Gem Tangs under $4-500 vs $1,000. Why?

[FiveGallonSea]

Hi everyone,

So I've been playing with my fish stock list idea for a while and have been seeing Gem Tangs in the market for anywhere between $300-500. However, companies like Live Aquaria and many other places still carry them at their typical range of anywhere between $800 and even $1,300. I'm wondering what is the difference here in these prices. Why can some of these reputable LFS sell them in store/online at an "affordable" range where others are expensive as always?

 

[blaxsun]

They're still expensive here in Canada, but not $800-$1,300 stupid expensive...

 

[argiBK]

I think it’s a collection of reasons.

First and foremost, shipping time and lines to the seller. I think East Coast vendors tend to have Gems for cheaper as they come in from East Africa, one of the LFS nearby on LI claims to be the primary import point for Gem supply in NY and surrounding areas. If you come in after they recently receive a shipment, they will have hundreds of Gems in stock, and sell them for as low as $250, $350 is the highest I’ve seen them go for.

Other local suppliers, like NY Aquatic, also sell them for similar prices. But, I’d assume the further west you go, the higher the price; this price also scales similarly for species that come in through West Coast cities and make their way east.

To boot, shipping costs from certain regions have been astronomical. I had a conversation with another LFS owner and he mentioned that shipments from Indonesia have been 300%+ higher as of late.

Another reason is some retailers take advantage of just being well known, having or having had a good reputation in the hobby, and/or their shoppers not doing their research. LiveAquaria might be doing this.

Gem tangs being in demand and still a somewhat marketed as a “holy grail” fish, means some vendors will jack up the prices. Even some east coast retailers will identify something like a “starry” or “milky way” gem tang with higher dot density and mark those prices up.

 

[Badboyan93l]

I think it’s a collection of reasons.

First and foremost, shipping time and lines to the seller. I think East Coast vendors tend to have Gems for cheaper as they come in from East Africa, one of the LFS nearby on LI claims to be the primary import point for Gem supply in NY and surrounding areas. If you come in after they recently receive a shipment, they will have hundreds of Gems in stock, and sell them for as low as $250, $350 is the highest I’ve seen them go for.

Other local suppliers, like NY Aquatic, also sell them for similar prices. But, I’d assume the further west you go, the higher the price; this price also scales similarly for species that come in through West Coast cities and make their way east.

To boot, shipping costs from certain regions have been astronomical. I had a conversation with another LFS owner and he mentioned that shipments from Indonesia have been 300%+ higher as of late.

Another reason is some retailers take advantage of just being well known, having or having had a good reputation in the hobby, and/or their shoppers not doing their research. LiveAquaria might be doing this.

Gem tangs being in demand and still a somewhat marketed as a “holy grail” fish, means some vendors will jack up the prices. Even some east coast retailers will identify something like a “starry” or “milky way” gem tang with higher dot density and mark those prices up.

That's true!

Every zebrasoma to me look way better except the gem idk why LOL

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

It's because LiveAquaria hasn't figured out that it isn't 2019. They used to be hard to collect and thus very expensive, but now as collection increases in areas where they're found and divers figure out where to catch them, the prices are going down. Even the "low" prices of about $500 are still a couple hundred dollars higher than what they should be. At this point, they're not much rarer than purple tangs.