interesting question! I'm only generalizing, and of course with questions like these, each of us is just presenting a perspective as there is truly no right or wrong answer to an opinion pol, cuz opinions are like ******** (chime in the cheeky answer). Pricing is complex but it might be fair to say above and beyond COGS (cost of goods sold) there are reasonable and expected profits (capitalism isn't charity folks). With equipment you'll definitely see some mark up attributed to name brand marketing, we see that everywhere outside the hobby. You want Apple? You'll pay apple prices. I think with corals and fish you tend to see more of a supply and demand with marketing. Whether those corals are truly rare might not always hold true but either way we are being told they are and I doubt it actually costs more to propagate them over other corals in their class.
In the end the consumer makes the decision to spend or not. We can always send the message 'we're not paying your asking price' by not participating. None of us HAVE to have a given thing in this context. I love corals but personally won't play that game of positional good by saying i spent an absurd amount of money on something everyone else wants and can't get. Nor will I spend a lot of money and then complain about after the fact, cuz the answer to that is looking back at me in the mirror. If we let them sit on the shelves long enough, they might come down in price or if more hobbyists start propagating and not price gouge maybe things can get better? Hard to say. I'd like a million dollar house, but complaining about it won't get me one faster haha. I get what i can within my means. or change that if I want something bad enough.
I appreciate all the different view points in this forum tho!
In the end the consumer makes the decision to spend or not. We can always send the message 'we're not paying your asking price' by not participating. None of us HAVE to have a given thing in this context. I love corals but personally won't play that game of positional good by saying i spent an absurd amount of money on something everyone else wants and can't get. Nor will I spend a lot of money and then complain about after the fact, cuz the answer to that is looking back at me in the mirror. If we let them sit on the shelves long enough, they might come down in price or if more hobbyists start propagating and not price gouge maybe things can get better? Hard to say. I'd like a million dollar house, but complaining about it won't get me one faster haha. I get what i can within my means. or change that if I want something bad enough.
I appreciate all the different view points in this forum tho!