How do you feel about?

[mpoletti]

How does everyone else feel about vendors using each others name for different corals? Sometimes its obvious as a purple pillow lobo is not the same as a purple pillow acropora, but what about when two, three or four vendors all having their own version of the "pink lemonade chalice". Where has the originality gone?

I understand that everything NEEDS a name to sell, but lets be honest about it. Just because a coral looks similar does not mean that it needs to have a similar/same name.

As a consumer, it has really made put my wallet away as its a difficult place to be put in as a consumer. There are too many good vendors out there that have a great reputations, but there are also some really shady ones that sell knock off. I feel sorry for the people that are paying good money for the name when you can clearly tell the coral is not the original.

As I surf the internet looking to spend my money, I have been taken back about how prevalent it has become to share names, sell like corals or sell knock offs. I guess the good ol days of collecting are in the past. I know that I am not the only person that feels this way; I have heard it through plenty of emails, PMs or at vendor shows.

I'm not trying to bash anyone in particular as we all have a couple that come to mind right away, but do you think it will ever stop?

Oh well :)

 

[JR's Reef]

I agree with you Mark but dont think it will change as long as it helps make them money. I dont name any of my no namers for that reason.

 

[wishntoboutside]

mark so true. i do recall a few years ago the dragons soul favia was rare then wham they are everywhere due to aussie imports and now many vendors sell the dragon soul.. no linage and the dragon named has gone to dragon scales, dragon eyes, dragon breath. and other nock offs names. so glad i collect favias and not challices. =)

 

[Acroholic]

There are so many nice chalices coming into the country lately. I have the Desert Sunset Chalice, and I have seen at least four other gold Aussie chalices online that look just like it, all with the word "Desert" in their names.

Another practice I've seen is to Take a popular LE chalice name and place your Vendor name in front of it. So is it your colony of the original, or is it your knockoff version of the real deal?

Unregulated, and very confusing.
Dave

 

[bamachamp92]

I agree, that is part of what got me out of the chalice craze as fast as I got into it. I buy mostly sps, some LE and some no name that I just really like. But if Im buying LE I want lineage it sucks to ask for it but these days you have to. Ive seen a bunch of Jedi mind trick monti popping up everywhere too. They only leave the emma's off of the name a lot of them are similar but not the same. I think if there is no lineage it should be sold as similar or look alike, I would be fine with someone saying I just got a wild colony in that looks just like the superman chalice and let me decide if I want it or not. But to get a colony in and cut it up and sell it for 200 bucks a eye as superman chalice is what needs to stop.

 

[dieselab]

I don't think I could have said it any better Mark. I am in the same situation as you, as I have been padding my bank account instead of spending it on corals. Lately all I have been doing is looking at the same old corals and maintaining the system and more surprising then not, I am happy with what I have. I guess its just that this hobby has change so much with the recent craze and no sign of slowing down. The only corals I will be getting are from other trusting reefers from now on.

 

[Tomasz]

I am new as a vendor here, but as a hobbyist I always HATED the name game. So when I started my business I tried to go away from the names on corals. The only ones I name right now are the ones that have been with me for a long time and I am sure about the names or something that is brand new. The rest are just plain and simple chalice, paly, wellso etc. Am I wrong for doing this? Should I name them and sell for extra $$$? How about naming Wellsophyllias, Scolymias and other unique corals that can not be fraged? Is this crazy or is it just me?

 

[SaraB]

I agree, it's absolutely confusing and I feel sorry for any new reefers who may not know better and spend top dollar for something it is not. I'm with others that I tend to mostly buy from other reputable reefers I trust ...

 

[I-K@ndY]

I think its not going to stop.. Before there are only a few vendors but in the last 6-8 months there's a lot thats popping out thinking they can make top dollars.. I think its the buyers responsibility to do his homework..

 

[reef-lover]

Where has the originality gone?

Originality ran out when the MONEY started rolling in. :moneygrubber::moneygrubber:

 

[mpoletti]

There are some very interesting views out there I am glad that I am not the only one who feels the dirtiness in these practices.

I understand that its not completely on the vendors and we, as consumers, are responsible for our own purchases. That is why I have not bought anything in a long time. I have also grown tired in seeing all of the "introducing xyz coral" thread only to see them up for sale later that day.

