Lfs Acropora frag prices vs online vendors

[HB AL]

Here in SoCal I have 2 lfs's I visit for acropora frags maybe 3 on occasion and cant help but wonder the difference in price vs online vendors. Now I'm talking regular acro frags not "high end " and my lfs's are so much cheaper than online vendors for the same frags. Overhead at the lfs's is on par with any online vendor. Just wondering why the high price descrepency for your average acro frags locally to what I see online for the very same corals not to mention the lfs frags are much bigger sometimes by inches. Is it because SoCal is full of lfs's and other parts of the country have little in the way of lfs's?
If that's the case then I can see why online vendors charge so much more for regular acros. I bought a handful of times off online vendors usually just a couple different ones for corals I've not seen locally and the frags are always small and color is usually misrepresented. I guess I'm just lucky to live in SoCal with lots of options, although I stick to the 2 within a few miles of my house. Just trying to figure it out as they are the same corals and OVERHEAD is not an excuse. Only thing I figure is the difference is that many customers have no choice to pay a premium since they dont have an lfs. Just got back from one of my lfs and this thought(price dicrepency) came to mind. Not to mention getting to see the frag color in person without some online shop making it look like some colorful special coral for the same thing locally. Any thoughts in my thinking feel free to comment.

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

Online has to incorporate shipping costs, as shipping is usually double that is charged and LA is usually where all the wholesalers are making things a little easier to get I presume. I'll sure there are way more reasons than that.

 

[Nick Steele]

Some of my local lfs get a good majority of their constant frags from locals who are doing trade-ins etc. but other corals that are part of shipments aren’t as cheap.

Some frags are dirt cheap. One shop has monti digis for $5-10 for a good 2-3” frag because they don’t last in his system so he just moves them quickly.

 

[HB AL]

Online has to incorporate shipping costs, as shipping is usually double that is charged and LA is usually where all the wholesalers are making things a little easier to get I presume. I'll sure there are way more reasons than that.

Ya in some cases where shipping costs come into play and the vendor is discounting the shipping costs in some instances there are those that are making money too off shipping costs plus the little less they charge for shipping does not add up for the premium price of the frag, also people usually order more than one frag so shipping costs are the same for 1 frag or 10, so I dont believe that's a valid argument, but keep em coming. I think it's just the fancy name for a regular old frag and also that some have no choice but to order online since they dont have a lfs nearby and they are willing to pay the premium price for a regular frag since they cant get it locally and the vendors know it.

 

[joseserrano]

SoCal if very saturated, so in a saturated market, prices drop. Ppl tend to be very frugal here as well, hobbyists wasn’t to pay the least and turn it around and sell it for the most. I personally rather sell to hobbyists outside SoCal and take the risk in shipping to make more and of deal with being low balled or sob storied for $20 off a $100 purchase

 

[HB AL]

Sorry for blurry pic but I just picked up this frag for 20$ must be 3inches tall atleast, cool colors for a frag and looked like nothing I had, although I really had no room for 20bucks for the size figured what the heck, probably 75+$ online.