Pricing of corals

Spiderwoman · Apr 12, 2009

I've noticed that in the past few months the pricing of corals has gone through the roof. I've heard prices from a few pickers lists and what they charge is nowhere near what the price is going out. We are talking HUGE markup. Are the insane prices based on what everybody thinks the market will pay for them or is a clearcut % of what you want to make from the sale? Freight is pretty much a set price, I've done importing and exporting in my earlier career so I'm well aware of freight, customs etc.

I'm not asking anybody really to answer that, just want to have everybody who sells corals for a living to think. I'd hate to see well liked and respected sellers to price themselves out of the market.

I for one may pay horrible prices for zoa's and paly's, but when the prices keep going up, I'm probably going to start cutting down.

Just some food for thought, that's all :)

/ off my soapbox now

o0xerog0o · Apr 12, 2009

I've noticed the same things... Chalices come to mind. I'd love to get into them, but there's no way I'm paying the cost that most LFS's and vendors are asking for them right now. It's all fads, they come and go, and mostly the one's who are expecting to capitalize on them are buying them.

It does suck, though, that my coral budget could be stretched much further if the prices came down some...

gflat65 · Apr 12, 2009

Of course, are they pricing themselves out of the market if the corals are selling that high, or just pricing those of us without the means out of the coral? I understand what you're saying. There is a ton of huge mark up out there, especially with chalices, but with free market, if it sells at the higher prices, why woukld they drop price? If it doesn't sell, they'll eventually have to drop price, or just decided to hold onto the piece. The direction I've noticed most in the hobby is staying away from anything that isn't named to only purchase named corals. that's an overexageration, but I've had a number of times at swaps (95% of my frags are in the $20-25 range), someone will ask if that zoa is X 9after oooohing and ahhhing about it for five minutes). When I say it looks like it, but I can't say for sure, they lose interest. If I lied and said that it is X, I have to wonder if thye'd buy it.

Largely the blame for prices in this hobby is directly related to our buying habits... The vendors just pick up on our habits and market to exploit them (basic marketing). We set the trend, though.

subielover · Apr 12, 2009

I couldn't agree more. I can't believe how much chalice frags that are less than an inch sell for on this site, craziness.

miyags · Apr 12, 2009

i've been watching the auctions and online stores for colonies. lets say 3.5x3.5 in size go for 275.00$ & up. I swear the same corals go up for resale a week later for 50.00$ for a couple of polyps. thats for deep water zoos. acans. ect. has anybody else been seeing this. miyags.