I guess that is why I have been showing up in the community less and less. The great thing about life is that we get to choose our paths and get to voice our opinions either way.

Life is not all about the money and if that is they way things are going to continue in the hobby, I will not miss it at all.

 

[Psychographic]

You would think Congress came up with the naming deal, it's like trying to get a bill passed, the original intent is ususally a good idea, but by the time everyones adds their little part to it inorder to get passed, it'ss basically useless.

Naming was great for general ID'ing of things, but then money got involved, and well,,,, we all know what happens then.

 

[revhtree]

There are some very interesting views out there I am glad that I am not the only one who feels the dirtiness in these practices.

I understand that its not completely on the vendors and we, as consumers, are responsible for our own purchases. That is why I have not bought anything in a long time. I have also grown tired in seeing all of the "introducing xyz coral" thread only to see them up for sale later that day.

I guess that is why I have been showing up in the community less and less. The great thing about life is that we get to choose our paths and get to voice our opinions either way.

Life is not all about the money and if that is they way things are going to continue in the hobby, I will not miss it at all.

Are you getting out of the hobby Mark?

 

[MikeB]

I agree with you Mark but dont think it will change as long as it helps make them money. I dont name any of my no namers for that reason.

+1 :nerd:

 

[Azurel]

You know what would be great? If they named them like Greg, Bill, Sue.....LOL


I can see it now

Reefer A " Man I need a piece of that Greg"
Reefer B "Greg who? I'm John"

 

[mpoletti]

Are you getting out of the hobby Mark?

Its headed that way

 

[mpoletti]

Naming was great for general ID'ing of things, but then money got involved, and well,,,, we all know what happens then.

Except when the people naming them have no idea what they are in the first place :xd:

By the way, if you are trying to sell corals, at least have the respect to find out how to spell it correctly :tongue:

 

[Sikryd]

I agree with just about everything said above.

It is a sad reality, but once the money got involved, so did all the people trying to make more money, hence using names from other popular stuff to help sell whatever coral they had.
I'm not too worried about it for me, mainly the new reefer out there that doesn't know any better like SaraB said. They will then sell it to other reefers thinking it is the same thing as the "original", then it will come to bite everyone down the line in the end when someone says something since the color isn't even close to the same.
I have been burned more than once on stuff like this happening. That is why I also curbed my spending for a lot of stuff (besides the baby).

I also think it is funny that there are soooooo many hybrid watermelons that look almost identical with 15-20 different names. Everyone wants to have something they can call their own or whatever, which is cool, cause I wouldn't mind it myself. I just have a feeling that a lot of guys are doing it to sell something "new" and "different" since it morphed a little under different lighting or tank conditions. Then voila - they have a NEW and IMPROVED piece that everyone will want to collect.

I finally gave up on the whole pricing, naming, and collecting deal. If I sell something, it'll be for what I think it is worth, if someone buys it, then it must be worth the same to them. I figured the same goes for me, I question myself now when I shell out $. I also only buy from non-enhanced, non-macro pictures.

Its a sad reality that this isn't going to change anytime soon. Reefing has gone from a hobby to a business. There is nothing that will stop it from going back since there is too much money involved now. Sure it can die back down, but it will take years to do that, and that is only if EVERYONE stops buying.

It is what it is....

 

[Psychographic]

Except when the people naming them have no idea what they are in the first place :xd:

By the way, if you are trying to sell corals, at least have the respect to find out how to spell it correctly :tongue:

Well that is where the money ties into it, give it a name or better yet, "steal" a name and, mo money, mo money, mo money.

 

[Sikryd]

A good example of this is guys asking for ID's on stuff, then everyone chiming in that it looks like XYZ.
So then the person decides, I'll call it that so I can sell it for whatever the piece goes for.

It won't stop as long as people go to their LFS, find some random zoa or chalice for $30-$40, post a picture ask for a name ID, then sell it as that for more money.
I see it on here all the time, let alone RC, Renagade, nano-reefs, ect. ect. ect.

Someone just did it with a chalice on here. Guys said it looked like the Tyree LE Aquascene, so he decided to go with that. Now don't jump on me for calling it out. I don't know the full story, if the guy is selling frags or whatever. I just read the thread and am adding a comment on it as an example of what CAN happen.