't blame vendors if consumers are willing to pay the premium.

People keep complaining about coral prices but I see leftover $10 and $20 corals in live sales all the time.

Hobby isn't expensive. The issue is that people are cheap but want the high end stuff. You can fill a big tank with $10-$20 corals that will look amazing. No one forcing you to buy those $500 acros or $500 torches.

This thread is like people complaining Mercedes and Porches are expensive when all they need is a Hyundai....

 

[MNFish]

I think this is what is wrong with the hobby:

I mean if you are willing to pay 479.00 for about 10 dollars worth of plastic and LEDs why not 1000000000 for some sort of fancy coral when that is what we do it for in the first place.

 

[FMF0331]

The same coral from top shelf can be found in your local area for like half the price.

 

[VSVP bet]

I participated in quite a few live sales and usually end up paying a lot less than other online stores or walking into WWC / LRO / TSA. You do have to weed through a lot of overpriced stuff and snipe the good deals fast. I do cringe when I see people paying $$$ for common frags they could have gotten cheaper elsewhere. The pricing between vendors are crazy. TCK had utter chaos for $1 a polyp. WWC sells them for $25 a polyp and people buy them right away from WWC. At the end of the day, you can't blame vendors if consumers are willing to pay the premium.

so true. its all about finding the deal. they are always there.