What's Considered "Old School"?

[CaliforniaCrisp]

One can get secluded from the world of reefing if they only go to the same 5 stores there city has to offer. I joined r2r not too long ago and see people talk about "old school" chalices. Then they post stuff that I thought were my better selection of coral:
Bubblegum monster
Pink ******
Bazooka joe
3G mummy eye
OG mummy eye
Miami hurricane.

I know as they grow they become more common and less valuable. But is it the same with all of these? It finally seems like I am just getting all of my to a happy mini colony size and now they are considered old.

What is considered new? Rainbows? Convicts? I ordered through the wwc sale to try and stay up to date. Hope it worked. Haha!

Post some pics of your favorite "old school" vs "new school"!


-ADub

 

[WillKatt]

Im not sure about all of them but I remeber when BGM used to go for $200 an eye just a couple years ago. I just saw a 1.5"x 1.5" frag with at least 6 eyes sale from a local vendor in Denver for about $80.

 

[NanaReefer]

You have 5 stores? Try living in a city that has only 1!!! And they're still selling under gravel filters-lol

 

[cdness]

Well this is with anything really, the general supply and demand model of business. Prices are high when the supply is under a tight control. Supply is controlled both by the use of marketing as a LE coral and by selling extremely small frags to make the most out of the original piece.

Corals are sold in such small pieces they take forever to get to the point where an average hobbiest would consider fragging the piece. Some lucky souls will get a piece to grow faster or would originally be purchased larger, allowing them to reap the benefits of the livestock sale threads and recoup some of their original investment before the "bubble" pops on that coral.

Personally I sit back and watch the sale scene and see things I would love to have. Then I wait until they are in my budgeted price range and buy them then. I don't care if they are "Old School" or common as if they look good I still want them. However I will tend to buy them when they are considered common or widespread as the prices are not so extreme and the frags are usually much larger.

 

[CaliforniaCrisp]

Im not sure about all of them but I remeber when BGM used to go for $200 an eye just a couple years ago. I just saw a 1.5"x 1.5" frag with at least 6 eyes sale from a local vendor in Denver for about $80.

Snatch it up! It's a beautiful piece!


-ADub

 

[CaliforniaCrisp]

Well this is with anything really, the general supply and demand model of business. Prices are high when the supply is under a tight control. Supply is controlled both by the use of marketing as a LE coral and by selling extremely small frags to make the most out of the original piece.

Corals are sold in such small pieces they take forever to get to the point where an average hobbiest would consider fragging the piece. Some lucky souls will get a piece to grow faster or would originally be purchased larger, allowing them to reap the benefits of the livestock sale threads and recoup some of their original investment before the "bubble" pops on that coral.

Personally I sit back and watch the sale scene and see things I would love to have. Then I wait until they are in my budgeted price range and buy them then. I don't care if they are "Old School" or common as if they look good I still want them. However I will tend to buy them when they are considered common or widespread as the prices are not so extreme and the frags are usually much larger.

I totally understand what your saying. And I pretty much do the same. Only reason I have a majority of my higher end coral is a buddy broke down his tank and gave them to me.

I bought some nice pieces hoping to grow and frag for a few buddies. In the end, making my money completely back or possibly some extra. I'm just glad I have a small tank right now. Even the tiniest frag looks big. Haha. Thanks for your input.




-ADub

 

[Russellaqua]

I'd agree that everything you listed is "old school," not that there's anything wrong with that. To me at least, a lot of the "new school" chalices look very much the same, just random splashes of color all over the place, with the exception of convicts of course. The colors may be somewhat different from one variety to the next, but the overall impression is the same to me. The corals you listed are more distinct to me (perhaps just due to having seen them more often) and I think at the end of the day those will be the "classic" corals. Maybe a good analogy is that the "new" varieties are like a Bugatti Veyron (high priced, flashy, and very nice), and that the "old" varieties are like a '57 Chevy (cheaper, less flashy, but who doesn't want one?)

 

[CaliforniaCrisp]

I'd agree that everything you listed is "old school," not that there's anything wrong with that. To me at least, a lot of the "new school" chalices look very much the same, just random splashes of color all over the place, with the exception of convicts of course. The colors may be somewhat different from one variety to the next, but the overall impression is the same to me. The corals you listed are more distinct to me (perhaps just due to having seen them more often) and I think at the end of the day those will be the "classic" corals. Maybe a good analogy is that the "new" varieties are like a Bugatti Veyron (high priced, flashy, and very nice), and that the "old" varieties are like a '57 Chevy (cheaper, less flashy, but who doesn't want one?)

Haha! I love the analogy! Thanks!


-ADub